Tables x Titles: 40 New York Restaurants Perfectly Paired with Beloved Books

NYC restaurants matched to their literary soulmates (as decided by someone who lives to eat and read)

Hello, lovers!

I’ve never been shy about the fact that bringing a book to a restaurant and dining solo is one of my favorite ways to fill up my cup. This weekend, as I sat cozied up at Commerce Inn with our

West Village Book Club

October pick, Wild Dark Shore, I was struck by how well this Shaker-inspired restaurant met the mood of my atmospheric title in hand. Just as Commerce Inn’s menu harks back to simpler times (right down to their refusal to make espresso drinks—instead opting for that old school diner feel of constantly topping off your drip coffee), the book is set on a remote island where everything is rooted in simplicity. There was something beautiful in that connection.

So, an idea was born—not necessarily about pairing specific books with where to read them on a solo outing, but on a broader scale, about matching stories to the aura of a place. For someone who loves both reading and eating out as much as I do, the parallels between a book’s personality and a restaurant’s spirit are endless. Whether a New Yorker, planning to visit soon, or a reader, consider this roundup that serves as both a restaurant guide and bookish reference point. Every restaurant and story here earned its place—if it’s on the list, trust that I love it.

In today’s edition of The Sunday Series, I’m serving up a guide to 40 of my favorite places to dine in New York, each spot matched to a book that I feel serves a similar emotional temperature. Considering that there are nearly 50,000 restaurants in New York, it’s no small feat to narrow down my list of favorites, but I’ve done my best to keep the curation tight (!!) and break the restaurants down into seven categories:

• For Slow Burn Date Nights (5 favorites)

• For Nostalgic, Reflection-Filled Nights (7 favorites)

• For Creative Plotting and Inspiration (5 favorites)

• For Something Understated and Dependable (5 favorites)

• For When You’re Craving Classic and Chic (6 favorites)

• For Buzzy and Boozy Nights Out (5 favorites)

• For Sunday Softness (7 favorites)

As ever with my guides (Your Local’s Guide to West Village, A No-Gatekeeping Guide to Mallorca, A Mini Formentera Guide, Your Ultimate Paris Guide, Your Guide to Bozeman, Your Guide to Nantucket), this one will be accessible only to paid subscribers.

p.s. This one is too long for email! Click through to the Substack app or desktop version to read the whole thing. And if you are feeling extra generous, please give it a heart on Substack, or better yet, share it with a friend! 🤍

Restaurant criteria: For this category, I wanted to highlight places where a single glass of red magically turns into three. These are slower burns, just like many of the books I’ve chosen to match up.

• Anton’s (West Village): A warm, candlelit-filled cozy spot in the heart of the West Village, Anton’s serves seasonal American cuisine with a European influence and an impressive wine list. // Pairs well with The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller for the way it connects you to the ache of a first love that never truly left.

• Evelina (Fort Greene): Sleek yet intimate, Evelina blends Mediterranean-Italian fare with natural-wine energy in a Fort Greene setting; ideal for a creative dinner that feels both comfortable and elevated. // Pairs well with Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly for the simple reason that I once dined at a table next to her here! And yes, she’s an absolute stunner in person, just like the fare at Evelina.

• Lucien (East Village): A retro Parisian-style bistro, Lucien is beloved by the art and influencer crowd, featuring classic French dishes, cozy wood-panel ambiance, and effortless charm. // Pairs well with Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors because I can just imagine Cleo and Frank eating here amongst the cool downtown artsy set. I miss these characters so much.

• Raoul’s (SoHo): Legendary since the 1970s, Raoul’s is a SoHo institution known for its steak au poivre, tin-ceiling bar, candlelight, and old-school cool. // Pairs well with Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D’ by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, because, amongst other institutions he worked at, Cecchi talks about his salacious time as the maître d’ at Raoul’s in this epic foodie memoir.

• Via Carota (West Village): A West Village trattoria by the acclaimed duo Rita Sodi and Jody Williams, Via Carota is more than just a celeb favorite; it’s the kind of no-reservations, no-cut-corners place you can rely on for an incredible meal every single time. // Pairs well with Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, a modern-friendship-as-love story that mirrors the warmth and conviviality of Sodi and Williams’s hospitality.

Restaurant vibe: So many legendary spots in New York are institutions with patina—mirrors slightly fogged, waiters who’ve seen generations fall in and out of love. In this section, I’m rounding up places you return to when you need a version of yourself that still believes in ritual.