The Best New Restaurants in New York City

"It's a bit of a time warp to enter what's ostensibly a new restaurant beneath one of those formal burgundy awnings that are largely bygone everywhere except hotels and Upper East Side co-ops. But Il Totano, the new coastal Italian restaurant from Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle that occupies the garden level of a brownstone in the West Village, melds elements of utter class with bright color. This is the first restaurant I've ever been in where the idea of a beach-inspired interior really landed—gray-blue plaster, happy orange booths, wicker chairs—although the low-ceilinged, window-free space is still a bit tough. Once you order, though, the food will whisk you away. The slate of crudos are excellent, with the dry-aged kona kampachi in a bright passionfruit colatura ($22) the raw fish highlight. A $49 halibut saltimbocca wrapped in crispy prosciutto and sage also really delivers. —C.H." - CNT Editors