Where the famous eat in New York

Where stars, presidents and writers have eaten. Every one checked against a real report.

10 places in New York City · by Chef Amazing · updated October 20, 2026
Photo: carbonenewyork.com

1. 1

   The Polo Bar

   American · Midtown East

   Get: the Polo Bar burger, corned beef sandwich, popovers, salmon tartare

   Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had dinner here in November 2025.

   Critics: 62% liked it, from 5 reviews (2015). Gone quiet: nothing new written in three years. Read The Infatuation, Time Out New York, Bloomberg 2015, HuffPost 2015.

   The crowd: 4 of 5 on Yelp (679 ratings).

   Also on the list: B/J New York List.

   1 E 55th St, 10022, New York · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
2. 2

   Carbone

   Italian American · Greenwich Village

   Rihanna is a regular, and Barack Obama stopped by as president.

   181 Thompson St · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
3. 3

   Via Carota

   Italian · West Village, Manhattan

   Taylor Swift has dined here many times, including with Sophie Turner.

   Critics: 82% liked it, from 4 reviews (2025). Read World's 50 Best (North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025) 2025, Michelin Guide, The Infatuation 2025, Time Out New York.

   The crowd: 4.3 of 5 on TripAdvisor (458 ratings).

   Also on the list: Where locals eat in New York.

   51 Grove St · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
4. 4

   Emilio's Ballato

   Italian red sauce · Nolita

   Taylor Swift, Blake Lively and Sophie Turner had a girls' night dinner here.

   55 E Houston St · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
5. 5

   Lucali

   Pizza · Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

   Get: A plain pie with basil and the calzone. Bring your own wine

   Beyonce and Jay-Z skipped the 2012 Grammys for pizza here, and came back in 2024.

   Critics: 85% liked it, from 7 reviews (2025 to 2026). Read Michelin Guide (feature) 2025, The Infatuation 2026, Time Out New York – Best Pizza NYC 2025 2025, Time Out New York.

   The crowd: 4.2 of 5 on TripAdvisor (235 ratings).

   Also on these lists: Long lines in New York City, Where locals eat in New York.

   575 Henry St, Brooklyn · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
6. 6

   The Waverly Inn

   American comfort food · West Village

   Co-owned by former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, with a no-photos rule.

   16 Bank St · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
7. 7

   Balthazar

   French brasserie · SoHo

   Get: onion soup, steak frites, escargots, raw bar/oyster towers

   Anna Wintour holds Keith McNally's top AAA regular rating here.

   Also on these lists: B/J New York List, Breakfast and sandwiches in New York.

   80 Spring St · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
8. 8

   The Odeon

   French-American brasserie · Tribeca

   Warhol and Basquiat drank here; it's on the cover of Bright Lights, Big City.

   145 W Broadway · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
9. 9

   The Corner Store

   SoHo

   Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce double-dated here with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

   Map · Add to Chef Amazing
10. 10

    Cipriani Downtown

    Italian · SoHo

    Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Lopez were named among its regulars.

    376 W Broadway · Map · Add to Chef Amazing