There are few restaurants in New York as beloved—or as singular—as Thai Diner. Perched on the corner of Kenmare and Mott, it’s the brainchild Ann Redding and Matt Danzer, industry veterans who met in the kitchen at Per Se. What they’ve built is an institution humming with the energy of lower Manhattan, perfumed with the aromas of Thailand, and as comforting as any greasy spoon.

Cali Faulkner was surprised when her first restaurant, Third Falcon, landed on the New York Times’ list of the city’s top 100 just months after opening. She shouldn’t have been. With her fine-dining chops and a passion for the flavors of Northern France, it seems inevitable that the dishes coming out of Faulkner’s Fort Greene kitchen are garnering praise.

GAUTIER AND ASHLEY COIFFARD TRADED IN THEIR APARTMENT KITCHEN FOR THE WARMTH OF A NEIGHBORHOOD BOULANGERIE. THEIR BAKERIES RETAIN THE NAME OF WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: L’APPARTEMENT 4F.

AT RAF’S, BAKED GOODS ARE A DIALOGUE BETWEEN CULTURES. FRENCH TECHNIQUE, ITALIAN TRADITION, AND THE HISTORICAL INFLUENCE OF NORTH AFRICA COME TOGETHER UNDER THE HANDS OF CAMARI MICK, A LAUDED PASTRY CHEF EXPERIMENTING WITH INNOVATION ON ELIZABETH STREET.

Six years in, Le Crocodile in Williamsburg has cemented itself as a neighborhood institution. Tucked inside the Wythe Hotel, the brasserie hums with the same energy it opened with—French classics flying out of the kitchen, a lively wine list, and a dining room equal parts local hangout and date night destination. It’s as good as ever, maybe even better.

TRADITION IS JUST A STARTING POINT FOR LIBRAE BAKERY. BLENDING MIDDLE EASTERN FLAVORS WITH SCANDINAVIAN BAKING TECHNIQUES AND EAST VILLAGE HISTORY, OWNERS ANDRE AND DONA MURAD-GERSCHEL ARE CRAFTING PASTRIES THAT TELL YOU STRAIGHT UP: THIS IS NEW YORK—AND YOU CAN’T GET THIS ANYWHERE ELSE.