A classic of the group dining genre, Congee Village has been delighting disparate tastes downtown for more than twenty years. The serving of the Congee is said to be even older than rice in Chinese history. Cantonese people are very particular about the cooking of Congee. It has several sprawling spaces, a tome of Cantonese dishes and fun cocktails in a jubilant environment. The Congee Village is one of the best restaurants for group dining in New York City.

The Congee Village is overboard in that beautiful, delicious, sumptuous way that the city wins over newcomers. Patrons are greeted by an Italian chef statue holding the traditional Chinese New Year greeting wishing happiness and prosperity. There is comfort (and folk-medicinal healing properties) in Congee, the Cantonese rice porridge that is the focus at this multilevel, always-packed LES standby. You can choose among 29 versions—like the sliced pork with preserved egg, or chicken with black mushrooms, cooked over a low fire until bubbling. The rest of the expansive menu yields such finds as tender razor clams in black-bean sauce and impeccably fresh crabs.

Google rate: 4.0/5.0

Website: congeevillagerestaurants.com

Address: 100 Allen St, New York

Contact: 212-941-1818

Opening hours: Mon–Wed, Sat, Sun 10.30am–midnight; Thu, Fri 10.30am–2am

Lovely Leland Eating and Drinking House offer to dine several ways between its patio seats, covered “cozy cabin” structures, bar, and two adjacent dining rooms. Everyone will enjoy excellent carte menu items like trout rillette, mushrooms, and amazing house-made sourdough and an aged and brined half chicken, grilled pork chop, and whole fried fish whichever configuration you choose. Parties of eight or more receive a set menu.

The menu is divided, too, split into three sections. Most of the snacks and plates could just as accurately be called appetizers, and the large plates entrées. Order any combination and you’ll look like you know what you’re doing. Everything here makes sense. A decent selection of beer and wine are available from the bar, in addition to a brief cocktail list. Tabled together, the J Bomb, which layers a barely bitter icy Negroni over frozen margarita base, and the Cider House, with a palm-sized apple slice in the rye, lemon, and maple seem to nod goodbye to this season’s weeks of heart and humidity and break into the fall to come.

Google rate: 4.5/5.0
Website: www.lelandbrooklyn.com

Address: 755 Dean Street, New York

Contact: 646-470-7008

Opening hours: Sunday (10am–4pm & 5pm–10pm); Wednesday & Thursday (1pm–4pm & 5pm–10pm); Friday (1pm–4pm & 5pm–11pm); and Saturday (10am–4pm & 5pm–11pm)

Lively Sidney’s Five feels like a party without all the pesky introductions, with better food and drinks. This Time Out New York Best of the City award winner, which was also one of NYC’s best new restaurants of 2022, has a long bar up front and a banquette in the back that can be configured for larger parties. Start with martinis and be sure to order plenty of andouille corn dogs for the table. Sidney's Five in the East Village is also an easy restaurant with a great happy hour, good food and fun cocktails.

Sidney's Five is a fun East Village bar where you should meet up with friends or take a date whom you might make out with in public. There’s plenty to enjoy at Sidney’s Five before you sign the check, too. Even approaching full capacity on a Friday night—with the ten-or-so, high-back cerulean stools at its wood-topped bar, the two-tops in occasionally shifting arrangements and the big banquette that spans the back corner all populated—it still feels alive but uncrowded. And it is Sidney’s Five which is one of the best restaurants for group dining in New York City

Google rate: 4.5/5.0

Website: www.sidneysfive.com

Address: 103 1st Ave. New York, NY 10003

Contact: 917-409-3368

Opening hours: Wednesday from 5pm-12am, Thursday-Saturday from 5pm-2am and Sunday 12pm-9pm

Elias Corner “for FISH,” as it’s styled on the restaurant’s awning, is all emphasis all the time, including its famous “NO MENUS” practice. Instead of perusing the written word, your party will peep the seafood case up front and/or simply sit down and ask whether there’s shark or salmon or whatever until you land on a fresh availability. Somewhat simple preparations let impeccable products shine, the atmosphere is inviting in spite of all the caps and there’s a nice elevated patio outside.

It’s not the simple blue-and-white decor that lure capacity crowds to this Astoria taverna. It’s the glistening display of seafood destined to become dinner that keeps them coming back. Elias’s grilled fish stands out even in a ’hood packed with seafood-centric Greek restaurants. Those in the know order the swordfish kebabs, fired up simply with green peppers, onions and tomatoes. Dessert isn’t served on weekends, but keep an eye peeled for the occasional special of loukoumades—sweet dough fritters drizzled in honey. And Elias Corner is also one of the best restaurants for group dining in New York City

Google rate: 4.8/5.0

Website: www.eliascorner.com

Address: 2402 31st St. Astoria, NY 11102
Contact: 718-932-1510

Opening hours: Daily 4am–11.30pm

Tre is an Italian restaurant & bar on Manhattan's Lower East Side. There’s something about brunch spots that lend themselves to larger parties, and Tre has been at the top of its class for fifteen years. It also does a terrific dinner with space for plenty of friends at either hour. Book early on the weekends for wonderful pancakes, eggs any way, pasta plates and daytime tipples, or in the evening for even more noodles, plus mains like chicken Milanese, grilled skirt steak and a great wine list.

Tre specializes in a selection of small plates, inspired by traditional Neapolitan street food. Alongside the small plates, Tre offers a selection of Appetizers, Pasta, and Main Courses. Tre puts equal importance on ingredients, community, aesthetics, atmosphere and quality. The attractive, whitewashed dining room, affordable wine list and genial service can’t compensate for the absurd food at this LES Italian spot. The most outlandish of the concoctions from chef Giuliano Matarese (Nero) seem to dare you to order them: Chipotle cavatelli is served with mussels and broccoli rabe foam; beet carpaccio arrives with fried goat-cheese balls and Pollack-esque coulis drizzles. Thankfully, desserts, like a ricotta cheesecake, are more straightforward. If only the rest of the menu had also been spared.

Google rate: 4.0/5.0
Website: www.trenewyork.com

Address: 173 Ludlow St. New York, NY 10002

Contact: 212-353-3353

Opening hours: Mon–Thu, Sun noon–11pm; Fri, Sat noon–midnight

Alma represents a singular dining experience—a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Built from the ground up, handcrafted by the four owners, each of the three floors offers a unique atmosphere. Two floors of views boast plenty to see at this Columbia Waterfront District staple. The downstairs dining room is actually one flight above street level, with a rooftop another staircase above. Chilaquiles, enchiladas and several types of tacos are available across each, in addition to some of the best frozen drinks in NYC. And Alma is also one of the best restaurants for group dining in New York City.

A popular destination on Columbia Street’s restaurant row, three-story Alma serves fancy regional Mexican food in a giddy, casual atmosphere. Although the ground floor bar and mid-level dining room are great, diners clamor for a seat on the rooftop patio (open year-round!) for inspiring views of the Manhattan skyline and the glittering, accidental beauty of cargo-loaders below. The food ranges from old standards (fresh, cilantro-heavy salsa and creamy, addictive guac) to sophisticated dishes like huachinango a la naranja, a red snapper with orange sauce, which is as airy and light as the view.

Google rate: 4.0/5.0

Website: almarestaurant.com

Address: 187 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY 11231-14

Contact: 718-643-5400

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 5:30pm-10pm; Fri 5-11pm; Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-10pm

"Lakruwana" in New York City is a Sri Lankan restaurant in the largest Sri Lankan community in the US. The Sri Lankan cuisine at Lakruwana has been delighting diners for a quarter of a century. The restaurant got its start in a small Manhattan space in 1995 before eventually relocating to Staten Island. Visit for tasty lamprais and kottu inside or out at its fetching corner space. Lakruwana is also regarded as one of the best restaurants for group dining in New York City.

Lakruwana is also a Sri Lankan restaurant on Staten Island with a $15 all-you-can-eat buffet and outdoor seating. At this Staten Island destination for Sri Lankan cuisine—outfitted with Buddha statues and colorful stone walls—you can get Southeast Asian staples, like lampreis (rice and vegetables wrapped in a banana leaf) and edible rice-flour bowls filled with curry. Temper the spice with a cool mango lassi, or a bowl of coconut-milk pudding for dessert. The crispy bowls are made of coconut and rice flour and are under the part of the menu that says "Truly Sri Lankan Specialities."

Google rate: 4.5/5.0

Website: www.lakruwana.com

Address: 668 Bay St, New York, NY 10304

Contact: 347-857-6619
Opening hours: Tue–Sat noon–10:30pm, Sun noon–10pm

The Queensboro is a neighborhood restaurant in Jackson heights serving dinner, brunch, cocktails, wine, craft beer, and more! Assemble your entire court at The Queensboro, which can easily accommodate each of your friends-in-waiting and satiate their varied tastes. The space is equal parts rustic and chic, with roomy booths, banquettes and a long line of bar seats should you need abscond for a private shot. The Queensboro’s menu is frequently updated, but expect items like oysters, burgers, steak, pizza and pasta.

First opened in 2018, this Northern Boulevard charmer is lined in long banquettes, with roomy, cozy booths and plenty of seats in the bar area. Hardwood floors shine below and leafy plants and rustic exposed beams are fixed overhead. The menus are frequently updated, and you can expect items to slake any sized group’s varied appetites any time of day. To sum up, it is the Queensboro which is one of the best restaurants for group dining in New York City.

Google rate: 5.0/5.0

Website: www.thequeensboro.com

Address: 80-02 Northern Boulevard, Jackson Heights, NY 11372

Contact: 929-296-0038

Opening hours: Tuesday, 4.00 - 9.00pm; Wednesday, 4.00 - 9.00pm; Thursday, 4.00 - 9.00pm; Friday, 4.00 - 10.00pm; Saturday, 11.00am - 10.00pm

Casa Enrique is a Michelin Star Rated Mexican restaurant that serves traditional recipes from Chef Cosme Aguilar's hometown of Chiapas. It is a terrific, upscale restaurant in NYC's latest big gentrification project, Long Islsnd City. Top NYC Mexican restaurant - the Casa Enrique has been collecting accolades since 2021. Its since added outdoor dining to its spacious interior, and your group can choose from highly ranked menu items like guacamole with housemade totopos, ceviche, several types of tacos, enchiladas and specialties like pozole and mole depiaxtla. The long cocktail list includes several fun frozen fruit margaritas.

The owners of Bar Henry moved to Queens with this 40-seat Mexican eatery, specializing in the regional cuisine of Cintalapa, Chiapas. Brothers Cosme and Luis Aguilar, the chef, and GM respectively, pay homage to their late mother with traditional plates, including some based on her recipes, such as chicken mole and cochinito chiapaneco (guajillo-marinated baby pork ribs). The sleek, gleaming white-painted spot features a garden out back and works from Queens artists.

Google rate: 4.7/5.0

Website: casaenriquequeens.com

Address: 5-48 49th Ave., New York, 11101, USA

Contact: 347-448-6040

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 5–11pm; Sat, Sun 11am–3:30pm, 5-11pm

Denino's Pizzeria is a landmark in New York, with the award winning, thin-crust pizza. One of NYC’s best pizza spots for close to 100 years, Denino’s is also especially adept at hosting families and friends for affairs where only a pizza party will do. In addition to its fan favorite pies, tons of fried apps like calamari and mozzarella, wings, salads and huge sandwiches are all on the menu. Everything is always made from scratch and never frozen.

If there's pizza worth taking a ferry for, this is it. Connoisseurs should focus on two menu items: the lightly sauced cheese pizza and the distinctive white pie, topped with a layer of onions, fresh garlic and gooey mozzarella. This blue-collar tavern with the motto “In crust you trust” sits in the Elm Park section of Staten Island and has been serving up gooey, piping-hot pizza. Denino’s Pizzeria Tavern is also considered to be one of the best restaurants for group dining in New York City.

Google rate: 4.8/5.0

Website: deninos.com

Address: 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY‎

Contact: 718-442-9401

Opening hours: Sun–Thu 11am–11pm; Fri and Sat 11am–midnight