Astoria – Dining

Few neighborhoods boast as diverse a restaurant scene as Astoria does. On Steinway Street alone there are eateries specializing in Chinese, Colombian, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Moroccan, and Thai cuisines. Throughout the neighborhood are diners and special-occasion restaurants, family-friendly eateries and date-night spots. In short, no matter what you’re in the mood for, you’ll be able to find it here.

 

Inca Paisa

Ceviche mixto. Leche de tigre. Carne asada a la plancha. If simply reading those terms makes your mouth water, get yourself to Inca Paisa, which debuted in Astoria in summer 2023. (The original Inca Paisa remains open in Bayside.) Then again, you should head here even if you don’t know what those dishes are. Inca Paisa specializes in marrying Peruvian and Colombian cuisine to create vividly flavored dishes that rely on the freshest fish, produce, and other ingredients. Just be sure to save room for the tres leches cake for dessert.

 

Nur Thai

Like Inca Paisa, Nur Thai opened a second restaurant in Astoria in 2023, following the success of its original location in Rego Park. Along with chicken satay, pad thai, and other staples, it serves lesser-known Thai dishes as well as Western cuisine with an Eastern twist, such as the porterhouse steak with spicy dipping sauce, sticky rice, and papaya salad. What’s more, the restaurant is halal and alcohol-free, though there are plenty of refreshing mocktails, like the Snow White (kaffir lime, coconut cream and coconut water, soursop, and orange blossom) to slake your thirst.

 

Taverna Kyclades

You can’t talk about dining in Astoria without mentioning Greek cuisine, and Taverna Kyclades is one Greek restaurant certain to come up in any such discussion. Spanakopita and grilled octopus, roasted lemon potatoes and fried calamari, grilled swordfish and marinated lamb chops—all that’s missing are the salt-kissed breezes of the Aegean Sea.

 

Trattoria L’incontro

If Taverna Kyclades offers a taste of the Greek Islands, Trattoria L’incontro provides the flavors of Italy, including old favorites given a contemporary update. Along with cacio e pepe and individual margherita pizzas you can indulge in mezza luna, a ravioli stuffed with mascarpone and pesto served in an asparagus, brandy, and walnut sauce, and black pappardelle with shiitake mushrooms and lobster. When it’s available, the ricotta gnocchi with creamy parmesan sauce topped very generously with truffles is a must-order.

 

Chez Olivia

Chez Olivia will make your Parisian bistro dreams a reality—or as close as is possible on this side of the Atlantic. Escargots in garlic butter, salad Niçoise, onion soup gratinée, moules marinières, coq au vin, boeuf bourgiugnon: All the favorites are here, along with French wines and cocktails. And that’s just dinner. The lunch and weekend brunch offering is easily as enticing, with sweet and savory crepes, quiche Lorraine, and a chicken confit sandwich on a homemade baguette.