Quick Bites: A fresh wave of May openings is reshaping where to eat across the five boroughs. Murray Hill scored a sustainability-driven tasting menu, Hudson Yards got a London-inspired tavern, the Upper East Side welcomed a smash burger import from Miami, and Brooklyn Bridge Park is about to gain a Caribbean-leaning bar with cocktails served from a former fireboat. Here is the borough-by-borough snapshot of what is open right now and what is opening this week.
Manhattan
Oyatte (125 E 39th Street, Murray Hill) — Now open. Chef Hasung Lee just debuted his first fine-dining restaurant, an eight-course tasting menu built around a single upstate farm (Crown Daisy Farm). The meal begins downstairs with vegetable-forward canapés before moving upstairs to seafood and meat courses like Charred Root Vegetable Consommé, Smoked Quail, and Spring Green Porridge. Sustainability, fermentation, and preservation are the through-lines.
Queens Tavern (20 Hudson Yards) — Now open. A London-style all-day tavern from The Evolv Collection, with tavern bites, comfort plates, and a serious beer and wine program. Built for lunch, after-work pints, dinner, and weekend hangs — a rare neighborhood-pub energy inside Hudson Yards.
Love Thy Neighbor (55 Christopher Street, West Village) — Now open. Shigefumi Kabashima (ROKC, NR) and chef Elias Popa (Oti) opened a Japanese-NYC hybrid bar and restaurant rolling out in phases. Evening service is live now with Japanese-inspired tapas, sandos, and shareable plates plus reinterpreted highballs and martinis; café hours and weekend brunch land later.
Sendo (43 West 8th Street, Greenwich Village) — Now open. A budget-friendly omakase counter from chef Tsuyoshi Takahashi, formerly of Sushi Noz. Edo-era-style nigiri and handrolls, Hokkaido rice, Toyosu market fish — with omakase sets starting around $34. One of the most accessible serious sushi rooms downtown.
Skinny Louie (1565 2nd Avenue, Upper East Side) — Now open. The Miami-born smash burger that took home top honors at the South Beach and NYC Wine & Food Festival Burger Bashes lands a third NYC location. Tight menu: a few burgers, fries, and shakes, with the off-menu “Very Best Burger” (double smash, smoked gouda, truffle aioli, jalapeño relish) as the cult pick.
Sono (176 1st Avenue, East Village) — Now open. A Korean-Italian noodle bar centered on 100% handmade pasta laced with fermented Korean ingredients. Bottarga pasta arrives with Korean zucchini, pollock roe, nori, and saffron butter; the small-plates side leans Korean-pantry.
HED NYC (461 W 23rd Street, Chelsea) — Opens end of May. A modern Thai restaurant from the team behind San Francisco’s Michelin Guide–listed HED 11. The menu is built as a “Thai Sharing Progression” — a sequence of dishes designed to be eaten together, highlighting the balance and contrast that defines Thai cuisine.
Brooklyn
Bar Susanne (6 River Street, Williamsburg) — Now open. A waterfront seafood-and-martinis room from designer Matthew Maddy (Lilia, Oxomoco, Public Records) and chef Jackie Carnesi (Kellogg’s Diner, Nura). Long Island purveyors, raw bar staples like scallop crudo and crab salad, and a tight cocktail program leaning into martinis, agave drinks, and low-ABV spritzes. Seventy-five seats, amber light, marble, reclaimed wood.
Lonnies (112 Bond Street, Boerum Hill / Brooklyn Heights border) — Opens May 20. The team behind Ingas Bar opens a cozy, Art Deco–leaning sister restaurant from married duo Sean Rembold and Caron Callahan. Expect chicken under a brick, a daily prime rib special, burgers, and Basque cheesecake. Built to feel warm and a little nostalgic.
Governors Island
Six Coasts by Smorgasburg (146 Carder Road) — Now open. Smorgasburg’s new Pan-American seafood concept, set against harbor views of Lower Manhattan. Snapper Tiradito with soursop leche de tigre, Blue Crab & Plantain Croquettes, and a coastal cocktail list — the open-air format makes it one of the best-looking new dining destinations of the season.
Closings to know
City data tracked through ABCEats shows eight Manhattan restaurants have been shut down so far in 2026 over sanitary violations, and reports continue rolling in week by week. Always worth double-checking that a spot is still operating before you trek across town. We will keep flagging notable permanent closures here as they’re confirmed.
The bottom line
May 2026 is a strong month for openings, especially if you like waterfront patios, neighborhood-tavern energy, or budget-friendly omakase. Bar Susanne and Six Coasts are the picks if you want a great view; Sendo and Skinny Louie if you want approachable; Oyatte if you want to splurge. Bookmark this list — we’ll refresh it as new spots come online.
