How to tap into the latest restaurant trend taking New York City by storm

WHERE: Wythe Hotel

You might forgive a bit of Brooklyn attitude from Le Crocodile, one of the coolest restaurants in trendy Williamsburg. It's a welcome surprise, then, to discover the service is warm and welcoming to all. The vibe at Wythe Hotel's signature restaurant is Paris bistro meets city chic, while the menu is inspired by unpretentious French classics including steak frites, onion soup with gruyere and duck breast with figs. Dessert lovers rave about the chocolate mousse.

A spirited cocktail and wine selection puts locally-made libations in focus whenever possible; ask for Gary's Good vodka, made in Brooklyn, and Dorothy Parker Gin from the same borough. Low- and no-alcohol beverages cleverly speak to the sober-curious movement.

DON'T MISS: Roast chicken with herb jus and frites; Spritz au Crocodile or a selection from the impressive wine list.

BOOK AT: lecrocodile.com

WHERE: The Fifth Avenue Hotel

One of the most talked-about New York City restaurant openings in recent memory, Cafe Carmellini is a beautiful dining experience curated by celebrated chef Andrew Carmellini. After more than three decades in the business, he knows what diners want. The menu is modern, sophisticated and truly satisfying, a showcase of Italian and French cuisine with a New York twist.

In the spendy city that NYC is, Cafe Carmellini's weekday lunch offer is good value: enjoy two courses for $US68 ($103), or three courses for $US85. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure dessert is one of those courses.

It's hard to resist hazelnut praline gelato or chocolate caramel cremeux. Located in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the restaurant enjoys the rarefied setting of an original neoclassical landmark mansion. You'll want to look sharp when you dine there.

DON'T MISS: Duck-Duck-Duck tortellini and a Fifty-Fifty martini.

BOOK AT: cafecarmellini.com

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WHERE: Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC

The Manhattan skyline is the real star of Saishin, a rooftop sushi and omakase restaurant. Sweeping downtown views stretch from the Empire State Building to One World Trade Center and the Hudson River.

Located on the top floor of the fashionable Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC hotel, Saishin highlights traditional Japanese cuisine.

Request a seat at the bar and watch as white-aproned chefs carefully sear wagyu and press delicate bluefin tuna belly into rice that has been imported from Tokyo.

For the full Saishin experience, choose the 19-course omakase menu and leave all decisions to the chefs.

DON'T MISS: The five-piece nigiri set is the chef's selection of what's best and freshest on the day. Shake things up with a sake margarita.

BOOK AT: gansevoorthotelgroup.com

WHERE: The James NoMad

In Italy, "scarpetta" is the act of mopping up all the sauce left on your plate with a piece of bread. In New York, Scarpetta is the place to go for some of the best Italian food this side of Rome. The flagship NYC location is on the ground floor of the James NoMad, a stylish hotel on Madison Avenue.

Authentic homemade pasta is celebrated, from the deceptively simple spaghetti to the tagliolini with seafood and Calabrian chili, and the pappardelle with rabbit ragu.

During dinner service on Sundays, a four-course pasta tasting with dessert and wine is good value at $US70 per guest (plus tax and gratuity).

DON'T MISS: Signature homemade short rib and bone marrow agnolotti pasta and a La Dolce Vita cocktail.

BOOK AT: scarpettarestaurants.com

WHERE: Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square

Named after the New York City Board of Aldermen, who decided on the name "Times Square" for the midtown Broadway neighbourhood, The Alderman on West 48th Street draws inspiration in its design from the glamour of the Great Gatsby era.

Chef Carsten Johannsen and executive chef Steven Hubbell devised the seasonal menus, featuring local and global flavours with an emphasis on ethical sourcing of ingredients. Keep it light with a wedge salad or indulge in Long Island duck breast with pecan crust. The cocktail menu is a modern take on classic sips, including a Torched Pineapple Fix with Woodford Reserve rye whiskey, torched pineapple, vanilla, honey, lime and herb oil. Jay Gatsby would approve.

DON'T MISS: Oysters Rockefeller with spinach and parmesan, paired with a fennel seed martini.

BOOK AT: aldermannyc.com

WHERE: ModernHaus SOHO

There's something for just about everyone on the menu at Twenty Three Grand, the downtown art-focused hotel's dining destination by restaurateur James Julius. Fresh oysters and seafood, delicious salads, scrumptious pastas and one of the best steaks in the city.

Designed to resemble a lush greenhouse, there's indoor and outdoor seating, and retractable windows. Weekend brunch is popular with a fashionable crowd of beautiful people, while late-night diners often head down from the hotel's rooftop bar, JIMMY, for tasty sustenance before heading back out into the SOHO nightlife scene.

DON'T MISS: The Twenty Three Grand Burger with fontina taleggio cheese, paired with Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon.

BOOK AT: twentythreegrand.com

WHERE: Hotel Indigo Williamsburg - Brooklyn, an IHG Hotel

Combine African, Caribbean and Asian flavours with inventive cooking, stellar craft cocktails and guest DJs spinning vintage records. What do you get? Continent Brooklyn, an irresistible expression of BK's bold and stylish energy, on the ground floor of Hotel Indigo Williamsburg. Think tamarind chicken wings in jerk marinade, oxtail bao and fried whole lobster.

Chef/restaurateur Scotley Innis first established the Continent concept in Atlanta, opening in New York this past summer to instant acclaim and hard-to-get reservations. His business partner, Aliya Huey, is the namesake of Aliya Cocktail Den, the hotel's rooftop restaurant and bar. Start with drinks and a view on high, before heading down to Continent for delectable bites.

DON'T MISS: Yard Man Oysters and a Whiskey Ginger Smash.

BOOK AT: continentbrooklyn.com