Regardless of whether you’re craving steak, seafood, Italian pasta, or dim sum and Asian flavors, the opportunity is right in front of you. The biannual NYC Restaurant Week 2026 Summer event officially kicked off on July 20th in New York City. With over 600 restaurants spread across the five boroughs and more than 70 neighborhoods, offering fixed-price menus covering over 45 different cuisines, ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants, classic establishments to community eateries, inviting people to embark on a summer culinary journey.
This year’s Restaurant Week will run until August 16, with some restaurants extending until Labor Day. Participating restaurants are offering fixed-price lunch or dinner menus at $30, $45, and $60 (excluding tax and gratuity). Saturdays are exempt from the promotion, and whether Sundays are included is at the discretion of each restaurant, so it is recommended to confirm before making a reservation.
For those interested in participating in Restaurant Week, they can visit the official NYC Tourism website (nyctourism.com/restaurant-week) to check for participating restaurants, menus, and book seats. Reservations usually open a few days before the event starts (this year around July 14), and popular restaurant seats are limited, so early booking is advised. Before making a reservation, take note of whether the restaurant offers lunch, dinner, or both, and if the availability differs on different dates.
Manhattan remains the epicenter of Restaurant Week with a concentration of various cuisines from steakhouses, French, Italian, modern American dishes to Chinatown’s dim sum, Cantonese, and Shanghainese restaurants, all offering special menus for the event. Many popular eateries that are usually hard to get into are giving people the chance to taste their signature dishes at more affordable prices.
Aside from enjoying renowned eateries in Manhattan during Restaurant Week, participating restaurants are scattered across all five boroughs of the city. For many Chinese families, starting off from the neighborhood is a good idea; areas like Queens, Brooklyn, among others, have numerous restaurants participating in the event, eliminating the need to travel to Manhattan and still enjoy favorite flavors in familiar surroundings.
Speaking of Queens’ culinary scene, Flushing is a natural top choice for many Chinese. The variety of Chinese cuisine is abundant, while Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian options are equally diverse; in Long Island City, there are French, Italian, modern American, and Latin-flavored restaurants to satisfy different taste buds.
Communities like Williamsburg, DUMBO, and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn also offer a wide selection of dining options, with Chinatown on 8th Avenue and Sunset Park boasting numerous Cantonese, Fujian, Sichuan, hot pot, and Hong Kong-style tea restaurants.
The NYC Tourism Bureau suggests that people can turn Restaurant Week into a half-day or full-day excursion, taking the opportunity while making reservations to explore nearby parks, museums, unique neighborhoods, or markets. For instance, when dining in Flushing, one can visit the Queens Botanical Garden, with lush greenery in full bloom during the summer, taking a leisurely stroll before or after the meal, turning a dining experience into a relaxing summer day trip.