(Bloomberg) -- Just as New York City’s dining rooms are welcoming more diners, Michelin has announced 131 of the best local places to celebrate with a not-too-expensive meal.
The timing of the international guide’s Bib Gourmands, or “cheap eats” list to its vaunted stars, follows the May 3 announcement by Governor Andrew Cuomo that the city’s indoor dining capacity can expand to 100% starting May 19.
Among the 30 new additions to the list are the Brooklyn bakery Winner, which makes a superb BLT—one of our most memorable meals of 2020—and Manhattan’s Thai Diner, from the owners of the beloved, now shuttered Uncle Boons. The 2020 guide had 133 spots around the five boroughs and Westchester County. Michelin had expanded New York listings to include the suburban region, full of tony bedroom communities just north of the city. It turned out to be opportune timing for people living (and moving) outside the city who worked from home during the pandemic and wanted to go out for a meal; the area has seen the most home sales in 24 years.
As in previous years, the awards show a decline in affordable fine dining. Removing the 13 Westchester winners, there are seven less spots within the New York City limits than in 2019, and one less than 2018. That the city saw churn in restaurants is understandable, but it also speaks to the unsustainable economics of restaurants and bars that the pandemic laid bare; over 5,000 restaurants closed citywide, and in Manhattan alone just 16% of office workers were back at their desks as of April 21.
The Bib Gourmand’s main criterion is that two courses plus dessert or wine costs no more than $40 per person, not including tax and tip. (As in years past, this definition is optimistic; many diners would be hard pressed to make it out of all the restaurants below within the budget.) The list is created by anonymous Michelin inspectors who visit the restaurants.
Manhattan lost 12 Bib Gourmand restaurants, going from 61 to 49 places on the list. Meanwhile Brooklyn added four places in the past year; there are 37 in 2021, up from 33, mirroring an exodus to the boroughs and elsewhere.
Among the notable restaurants that dropped from last year's list are Atoboy in Manhattan, which features exquisite small plates from the team behind Atomix; they could be in line for a Michelin star. Other notable exclusions include Momofuku Ssäm Bar, which relocated from its groundbreaking East Village location to the South Street Seaport, and Frankie’s 457 Spuntino, in Brooklyn.
The decrease in listings mirrors a loss in Washington, D.C., Bib Gourmands; there were 40 in 2021, down from 44 the year before. Chicago on the other hand, saw an increase with four more Bib Gourmands than in the preceding year, despite the pandemic.
The full list follows. New York’s Michelin stars will be announced on May 6.
New York Michelin Bib Gourmands 2021
An asterisk denotes a new entry. All neighborhoods are listed by their designation in the Michelin Guide.
Manhattan
Amelie (Upper West Side)Atla (Greenwich and West Village)Atlas Kitchen (Upper West Side)Bar Primi (East Village)Bohemian Spirit (Upper East Side)Cafe China (Midtown East)Cho Dang Gol (Midtown West)Congee Village (Lower East Side)Cotenna (Greenwich Village)Dim Sum Go Go (Chinatown and Little Italy)Domodomo (Greenwich and West Village)Don Antonio by Starita (Midtown West)Double Zero (East Village)*Forsythia (Lower East Side)HanGawi (Midtown East)
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Hao Noodle & Tea (Greenwich and West Village)High Street on Hudson (Greenwich and West Village)Hunan Bistro (East Village)JG Melon (Upper East Side)Jin Ramen (Harlem, Morningside, and Washington Heights)Katz’s (Lower East Side)Khe-Yo (Tribeca)Kubeh (West Village)
Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen (Midtown West)Little Alley (Midtown East)Luzzo’s (East Village)MáLà Project (East Village)Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too (Morningside Heights)Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village)Nami Nori (Greenwich Village)Norma Gastronomia Siciliana (Midtown East)Nyonya (Chinatown and Little Italy)Oso (Harlem, Morningside, and Washington Heights)Pinch Chinese (Soho)Prune (East Village)
Rubirosa (SoHo and Nolita)Ruffian (East Village)Russ & Daughters Cafe (Lower East Side)*Samwon Garden (Midtown West)San Matteo (Upper East Side)Sip Sak (Midtown East)Soba-Ya (East Village)Somtum Der (East Village)*Thai Diner (Chinatown)Tomino (Chinatown)Tonchin (Midtown West)Turkish Kitchen (Gramercy, Flatiron, and Union Square)Una Pizza Napoletana (Lower East Side)Van Da (East Village)West New Malaysia (Chinatown)
Brooklyn
Ammazzacafe (Williamsburg)*Bolero (Williamsburg)Bunker (Fort Greene and Bushwick)*Chavela’s (Fort Greene)Chuan Tian Xia (Sunset Park & Brighton Beach)Convivium Osteria (Park Slope)East Harbor Seafood Palace (Sunset Park and Brighton Beach)*For All Things Good (Fort Greene)*Gentle Perch (Williamsburg)Georgian Dream Cafe (Sunset Park)Glasserie (Williamsburg)*Gordo’s Cantina (Fort Greene)Haenyeo (Park Slope)
*Hanon (Williamsburg)Hometown Bar-B-Que (Sunset Park and Brighton Beach)Klein’s (Williamsburg)Llama Inn (Williamsburg)Maison Yaki (Park Slope)*Mao Mao (Fort Greene)Mile End (Downtown)Miss Ada (Fort Greene and Bushwick)Olmsted (Park Slope)*Pierozek (Williamsburg)Purple Yam (Park Slope)*Rangoon (Fort Greene)Roberta’s (Fort Greene and Bushwick)Runner & Stone (Sunset Park and Brighton Beach)Saint Julivert Fisherie (Downtown)Shalom Japan (Williamsburg)
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Speedy Romeo (Fort Greene and Bushwick)Tanoreen (Sunset Park and Brighton Beach)21 Greenpoint (Williamsburg)Ugly Baby (Downtown)*Winner (Park Slope)Win Son (Williamsburg)*Xilonen (Williamsburg)Xixa (Williamsburg)
Queens
Alley 41*AngelBellwether*Caleta 111 Cevicheria*CardamomGregory’s 26 Corner TavernaHahm Ji Bach*HupoLegend of TasteMar’sMemories of ShanghaiPata Cafe*Phayul*SaRanRom ThaiSpy C CuisineSweet Yummy HouseTong Sam Gyup Goo Yi *Via Vai
The Bronx
Beatstro *Claudy’s KitchenEl Molcajete Enzo’s*La Cueva FondaLa MoradaMexicosinaSuyo GastrofusionTra Di Noi Zero Otto Nove
Staten Island
Enoteca MariaSagaraVinium
Westchester
*Badageoni Georgian Kitchen*Boro6 Wine Bar*Burrata Cafe AlaiaThe CookeryDubrovnik*Macelleria Italian SteakhouseMaria RestaurantRaaSa*Rafaele Rye Shiraz KitchenSouthern Table*Tredici Social
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
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