As the year comes to a close, Yelp has unveiled its much-anticipated list of Best New Restaurants.

This year, twenty-five restaurants made the cut, featuring everything from adventurous dining in New York City and Orlando, Florida, to laid-back spots in Chicago and Boise, Idaho.

Yelp users have shown a growing interest in trying new eateries, with searches for “great new restaurant” soaring by 673% from 2023-2024 compared to the previous year, as reported in a Yelp announcement.

Curious about the top picks? Here’s the list of the 25 best new restaurants in the country, according to Yelp reviewers and experts.

Discover Yelp’s Top 5 Best New Restaurants

No. 1: Mēdüzā Mediterrania in New York City, New York

Situated in New York’s Meatpacking District, Mēdüzā Mediterrania is a Mediterranean eatery that has drawn celebrity diners, including Taylor Swift and Cardi B, since it opened in September 2023.

The restaurant features three dining areas, including a VIP mezzanine and a glass-enclosed atrium. Each night, diners can enjoy live music or a house DJ. Mēdüzā Mediterrania has a business casual dress code, prohibiting items such as novelty hats, bandanas, themed costumes, athletic wear, flip-flops, shorts (except during brunch), and bathing suits, according to its website. While reservations are not mandatory, they are “highly encouraged.”

One of Mēdüzā Mediterrania’s standout dishes is the Torre De Mare, a seafood tower featuring cocktail sauce, Meduza Mignonette, horseradish, oysters, little neck clams, two pounds of lobster, and U-10 shrimp.

According to a menu snapshot shared by Yelp Elite user Amanda W. in October, main courses are priced between $31 (for falafel) and $195 (for prime T-bone steak).

Yelp rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

Explore the menu: meduza33.com

Make your reservation now on OpenTable

No. 2: Noko Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee

Noko Nashville is an upscale Asian restaurant known for its wood-fired dishes, located in East Nashville. Yelp also recognized it as the No. 1 Best New Restaurant in the South for 2024, after opening in March 2023.

A signature dish at Noko Nashville is the Blue Fin Tuna Crudo, featuring a chef-cut of tuna with Wakame, truffle mustard soy sauce, pickled wasabi, and crispy onion.

According to the restaurant’s website, main courses range from about $13 (The District Sando, made with prosciutto, truffle aioli, white cheddar cheese, and Togarashi) to $115 (for a Tomahawk ribeye steak).

Yelp rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

Explore the menu: nokonashville.com/menus

Make your reservation now on OpenTable

No. 3: Meesh Meesh Mediterranean in Louisville, Kentucky

Blending Mediterranean and Appalachian flavors, Meesh Meesh Mediterranean opened in September 2023. The restaurant offers a variety of Middle Eastern dips, spreads, and small dishes designed for sharing. It was also ranked No. 2 among Yelp’s Best New Restaurants in the South for 2024.

According to Yelp, the most popular dish at Meesh Meesh is the Smoked Lamb Hummus, which features lamb smoked for 12 hours, with mint, pomegranate molasses, and pine nuts.

From the restaurant’s website, entrees are priced between $36 (for Kousa Squash) and $69 (for grape leaf-wrapped branzino).

Yelp rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

Explore the menu: meeshmeesh.com/louisville-meesh-meesh-mediterranean-food-menu

No. 4: Kinme Omakase in San Diego, California

Situated in the Bankers Hill area of San Diego, Kinme Omakase offers a cozy dining experience with just 10 seats at a long wooden counter. This Japanese establishment combines Kaiseki and Edomae sushi styles and presents two distinct dinner sets each evening. Given the limited capacity and personalized service, making a reservation is essential, and they become available each month at the start. Kinme Omakase welcomed its first guests in March 2023.

The skilled chefs at Kinme Omakase create a special 10-course menu for each guest, with dishes that change almost daily, according to Yelp. Each meal includes a mix of both cooked and raw seafood items. Guests can also enjoy pairings of sake and wine, and every dining experience concludes with a serving of matcha tea.

Dining at Kinme Omakase costs $195 per person, as stated on the restaurant’s website, and an additional sake and wine pairing is available for $85.

Yelp rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

No. 5: Burnin’ Shell in Los Angeles, California

Burnin’ Shell provides a pirate-themed Korean barbecue seafood experience in the heart of Koreatown in Los Angeles. Since its opening in April 2023, the restaurant has gained popularity on social media for its elaborate presentations and generous food servings.

A standout dish at Burnin’ Shell is the Captain Set, designed for groups of four to five. This impressive offering includes manila clams, whole-shelled oysters, a large clam, shrimp, mussels, cheesy scallops, three abalone hagfish, live steamed lobster, marinated baby octopus, buttered squid, along with potatoes and sweet potatoes.

The prices for entrees at Burnin’ Shell range from approximately $40 for live octopus to $200 for the Captain Set, as noted on the restaurant’s Instagram account. Burnin’ Shell does not maintain a separate website.

Yelp rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Check out the menu: instagram.com/burningshell_la (Click the “Menu” Instagram Story)

Interested in more options? Here are the other honorees

• No. 6: Wicked Butcher in Dallas, Texas (steakhouse) – Reserve your table on OpenTable
• No. 7: Course Restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona (fine dining) – Reserve your table on OpenTable

• No. 8: BoujieMana in San Diego, California (Mediterranean) – Reserve your table on OpenTable

• No. 9: Paseo in Anaheim, California (Mexican) – Reserve your table on OpenTable
• No. 10: Little’s Oyster Bar in Houston, Texas (seafood)
• No. 11: Kawa Ni in Denver, Colorado (Japanese) – Reserve your table on OpenTable
• No. 12: Gannons Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee (American) – Reserve your table on OpenTable

• No. 13: Rustica Earth Sea and Fire in St. Augustine, Florida (international fusion)
• No. 14: El Cielo en Honolulu, Hawái

• No. 15: Nami en Orlando, Florida (fusión asiática) – Haga su reserva en OpenTable
• No. 16: The Evie en Chicago, Illinois (estadounidense) – Haga su reserva en OpenTable
• No. 17: Katami en Houston, Texas (japonesa)
• No. 18: Kappo DC en Washington, D.C. (japonesa)
• No. 19: Sartiano’s en Nueva York, Nueva York (italiana)

• No. 20: Casa Pollastro en Dallas, Texas (fusión brasileño-italiana)
• No. 21: Carbonara en Arlington, Virginia (italiana)
• No. 22: Love, Makoto en Washington, D.C. (japonesa)
• No. 23: Wolf by Vanderpump en Harveys Lake Tahoe en Stateline, Nevada (estadounidense) – Haga su reserva en OpenTable

• No. 24: Percy en Boise, Idaho (estadounidense)
• No. 25: Cataline Kitchen + Bar en Charlotte, Carolina del Norte (cocina a la carta)

How do you select Yelp the best new restaurants?

Restaurants on Yelp’s list this year must have opened after January 1, 2023, be full-service businesses and have passed a health test before September 1, according to a Yelp press release. Yelp ranks the best restaurants according to several factors, including total volume and rating of reviews between January 1, 2023 and September 1, 2024.

How does Yelp choose the new highlights? According to a Yelp press statement, restaurants on its list this year must have opened after January 1, 2023, be full-service businesses and have passed a health inspection before September 1. The Yelp classification is based on several criteria, such as the total number of reviews and the rating obtained between 1 January 2023 and 1 September 2024.