The New York Times lists 10 favorites of 2011 from its $25 and under column. Note that many of these are in Harlem or the Outer Boroughs, so they won’t be of much use to most visitors, who generally stay in Manhattan below 96th Street.
Note that all of these, particularly those in the better parts of Manhattan, are likely to have zero atmosphere and serve food that’s more appetizer or snack than full meal. Eating well in New York for $25 or less is nearly impossible these days, so what started a couple decades ago as a column devoted to good-but-cheap restaurants has become a column devoted to tasty eateries that often are not actual restaurants. The Times should really raise the price limit to $30 or, better, $35.
Visitors to the city who want a sense of how actual New Yorkers live as well as a chance to see the sights should, in general, seek out newer places like these rather than choosing restaurants from any guidebook that isn’t completely rewritten every year. (Zagats or Michelin, Yes. Fodor’s, No.) Once a restaurant has been successful long enough to reach a guidebook that’s updated every five years, huge swaths of New York will no longer eat in it.
Along similar lines, note Sam Sifton’s choices for the ten best new restaurants in the city. Many of his picks are dead on, especially the top three.