Best Restaurants & Dining in Chelsea, Manhattan

Chelsea's restaurant list leans casual and mid-priced, with cozy, social rooms alongside a handful of special-occasion counters. The picks range from a lively Middle Eastern counter and contemporary Italian in a carriage house to a Korean tasting counter, with plant-based, Thai, Vietnamese and Caribbean-leaning kitchens in between.

1. 

   Rank 1EJ BBQ & Sushi

   Japanese

   4.9 out of 54.9Price level $$

   A homey spot for a quick, fairly priced meal, where reviewers praise the chicken wings, Beef Yaki Noodles and old-school sushi, plus bento boxes with Korean side dishes.

2. 

   Rank 2Shukette

   Middle Eastern

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$$

   Grab a counter seat and watch the cooks at work, a show reviewers rave about, then order the hummus and the chicken.

3. 

   Rank 3La Dong

   Vietnamese

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$

   Modern Vietnamese cooking served in a colonial-style house, with bone marrow, cha cá and bun cha drawing the loudest praise from diners.

4. 

   Rank 4Anixi Mediterranean Vegan Restaurant

   Vegan

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$

   A vegan and kosher Mediterranean brasserie where the khachapuri, kebabs and dips win over diners, and the warm service suits birthdays and anniversaries.

5. 

   Rank 5Portale

   Italian

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$$$

   Contemporary Italian set in a renovated carriage house, where regulars point to the lobster mafaldine and the duck and suggest taking a bar seat for pasta and wine.

6. 

   Rank 6Sentir Vegan Mexican Restaurant

   Vegan

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$

   Plant-based Mexican cooking in an exotic, comforting room; diners call the guac essential and rave over the street-corn-like Hedge Maze cocktail.

7. 

   Rank 7Le Basque French Vegan Restaurant

   French

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$$

   Fully vegan French-Basque brasserie with dim, romantic lighting, where the escargot, Cod Provençal and steak tartare surprise even non-vegans.

8. 

   Rank 8Suram Sushi & Udon

   Japanese

   4.8 out of 54.8

   Bowls of udon are the draw here, from the shoto ribu to curry udon, alongside salmon crispy rice and rock shrimp tempura.

9. 

   Rank 9Sushi Blossoms - Omakase Sushi in Chelsea NYC

   Japanese

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$$

   For omakase at the counter, chefs build seasonal courses with fish sourced from Japan, preparing each piece just before serving it.

10. 

    Rank 10bōm

    Korean

    4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$$

    A progressive Korean tasting menu served at a chef's counter with built-in grills, where wagyu galbi and dry-aged ribeye anchor special-occasion dinners.

11. 

    Rank 11Narkara

    Thai

    4.7 out of 54.7

    Northern and Isan Thai dishes made for sharing, in a room of bamboo and woven pieces; at the bar, the lychee martini gets constant praise.

12. 

    Rank 12Markette

    Caribbean

    4.7 out of 54.7

    European cooking with a Caribbean accent, where the flaky roti, oxtail and fall-off-the-bone lamb stand out; a cocktail lounge waits downstairs.