The Most Fun Dinner Spots In NYC

"A $98, 90-minute meal at SourAji in the East Village has more in common with a dinner party at your buddy’s house than it does with most omakase spots, because it’s all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink beer and sake. The only time your cup won't be full is when you sit down—you’ll hear things like “that’s not how we drink here” pointing at your half-empty cup. After a set of a dozen initial pieces of surprisingly well-cared-for nigiri, the AYCE portion begins: the chef will offer five of the pieces you’ve had earlier, and ask how many pieces of each you want. For the best experience (and the most booze), come for their last seating at 8:30pm. They don’t like putting away half-drunk bottles of sake, and the gluttonous party will likely last past 10:30pm. At midnight on the first of every month, SourAji releases the entire slate of reservations for the month after the next. On September 1, for example, you'll be able to book for November. Walk-ins are only accepted in the case of cancellations." - willa moore, sonal shah, bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman