Curious 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 deduce which local businesses 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 riding a trend this winter.
Soho Diner
First, this diner, which has been open since December, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Diners" on Yelp.
Citywide, diners saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month. Soho Diner only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
Located in Soho Grand Hotel at 320 W. Broadway (between Canal and Grand streets) in SoHo, Soho Diner serves modern takes on diner favorites, like a tuna melt with aged cheddar, a BLT with crushed avocado and chili mayo, turkey potpie, all-day breakfast, a molten peanut butter banana split and more. There are veggie-friendly options, too, such as an Impossible burger, vegan banana pancakes and a vegan matcha milkshake.
Soho Diner is open 24 hours a day.
Casa Ora
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Williamsburg's Casa Ora, the cocktail bar and Venezuelan spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp saw a median 2.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, Casa Ora appeared on Yelp relatively recently. Many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, but it has seen a surge of interest.
Curious about this business? We found this in its Yelp history section: "Casa Ora serves refined farm-to-table plates and modern cocktails. Situated in the heart of Brooklyn, Casa Ora serves comfort food minus the guilt. Furnished full with the 1980s nostalgia of one's Latina grandma."
Open at 148 Meserole St. (between Graham and Manhattan avenues) since last September, Casa Ora mixes up more than 20 different signature cocktails, such as the Venezuela Libre (gin, lemon, mint, cucumber), the Tio Simon (Venezuelan rum, lime, pineapple, velvet falernum, green chartreuse) and the Graham Sour (bourbon, Fernet, almond syrup). On the food menu, expect bar bites like arepitas, appetizers like fluke ceviche and pork tamales, and mains like baby shark stew with plantain, scallops with herb and squash pesto, braised short rib with yucca, and arroz con pollo for two.
Casa Ora is open for dinner from 5:30–10 p.m. on Sunday and Monday and from 5:30–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday. On weekends, it offers brunch from 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood
Midtown's Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood is also making waves. Open since December at 135 E. 55th St. (between Lexington and Third avenues), the Cajun seafood buffet is relatively new to Yelp but has seen a surge of new reviews, while all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp saw an increase of 1.5% for new reviews in the past month.
As the name suggests, Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood offers an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, featuring crab legs, spicy shrimp, crawfish, scallops and more ($55 per person). Over the past month, it's maintained a healthy four-star rating among Yelpers.
Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood is open from 2 p.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday, 2 p.m.–1 a.m. on Friday, 12:30 p.m.–1 a.m. on Saturday and 12:30 p.m.–midnight on Sunday.
Chicky’s
And Bellerose's Chicky’s is the city's buzziest halal spot by the numbers.
The South African-style chicken spot, which opened at 248-43 Jericho Turnpike in December, is still relatively new to Yelp but has seen a surge of new reviews. Meanwhile, the median new review count for the Yelp category "Halal" was up 2.1% over the past month.
Chicky’s offers peri peri grilled chicken made using 100% antibiotic/steroid-free chicken. Stop by for quarter, half and whole birds, 12-piece wings, chicken sandwiches and family platters complete with sides like sweet potato fries, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and garlic bread.
Chicky’s is open from 11 a.m.–midnight on Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Felice 56
Finally, Midtown's Felice 56 is currently on the upswing in the wine bar category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Wine Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, this wine bar and Italian spot saw a surge in new reviews, despite being relatively new to Yelp.
Here's more about the business, from its Yelp page: "Felice 56 offers an elegant Tuscan cuisine, preparing Italian classics with the freshest produce available by sourcing from and partnering with local farms to obtain the most flavorful seasonal ingredients. The extensive Italian-driven wine program features a collection of beloved varietals, blends and esoteric grapes that can only be found in Italy, including a large selection of vintages of Super Tuscan and Brunello wines."
Open for business in the Chambers Hotel at 15 W. 56th St. since September, this spot is the sixth outpost of the local Felice chain of bars and restaurants. In addition to wines and classic Italian dishes, Felice 56 offers a cafe menu featuring daily breakfast options, espresso drinks, sandwiches and pastries.
Felice 56 is open from 7 a.m.–11 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m.–10 p.m. on Sunday.
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.
