Restaurants in Long Island City

Lauded by Time Out New York for its earth-friendly offerings, V-Note unfolds an upscale bistro menu overflowing with organic wines and gourmet vegan cuisine sprinkled with kosher and gluten-free options. As the brains behind Blossom and Cafe Blossom, Ronen Seri has expanded the vegan-eatin' scene with a vast selection of brunch, lunch, and dinner fare crafted from fresh veggies, soy, seitan, and tofu. V-Note's organic wine bar splashes palates with an array of wines that are either biodynamic or sustainable and organic—each bottle gifting mouths vibrant flavors and tasting notes handwritten by the vines they were plucked from. A dark-wood ceiling outfitted with inset track lighting casts a dim glow above diners nestled into contemporary wood chairs and white booths adorned with patterned pillows. Smooth black walls encase the entire eating space, and a wine rack with x-shaped shelves stands prominently behind the candle-laden wood bar.

Beyond the intricate façade of painted wrought-iron accents and glittering mosaics, Bamiyan Afghan Restaurant's chefs enrapture palates with a spread of traditional Afghan cuisine, served in warm-toned, lush scenery. The diverse menu of mild curries, kebabs, pilafs, and dumplings springs from the cosmopolitan mix of merchants, soldiers, and time travelers who have crossed Afghanistan's picturesque hills and valleys, gifting the region with a signature blend of multifarious flavors. Pillowy booths and cloth-clad tables luxuriate guests, as aromas of exotic dishes and fragrant hookahs fill the flamboyant space cloaked in earthy red décor, velvety drapes, and vibrant tapestries and paintings.

Flavorful, internationally inspired raw food often draws celebs such as Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler to this East Village eatery, according to Time Out New York. But Quintessence has plenty to offer beyond star-spotting. Chefs lovingly construct each dish on the menu from organic fruit, vegetables, and grains never heated above 118 degrees. The staff piles raw pizzas with toppings such as spiced nuts, kalamata olives, and avocado, and craft raw pastas from yellow squash. The brunch menu incorporates sprouted-kamut bread and sweet yam crepes to recreate breakfast staples from benedicts to bagels. All desserts are nondairy and sugar-free, including the house-made ice crème and the pecan pie on a crush of soaked almonds, walnuts, and dates.

Cradled by weathered brick walls and naturally lit by floor-to-ceiling windows, 88 Orchard slings a new selection of locally produced coffees, teas, and baked goods each week. After 5 p.m., the bistro goes undercover by donning a cape of fine wines and a mask of artisanal cheeses to accompany small plates and charcuterie in public without provoking gossip from more traditional bistros. Guests enter beneath a round turret into a corner storefront filled with classic New York charm, from its pressed-tin ceilings to its rough-hewn wooden tables. Free local delivery whisks pastries from Ceci Cela and sandwiches set on crusts from Balthazar Bakery and Amy's Bread throughout the neighborhood. On Tuesday night, an open mic beckons acoustic troubadours to sing for their suppers, though it forbids them to whine for their wine.

Students often give their favorite teacher apples. Melissa Chmelar, however, gave hers homemade syrups and jams. That’s because Melissa's mother frequently took the family on syrup-making excursions, teaching them how to tap trees and boil sap into homemade batches that could compliment country-style spreads. Today, Melissa carries on her mother’s DIY attitude and passion for handcrafted foods as an adult. She even sells her own syrups and jams through the online shop portion of her culinary operation, Spoon.

Melissa doesn’t just sell her food, though—she also caters it throughout the city. With an arsenal of homemade goodies, organic produce grown in upstate New York, and local meat and seafood, she crafts delicious smorgasbords for dinner gatherings, cocktail parties, and special events. Along with baking muffins and breads, she rustles up upscale dishes such as pan-seared salmon with parsley pesto, earning herself coverage in a slew of major publications, including the New York Times, People Magazine, and Metro New York.

Melissa uses the same farm-fresh ingredients at Tbsp, the storefront portion of Spoon. There, she serves visiting patrons everything from from-scratch soups to grass-fed beef burgers flavored with house seasonings. For dessert, Melissa bakes and serves house-made chocolate chip cookies in skillets, topping them off with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Brazil Brazil Restaurant spirits diners away from the helter-skelter streets of New York City into a space rife with french doors, exposed brick, and blond hardwood. Its back patio—a white-trellised three-seasons room and kind of solarium—surrounds guests with lush flora and wrought-iron furniture that exudes the feeling of the tropics, with the scents of grilling seafood wafting over the secluded tables.

This spot is one of the best places to relax in the city, with the New York Times even lauding the patio as a “romantic retreat” and “an ideal place to escape the city’s rapid pace.” Chefs plate flavorful Brazilian dishes such as wine-marinated shrimp or pan-seared red snapper in mango sauce with sides of yucca and fried bananas. Late in the evenings, a Brazilian band starts serenading guests lounging in the bar’s cushy sofa chairs, creating a festive atmosphere. Located next to a host of Broadway theaters, the bistro is a great pre-show spot for on-the-go eaters.