This is Eater’s guide to all the new restaurants, bars, and cafes that have opened this week in May 2026. Throughout the month, we’ll update the list weekly (see: April, March, February, January). When we’ve been to a place, we will then include a few openings on our heatmaps (Manhattan,Brooklyn,Queens, cocktail bars) to let you know the ones we like. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at
ny@eater.com.May 20
Spotlight
Midtown: Brasserie Cognac Américain, the latest NYC venture from the hospitality titans of Serafina Restaurant Group, swings open across from the New York Public Library on Tuesday, May 19. The grand, two-story brasserie features a French American menu from chef Michael Lomonaco (21 Club, Windows on the World,
and Porter House Bar & Grill) full of escargots de Bourgogne, duck à l’orange, steak frites, lobster Américaine, tagliatelle with truffles, and a lobster mac and cheese. The 250-seat setup framed in polished brass and wood evokes a glam Parisian brasserie, complete with a big horseshoe-shaped bar anchoring the ground floor and main dining room sprawled across an upstairs balcony. It’s open for lunch and dinner daily. 461 Fifth Avenue, at East 40th Street
And the rest…
Boerum Hill: Lonnies, the follow-up to Brooklyn Heights mainstay Ingas, is set to open on Wednesday, May 20. Co-owner Caron Callahan described the menu to Grub Street as “lo-fi, easy, and approachable,” with dishes like chicken under a brick, burgers, prime ribs, and Basque cheesecakes. 112 Bond Street, at Pacific Street
East Village: Chef Sechul Yang (Maialino, Gramercy Tavern) breaks out with the opening of Sono on Saturday, May 16. Sono’s menu features Italian dishes with Korean ingredients and techniques, with similar styles (family-style sharing), vegetables (potatoes), and lots of handmade noodles, from both peninsula-based countries. A la carte dishes swing from oxtail fettuccine to whimsical pannacotta in a bathtub-shaped jar with duck-shaped jelly, plus a $150 tasting option for two, too. 176 First Avenue, near East 11th Street
Midtown East: Whitestone, Queens’ beloved Utopia Bagels opened its fourth location (and first in Midtown) on Sunday, May 17. Founded on Utopia Parkway 45 years ago, Utopia has amassed a devoted New York following for its hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels baked on-site in a vintage carousel oven, plus extensive cream cheese flavors and sandwiches. 875 Third Avenue, between East 52nd and 53rd streets
Soho: Coastal Greek showpiece Selene debuted on Monday, May 18, inside the boutique Modernhaus hotel, bringing a modern, three-story Aegean escape to the middle of downtown Manhattan. Selene, named for the Greek goddess of the moon, centers around whole grilled fish, crudos, tartares, lamb chops, seafood-centric pastas, Mediterranean vegetables, and classics finished simply with citrus, herbs, and olive oil. The 10,000-square-foot space with room for 300 people sports a lush garden terrace and a retractable-roof atrium. The co-founders are Reno Christou (Kyma Restaurant Group) and James Ragonese, a former exec at LDV Hospitality (Scarpetta, American Cut). 23 Grand Street, near Thompson Street
Theater District: Manhattan’s chic Italian chain Pecora Bianca debuted its seventh location in mid-May, bringing Broadway-goers its familiar lineup of Neapolitan-style pies, house-made rigatoni vodka, chicken Parm, olive oil cake, and spritzes. 1633 Broadway, near West 51st Street
West Village: Love Thy Neighbor, a bar serving Tokyo-style cocktails and tapas, opened on Tuesday, May 19, to celebrate “queer community, chosen family, and the joys of gathering and belonging.” Co-founder Shigefumi Kabashima is an Angel’s Share alum who went on to open NR and ROKC (the latter is now closed); co-founder Elyas Popa ran the Romanian restaurant Oti (it closed in January). Kabashima is running the beverage menu with acclaimed bartender Atsushi Suzuki, who founded the Bellwood in Tokyo, which is on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Expect drinks such as the Wagyu Coke, featuring wagyu fat-washed bourbon, house cola syrup, and clarified black cherry puree; and dishes such as pastrami tartare with cured egg yolk cream. A full sushi program will follow, as will cafe hours and weekend brunch. 55 Christopher Street, near Seventh Avenue South
Williamsburg: Bar Susanne, a raw bar and nighttime counterpart to Cafe Susanne, opened on Friday, May 15, with chef Jackie Carnesi, formerly of Nura and Kellogg’s Diner, running the kitchen. Cafe Susanne opened in November, serving coffee and pastries; Bar Susanne, located next door, will feature dishes including fluke Milanese, shrimp cocktail with an aioli made with roasted shrimp shell, and strawberry galette in the shape of a fish. The restaurant overlooks the Williamsburg Bridge and the East River. 6 River Street, near Kent Avenue
May 13
Spotlight
West Village: Le Dive, the Dimes Square French hot spot for steak frites, martinis, natural wines, and It girls like Charli XCX, added a follow-up location in the West Village. Golden Age Hospitality, the sceney group that also runs Bar Bianchi, Elvis, and the Nines, outfits the Parisian restaurant with Maison Gatti rattan furniture and (not-for-sale) cigarettes behind the bar, per Feed Me. Unlike the LES original, which takes part in Canal Street’s alfresco dining situation, this edition has its own patio framed in red flower beds. 192 Seventh Avenue, at West 11th Street
And the rest…
Bushwick: Brooklyn’s nostalgic ice cream brand Lady Moo Moo debuted a second store on Friday, May 8, with scoops, sorbet, milkshakes, candy sold by the pound, and local chocolates all available past a bright-blue facade. 1210 Halsey Street, at Wilson Avenue
Carroll Gardens: Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. took over Carroll GardensBar Bruno. Go for anything seafood, obviously, which includes whole roasted seabass, with guac and margaritas that harken back to its Mexican predecessor. 520 Henry Street, at Union Street
Dumbo: Dumbo Oyster Bar brings its shucked-to-order namesake, lobster rolls, Old Bay fries, local beers, and classic martinis to downtown Brooklyn’s historic waterfront neighborhood with incredible views. Reservations went live on May 1, and chef Sabas Escudero rolls out its expanded menu – including burgers, clams, and baked oysters – starting Thursday, May 14. 7 Old Fulton Street, at Water Street
East Village: Coveted Tokyo-style pizza finds a permanent presence in NYC with the arrival of Pizza Studio Tamakion Tuesday, May 5. Chef Tsubasa Tamaki takes over the former Moody Tongue Pizza address, with his signature attraction: Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza baked in a custom wood-burning oven seasoned with Japanese cedar shavings. The Bismarck pie features mozzarella, mushrooms, pork sausage, pecorino Romano, and an egg. The 65-seat restaurant also serves sides like Parmesan risotto arancini and meatballs. 123 St. Marks Place, at Avenue A
Greenwich Village: Sendo, the Midtown favorite for affordable sushi and omakase sets starting at just $34, adds a sophomore NYC location on Tuesday, May 12. Options include a la carte nigiri, hand rolls spotlighting bluefin tuna Akami, Hokkaido scallop, and ocean trout, and an uni tasting option. 43 West Eighth Street, at the corner of Sixth Avenue
Greenwich Village: Gusi— named for the Russian and Ukrainian word for geese — opened Friday, May 8. The bi-level restaurant comes from husband-and-wife team Boris Artemyev and Elena Melnikova, both veterans of New York’s restaurant scene, along with partners who immigrated from Russia, Ukraine, India, and Armenia. The Eastern European menu features rotating versions of borscht and pierogi made with puff pastry, with a bar embracing nostalgic flavors like a halva-infused bourbon Old Fashioned. 432 Sixth Avenue, between West Ninth and 10th streets
Hudson Yards: British-loving bar Queens Tavern, Evolv Collection’s first stateside expansion of the Chop House & Tavern brand, swings open on Thursday, May 7, with London staples like Welsh rarebit, Scotch egg with piccalilli, a Queens Martini made with Welsh gin, and Smithwick’s Red Ale. To celebrate, there’s $5 pints all month. The 50-person space resembles the across-the-pond original with stained woods, brass, and brown leather couches. 20 Hudson Yards, 31st Street and 10th Avenue
Midtown: Motoishi, a popular yakiniku spot out of Korea that specializes in premium beef cuts like A5 Miyazaki and American wagyu cooked on tabletop grills, opened its first stateside location in early May. The cool setup wrapped in vintage Japanese billboards also offers truffle mushroom stone pot rice, banchan, mochi, kumquat ice cream, and refreshing cocktails like the Apple Snap Pea. 7 East 30th Street, between Fifth and Madison avenues
Midtown: Billed as NYC’s “first Eastern zodiac cocktail speakeasy,” Zoo Sindang expands out of Seoul for the first time with a garden-style bar hidden on the second floor of cafe Brioche. At Zoo Sindang, each cocktail is based on one of the 12 animals of the Eastern zodiac. 44 West 37th Street, at Sixth Avenue
Murray Hill: Oyatte, the first restaurant from vet chef Hasung Lee (French Laundry, Atomix, Gramercy Tavern), debuted on Tuesday, May 5, in a two-story space with rustic farmhouse feels near Bryant Park. The progressive, eight-course menu ($210, plus $170 for wine pairings) may start with house-made charcuterie with pickled magnolia buds and charred vegetable consomme before moving upstairs for mains like mirin-marinated seared Maine scallop and smoked quail with einkorn. Lee’s first spot embraces his former employer Thomas Keller’s farm-to-table approach in Napa; here, he sources ingredients from Crown Daisy farm in Staatsburg, NY. 125 East 39th Street, near Lexington Avenue
Prospect Heights: Wallace, a chic new wine bar from Brian Guay and Robert Spence (the duo running Black Mountain Wine House), opened with unique by-the-glass options starting at $13. 663 Vanderbilt Avenue, between Prospect and Park places
Red Hook: Red Hook Tavern opened a next-door cocktail bar, per Outpost NYC, aptly named Tavern Next Door. It’s at the same address the restaurant took over last summer that had previously housed Red Hook Coffee Shop. The new bar is “based on one crazy night in Paris many years ago,” per Red Hook’s founder Bill Durney, and serves playful snacks like corn dogs and a version of Red Hook’s burger to go along with “reinvented disco-era cocktails.” 327 Van Brunt Street, at Sullivan Street
Soho: Hotel Hugo Soho unveiled a renovated rooftop perch called Bar Hugo on Thursday, May 7, featuring 19th-story views of the Hudson River past glassy windows. Spritzes and martini “towers” for four or more join a snacky menu of empanadas, lobster rolls, tuna tartare, and sesame cones finished with 24K gold and caviar. The remodeled space features plush banquettes and a celestial floor made of mosaic tiles that took a year to install. 525 Greenwich Street, Vandam Street
Upper East Side: Skinny Louie, the fast-growing smash burger chain with a huge following in Miami, opened its latest NYC location on Friday, May 8. 1565 Second Avenue, near East 81st Street
West Village: Malai, the Brooklyn ice cream shop known for its South Asian flavors like Masala Chai, makes its Manhattan debut on Saturday, May 9. Founder Pooja Bavishi started selling her eggless ice creams at various NYC fairs and markets a decade ago and debuted a Brooklyn flagship in 2019 before expanding down to D.C. in recent years. 9 Christopher Street, at Greenwich Avenue
Williamsburg: South American-leaning tavern Cafe Bar J.F. opens Wednesday, May 13, in the old Llama Inn, the Peruvian hit that closed last year after a decade. Its same restaurateur, Juan Correa, reviving the same space, this time with chef Francisco Castillo (of the now-closed Llama San), to showcase a broader swath of South American cuisines – to include Chile and Argentina – across a menu of grilled seafood and vegetables in a casual setting. 50 Withers Street, at Meeker Avenue
Williamsburg: Two alums of Brooklyn cocktail bar Grand Army, Patty Dennison and Ally Marrone, opened their own spot called Kinda Nice on Thursday, May 7, with fun, fruity, and savory cocktails like Guava Negronis and Greek Salad martinis, paired alongside diner dishes like grilled cheese-tomato soup combos. The downstairs area will turn into a dive bar this year. 169 Borinquen Place, at Keap Street
Williamsburg: Drinks industry veterans Chloe Frechette (formerly of Punch) and Paul McGee (formerly of Chicago’s Lost Lake) debut their new cocktail bar, Undercurrent, on Wednesday, May 13. While Echo Lake leans tropical, Undercurrent spotlights classic cocktails and pours from the owners’ personal collection of rare and vintage rums. Reservations are encouraged. 357 Grand Street, at Marcy Avenue
May 6
Spotlight
Soho: Ray-Ban House, the new two-story retail shop and restaurant, opened on Tuesday, May 5. A Naples-born founder of Ribalta in Greenwich Village, Pasquale Cozzolino leads the kitchen. The place has 50 seats and a patio, and joins a collection of retail brands with restaurants or bars, including Louis Vuitton, Members Only, and Banana Republic.
The menu centers on milk bread sandwiches. Ingredients lean Italian, though not always: a house pastrami with mustard aioli and pickled cucumber, a Soho club with roast chicken and tomatoes, prosciutto and burrata with basil pesto, and a green vegan with avocado cream and seasonal vegetables. There are also raw bar and carpaccio options, with dishes like bluefin tuna with avocado, red shrimp with ricotta and lemon zest, and beef tartare with black truffle and hazelnut aioli. Drinks include cold-pressed juices and items from a matcha bar, with a full cocktail program coming. 62 Prince Street, at Lafayette Street
And the rest…
Bushwick: Book Club Bar, a bookstore and bar, opened on Saturday, May 2. It’s the bar’s second location; the first opened in the East Village in 2019, becoming a hub for book-related events. (The East Village branch is now temporarily closed for renovations, with plans of reopening before Memorial Day weekend, according to EV Grieve.) 380 Troutman Street, between Wyckoff and Irving avenues
Crown Heights: Nacha Focaccia joined Brooklyn’s competitive vegan bakery scene in late April, going all in on the dimply bread in sweet and savory preparations. The handsome limestone digs also offers chai and black sesame lattes and sandwich combinations, too. 800 Franklin Avenue, near Eastern Parkway
East Village: Andrew Steak Society opened on Thursday, April 30. Chef Niklas Lucich, who formerly cooked under Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Spice Market, sends out steak tartare, endive salads, and grilled wagyu sliders, plus a wood-fired section of filets and rib-eyes that are dry-aged for at least 28 days, all served in a chic dining room surrounded by soft maroon booths. 51 Avenue B, near East Fourth Street
Fort Greene: Little Falcon opened on Friday, May 1, replacing Third Falcon, which opened in the fall of 2024. The restaurant remains under the same ownership: Andrea Strong first reported last month that the chef Cali Faulkner would be re-envisioning the space with the “same kitchen, same ethos, same corner [but] with a format built for the neighborhood it serves” and moving Third Falcon to another location. The menu now centers on “French supper,” with $48 per person getting you a starter, entree, and dessert, with French wines under $100. The restaurant will be open every day for dinner, plus Sunday brunch. 360 Myrtle Avenue, at Adelphi Street
Greenpoint: Me and Paul’s opened on Thursday, April 30, in the space that was previously Paulie Gee’s, though it’s still serving the same pizzas. The restaurant’s new iteration as a “neighborhood tavern” is led by Sal Fristensky and Bill Mack, who own the local dive bars Skinny Dennis, Rocka Rolla, and Lucky Dog. According to Greenpointers, the restaurant has been renovated to include a longer bar and more booths. Paul Giannone opened Paulie Gee’s in 2010, followed by Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop in 2018. 60 Greenpoint Avenue, between West and Franklin streets
Midtown: Percy All Day opened inside Times Square’s newly reinvented ROW NYC hotel on Friday, May 1. The lobby-level cafe and bar with room for 90 starts the day with espresso, croissants, avocado toast, and bagels, followed by a nighttime selection of cocktails, deviled eggs with bacon jam, mushroom crostini, and wagyu sliders. An all-day market slings sandwiches, focaccia pizza, and sweets. 700 Eighth Avenue, near West 45th Street
Midtown East: U.K.’s cult-favorite chocolatier Chococo opened a flagship in NYC on Saturday, May 2. Billed as a “chocolate house,” Chococo Café serves 100 kinds of chocolate along with hot chocolate, coffee (Abbotsford Road Coffee), Smor pastries, and gelato (Il Laboratorio del Gelato). New for NYC is a guided tasting and chocolate bar painting workshop. An additional location (and the first in the U.S.) recently arrived on the Upper East Side. 500 Madison Avenue, at East 52nd Street
Nomad: Caffè Tusk, a cafe and bar, is opening on Wednesday, May 6, completing restaurateur Nick Hatsatouris’s trio at the Evelyn Hotel that already includes Brass and the Tusk Bar. Expect to find espresso in the morning, then wine in the afternoon onward, plus dishes like cacio e pepe gougères, chicken liver parfait with morels, and mussels cassoulet. 7 East 27th Street, between Fifth and Madison avenues
Park Slope: Drums & Flats opened in the old Alchemy space on Saturday, May 2. The wing stop with a backyard patio comes from the Brooklyn team behind Moot Bar in Clinton Hill and Uncle Barry’s Bar next door. Located near Barclays Center, Drums & Flats’ starring poultry attraction comes in Buffalo, lemon-herb, hot honey, barbecue, and reverse ranch or pok pok flavors (with Chicago-style hot dogs, fried cheese curds, and sandwiches in the mix, too). Daily hours start at 4 p.m. and run until as late as 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. 56 Fifth Avenue, between Bergen Street and St. Marks Place
Sunnyside: Mriga, a wine bar also serving tapas and sourdough bread, opened on Friday, May 1, from the team behind Dawa’s, just a few blocks away. According to its website, the goal is a “lowkey, no-fuss space.” 46-10 Skillman Avenue, between Bliss and 47th streets
West Village: A late-night Italian cafe with ’90s disco vibes straight from the Riviera opened on Friday, April 24. Casa Piada specializes in imported Italian flatbreads (piada), vacuum-sealed and shipped from Pesaro, Italy, filled with the likes of burrata and prosciutto. Coffee, wine, and desserts like bombolone, too. The family-owned venture comes, in part, from a former pro soccer player and castmember of Bravo’s hit reality series Summer House; daily happy hour spotlights $5 spritzes from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 55 Greenwich Avenue, at Perry Street
Williamsburg: Kon’ya, described as a “contemporary Korean Japanese izakaya and bar,” opened on Thursday, April 30, from the team behind Japanese restaurants Konban and Domodomo. The menu features familiar dishes such as carrot bibimbap and karaage, as well as more inventive offerings including Spanish gambas made with Korean black bean sauce and ravioli with tobiko, Manila clams, nori, and mascarpone. The beverage menu puts a strong emphasis on sake. Kon’ya takes the space briefly occupied by Chinese fast-casual restaurant Milu, which closed in late 2024. 235 Kent Avenue, between Grand and North First streets
