Pic courtesy of Locanda Verde

Very rarely does a restaurant start hitting on all cylinders from the moment it opens. But to paraphrase that old ad: With a chef like Andrew Carmellini, it’s got to be good. Alas, this place is hardly flying under the radar; it’s become dicey to get a table anywhere near prime time, but hang in and it’ll be worth the effort. At Locanda Verde, Carmellini offers a genius lineup of pastas, like spaghetti with lamb amatriciana; carnivorous dishes, like tripe all parmigiana topped with a fried duck egg; and seafood, like grilled octopus with spicy almond romesco. The spectacular starter of sheep’s milk ricotta with grilled bread is a must. Pastry chef Karen DeMasco, ex of Craft, closes out the show with desserts that manage to be powerfully flavorful without a lethally heaviness: Go for the puckeringly tangy lemon tart, served with a creamy buttermilk gelato to balance it out, or the heavenly toasted-almond semifreddo with bing cherries. Dinner money tight these days? Drop by the restaurant’s pastry stand for one of DeMasco’s breakfast confections.

Locanda Verde. 379 Greenwich St. between Franklin and N Moore Sts.; (212) 925-3797.

Prices/Features: Moderately Priced/Vegetarian-Friendly/Casual-Elegant

Photo by Frank Oudeman

Ever since he turned up in NYC, first at the long-defunct Atlas on Central Park South, British chef Paul Liebrandt has been sprouting all kinds of nut-job ideas—and bless him for that. Say what you will about molecular gastronomy and its equally overwrought brethren; it’s healthy to have a cheerfully bonkers streak running through a few of the city’s restaurants. Chicago embraced this long before NYC did. At Corton, which recently earned two Michelin stars, Liebrandt may not be as consistent in his results as, say, Wylie Dufresne at WD-50, but he brings a thrilling jolt to owner Drew Nieporent’s old Montrachet space—as does the bracingly stark (if a bit sterile) new mostly-white color scheme. Liebrandt’s menu is definitely not un-precious—a menu listing might read “rabbit, diver scallop, artichoke, sweet potato, black garlic”—and it’s not foolproof, but when he scores he scores (as in the inspired corn concoction involving sweetbreads, almond milk, and ruby shrimp). And it’s just  fun to eat this way sometimes—if you can avoid letting the bill be a buzzkill.

Corton. 239 West Broadway between Walker and White Sts.; (212) 219-2777.

Prices/Features: Elegant/Vegetarian-Friendly

Pic courtesy of SHO

Suspend your disbelief—at the weirdly non-New York vibe in the dining room, and at the fact that a seriously fantastic restaurant can exist in the Financial District tangle—and you’ll be in for one of the best food experiences to hit the city in the past year or so. At the newly Michelin-starred  SHO, chef Shaun Hergatt, of the same-named restaurant at Miami’s Setai hotel, is spinning out ingredient combos that manage to make sense and crackle with all kinds of surprises. You might find a pile of sweet peekytoe crab with galangal gelee and Santa Barbara uni, or caramelized Scottish salmon with Thai basil broth. It’s not just the ideas that excite: Hergatt’s execution is as dynamic and assured as the dining room is hushed and ethereal.

SHO Shaun Hergatt. The Setai New York, 4o Broad St.; (212) 809-3993.

Prices/Features: Elegant/Vegetarian-Friendly/Good for Groups