21 Restaurants In New York City To Consider For Large Groups

New York City has no shortage of restaurants to choose from, whether you're looking for a particular type of cuisine, need to accommodate a certain budget, or want to dine with a large group of friends, family, or colleagues. Even so, it can be challenging to find what you're looking for when you need it. Deciding on a whim to go out to dinner with a large group on a Saturday night without reservations might not be the quickest path to a successful evening. The plethora of restaurants that are available in the city includes a bevy of small, intimate establishments that would not be well suited to a boisterous crowd.

Luckily, we've put together a list of restaurants that should help you plan ahead next time you want to break bread with a large group. To create it, we leaned on personal experience, reservation apps like Resy, and overall restaurant reviews to single out which of the already excellent restaurants in the city also lend themselves well to group dining. In other words, we're not just going to send you to a place because it can fit a lot of people. It also has to be good.

Chef Michael Solomonov of Zahav in Philadelphia and Laser Wolf (upstairs from K'Far, in the same building) heads up this Israeli restaurant, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including large groups. In particular, the glass-enclosed patio is the perfect space to book for a bigger party of up to 40 people. The plentiful natural light filtering in, combined with the luscious greenery, will make you feel like you're somewhere far away from Brooklyn, even in the winter.

For smaller groups, you can also book the indoor private dining room, which can accommodate parties of 10 to 25 people. If you happen to stop by for breakfast or brunch, don't skip the shakshuka with charred tomato sauce and Bulgarian feta, while the crispy mushroom hummus is a surprisingly tasty lunch option.

Israeli

https://www.kfarbrooklyn.com/

(718) 215-7154

97 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 

Being able to book a table for a large group online can certainly be an asset. It means you can put the idea out to your group chat with your friends, and within minutes, someone will have been able to secure a reservation, without having to go through complicated email chains with some faceless restaurant events person. This is what can happen at the Spanish Diner at Mercado Little Spain, where you can book online for parties of up to 15 people.

This shouldn't come as too much as a surprise, given how large the dining space is. Located on the ground floor of Hudson Yards, this space is as industrial chic as they come, which is a style that favors large, open dining spaces. Not only that, but Spanish Diner can open its windows in the summer and spill out onto the adjacent sidewalks, providing even more space in which large groups can dine, move around, and laugh merrily. A simple starter that everyone will love is the Pan Con Tomate, or bread brushed with tomato –- a staple food in chef José Andres' native northern Spain.

Spanish

https://www.littlespain.com/restaurant/spanish-diner/ 

(646) 495-1242

435 W 30th St, New York, NY 10001

The thing about large groups of people is that everyone has different preferences and tastes, so it's best to take them to a restaurant that can act as an all-around people-pleaser. Somewhere that just seems to appeal to the masses, without being of the masses — that is, a good, solid restaurant that has something for everyone and makes it well. It would also help if it were centrally located. That place is Le Rock, which is smack in the middle of all middles: Midtown Manhattan.

That is not to say that the food is bland. The more adventurous members of your party can opt for the sweetbreads shrimp etouffee, while the more cautious sort will be perfectly comfortable with a good coq au vin. And if you were hoping for Frenchette, one of Tasting Table's picks for the best French restaurant in NYC, at Le Rock, you won't be far off. It's from the same team of chefs but with a bigger dining room and longer menu — perfect for bigger groups.

French

https://www.lerocknyc.com/ 

(332) 258-8734

45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111

When you're dealing with a large group of people in New York City, chances are that at least one of them is going to be a vegetarian or vegan, maybe more. Opting for a steakhouse, in these cases, might not seem like the best option.

abcV, by celebrated New York chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, can save the day in these situations. The menu is mostly vegan, always plant-based, and favors ingredients yielded by sustainable farming. This alone makes it a good place to accommodate a group of people who might have vegan requirements and health-conscious tendencies. But what's also great about abcV, besides that the food is good, is that it can fit groups of up to 14 people in the main dining room, so enjoying dinner here doesn't always have to be a private affair.

Vegetarian

https://www.abcv.nyc/ 

38 E 19th St, New York, NY 10003

(212) 475-5829

The famous Blue Hill at Stone Barns, one of the top restaurants in the world, is all the way over in Pocantico Hills, upstate. Luckily, we have an outpost right here in Greenwich Village called Blue Hill, and even better, it serves family meals that make it a great spot for larger groups.

Parties of up to 8 people can reserve a table in the main dining room, while groups of up to 14 or 40 can book a private dining experience. Either way, meals will be served family style, no menu, as if you'd gone to somebody's house and they'd cooked up whatever they wanted for you and your group. You will be served at the pleasure of the chef and no doubt at yours as well.

https://www.bluehillfarm.com/family-meal

(212) 539-1776

75 Washington Pl, New York, NY 10011

Some of the best soup dumplings in New York City can be found in small, hole-in-the-wall establishments dotted throughout Chinatown, Koreatown, and, of course, Brooklyn. But when you have a large group, these tiny spaces just aren't going to work.

But don't despair; that doesn't mean a large group of people can't enjoy soup dumplings together. In fact, they can do so at Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Queens. Okay, so Flushing is a bit of a trek, but that plays in your group's favor, as it provides ample space and lower prices. Opt for the crab and pork soup dumplings, or experience the rainbow with the lucky six dumplings, which include one each of pork, crab and pork, chicken soup, scallop and pork, black truffle and pork, and shrimp and pork dumplings. Basically, you have to like pork to order these.

Chinese

https://nanxiangxiaolongbao.com/

(718) 321-3838

39-16 Prince St #104, Queens, NY 11354 

Lilia takes care of large groups as if they were family, which would be especially on the mark if you were planning on taking your family there. After all, this is to be expected. Lilia is an Italian restaurant run by chef Missy Robbins, who is known for serving fine food and creating a sense of warm hospitality in her restaurants. Indeed, the semi-private dining room can host up to 20 guests, all of whom are welcome to a set menu designed to be shared by all, like family.

Asking for a private dinner might be the best way to sample the cuisine at this hugely popular restaurant. Reservations in the main dining room are hard to come by, so booking your own separate event might be your best bet.

Italian

https://www.lilianewyork.com/

(718) 576-3095

567 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Estela, which boasts one Michelin star and a frequent spot on the list of 50 Best Restaurants in the World, may not be the most spacious location for large groups, but it's willing to work with guests who are interested in full or partial restaurant buy-outs.

If you have a chance to dine here under such circumstances, don't miss your chance. The menu available for large groups may differ from the a la carte options in the main dining room, but it certainly won't disappoint. Chef Ignacio Mattos, who also heads up Altro Paradiso and Lodi, two of New York's finest dining establishments, knows how to deliver intriguing, surprising, and always delicious flavors.

New American

https://estelanyc.com/#reservations

(212) 219-7693

47 E Houston St 1st floor, New York, NY 10012

Casual evenings with friends, BBQ, and beer are some of the pleasures that make life worth living, all the more so if they happen at Hometown Bar-B-Que in Red Hook. The oak wood pit-smoked meats help create an authentic Southern barbecue flavor in the dishes, which are inspired by cuisines from around the world, as evidenced by the Korean sticky ribs and Oaxacan chicken. Not for nothing, this restaurant features on our list of best BBQ restaurants in the US.

As for groups, you'd be hard-pressed to find a party of less than six people at this establishment on a Saturday night. There are plenty of larger tables to accommodate bigger parties, while the typical barbecue culture -– where guests go up and order their food at the counter -– is alive and well here, removing the need for that awkward bill-splitting dance we all sometimes do.

Barbecue

https://hometownbbq.com/

(347) 294-4644

454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Although mostly Italian in nature, the menu at Torrisi, which gained three stars from the venerable New York Times food critic Pete Wells, reaches far beyond the borders of Little Italy. Indeed, as Wells notes in his review, "crunchy, tender octopus, cloaked in soy sauce and spicy with fresh chilis, is recognizably and deliciously Vietnamese."

To enjoy this and other creations, book a round booth table where you and your large group can easily chat as you take bites out of each other's meals. In fact, don't worry too much about keeping the noise level down. The dining room at Torrisi is upbeat and energetic, so you and your gaggle of pals will fit right in.

Italian

https://www.torrisinyc.com/about/

(212) 254-3000

275 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012