With a vibrant Vegas-style floor show and a picturesque boardwalk setting, this Russian eatery serves hearty dishes alongside sweet treats, perfect for a breezy day.
"Our highest-rated restaurant has a predictable line that’s also semi-sheltered by the Lincoln Center architecture. Just show up at by 4:30pm and you’ll usually get a bar seat, and if it’s cold, a hot beverage while you wait for the doors to open. If you're with a group and get a later table, duck in to the Lobby Bar at David Geffen Hall, drink a glass of wine, and send a few emails (there’s wifi). Reservations are released four weeks in advance at 12pm. If you can't snag one of those, try the six-seat bar. When we arrived on a Tuesday at 4:45pm, the line was already 10-people deep, and our four-person party was seated at 5:40pm. Get a drink in the lobby of David Geffen Hall while you wait." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"Tatiana at Lincoln Center is an Afro-Caribbean love letter to New York City, and it's our top-rated restaurant. It’s almost impossible to get a table, but once you do, you’ll feel like you’ve gained access to the city’s hottest club, circa 1999. Chain-link curtains and tiles that look like asphalt oil slicks echo the throwback hip hop and R&B playlist, and you’ll have fun trying to talk over the music to dissect all the menu’s references too. Everything is exceptional, but get the short rib pastrami suya, braised oxtails, or both—and definitely ask them about the off-menu jello shots. Reservations are released four weeks in advance at 12pm. If you can't snag one of those, try the six-seat bar. When we arrived on a Tuesday at 4:45pm, the line was already 10-people deep, and our four-person party was seated at 5:40pm. Get a drink in the lobby of David Geffen Hall while you wait." - willa moore, sonal shah, bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman
"Verdict: Simply put: the best restaurant in NYC. Located inside David Geffen Hall on the Upper West Side, Tatiana feels like a quiet nightclub—with soft blue lighting and beaded silver curtains—and serves food that blends Afro-Caribbean flavors with iconic New York dishes. Options include braised oxtails, curried goat patties, and excellent short rib pastrami suya. Reservations are released four weeks in advance at 12pm. If you can't snag one of those, try the six-seat bar. When we arrived on a Tuesday at 4:45pm, the line was already 10-people deep, and our four-person party was seated at 5:40pm. Get a drink in the lobby of David Geffen Hall while you wait." - bryan kim
"Lincoln Center is the unlikely home to the best restaurant (and one of the toughest reservations) in NYC. Located in David Geffen Hall, Tatiana serves food inspired by Top Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi’s upbringing in The Bronx. The menu features egusi dumplings, curried goat patties, and one of the most impressive mashup dishes in the city, an incredibly tender short rib pastrami suya. Have a fun night out here under some faux clouds illuminated by soft blue lighting, and listen to ’90s hip hop while you eat one-of-a-kind food that fully delivers." - bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"Like a '90s nightclub plopped into the middle of Lincoln Center, Tatiana glows blue and chain-link gold, blasts Lauryn Hill and Biggie, and serves the most exciting food we've tasted at a fancy restaurant, ever. You’ll have just as much fun clocking tracks on the throwback playlist as you will dissecting all the menu’s references to NYC classics, from Afro-Caribbean hot bars to Chinese take-out. You’ll even find a nod to the Cosmic brownies at corner bodegas. We're especially fond of the absurdly tender short rib pastrami suya, served with caraway coco bread—an invitation to build your own slider. Tatiana is one of the hardest reservations in town, but for a restaurant that feels like a paradigm shift in New York fine dining, it’s well worth it. Ask about the jello shots. Reservations are released four weeks in advance at 12pm. If you can't snag one of those, try the six-seat bar. When we arrived on a Tuesday at 4:45pm, the line was already 10-people deep, and our four-person party was seated at 5:40pm. Get a drink in the lobby of David Geffen Hall while you wait." - bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
