6 Astoria, LIC Spots Make Michelin List As Best Cheap Eats In NYC

ASTORIA-LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Six northwestern Queens restaurants were named on the Michelin-vetted list of New York City’s best spots for cheap eats — no small feat during a year when the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the restaurant industry.

This year’s Michelin Bib Gourmand guide details the 131 best affordable dining options in New York City and Westchester according to renowned Michelin inspectors, including Gregory’s 26 Corner Taverna, Via Vai, and Mar’s in Astoria, Bellwether and Hupo in Long Island City, and Cardamom in Sunnyside.

The six northwestern Queens eateries that were awarded Bibs this year are among 18 standout dining options in Queens, seven of which are newcomers to the list — including Italian restaurant Via Vai, Chinese spot Hupo and Indian favorite Cardamom.

The Bibs were released on Tuesday, marking Michelin’s first return to the city since the start of the pandemic. The Red Guide is slated to release their more well-known starred selections Thursday.

Restaurants that make it on the “cheap eats” list are all joints where the Michelin inspectors can supposedly order a full meal — two courses and a glass of wine or dessert, not including tax and tip — for under $40 per-person, though as in years past this would be challenging at some spots on the list.

Here’s what the inspectors had to say about the six northwestern Queens eateries on this year’s list:

Astoria

Gregory’s 26 Corner Taverna, 26-02 23rd Ave
Many tavernas — small Greek restaurants — line Astoria’s 23rd Avenue, but The Bib guide calls Gregory’s “one of the more serious and charming” thanks to its “refreshingly honest and intensely flavorful cooking.” It recommends trying the tirokafteri, a spicy feta dip, fried eggplant and zucchini, spicy sole, and of course, the pita. Read more here.

Via Vai, 31-09 23rd Ave
Down the street, the guide also recommends this “charming trattoria” — a small, somewhat informal Italian counterpart to the Greek taverna. It recommends the “creamy carbonara, spicy amatriciana, and zesty cacio e pepe,” all made by cooks who hail from Rome. The short ribs, wood-burned pies, and tiramisu also get shout outs. Read more here.

Mar’s, 34-21 34th Ave
The guide speculates that if this oyster bar was in the middle of Manhattan “the line would be out the door” specifically for the sweetbreads, steak tartare, seafood stew, pork belly skewers and mussel toast which it describes as “love letter worthy.” Read more here.

Long Island City

Bellwether, 47-25 Vernon Blvd
This seasonal restaurant is “packed with creativity” and beloved for its griddled halloumi, grilled blowfish tails, and braised Colorado lamb neck, which the guide describes as “the do-not-miss dish.” Read more here.

Hupo, 1007 50th Ave
While Long Island City isn’t known for its Asian cuisine, this Sichuan restaurant has a menu full of regional favorites cooked with a “kind of fiery, umami-driven complexity.” The guide recommends the spicy mapo tofu, house-made cold noodles, Chungking spicy chicken, and stewed fish fillet in hot chili soup. Read more here.

Sunnyside

Cardamom, 43-45 43rd St
This Indian restaurant’s menu is extensive, and The Bib guide specifically recommends their “utterly delicious curries” including lamb vindaloo and Goan fish curry. The tandoori lamb chops also get a shoutout for being “wonderfully tender and expertly charred.” Read more here.

Here's the full 2021 NYC Michelin Bib Gourmands.