Want the scoop on New York City's buzziest local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which restaurants have been getting a notable increase in attention 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 worth exploring this winter.
Nostro East Village
Open since October, this East Village Italian restaurant is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month. Nostro East Village only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Italian category: Gnoccheria Wall Street has seen a 183.3% increase in reviews.
Located at 75 Second Ave. (between Fourth and Fifth streets), Nostro East Village serves a full menu of authentic Italian dishes featuring fresh seafood, homemade pasta and more. Check out the grilled octopus, the squid ink fettuccine, the roasted rack of lamb or the Neapolitan specialties, like the pasta and potatoes with smoked mozzarella. Also, the restaurant is currently BYOB.
Nostro East Village is open from noon–11 p.m. daily.
Lions & Tigers & Squares Detroit Pizza
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about nearby Lions & Tigers & Squares Detroit Pizza, the East Village pizzeria is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp saw a median 2.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, Lions & Tigers & Squares Detroit Pizza appeared on Yelp relatively recently. Many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, but it has seen a surge of interest.
Open in the old Nicoletta Pizzeria space at 160 Second Ave. (at the corner of Second Avenue and 10th street) since October, this second location of the Chelsea pizzeria offers the same Detroit-style deep-dish pies as the original. Stop in to this counter-service spot for crunchy pizza squares topped with pepperoni, meatballs, mushrooms and more.
District Bagels
And the Financial District's District Bagels is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch spot by the numbers.
The bagel shop, which opened at 125 Fulton St. (between Nassau and Dutch streets) in October, is still relatively new to Yelp but has seen a surge of new reviews. Meanwhile, the median new review count for the Yelp category "Breakfast & Brunch" was up 1.6% over the past month.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: Farmacy Kitchen has seen a 150% increase in reviews.
District Bagels offers nearly 20 kinds of bagels — including gluten-free varieties — and a selection of classic spreads. The shop also serves coffee, pastries and breakfast sandwiches, as well as deli sandwiches made with an assortment of cold cuts and smoked fish.
District Bagels is open from 6:30 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. on weekends.
The Gully
Finally, Astoria's The Gully is currently on the upswing in the Indian category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Indian" on Yelp saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, this Indian and Bangladeshi spot increased its new reviews by 83.8% — with its Yelp rating improving from 3.5 stars to four stars. Review counts increased by more than 620% on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 25-45 Steinway St. since September, The Gully serves favorites such as kati rolls, chaat, curries and biryanis, as well as one-of-a-kind comfort food crossovers, like its chicken tikka macaroni and cheese and the lamb burger with a cilantro garlic aioli. The menu also includes halal and vegan-friendly options.
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.
