BY SHAYE WEAVER | Each year, the Michelin Guide awards restaurants in New York City with its Bib Gourmand distinction, and this year, list includes 133 restaurants spanning cuisines from Korean to Balkan and more. Having the Bib Gourmand distinction means inspectors were able to enjoy an affordable yet “remarkable” dining experience, according to the organization. Those with the distinction offer a full menu — starter, main course and dessert — for around $40 or less per person. Manhattan alone this year made out with eight more Bib Gourmand eateries, with three in the East Village, including Violet, by chef Matt Hyland, which serves crispy, grilled pizza in the Al Forno style from Providence, RI. Brooklyn boasts seven more awarded restaurants, including the Taiwanese Win Son and Klein’s at the Hoxton Hotel. Queens has three additional restaurants that qualified, two of which are in Forest Hills — Memories of Shanghai and Spy C Cuisine — while the Sri Lankan Sagara in Staten Island, Beatstro and Suyo Gastrousion in the Bronx were named. Below is a full list of the 2020 Bib Gourmand restaurants: Manhattan:
- Violet (511 East Fifth St.) — Grilled cuisine that pays homage to New England and Rhode Island’s flavors and abundant fresh seafood.
- Van Da (234 East Fourth St.) — An updated take on Vietnamese cuisine and street food with a menu divided by region (Hue, Hanoi and Saigon).
- Ruffian (125 East Seventh St.) — A wine bar with 20 counter seats that serves an eclectic menu of dishes inspired by cuisine from Southern France and Eastern Europe.
- Atlas Kitchen (258 West 109th St.) — Serves up Hunan cuisine with dishes that include eel in chile oil and braised lamb with white radish.
- Bohemian Spirit (321 East 73rd St.) — Located inside the National Bohemian Hall on the Upper East Side, it offers hearty and traditional European cooking at reasonable prices.
- O:N° (110 Madison Ave.) — Korean cuisine with rice cooked to order at the table, serves up small plates, including creamed salt cod with shards of squid ink-tinted scorched rice.
- Nonna Beppa (290 Hudson St.) — Regional Italian cuisine features housemade pasta and imported ingredients.
- Café China (13 East 37th St.) — Enticing Sichuan fare includes dan dan noodles and spicy cumin lamb.
Brooklyn:
- Win Son (159 Graham Ave.) — Taiwanese with a natural wine list.
- Klein’s (97 Wythe Ave.) — Hip spot that offers Americana classics including salt-roasted baby turnips with crispy pork belly and herbed goat cheese.
- Ammazzacaffè (702 Grand St.) — Focused on fresh pasta, serves a dish of spaghetti with Piave cheese, preserved lemon, bottarga di muggine and breadcrumbs.
- Haenyeo (239 Fifth Ave.) — Creative Korean home cooking that includes seafood.
- Maison Yaki (626 Vanderbilt Ave.) — French and Japanese fusion focusing on grilled skewers and side dishes like pommes Dauphine.
- Saint Julivert Fisherie (264 Clinton St.) — New seafood spot that features a globally-inspired menu and wine list.
- Chuan Tian Xia (5502 Seventh Ave.) — A bustling dining hall with Sichuan cuisine including whole parchment-wrapped fish with peppers and bean sprouts.
Queens
- Memories of Shanghai (68-60 Austin St.) — Dumplings are a must at this Chinese restaurant.
- Spy C Cuisine (72-06 Austin St.) — Its sizable menu includes Sichuan and Hunan cooking with dishes like crispy cucumber salad or braised fish with pickled mustard greens.
- Lokanta (3116 Broadway) — “Urban garden bistro” serving authentic Turkish cuisine.
Bronx
- Sagara (98 Victory Blvd.) — Authentic Sri Lankan dishes served like masala dosas and biriyanis.
- Beatstro in the Bronx (135 Alexander Ave.) — Hip-hop-themed restaurant with home cooked fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffles and zesty mojo chicken.
- Suyo Gastrofusion (1401 Plaza Dr.) — Bronx hotspot offering pork belly steamed buns, lomo saltado and Thai chicken empanadas.
