Unsure where New York City's insiders are eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which local businesses have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at New York City businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are extra hot, right now.
Bibble & Sip
Open since 2014, this bakery is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bakeries" on Yelp.
Citywide, bakeries saw a median 1.5 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Bibble & Sip saw a 75 percent increase, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 174 Hester St. (between Mulberry and Mott streets) in Little Italy, Bibble & Sip offers pastries made in-house daily, as well as coffee and tea. On the menu, look for croissants, scones, cream puffs, cakes and more.
Lilly's Cocktail and Wine
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about the Upper West Side's Lilly's Cocktail and Wine, the wine bar, cocktail bar and New American spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Lilly's Cocktail and Wine bagged a 22.7 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.3 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on New York City's New American scene: Harlem Ale House has seen a 21.7 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 50 W. 72nd St. (between West Central Park and Columbus Avenue) since April of 2018, Lilly's Cocktail and Wine offers flatbreads, sandwiches, pasta dishes and salads. Try the smoked salmon and avocado sandwich, or the blood orange and fennel salad with walnuts and a citrus dressing.
Buntopia
Bedford-Stuyvesant's Buntopia is the city's buzziest sushi bar by the numbers.
The popular sushi bar and Asian fusion spot, which opened at 994 Broadway (between Willoughby Avenue and Ditmars Street) in January of 2017, increased its new review count by 23.1 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.7 percent for the Yelp category "Sushi Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 21.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Buntopia offers classic sushi rolls, like the California and spicy tuna, as well as signature sushi rolls, including Mango Tango with a vegan puree and mango slices.
Pho Grand Bayside
Bayside's Pho Grand Bayside is currently on the upswing in the Vietnamese category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Vietnamese" on Yelp saw a median 2.7 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this Vietnamese spot increased its new reviews by a significant 141.9 percent — and kept its rating consistent at four stars.
Open for business at 38-40 Bell Blvd., the restaurant offers noodle soup, pho, rice dishes, dessert and more. On the menu, look for the vegetarian options, as well as the banh mi sandwiches.
Island Oyster
Is Governors Island's Island Oyster on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the bar and seafood spot is getting plenty of attention.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 2.2 percent over the past month, Island Oyster nabbed a 19.2 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, with a modest downward trend from a 3.5-star rating a month ago to its current three stars.
Located at 146 Carder Road, Island Oyster offers oysters, fish tacos and lobster rolls. Also on the menu is a club sandwich, jerk chicken and a cheeseburger with fries.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
