NEW YORK NOW (APRIL-MAY)

BACK FORTY WEST
70 Prince Street, NY 10012 T: 212 219 8570
This is the recent SoHo outpost of East Village favorite, Back Forty. It's a casual dining space with a communal table on the second floor and bar to one side. The menu is split up into how you might eat a dish, so spoon and ladle is for the soups and curries and fork and knife are for the main dishes. There are a lot of big meats, pork shoulder, cassoulet and some small plates to be eaten by hand, acorn squash tempura and pulled pork Sammy. There's also an emphasis on interesting home-baked breads.

ATERA
77 Worth Street, NY 10013 T: 212 226 1444
Newly opened Atera offers one tasting menu for all and the chef, who is an expert forager, is there in the room as you eat. It's a dining experience for the foodie and especially those that are fans of the Nordic trend. Many of the dishes have been expertly put together with unusual combinations. It is more like chemistry than cooking and there is a strong emphasis on herbs and seasonality.

HAKKASAN
311 West 43rd Street, NY 10036 T: 212 776 1818
This is the first New York location for celebrated Cantonese restaurant Hakkasan. The original two locations, the first is Michelin starred, are in London and the brand has proved to be extremely popular with the international crowd. The menu offers the very best of fine Cantonese cuisine and some dishes reflect that in the price. Hakkasan is not only about the quality and intricacy of the food, it is also about the atmosphere and the low level lighting likens it to an exclusive nightclub, and there is a space for a DJ.

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IL BUCO ALIMENTARI & VINERIA
53 Great Jones Street, NY 10012 T: 212 837 2622
Il Buco is all about simple authentic food made to be enjoyed by friends and family. Many of the staple items on the menu are home-made and Il Buco favorites: salami, pasta, bread, olive oil and can be eaten inside or taken home. There's a good wine list and the grocer incorporates goods from hand-picked local suppliers. It's an extension of the immensely popular Il Buco around the corner.

ACME
9 Great Jones Street, NY 10012 T: 212 203 2121
Acme, formerly a New Orlean's inspired casual eatery has been reopened by Danish chef Mads Refslund from world-renowned Noma. The new and destined-to-be-popular Nordic menu is divided into four sections: raw, cooked, soil and sea or land and a hot favorite among foodies already is the clam dish with pearl barley. The drinks menu is exciting too and the graffiti green cocktail in particular has a Nordic kick.

TERTULIA
359 6th Avenue, NY10014 T: 646 559 9909
Celebrated chef Seamus Mullen opened his first restaurant, Tertulia last year. The menu is inspired by the ingredients, flavors and simplicity of Northern Spanish cooking. The menu is varied, there are tostas, sartenes, tapas and platos familiares and in all areas the ingredients are the real stars. It's laid back and casual and ultimately great fun.  

PULQUERIA
11 Doyers St, NY 10013 T: 212 227 3099
Although Mexican cuisine has always been popular in the city Pulqueria is the first to serve the traditional Aztec spirit 'pulque'. This bar is lively and energetic and the potent drinks are deceptive but a good time is guaranteed. There's a DJ to keep the atmosphere alive and the authentic Mexican food goes really well with the creative cocktails.  

SONS OF ESSEX
133 Essex St, NY 10002 T: 212 674 7100
This new deli come dining room has been designed so well it looks like it has been there for years. There are chandeliers, leather armchairs, old portraits on the walls, book shelves and brass. It's warm and inviting and there is lots of comfort food on both the deli and restaurant menus, sandwiches, steaks, mac 'n' cheese, waffles and eggplant parmesan.

PARM
248 Mulberry Street, NY 10012 T: 212 993 7189
Parm is a great new sandwich shop with Italian-American staples in the heart of NoLita. They serve sandwiches and platters for lunch and have nightly specials for dinner that include friend chicken cacciatore, veal and chopped steak.

FRANKIES SPUNTINO
17 Clinton St, NY 10002 T: 212 253 2303
Frankies Spuntino is the latest opening from childhood friends and neighbors, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli. The menu is made up of seasonal Italian favorites that they themselves picked because it is what they frequently enjoy. The restaurant is a casual eatery that offers fresh ingredients, a great value wine list and unpretentious service.

TERTULIA
359 Sixth Avenue, NY 10014 T: 646 559 9909
In modern day Spanish the name 'Tertulia' describes a gathering of friends where they enjoy great conversation, food and drink together and that is exactly what happens at this restaurant. The menu is a tribute to key Spanish flavors and ways of preparing food. There are tapas and platos familiars, tostas and sartenes, which are oven-grilled dishes in cast-iron skillets. The quality of the ingredients allows them to stand on their own and everything is matched with the perfect glass of wine.

SAXON AND PAROLE
316 Bowery at Bleecker T: 212 254 0350
This is a new American restaurant that takes its influences from the Midwest. There are pork chops, burgers, steaks and lobster favorites on the menu, and they all deliver big and hearty flavors. For lighter dishes there are beet salads, a seafood tower and salmon tartare. The space is made up of dark curving leather and long banquettes. Horse and bourbon lovers will feel at home here.

THE DUTCH
131 Sullivan Street, NY 10012 T: 212 677 6200
The opening of this brand new American restaurant has been eagerly anticipated by the New York restaurant scene. Located on a prime corner in SoHo, The Dutch's menu has multiethnic influences and regional traditions that Chef Carnmellini (A Voce, Locanda Verde) believes are just as "American" as a burger and cherry pie. There are dishes such as smoked ricotta ravioli, hot fried chicken and sloppy duck sandwich. The restaurant itself is bright and airy but with a working fireplace for the winter. Carmellini calls it "American cooking with New York soul."

BEAUTY & ESSEX
146 Essex Street, NY 10002 T: 212 614 0146
Secretly located behind a trap door in a pawn shop is the 280 seat speakeasy restaurant, Beauty & Essex.  It is spread across two floors and is filled with rooms and booths ideal for lounging and dining. The atmosphere is seductive, both grand and intimate and each room is adorned with heavy bejeweled decorations. The menu is contemporary and elegant and many of the dishes are tapas in style and designed for sharing.

BRUSHSTROKE
30 Hudson Street, NY 10013 T: 212 791 3771
Helmed by Head Chef, David Bouley, Brushstroke is a fantastic new Japanese restaurant that has added to the fantastic culinary offering that can be found in TriBeCa. There's a seasonal tasting menu and an a la carte menu made up of the freshest ingredients to be found and guests can sit in the lounge, the bar or the heart of the restaurant - the open kitchen surrounded by counter and tables.

THE FAT RADISH
17 Orchard Street, NY 10002 T: 212 300 4053
This is a British inspired establishment with a very fashionable following. The menu is creative with new twists on farm-to-table dishes and lots of vegetarian options such as a beet crumble and celery-root pot pie. There are some wonderfully indulgent puddings and there are some great wines by the glass too. It is open for dinner on weekdays and lunch and dinner at weekends.

PORSENA
21-23 East 7th Street, NY 10003 T: 212 228 4923
Porsena is a grown up Italian East Village spot serving exceptional pasta! There are the usual favorites for antipasti, great crostini topped with mozzarella and an anchovy wilted escarole salad, and big secondi, a roasted chicken, parchment-wrapped hake and a beef shin braised in red wine but the array of pasta dishes take center stage. It is rustic but refined and this is reflected in the décor. It is comfortable enough with a farm table by the open kitchen. They also take reservations.

RUBIROSA
235 Mulberry Street, NY 10012 T: 212 965 0500
There are reclaimed wood tables, tin panelling, old country photos hanging from the walls and barrel-vaulted wood ceilings at this restaurant. A revolving shelf oven cooks the pizzas that are made from a secret family recipe and the non-pizza menu includes local classics such as baked clams, stuffed artichokes and hand-rolled manicotti. Well worth a visit for any pizza fan.

SOCARRAT NOLITA
284 Mulberry St., New York T: 212 219 0101
This is the new sister restaurant of Chelsea's Socarrat and La Nacional on 14th Street. Its menu takes Spanish tapas influences from its siblings but owner Lolo Manso has also added more paellas, working with lobster, calamari, cod, lamb and a selection of montaditos for the smaller appetite. Great for dining in groups or alone on its long communal table and you can book. Daily from 6 to 11.30pm.

LYON BOUCHON MODERNE
118 Greenwich Ave., New York T: 212 242 5966
The New York Times gave Lyon a commendable one star in a recent review. It serves great onion soup, charcuterie and salads that can be eaten over red-checked tablecloths in a warm and welcoming room. It is classic Lyonnais food from a city often overlooked by the traveler.

COMPOSE
77 Worth Street, between Church St. and Broadway, New York T: 212 2261444
An elegant TriBeCa restaurant that mixes the diner with flamboyant taste buds with the cocktail enthusiasts. You can experience a gourmet 10 course tasting menu from Executive Chef, Nick Curtin or sip cocktails blended with laser cut ice. Sit at the horseshoe bar and interact with the barman