16 Best Restaurants in Chelsea, New York City

The food of the Republic of Georgia is one of the best and under-represented cuisines of the world. Most of the excellent Georgian restaurants in New York are lodged deep into Brooklyn, but Chama Mama is a superb Manhattan option if you want to avoid a long subway ride. Start with khachapuri, the ubiquitous baked cheese bread (the boat-shape version from the region of Adjara has become the international face of Georgian cuisine) and then move to shkmeruli, a tender Cornish game hen cooked in a garlicky cream sauce. The khinkhali, broth-filled dumplings, are also excellent. There's now a second location on the Upper West Side (Amsterdam Avenue and West 78th Street).

Brought to you by the pasta company Pastaficio di Martino from the renowned pasta-making town of Gragnano near Naples, Italy, La Devozione is: (1) a retail shop where you can purchase packages of the company's 126 different pasta shapes and (2) an exquisite restaurant, complete with an oval-shape table setting around the open kitchen, so diners can watch their four-course lunch or seven-course dinner get made. The menu changes regularly and is not listed on their website so it's always a surprise. Diners who don't want to commit to a long tasting menu can sit at other tables and choose from the à-la-carte options like the classic Roman dish bucatini all'Amatriciana.

This spin-off of Shuka in SoHo first fired up its burners in summer 2021 and was an instant hit, far exceeding in enthusiasm than the original. The focus of this stylish 80-seat eatery is modern Middle Eastern cuisine, with flavor-packed fare that spans the entire region. Chef Ayesha J. Nurdjaja takes traditional recipes and goes a step further with them, adding, for example, red onions and a sauce of chilies and garlic to the ultracreamy hummus or stewed lamb hiding inside the kibbeh. There's a delicious surprise on every plate at Shukette. 

Until recently, the Vietnamese dining scene in New York was, at best, mediocre and uninspiring. But all that's changed and this Vietnamese spot (which has a second location in SoHo) is part of the reason why. The long menu has all the Vietnamese staples—variations on the theme of banh mi sandwiches, beef and chicken pho—but also excellent lemongrass-spiked beef burgers in a bao bun and banh xeo, a Vietnamese crepe stuffed with shrimp, pork belly and veggies.

One of far-west Chelsea's first hot restaurants, Cookshop manages a casual elegance while focusing on seasonal, farm-fresh cuisine that continues to wow. Outdoor seating on 10th Avenue is quite peaceful in the evening; during the day, you can survey a cross section of gallery-hoppers and shoppers. Divine cocktails, made with fresh fruit juices, are veritable elixirs of well-being. Line up early for weekend brunch; it's worth the wait for dishes like a fried egg sandwich with caramelized onion jam and fontina cheese or the fluffiest pancakes in town. Dinner is also a triumph, with a variety of perfectly prepared dishes like cornmeal-dusted sea scallops or a simple roast chicken.

Named for a legendary ice-cream shop in Havana, Coppelia is neither Cuban nor an ice-cream parlor. Chef Julian Medina has created a 24-hour pan-Latin diner that works on many levels—for a quick breakfast, casual lunch, or late-night bite—with a continent-size menu that emphasizes comfort food. Some satisfying dishes include the pork-belly-spiked mac 'n' cheese, mountainous nachos, grilled cheese with jalapeño and bacon, and oxtail empanadas. If you did have your corazón set on ice cream, there's plenty of it on the dessert menu.

Once located on Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District (hence the name), this 14th Street food hall is one of the best among the rash of gourmet food court openings. Build up a hunger by walking the High Line and then settle in here for a worldly feast that includes stalls churning out excellent takes on Neapolitan-style pizza, Korean-style fried chicken, traditional Peruvian fare, and excellent tacos, among the 10 or so venders in this high-ceilinged hall. There's also a bar serving beer, wine, and cocktails. 

Helmed by celeb-chef Marcus Samuelsson, Hav & Mar means "ocean" in Swedish and "honey" in Amharic, the majority language in Ethiopia, reflecting the chef's personal background. The food, artwork, and experience at this 125-seat spot is meant to evoke Black cuisine in New York City. The spacious interior, with Black-mermaid-bedecked walls and Noguchi-style chandeliers, creates a fun atmosphere to tuck into dishes like the Lobster Bird—a flavorful concoction of fried chicken, scallops, and lobster in a shallow pool of shellfish broth—and buttery shrimp-and-crab-laced cavatelli pasta. 

New Yorkers love Joe because it's a minichain that was born and bred right here in the city. And while there are locations scattered around Manhattan, this diminutive spot has the distinction of being the one-time place of employment of the guy who inspired the Saturday Night Live character and nightlife authority Stefan, as the actor who played him, Bill Hader, would regularly pop in here before heading up to 30 Rock. It's also a good pitstop for those walking the High Line. This place has everything.

Once the kitchen for the 150-year-old Spanish Benevolent Society, La Nacional gives off the vibe of being a hidden private club somewhere in Madrid. This affordable and solid Spanish eatery, which has been lightened up and modernized a bit with elegant high tables and tall chairs, excels at small plates such as crispy patatas bravas, creamy ham croquettes, and garlic shrimp.

If you're a restaurant that only serves one main item, you better be good at it. Fortunately, for Skirt Steak, the namesake item is excellent at this casual, rustic spot from chef Laurent Tourondel. For one price—$39—diners get a hunk of juicy skirt steak, cooked to the temperature of their liking, a small green salad, and an unlimited amount of crispy French fries. Dessert costs extra. There are also off-menu items such as burgers and seasonal vegetable sides, which diners can access by telling the servers that they "heard it from the chef." 

Since 1994, master baker Jim Lahey has been churning out incredible loaves of Italian bread and pastries, as well as toothsome sandwiches and even pizza at this lauded Roman-style bakery. 

The theme at this diminutive Spanish spot is cocina vasca, or the cuisine of the Basque country, one of the most exciting regions in Iberia for eating. Chef Alexandra Raij captures the moment by serving standouts like juicy lamb meatballs in a minty broth, crispy beef tongue, and an addictive crabmeat gratin. The wine list at Txikito (pronounced “chi-kee-toe”) is loaded with great bottles of Rioja and other Tempranillos, many of which are from Basque winemakers.