22 Best Restaurants for Groups in NYC: Where to Eat With a Crowd

Finding a restaurant in New York City is easy. Finding a great NYC restaurant for a group is a completely different story.

Whether you're planning a birthday dinner, family gathering, work dinner, bachelorette weekend, reunion, or just trying to make a reservation for eight people without splitting into three tables, you need somewhere that can actually handle a crowd.

The best restaurants for groups in NYC tend to have a few things in common: shareable food, lively dining rooms, larger tables, private or semi-private dining options, and menus that don't become impossible to navigate when you're ordering for ten people.

From family-style Italian restaurants and Korean BBQ to Mediterranean spots, steakhouses, and classic New York institutions, these are 22 of the best restaurants for group dining in NYC.

Chinese Tuxedo is one of our favorite options for a group dinner in Chinatown, especially if you want somewhere that feels a little more elevated than your typical big-group restaurant.

The menu is made for sharing, with contemporary Chinese dishes that work especially well when you have enough people to order a little bit of everything. The moody dining room also makes it a great choice for birthdays, celebrations, and nights when you want dinner to turn into drinks afterward.

Best for: Birthdays, stylish group dinners, Chinatown nights out

If you're looking for an upscale restaurant for a group in Midtown, Quality Italian is an easy choice.

The Italian-American steakhouse works well for celebratory dinners, business dinners, and groups with a mix of tastes. It's polished without feeling overly formal, and its location near Central Park makes it particularly convenient if people are coming from different parts of the city.

Best for: Celebrations, business dinners, upscale group dining

Sometimes the easiest group dinner is one where the entertainment is built in.

Benihana's communal hibachi tables make it naturally suited to larger parties, particularly birthdays and family celebrations. Rather than trying to make conversation across one enormous table, everyone gets to watch the chefs cook dinner right in front of them.

Best for: Birthdays, families, interactive dinners

Okinii is a solid downtown option when you want a group dinner that feels casual and fun rather than like a formal event.

Its Greenwich Village location also makes it easy to build an entire night around dinner, with plenty of bars and nightlife within walking distance.

Best for: Casual group dinners, friend groups, downtown nights out

Family-style Italian food and large groups are basically made for each other.

Tony's Di Napoli specializes in oversized Italian dishes designed to be shared around the table, which eliminates the logistical nightmare of everyone ordering separately. It's particularly good for multigenerational groups or parties where you need somewhere approachable that can accommodate a crowd.

Best for: Large groups, family dinners, classic Italian

For a group dinner that feels quintessentially New York, it's hard to beat Keens.

The historic steakhouse dates back to the 19th century and is famous for its old-school atmosphere, steaks, and legendary mutton chop. This is a particularly good choice for milestone birthdays, business dinners, or visitors who want a classic NYC experience.

Best for: Business dinners, milestone celebrations, classic NYC

Shuka is one of the best restaurants for groups in downtown NYC because its Eastern Mediterranean menu practically begs to be shared.

Order dips, breads, vegetables, grilled meats, and a bunch of plates for the table rather than making everyone commit to a single entrée. The atmosphere is lively without being overwhelmingly formal, making it a great option for birthdays and friend-group dinners.

Best for: Sharing plates, birthdays, Mediterranean food

Port Sa’id is a great pick when the group cares just as much about the atmosphere as the food.

The NYC outpost of the Tel Aviv restaurant combines a buzzy setting with a shareable menu, making it especially good for groups who want a dinner that feels like the beginning of a night out rather than the entire evening.

Best for: Trendy group dinners, celebrations, lively nights out

Korean BBQ is one of the best formats for group dining, and Jongro BBQ is a Koreatown favorite.

Everyone gathers around the grill, meats and sides are shared across the table, and dinner naturally becomes a social experience. Its central K-Town location also makes it an easy starting point for karaoke or drinks afterward.

Best for: Korean BBQ, birthdays, groups looking for a fun dinner

Hawksmoor is a great alternative to the traditional New York steakhouse when you want something impressive but a little less old-school.

Set inside a dramatic historic space near Madison Square Park, it's a strong option for business dinners, celebrations, and larger gatherings where you want the restaurant itself to feel like part of the occasion.

Best for: Steaks, business dinners, special occasions

Blue Willow is an especially useful restaurant to know about when you're organizing a group meal in Midtown.

Its Hunan and Sichuan dishes lend themselves well to family-style ordering, so a larger table actually gives you an excuse to try more of the menu.

Best for: Chinese food, family-style dining, Midtown groups

For a casual downtown birthday dinner, Lil' Frankie's has been a New York standby for years.

The East Village Italian restaurant has the energetic, slightly chaotic atmosphere that works particularly well for groups of friends who care more about having a fun night than having a quiet conversation.

Best for: Birthdays, casual Italian, friend-group dinners

Fish Cheeks is one of the best choices for a group that wants Thai food in downtown Manhattan.

The family-style menu is ideal for sharing, which means a bigger party can order curries, seafood, vegetables, and other dishes for everyone to try. It's particularly good for food-focused groups that don't want to default to Italian or steak.

Best for: Thai food, sharing plates, foodie groups

Emmett's on Grove brings Chicago-style Italian-American food to one of the prettiest streets in the West Village.

It's a fun choice for smaller groups who want pizza, pasta, martinis, and a cozy neighborhood atmosphere without sacrificing the celebratory feel of dinner in the Village.

Best for: Pizza, casual celebrations, West Village dinners

Hidden beneath the streets of SoHo, Lure Fishbar's yacht-inspired dining room immediately makes dinner feel like an occasion.

The seafood-heavy menu gives groups plenty to share, while the location makes it convenient for drinks or shopping before and after dinner.

Best for: Seafood, SoHo dinners, celebrations

Avra is a strong option for a polished group dinner in Midtown, particularly when you're coordinating people coming from offices, hotels, or different parts of Manhattan.

The Greek seafood menu works for a wide range of diners, and the Rockefeller Center location makes it especially convenient for business meals and visitors.

Best for: Business dinners, Greek food, Midtown groups

For an upscale Greek group dinner, Estiatorio Milos is another Midtown classic.

The restaurant is particularly known for its seafood and Mediterranean approach, making it a good option when you want a special-occasion restaurant that feels lighter than a traditional steakhouse.

Best for: Upscale dinners, seafood, business groups

There is a reason Carmine's appears on practically every list of restaurants for large groups in NYC.

Everything revolves around enormous family-style portions of Italian-American classics. It's loud, busy, unapologetically old-school, and specifically designed for feeding a crowd.

If you're organizing dinner before or after a Broadway show, it's also incredibly convenient.

Best for: Very large groups, families, Broadway dinners

Zou Zou's is one of the better options for a stylish group dinner near Hudson Yards and Penn Station.

The Eastern Mediterranean menu includes plenty of dishes designed to hit the middle of the table, making group ordering easy. The energetic dining room also works particularly well for birthdays and celebratory dinners.

Best for: Birthdays, Mediterranean food, stylish group dinners

If your definition of a successful group dinner involves lots of Italian food and a lively atmosphere, Puglia is worth knowing.

This Little Italy institution is less about having a quiet, sophisticated meal and more about embracing the fun of going out with a big group.

Best for: Big birthdays, lively groups, Little Italy

Kyma combines Greek food with a polished, high-energy atmosphere that works especially well for celebrations.

It's a good pick for groups who want somewhere that feels more dressed-up and lively than a casual neighborhood restaurant without committing to a formal fine-dining experience.

Best for: Celebrations, Greek food, group nights out

Serafina is a useful Upper East Side option for groups because the Italian menu has something for almost everyone.

Pizza, pasta, salads, and classic Italian dishes make it particularly good for family gatherings or mixed groups where choosing an adventurous restaurant could turn into a debate.

Best for: Families, Upper East Side groups, casual Italian

If you don't want to scroll through all 22 options every time you're planning dinner, here's the quick version.

For birthdays: Chinese Tuxedo, Shuka, Port Sa’id, Jongro BBQ, Lil' Frankie's, Zou Zou's, Kyma

For very large groups: Carmine's, Tony's Di Napoli, Benihana, Puglia

For an upscale group dinner: Hawksmoor, Keens Steakhouse, Quality Italian, Avra, Estiatorio Milos

For shareable food: Shuka, Fish Cheeks, Blue Willow, Jongro BBQ, Zou Zou's

For a casual group dinner: Lil' Frankie's, Emmett's on Grove, Serafina, Okinii

For a business dinner: Keens Steakhouse, Hawksmoor, Quality Italian, Avra, Estiatorio Milos

The biggest mistake when planning group dining in NYC is waiting until the last minute. A restaurant that has plenty of reservations for two or four people may have almost nothing available for eight, ten, or twelve.

For larger groups, start looking early and check whether the restaurant offers standard reservations, a set group menu, semi-private dining, or a fully private dining room. Some restaurants also require a minimum spend or prix-fixe menu once your party reaches a certain size.

It's also worth considering location. If half the group lives downtown and the other half is coming from New Jersey or Long Island, somewhere near a major transit hub may make the night significantly easier.

Planning dinner for a group shouldn't require opening 47 tabs, digging through old screenshots, and asking the group chat to resend the restaurant someone recommended three months ago.

We've saved these restaurants — plus more of our favorite places to eat, drink, and go in New York — on RoamRecs, where you can keep trusted recommendations organized in one place and pull them up when you actually need them.

Whether you're planning a birthday dinner, girls' night, work event, family gathering, or just dinner with too many friends for a four-top, save the full Best Group Dining in NYC map on RoamRecs so you have the list ready for next time.