NYC’s hottest new sequel restaurants

It takes time for somewhere to prove itself as one of New York City’s best new restaurants. But once an establishment has staying power, it’s not long before diners (and investors) start wondering when a sequel will appear. While some chefs and restaurateurs open second locations of the same restaurant, many opt for a new concept entirely, keeping diners excited and NYC’s dining landscape interesting. The last few months have seen some fantastic follow-ups from beloved chefs and hospitality groups, and these are a few of our favourites worth scoring a reservation at. 

Chez Fifi 

Sushi Noz is one of Manhattan’s best sushi omakase spots, earning accolades and awards from Michelin to the New York Times. Now, the restaurateur brothers behind it have debuted a totally new concept with Chez Fifi, as we move from Japan to France. Named as an homage to their late mother, the jewel box space is tucked inside an Upper East Side townhouse, with rich mahogany panelling, blue accents, floral wallpaper, and plush upholstered banquettes on the main floor, while the second floor houses a no-reservation salon. 

The menu blends French classics with a nod to the coast of northern Spain. Appetizers include devilled baked crab and garlicky escargot. Entrées include a tender whole or half roast chicken with foie gras jus and salad verte, an aged ribeye côte de boeuf with Pommes Fifi, and dover sole. For dessert, the baba au rhum is a must. 

chezfifinyc.com 

Papa San 

This spot by Hudson Yards in new building The Spiral comes from Juan Correa and chef Erik Ramirez, the team behind Llama Inn and Llama San. The duo is known for bringing Peruvian and Peruvian-Japanese Nikkei cuisine to New York, and Papa San seeks to modernise the cuisine in an izakaya format. There is an open kitchen and Peruvian art around the room, with a dramatic spiral staircase leading to a private dining room upstairs. 

Starters include onigiri, anticucho, ceviche, tiradito, and maki, while entrées include sizzling skewers from a custom-built robatayaki, donabe stews like Nikkei chowder, and a signature large-format whole chicken. Drinks include the Papa Sour – a play on a pisco sour with Pisco 1615, green apple, pear, sandalwood, and lemon, and a robust menu of Japanese beers. 

papasannyc.com 

Cafe Zaffri 

Café Zaffri is inside the hot new New York private members’ club and hotel The Twenty-Two, the city’s latest British import. While the club upstairs is members-only, the ground-floor bar and restaurant are open to the public, with a menu from the all-women team behind the Musket Room and Raf’s. Each of those restaurants have their own identity, and Café Zaffri brings a whole new one for the crew, using chef Mary Attea’s Lebanese heritage as inspiration. 

The Levantine menu features an array of spreads to go with freshly made pita, lamb tartare with bulgur (a Lebanese delicacy), and a unique take on fried eggplant, plus larger dishes like grilled whole dorade and a dry-aged New York strip steak with olives and garlic. Pastry chef Camari Mick brings her A game once again to dishes such as Knafeh Cheesecake and Baklava Mille Feuille. The main dining room is elegant and warm, with wood panelled walls, a green marble bar, and soft orange banquets set under a Tiffany Glass-lit ceiling. 

cafezaffri.com 

Barlume 

The latest project from LDV Hospitality (Scarpetta, American Cut) is Barlume. Located on a prime corner space in the Flatiron District, it has a Mediterranean menu and vibe. Welcoming guests all day, Barlume’s soaring tri-level space serves housemade pastries and LDV’s Aneri coffee – plus, light breakfast fare in the morning; Mediterranean spreads, salads, pinsa flatbreads, and sandwiches at lunch; and coastal-inspired plates like blue crab toast, branzino with charred orange, gnocchetti with mussels and calamari, and a roasted chicken with romesco at dinner. 

Cocktails are inventive, with offerings like a Lambrusco sbagliato and a Mediterranean Paloma with tequila, grapefruit, cardamom, and rosemary honey. Or head down to Barlume Downstairs for all-night cocktails in a more intimate setting. 

barlume.com 

Crane Club  

It looks like the Tao Group has struck gold once again with Crane Club, which opened at the end of last year. It took over the grand space that housed the vaunted Del Posto for many years and then briefly became Al Coro from 2022 to 2023 by a Del Posto chef Melissa Rodriguez and partner Jeff Katz. The two are behind Crane Club, too, and quickly have made it into one of the city’s must-go upscale dining experiences. 

An intimate new bar is at the entrance and the dining room is as gorgeous as ever with arching lamps, round velvet booths, and napkins folded like envelopes inviting you to dine. The menu is classic New York with an Italian twist, which translates into an elaborate raw bar, over-the-top caviar service, excellent pastas, a lengthy steak menu (with hidden gems like a Parmigiana Reggiano-aged New York strip steak), and sides such as polenta with fermented chili. Dessert is unmissable with the iconic Vienetta and Tahini Lava Cake on the menu. 

taogroup.com 

Twin Tails 

Quality Branded, the beloved local hospitality group behind Don Angie, Quality Bistro, and Zou Zou’s, has branched out to another cuisine with Twin Tails. Opened inside The Shops at Columbus Circle across the way from their Bad Roman restaurant, Twin Tails brings Southeast Asian food to an upscale environment. Like their other restaurants, the dining room is a bit over-the-top design-wise – this time by AvroKo with lots of mirrors and red and pink. 

Thai and Vietnamese specialties are the focus here, with dishes such as a red curry sea bass, peanut-ginger chicken satay, shaking beef, pad Thai with prawns, and four types of spring and summer rolls. If you like uni, the king crab and uni buns are a decadent must-order. Be sure to order one of the souffles in flavours like pistachio-pandan and Vietnamese mocha with your dinner so it can be ready as soon as you’re finished with your entrées (it requires 30 minutes). 

twintailsnyc.com