Want the intel on New York City's buzziest local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp and SafeGraph, a dataset of commercial points of interest and their visitor patterns, to analyze which restaurants have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.
To find out who made the list, we first 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. Then we analyzed foot traffic data from SafeGraph to validate the trends.
Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention, right now.
Del Posto
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Chelsea's Del Posto, the popular Italian restaurant has seen a major increase in foot traffic recently.
Over the past month, Del Posto stayed on par with the median 1.4% increase in new reviews for businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp and maintained its superior four-star rating; meanwhile, the number of visitors to Del Posto more than tripled over the same time frame, according to SafeGraph's foot traffic data.
Located at 85 10th Ave. (at the corner of 16th Street), this staple of NYC's Italian dining scene, from mother-son celebrity chef team Lidia and Joe Bastianich, offers guests an upscale dinner experience featuring five and eight-course tasting menus ($179 and $209 per person, respectively). Del Posto also offers a prix-fixe lunch for $69 per person.
Del Posto is open for lunch from noon–2 p.m. on weekdays and for dinner from 5:30–10 p.m. on Monday, 5:30–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Friday, 4:30–11 p.m. on Saturday and 4:30–10 p.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, it's usually busiest on Thursdays and Wednesdays, and it attracts a quarter of its total visitors over those two days, so go on Sundays if you want to avoid the rush.
The Horny Ram
Midtown's The Horny Ram is also making waves. Open at 951 Second Ave. (between 50th and 51st streets) since spring of 2017, the popular gastropub has seen a 3.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.3% for all businesses tagged "Gastropubs" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, The Horny Ram's review count increased by more than 750%, and according to SafeGraph foot traffic data, it saw visits more than triple over the past month.
The Horny Ram offers elevated bar grub and burgers, a full bar, a daily happy hour, bottomless brunch specials and an upstairs area for private parties. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid four-star rating among Yelpers.
The Horny Ram is open from 11:30 a.m.–4 a.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m.–4 a.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, it usually gets busy on Sundays and Wednesdays, and it attracts a quarter of its total visitors over those two days, so go on Mondays if you want to avoid the rush.
Elsa
Cobble Hill's popular Elsa is currently on the upswing in the cocktail bar category on Yelp.
While Elsa stayed on par with the median 1.9% increase in new reviews over the past month for businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp — keeping its rating consistent at 4.5 stars — it saw visits more than triple over the same time frame, according to SafeGraph's foot traffic data.
After shuttering its original Manhattan location in 2014, Elsa reopened at its present Brooklyn address, 136 Atlantic Ave. (between Clinton and Henry streets), in March 2017. Elsa serves up dozens of classic and signature cocktails made with spirits like scotch, mezcal, rum and absinthe. Stop in for a weekday happy hour special, featuring discounted Old Fashioned's, Sazeracs, wine, beer and punch.
Elsa is open from 5 p.m.–1 a.m. on Monday-Wednesday, 5 p.m.–2:30 a.m. on Thursday, 4 p.m.–3:30 a.m. on Friday, 2 p.m.–3:30 a.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m.–1 a.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, it's usually busiest on Thursdays and Fridays, and it attracts a quarter of its total visitors over those two days, with a slowdown on Mondays.
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.
