Esquire's 2022 Best New Restaurants: The Complete List

Gregory Gourdet's debut restaurant brings three-time James Beard Award-winning technique to Haitian Caribbean cuisine at a $$ price point — the full menu is gluten- and dairy-free, the front-of-house depth (dedicated wine director, sommelier) outpaces the price tier. Ranked on OAD's Casual North America list in both 2024 and 2025, this is one of Portland's hardest bookings and one of its clearest yes-book decisions for a serious dinner.

Neng Jr.'s is the Asheville dinner to prioritize when Filipino cooking is the point of the night, not a side note. Recognition from Esquire and the James Beard Awards makes it a harder booking, so treat it as an anchor reservation rather than a casual fallback.

Canje is Austin's strongest case for Guyanese-Caribbean cooking, landing #4 on Esquire's Best New Restaurants in 2022 and holding a Pearl Recommended designation in 2025. The East 6th Street room works well for dates and small celebrations, booking is straightforward, a rotating menu means return visits stay interesting. Go with an open mind on what to order.

Le Rock is the clearest choice for a refined French brasserie dinner in Midtown, backed by the Frenchette team's track record, an OAD Top 305 ranking in 2025, a 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. The Art Deco dining room at Rockefeller Center handles special occasions and business dinners well. Book hard and early — this one fills fast.

n/soto is Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama's Mid-City izakaya, led by head chef Yoji Tajima and ranked among the top casual restaurants in North America by Opinionated About Dining (2025). Easier to book than n/naka and built for sharing, it delivers serious Japanese-California cooking and a standout cocktail program without the tasting-menu commitment. Book for groups, occasions, or any night you want to eat well without a reservation battle.

Kasama is the world's first two-Michelin-star Filipino restaurant, operating as a daytime café and a 13-course tasting menu in Chicago's East Ukrainian Village. The tasting menu books 45 days out and earns its $$$$ price with James Beard and Opinionated About Dining credentials. Plan at least two visits: one for the daytime pastry program, one for the evening tasting menu.

Saffy's is the strongest argument for Middle Eastern cooking at the $$$ tier in Los Angeles — Michelin-plated, ranked #22 on the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants list, built on sourcing decisions (Ibérico pork kebabs, labneh-marinated lamb) that justify the spend. From the team behind Bestia and Bavel, it handles both a serious dinner and a casual lunch with equal conviction.

Sean Brock's East Nashville restaurant uses Southern ingredients as the foundation for serious progressive cooking, not as a selling point for comfort food with ambitions. With a Michelin Plate, consistent OAD rankings, Audrey is Nashville's most credentialed option for a special occasion dinner that doesn't require a full tasting-menu commitment.

A Michelin-starred Korean BBQ restaurant from Corey Lee of Benu, San Ho Won delivers technically precise fire cooking at $$$, well below the $$$$ tasting-menu tier. Ranked #38 in North America by Opinionated About Dining in 2025, it is one of San Francisco's strongest value cases for a serious dinner. Book three to four weeks out minimum.

Semma is the clearest argument for South Indian cooking in New York City, holding a Michelin star and the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State. At $$$, it sits a tier below the city's tasting-menu circuit while delivering comparable critical recognition. Book well ahead — this is a hard reservation — and go with the staff's recommendations beyond the dosa.

Fishmonger is the strongest value case in Atlanta seafood: a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner two years running (2024 and 2025), ranked by Esquire at launch, priced at $$ in a neighborhood that rewards quality regulars. Book it when you want genuinely good food without a $$$$ commitment, especially for a celebration dinner that prioritizes substance over ceremony.

Baobab Fare is the Detroit pick for a lively East African meal that feels more personal than a standard special-occasion dinner. It is better for dates, birthdays, small groups than quiet business meals, with national recognition that supports the hype. Cross-shop Freya or Oak & Reel for a more formal night, Babo or Chartreuse for broader crowd-pleasing menus.

Supperland is Charlotte's most credentialed Southern steakhouse at the $$ price point, holding a Michelin Plate (2025) and an Esquire Best New Restaurants nod from 2022. With a 305-selection wine list and easy booking, it's the right call for a date or celebration dinner on The Plaza. Book it when occasion matters but you're not ready to step into $$$ territory.

Book Lilia (Comedor Lilia) for a polished Portland dinner when Mexican-Pacific Northwest cooking is the point of the night. It suits dates and small celebrations better than big casual groups, with Esquire Best New Restaurants #16 recognition from 2022 adding useful confidence.

Book Valentine when you want a Phoenix meal that feels rooted in Southwestern cooking rather than a generic night out. It is strongest as a two-visit play: daytime first, dinner later. Recognition from Esquire in 2022 and a 2025 James Beard semifinalist nod make it a higher-demand choice than a casual neighborhood backup.

Book Cafe Spaghetti for an easy Brooklyn Italian American dinner when comfort and occasion fit matter more than formality. It is a stronger match for dates, birthdays, small groups than for a high-polish business meal, with lunch useful when ease is the priority.

Tatemó holds a Michelin star and a spot on Resy's 2025 Hit List — earned inside a strip mall off Dacoma Street with no liquor license and a tasting menu built entirely around heirloom corn and Mexican technique. It's a hard reservation at the $$$$ tier, BYOB only, open Wednesday through Saturday from 6 PM. Book 3–4 weeks out minimum.

Nudibranch delivers Korean- and Spanish-inflected sharing plates in the East Village at a $$ price point, with an OAD Top 500 ranking, an Esquire Best New Restaurants nod, a 605-bottle wine list holding a Star Wine List White Star. It's one of the more practical choices for a special occasion dinner in New York if you want serious food and drink without committing to a $$$$ tasting menu format. Booking is easy relative to peers.

Bar Le Côte is the strongest special-occasion dinner option in Los Olivos, where Chef Brad Mathews runs a Spanish-California seafood program that has earned consecutive Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) and an Esquire Best New Restaurants nod — all from a relaxed bar-format room at the $$$ price tier. Book one to two weeks out for weekends, especially during harvest season.

Mother Wolf is Hollywood's most serious Roman pasta restaurant, holding an Opinionated About Dining Casual ranking for three consecutive years. Chef Evan Funke's handmade pasta program earns the OAD nod, the a la carte format keeps it accessible. Book it for a date night or low-key celebration when you want technical cooking without a tasting-menu commitment.

Birdie's is a counter-service wine bar and restaurant in East Austin with a 2025 James Beard Award, Michelin Plate, World of Fine Wine 3-Star Accreditation — at $$ food and wine pricing. The daily-changing contemporary American menu and a 250-selection wine list make it one of the strongest value-to-credential ratios in the city. Arrive early; there are no reservations and the queue is real.

Okta is the right answer for a serious tasting-menu dinner in the Willamette Valley. Chef Matt Lightner's progressive Pacific Northwest menu earned a top-250 Opinionated About Dining ranking in 2024 and an Esquire Best New Restaurant spot in 2022. Open Wednesday through Saturday only, with booking currently easier than its national recognition warrants.

Callie is Travis Swikard's Mediterranean-Californian room in San Diego's East Village — Michelin Bib Gourmand holder in 2024 and 2025, with a 400-selection wine list and a two-course price point in the $40–$65 range. It delivers genuine kitchen credibility at roughly a third of the cost of San Diego's top splurge rooms. Counter seating is the best way to book.

Bonnie's is a two-time Opinionated About Dining-ranked Cantonese-American restaurant in east Williamsburg, where Chef Calvin Eng applies Cantonese regional technique to quality-sourced ingredients in a retro Hong Kong diner setting. At $$$, it delivers serious cooking without the price premium of Manhattan's tasting-menu circuit. Book ahead for Friday and Saturday dinners; weekday slots are more accessible.

Her Place Supper Club is one of Philadelphia's most personal dining experiences: Chef Amanda Shulman's biweekly rotating multicourse menu delivers technically precise French- and Italian-accented cooking in a warm, communal supper club format. Book for two to four guests who want craft over ceremony.

Tomo is Atlanta's most credentialled Japanese restaurant at the $$$$ tier, holding back-to-back Michelin Plates (2024–2025) and consecutive Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America rankings. The lunch service on Peachtree Road is an underused entry point. Book well ahead — this is hard to secure, particularly at dinner.

La Royal is the Cambridge pick when the night calls for Peruvian cooking rather than another broad neighborhood dinner. It is easier to justify for small groups and later-evening plans than for diners seeking a formal tasting-menu occasion; cross-shop Talulla for occasion polish and Trattoria Pulcinella for a safer group dinner.

Twelve has held the Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025, making it the clearest value case for serious cooking in Lancashire. Chef Colin Wyatt's Modern British kitchen extracts real flavour from deceptively simple dishes, the wine list runs to 1,415 selections, ££ pricing means a celebration dinner here doesn't require compromise. Book a few days ahead for weekends.

Shuggie's Trash Pie earns its Esquire and Resy recognition without relying on its sustainability angle to do the work. This Mission District pizza restaurant uses upcycled ingredients as a creative constraint, not a gimmick, the counter seats are where the experience lands best. Easy to book, well-priced against San Francisco's tasting-menu circuit, consistently rated at 4.5 across 329 reviews.

Indienne is Sujan Sarkar's Michelin-starred progressive Indian tasting menu in Chicago's River North, offering vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian tracks with French-influenced technique. At $$$$ pricing with OAD Top 500 recognition and a Star Wine List award, it is the strongest option in Chicago for this format. Book four to six weeks out minimum — this is a hard ticket.

KRU brings Michelin Plate-recognised modern Thai cooking to Williamsburg at the $$$ price tier, backed by a wine programme ranked No. 1 by Star Wine List in both 2023 and 2024. It is a stronger value proposition than most of Brooklyn's credentialed dining options and a clear step below the $$$$ Manhattan tasting-menu circuit in cost — book two to three weeks out for weekend dinner.

Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen is the right Newfield pick when the meal should revolve around seafood, especially oysters, without turning into a formal occasion. It is better for couples, solo diners, small celebrations than for mixed-preference groups that need a broad menu. The Esquire Best New Restaurants #38 recognition gives it a stronger credibility signal than a typical casual seafood stop.

Roxanne is a small, ingredient-driven tasting-menu restaurant in Philadelphia's Old City that Esquire ranked among its Best New Restaurants in 2022. Chef Alexandra Holt keeps the menu tight and the room unpretentious, letting combinations like garlic scapes with melon and ricotta gnudi in Sungold tomato sauce carry the argument. Book for an intimate dinner of two — it is not built for groups.