The Most Instagrammable Restaurants in New York City
If it’s not on Instagram, it didn’t happen, right? After all, just because you had five-star meals at restaurants in New York City doesn’t mean anyone else will appreciate them—especially not if they weren’t pretty enough (or well lit enough) to share with your social followers.
In today’s constantly-connected world, dining out has become about so much more than just how the food tastes. Visitors and New Yorkers alike don’t want to settle for basic, good-tasting dinners in unassuming restaurants. Instead, they’re seeking beautifully-plated creations that straddle the line between food and art.
The most Instagrammable restaurants in New York City offer edible masterpieces like gravity-defying milkshakes and colorful, almost sculptural sushi rolls. Many of our favorite establishments for a social media snap have photogenic interiors, unusual silverware, and (an added bonus) plenty of natural light.
If you’re going to restuarants in New York City and want to make your Instagram friends jealous, check out one of our favorite places to snap and gram in the Big Apple. Photo by @beyondsushinyc.
Sugar Factory
Sugar Factory’s Meatpacking District sweet shop and brasserie is a Baroque-style masterpiece, with black pintucked leather banquettes, black-and-white striped chairs and glittering chandeliers. When you’re done photographing the interior, order the signature Lollipop Passion cocktail (tropical fruits, unicorn pops, candy necklaces) with a dramatic dry ice-effect: perfect for your next Instagram Story. The insane milkshakes (like one topped with a mini cheeseburger and another served in a white chocolate and gumball-covered mug) are bizarre—but so good and so photogenic. Photo by @adhaniff.
Beyond Sushi
Even if vegan and vegetarian cuisine isn’t your thing, you won’t want to miss a trip to Beyond Sushi. With locations in Union Square, Chelsea Market, and Midtown West, it’s easy to drop in for a few beautiful rolls. Fans will instantly recognize the black and six-grain rice maki topped with colorful fruits and vegetables like butternut squash, mango, and kaffir lime chips. Photo by @beyondsushinyc.
Empellón Al Pastor
You won’t know which angle of Empellón Al Pastor to photograph first. The East Village taqueria and bar has a large-scale ceiling mural of Death himself by street artist Gaia, paintings from Sylvia Ji, and bizarre Biata Roytburd sculptures occupying massive cracks in the walls. If what you want to photograph is food, order the eponymous al pastor taco. Photo by @filipwolak.
Sisters
Make the trek to Brooklyn if only for brunch at Clinton Hill’s Sisters. Your smoked-whitefish toast with radish and lemon will be lit by natural sun streaming in from a 30-foot skylight, and there are interesting architectural features to make note of, too: a sculptural white bar, white marble tiles, and an oversized custom clock. Photo by @licheng_ling.
ABC Kitchen
As part of New York’s ABC empire, which began as a home furniture and décor store, ABC Kitchen does everything in a fashionable, high-design way. Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s housemade kasha pasta and lemony Maine lobster come on hand-fired dishware (you can buy it afterword in the adjacent ABC Carpet & Home) or a mix of antique china. Photo by @aimeeyunyunsun.
Russ & Daughters
Platters of potato knishes, kippered and smoked salmon, pickled herring—for a traditional New York feast that looks great on film, head to this century old appetizing café. In the white and stainless steel space, surrounded by boxes of bagels and jars of dried fruit, it’s easy to take a classic New York breakfast shot. Photo by @lawrmarcus.
