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That chef Ryan Skeen hails not from Brussels or the Ardennes but from Portland, Oregon, doesn’t detract from the fact that Resto happens to be serving the best Belgian food in New York today. Which, no offense to Skeen, isn’t saying all that much: Other than the Petite Abeille and Le Pain Quotidien chainlets, the Pommes Frites French-fry shack and the lovably dated West Village bistro Café de Bruxelles, there’s not a lot of competition. But that shouldn’t detract from Resto’s undeniable appeal either. With an American owner and chef and a refined Manhattan approach to food, Resto is Belgian in the same way that Momofuku Noodle Bar is Japanese or the Spotted Pig is English—which is to say, not slavishly but interpretively. And like those two restaurants, Resto achieves that rarest of combinations: expectations- exceeding, thoughtfully executed food in the sort of unpretentious surroundings that define the best kind of neighborhood restaurant. — Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite

Ideal Meal

Deviled egg, cheeseburger or beef-cheek carbonnade, raspberry-mango parfait.

Related Stories

New York Magazine Reviews

• Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite's Full Review (5/14/07)

Best of New York Awards

• Best Grilled Cheese (2008)
• Rob Patronite's Pick for Best New Restaurant (2008)

Featured In

• Where to Eat 2008: Best New Restaurants of the Year (1/7/08)
• Where to Eat 2008 (1/7/08)
• Our Picks for Group-Friendly Holiday Dining (12/10/07)
• New York's Best Cheap Eats 2007 (7/30/07)
• The City's Best New Burgers (7/30/07)
• Restaurant Openings: Provence, Resto, Gold St., and Zipper Tavern (4/16/07)

Recipes at Resto

• Heirloom Tomato Salad With Sweet Onions and Grilled Bacon (2007)