For people visiting and even living in New York City the restaurant scene can be intimidating as hell. There are restaurants around every single corner boasting different ratings and rankings some of which one has never heard of before, especially if you’re visiting from another country. Even though Bo and I called New York City home for five years, we weren’t even able to conquer NY Magazine’s annual best of restaurant list each year.

However, during our five years in the city we did fall in love with a few restaurants which became our go-to spots when friends or family were in town. So now, when we’re back in the city, we can be found enjoying one of these spots. This list is for anyone in the city looking to take in some of the awesome food culture NYC has to offer – enjoy the burgers, cupcakes, and brunches!

In no particular order, here are a few of our favorite spots which are perfect for just about any occasion, unless otherwise noted. Depending on the time of year, always ask if you can enjoy outdoor seating to enjoy more people watching and scenery.

The Meatball Shop –  My favorite dish is their Everything in the Kitchen Sink with the family jewels added on the side!

Agave – Delicious margaritas, killer veggie fajitas, and some of our favorite guacamole.

Big Gay Ice Cream -  American Globs for the win. 

La Esquina – Drool worthy Mexican street corn and fish tacos.

New Wonjo – Delicious Korean BBQ

Prune – Chef Gabrielle Hamilton’s James Beard award winning casual, delicious restaurant in the West Village.

Gramercy Tavern – One of the best dining experiences in the city with casual, beautiful environment and amazing service.

Shake Shack – Head to the Madison Square Park location for a Shack Burger, fries and shake! 

Aqua Grill – I can’t go their without ordering their seafood plateau.

Pure Food and Wine – Their Hen of the Woods tacos, tamales, Philly rolls, and classic sundae are no miss menu items!

15 East – Incredible but expensive sushi.

Bubby’s – They offer something for every person’s brunch taste but their Bloody Mary helped put them on the map.

Maialino – Danny Meyer’s trattoria located in Gramercy Park Hotel has creative house, made pastas on their dinner menu but the brunch menu is actually our favorite.

Murray’s Bagels – Everyone in NYC has their favorite bagel place but this is ours. After a long run there is nothing better than a toasted everything bagel with chive cream cheese!

Two Little Red Hens – An off the beaten path bakery located in Yorkville (86th Street) their cupcakes and whoopie pies answered all my cravings.

Luke’s Lobster – A lobster shack in the heart of Manhattan, it’s worth paying $20 for the lobster roll, chips, beer and a pickle.

Minetta Tavern – The burger.

Momofuku – If you can’t get into the original,  Ssam Bar and Milk Bar are both experiences of their own. How can you beat the Milk Bar compost cookies, crack pie, birthday cake truffles and cereal milk ice cream?

ABC Kitchen – Located in the gorgeous and lust worthy ABC Carpet, their roasted kabocha squash toast and fried organic chicken are two of my favorite menu items.

The Spotted Pig – Once again, this restaurant is known to have one of NYC’s best burgers but it is a great place to spot celebs or enjoy a drink after work.

Casa Mono – Spanish tapas restaurant located in Gramercy whose menu reminds me of my study abroad days in Cadiz, Spain.

Your Turn: Tell me, what did I miss?