{"id":347550,"date":"2026-09-15T18:32:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/347550\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T18:32:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:32:14","slug":"political-plate-nyc-politicians-reveal-their-favorite-restaurants-in-new-2026-dining-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/347550\/","title":{"rendered":"Political plate: NYC politicians reveal their favorite restaurants in new 2026 dining guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there is one thing local both parties can agree on, it\u2019s that NYC has delicious food. As proven in a new politicians dining guide, they also seem to agree that NYC has some of the most spectacular restaurants<\/a> in the country, if not the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The NYC Hospitality Alliance announced its 2026 District Dining Guide<\/a>, giving 44 local elected officials the chance to answer questions about their favorite bars and restaurants in the Big Apple.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The third annual citywide guide features go-to restaurants and bars recommended by elected officials, but it also highlights the jobs and economic activity local dining businesses support throughout the five boroughs.<\/p>\n

From longstanding neighborhood institutions to newer local favorites, participating officials were asked to name a go-to restaurant, bar, caf\u00e9, bakery, pizzeria, or other food establishment and explain what makes it special to them. The result, hospitality officials explained, is a guide shaped by personal connections to New York City\u2019s sprawling dining scene.<\/p>\n

The restaurant questionnaire started with City Hall\u2019s big boss, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who said he could \u201cnever pick one favorite restaurant,\u201d but ultimately chose Omar Khayyam, an Eastern European eatery in Brighton Beach. He called it a \u201crecent favorite\u201d and encouraged diners to explore the menu and try something that catches their eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I could never pick one favorite restaurant, one I\u2019ve gone to recently that I love is Omar Khayyam in Brighton Beach,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

When she\u2019s not presiding over the City Council as Speaker, Julie Menin enjoys visiting Budapest Cafe, an Upper East Side spot that she said reminds her of her childhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis spot brings me back to my childhood,\u201d she said. \u201cI love to enjoy the crepes \u2013 at any time of day \u2013 as long as they\u2019re filled with raspberry jam, my favorite.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal selected Knickerbocker Bar & Grill in Greenwich Village, recalling that the restaurant opened its doors to the community on Sept. 11. He said he has loved it ever since \u2013 particularly the burger and fries.<\/p>\n

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson selected Drips Restaurant and Lounge in Wakefield, known for its classic Caribbean dishes, while Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso highlighted HAAM Caribbean Plant Cuisine in Williamsburg, noting the restaurant\u2019s fresh spin on Caribbean flavors.<\/p>\n

\"exteriorLenny\u2019s Clam Bar in Howard BeachGoogle maps<\/p>\n

Seafood fans should check out Lenny\u2019s Clam Bar in Howard Beach, said Queens Council Member Joann Ariola.<\/p>\n

\u201cLenny\u2019s Clam Bar has been a Howard Beach institution for decades. If you go, remember to ask for Joe,<\/a>\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

Ariola recommends the chicken oreganata and the coconut shrimp.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Heading south to Staten Island, Council Member Kamillah Hanks selected Seppe Pizza Bar, where her go-to order is the roasted cauliflower cacio e pepe and house red pie, while Council Member Frank Morano highlighted The Annadale Terrace as his go-to spot for the Mediterranean salad with grilled calamari.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Yorkers know a great restaurant or bar is about more than what\u2019s on the menu,\u201d Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said. \u201cThese businesses create jobs, anchor neighborhoods, and become part of our communities. The District Dining Guide celebrates the places our elected officials love while showing why restaurants and bars matter to every corner of New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guide also pairs the politicians\u2019 personal recommendations with economic data showing the footprint of restaurants and bars in each participating City Council district, including the number of restaurants and bars, people employed and total wages generated in the district, which were provided by the NYS Comptroller\u2019s Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, did a broader analysis<\/a>, which found that NYC restaurants and bars employed nearly 280,000 people in 2024, supported more than $11.4 billion in wages, generated an estimated $28 billion in economic activity, and contributed more than $2.8 billion to City coffers in FY2025.<\/p>\n

The full District Dining Guide 2026, including recommendations and district-level economic data, is available at\u00a0thenycalliance.org\/districtdiningguide2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If there is one thing local both parties can agree on, it\u2019s that NYC has delicious food. As…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":347551,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[54379,8894,19077,9,11,10,114708,87,821,82],"class_list":["post-347550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-andrew-rigie","tag-food-and-drink","tag-julie-menin","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-nyc-hospitality-alliance","tag-politics","tag-restaurants","tag-zohran-mamdani"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}