The 16 best kosher restaurants in NYC right now

It’s very difficult to create a single, universal list of the best kosher restaurants in New York City. For one, there’s a big distinction between meat-centric and dairy-centric eateries—almost like comparing drama and comedy categories during awards season. It doesn’t always feel fair to pit them against each other and, yet, they are two sides of the same coin.

Atmosphere also plays a role: some restaurants are upscale, while others aren’t vying for your nighttime attention, preferring instead to focus on stellar lunch offerings, for example.

Despite all of this, a list of the best kosher restaurants in NYC still feels essential for any publication dedicated to the city’s vibrant and dynamic dining scene. With that in mind, here is our version—not a ranking, but a curated selection of fabulous, delicious spots across the five boroughs that will reliably deliver a great meal.

Abaita
145 East 49th Street in Manhattan

There are kosher dairy restaurants aplenty, but none of them try as hard as Abaita to be as authentically Italian as possible—and the effort pays off. The pizza is stellar, perhaps the best kosher pie in New York City, but so are the other dishes. The pasta is usually properly al dente (as it should be), the fish is creative without forgetting about the power of tradition and the chocolate budino is a standout dessert that wraps up the meal perfectly. Chef David Donagrandi, who recently opened Libbi uptown, clearly knows what he’s doing when it comes to décor and ambiance as well.

Le Marais
150 West 46th Street in Manhattan

Le Marais has stood the test of time and, in a city like New York, where restaurant turnover is ruthless, kosher or not, that alone deserves recognition. But the steakhouse itself is solidly great: the steaks are done right, the drinks are as strong as a well-made burger requires and the waiters are quick on the uptake. After all, Le Marais—literally “swamp,” and the name of a Parisian district along the Seine—is the brainchild of José de Meirelles and Philippe Lajaunie, partners behind the now-defunct Park Avenue Brasserie Les Halles, one of the most celebrated non-kosher restaurants in the city and launchpad for the late culinary genius Anthony Bourdain.

Malka
56 Adams Street in Dumbo

When celebrity Israeli chef Eyal Shani opened his kosher restaurant Malka on the Upper West Side in November 2023, people noticed—and they still are. Already the force behind a slew of non-kosher restaurants in New York and across the world, Shani knew exactly what he was doing when he launched Malka, his forty-first restaurant and first certified-kosher spot outside Israel. Fast-forward to today and he’s gearing up for even more projects while operating this second Malka location in Dumbo. The two menus are mostly the same as in Israel, but the Dumbo space wins on vibe and comfort. It’s bigger, airier and less cramped than Manhattan, the bar is grander and there’s actual room to breathe. Plus, on Thursday nights the place morphs into a kind of Israeli club, where we can only imagine many a natural shidduch unfolds.

Turquoise
189-23 Union Turnpike in Queens

Turquoise is almost anonymous from the outside, perched right on Union Turnpike. From both the exterior and interior you might not think much of it, but the food earns its reputation. It’s all about fish here, though the salads you’ll inevitably order alongside your seafood will fight for your attention too. Everything is cooked simply, with just enough spice, letting the ingredients actually shine—a rarity in both the kosher and taref worlds. Bonus points: the wine selection is pretty solid.

Mama Kitchen
67-25 Main Street in Queens

Mama Kitchen does Israeli food in Queens and does it well. The dips are genuinely good, especially when swiped through the fluffy homemade bread that you will absolutely end up ordering seconds and thirds of. The pretty plates everything arrives on make for great Instagram fodder as well.

Marani
97-26 63rd Road in Rego Park

Marani bills itself as the only glatt-kosher Georgian restaurant in the United States. Whether that’s technically true or not, one thing is certain: there are no other kosher Georgian places like this in New York. That’s not the only reason it made the list, though. It’s not fancy, but the food radiates serious love and care. You’ll want to try everything, so ordering the various sampler spreads is probably your best bet. Just remember: traditional Georgian dishes—the lobiani (bean pie), kubdari (beef pie) and the bread bowl with beef, mushrooms, tarragon and sunny-side-up egg called adjaruli—all take up to 30 minutes to prepare. You will want them all. Also, tell the waiter to keep the Georgian bread coming.

Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse
397 Troy Avenue in Crown Heights

Izzy’s is recognized outside kosher circles too, offering the kind of perfect barbecue that makes people travel to Crown Heights for it. You don’t come here unless you’re prepared to go all-in on red meat—ribs, smoked hot wings, pulled beef—but there are chicken options as well (fried, of course). The sides are authentically Southern, so don’t skimp on those either.

Reserve Cut
40 Broad Street, Second floor in Manhattan

If you’re after something fancy, Reserve Cut has to be your go-to. The high-end steakhouse inside the Setai Wall Street serves classic fare alongside a sushi menu that is very pricey but genuinely good, especially given the lack of proper kosher sushi options around town. Don’t forget to peek into the beautiful wine room and, word to the wise, dress up.

Wolf & Lamb Steakhouse
16 East 48th Street in Manhattan

Clearly, kosher restaurateurs have mastered the steakhouse. Yes, we know this category keeps popping up on our list, but what can we do? They’re deserving. Slightly more casual than other steakhouses mentioned, Wolf & Lamb’s menu also gets a bit more playful: think spicy chicken tenders and ribeye spring rolls, crowd-pleasing salads with salmon or tuna steak, a parade of steaks and burgers, plus a robust lineup of fish, pastas and more.

Noi Due Café
491 Columbus Avenue in Manhattan

Noi Due is a very popular Upper West Side Italian spot and we suspect the appeal has as much to do with the neighborhood’s charm as with the restaurant itself, which felt genuinely unique when it opened back in 2009. The menu gets creative, but we’d stick to the basics: margherita pizza, the chop-chop salad with shredded feta and za’atar, the sole and maybe the fish-and-chips. Keep in mind that desserts here are dairy, which basically guarantees they’re going to be excellent.

Bison and Bourbon
191 Seventh Street in Brooklyn

Here, you really have to drink. The lychee martini is perfect for your girlfriends who are still spiritually in the ’90s and the dragon-fruit martini is for the more adventurous palates. The pear pressure, made with whiskey, definitely stands out, too. The restaurant sits in a former warehouse, which makes for great vibes. Our suggestion: come for drinks and apps—the small plates outshine most of the entrées.

Cheburechnaya
92-09 63rd Drive in Queens

Let’s be clear: Cheburechnaya is not fancy. You might even briefly regret going. Don’t blame us. But when there’s an Uzbek kosher restaurant around, our culinarily curious palates simply can’t look away. Sure, we can’t quite bring ourselves to try some of the more daring menu options—the lamb testicles and veal heart aren’t for us—but even the most straightforward kebabs are phenomenal and definitely need some wine to wash down… even though the wine list is sub-par.

Taam Tov
41 West 47th Street in Manhattan

Taam Tov benefits from its location: tucked on the third floor of a building smack in the middle of the Diamond District, it’s one of the best spots for a kosher midtown lunch. Don’t go too heavy in the middle of the day (though you’ll see plenty of jewelers putting away impressive quantities of meat). Start with the borscht, then opt for a couple of kebab skewers or a Turkish-style fish salad, and you’ll be full straight through the afternoon.

Pongal
103 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan

There’s something almost romantic about Pongal, the kosher vegetarian Indian restaurant that dates back to 1996 and recently moved across the street from its original location. The only correct way to order is to ask the waiter what to get: tell him what you’re craving and he’ll build the right combination for you. Everything comes in traditional thali, the round platters holding the small katori bowls filled with the food, and you should feel comfortably using your hands to eat when need be. Drink wise, order the mango lassi to cool the heat, a beer or one of the two wines on offer (a house red and a house white). Somehow, it all adds to the almost 30-year-old space’s charm.

Castell’s
222 Avenue U in Brooklyn

No matter where you’re coming from, Castell’s in Gravesend is a trek—but believe us, it’s worth it. You might struggle to find the place, hidden in a desolate (and frankly, not very pretty) stretch of Brooklyn, but once inside you’ll be surprised by how elegant it is. The white-tablecloth dining room reflects the glow of the bar—one of the most beautiful in the local kosher scene—and the whole experience feels genuinely upscale, which is rare for dairy restaurants. You can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu. Honestly, we wish there were a prix-fixe option just so we could sample a bit of everything every time.

Akimori
858 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan

It took a long time for omakase to truly land in the kosher world. Born during the pandemic, when chefs began doing intimate, at-home tastings, omakase has since taken hold—Akimori alone has multiple locations, in Brooklyn and Manhattan—with plenty of new places following suit. For now, Akimori does it best.