Best Trendy Pho Restaurants in New York
18 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Mắm
A hyper-focused Central Vietnamese menu with dishes rarely seen elsewhere in NYC.
Notable Picks
#1
Mắm
8.9
Mắm is a tiny Lower East Side spot specializing in Central Vietnamese street food, known for intensely funky, layered flavors and a short, constantly changing menu. Opened in 2022 and now ranked among the New York Times’ best restaurants in the city, it’s where serious diners come for bún đậu mắm tôm, snails, and offal-driven plates that rarely show up elsewhere in Manhattan.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bún đậu mắm tôm platter with housemade tofu and pork belly, Stuffed snails with pork and aromatics, Crispy tofu and fermented shrimp paste bites
What Makes it Special: A hyper-focused Central Vietnamese menu with dishes rarely seen elsewhere in NYC.
8.8
Em Vietnamese Bistro brings a modern Vietnamese dining room to DUMBO, with coconut mussels, beef pho and Ly's chicken wings backed by cocktails and a polished room. Locals treat it as a go-to for dates, small celebrations and pre- or post-waterfront dinners when they want Vietnamese that feels a bit more special than a neighborhood pho shop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Ly's chicken wings, Beef pho (pho bo), Oc xao dua coconut mussels
What Makes it Special: Modern DUMBO Vietnamese bistro where seafood plates, pho and cocktails share the spotlight.
#3
OBAO
8.8
A buzzy Hell’s Kitchen Southeast Asian spot where pho shares the stage with Thai-Viet comfort food and craft cocktails. The broth-driven dishes land rich and aromatic, and the kitchen keeps quality steady even at high volume. Come for a full meal and linger—this is a theater-district crowd-pleaser that still respects Vietnamese fundamentals.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho Bo Dac Biet (special combination beef pho), Spicy Lemongrass Pho Bo, Bo Luc Lac (shaking beef)
What Makes it Special: High-volume institution with polished Thai-Viet pho and a serious broth program.
#4
Khaosan
8.7
Khaosan brings a slightly more polished, ingredient-focused approach to Thai on Montague, with an emphasis on vegetarian-friendly options and upgraded classics. Dishes like curry dumplings, khao soi, and garlic udon with hanger steak show more regional nuance than the average neighborhood spot.
Must-Try Dishes:
Curry Dumplings, Khao Soi Chicken, Garlic Udon Hanger Beef
What Makes it Special: Modern Thai with strong vegetarian options and more regionally expressive dishes.
#5
Di An Di
8.6
Di An Di is a modern Vietnamese restaurant and bar where a focused pho program sits alongside inventive small plates and cocktails in a leafy, design-forward room. Locals treat it as the neighborhood’s benchmark for Vietnamese noodles, especially the Hanoi-style beef and chicken pho, paired with snacks like fried daikon rice cake omelette.
Must-Try Dishes:
Phở Thìn Hà Nội (Beef Pho Hanoi), Phở Gà (Chicken Pho), Bánh Bột Chiên (Fried Daikon Rice Cake Omelette)
What Makes it Special: A contemporary Vietnamese dining room where serious, Hanoi-style pho anchors a creative small-plates menu.
#6
Hanoi House
8.6
A high-energy East Village Vietnamese room that leans modern without losing the comfort-food core. The win here is the depth in the broths and the way the menu balances bright herbs with richer grilled flavors—best when you keep the order tight and noodle-forward.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho (choose two cuts, go broth-first), Bun cha, Papaya salad (goi du du)
What Makes it Special: Modern Hanoi-leaning flavors with broth depth that holds up at volume.
#7
Madame Vo
8.6
A modern East Village Vietnamese spot known for a deeply simmered pho broth and tender short rib, balanced by bright herbs and house-made condiments. The kitchen leans Saigon-style but keeps flavors clean and precise, and the room stays lively without feeling chaotic.
Must-Try Dishes:
The Madame Pho with Short Rib, Madame Vo Pho (classic beef), Goi Cuon summer rolls
What Makes it Special: 24-hour pho broth and standout short-rib pho in a buzzy East Village room.
8.6
Saigon Social is Chef Helen Nguyen’s modern Vietnamese comfort-food restaurant, where garlic noodles, oxtail fried rice, and bun cha–inspired plates anchor lively, reservation-friendly dinners. Locals use it for nights when they want Vietnamese flavors with cocktails, polished service, and a dining room that feels more like a downtown bistro than a traditional pho shop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Garlic noodles with seared protein, Oxtail fried rice, Bun Cha Ha Noi with grilled pork and herbs
What Makes it Special: Chef-driven Vietnamese comfort food with strong cocktails and a lively downtown room.
#9
5ive Spice
8.5
Vibes:
Trendy Table Hotspots
Quick Bites Champions
Girls Night Out Approved
Instagram Worthy Wonders
5ive Spice’s Nolita outpost blends slow-simmered pho, banh mi, and shaking beef with its signature bánh xèo tacos in a compact, buzzy setting. High multi-platform ratings and steady crowds point to reliable execution, especially for the broths and short rib dishes, even if prices run higher than a traditional hole-in-the-wall.
Must-Try Dishes:
Braised Short Rib Bánh Xèo Tacos, Classic Pho Noodle Soup, Short Rib Banh Mi
What Makes it Special: Modern Nolita Vietnamese with standout bánh xèo tacos and richly built pho.
8.4
Thai and Southeast Asian comfort food spot where the Morning Market Noodle and other brothy bowls eat like pho-adjacent soups in a space that doubles as a vintage clothing shop. It’s the move when you want a richer, more layered noodle bowl experience with strong reviews and real neighborhood buzz.
Must-Try Dishes:
Morning Market Noodle, Tamarind Coconut Milk Noodle with Crab, Southern Fried Chicken
What Makes it Special: Southeast Asian noodle shop where pho-like bowls share space with Thai comfort dishes and racks of curated vintage clothing.
#11
OBAO - Midtown
8.4
Lively Thai-Vietnamese spot established in 2009 that blends street-food staples with polished presentation, from short rib curries to pho and cocktails. High-volume delivery, years of steady crowds, and a broad menu make it a go-to in Midtown East for groups, business dinners, and pre-theater meals.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho Bo Short Rib, Masaman Short Rib Curry, Pad Kee Mao
What Makes it Special: A long-running, high-volume Thai-Vietnamese restaurant where pho, curries, and cocktails are executed with enough consistency to draw locals and visitors alike.
8.4
Chelsea’s late-night pho specialist with a long-simmered broth that leans rich and beefy, especially in the short-rib “Dragon Pho.” The menu stays focused on comfort classics, executed with a confident home-style hand and reliable portion heft.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dragon Pho Beef Short Ribs, Dac Biet Combination Pho with Beef Ball, Bun Bo Hue
What Makes it Special: Short-rib pho with a deeper, marrowy broth profile.
8.3
A more polished Vietnamese kitchen on the 86th Street corridor where the pho lane is built on a long-simmered beef-bone broth and higher-end cuts. Order in the noodle-soup rhythm—one bowl, one supporting bite—and you’ll get the cleanest read on what they do best.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho Bo (Beef Pho), Bun Bo Hue, Pho Ga
What Makes it Special: Pho built on long-simmered broth with upgraded beef cuts.
#14
Falansai
8.3
Falansai’s Greenpoint iteration is an evening Vietnamese-Mexican restaurant inside a coffee shop–by-day space, known for rich duck pho, inventive small plates, and a wine-first atmosphere. The menu leans more chef-y than traditional, but pho remains a signature reference point, with confit duck and pho-inspired flavors running through several dishes.
Must-Try Dishes:
Duck Pho, Pho with Brisket & Tenderloin, Dad's Egg Rolls
What Makes it Special: A Michelin-recognized Vietnamese-Mexican spot where duck-forward dishes and pho show up in a wine-bar setting.
#15
Bánh Anh Em
8.1
A newer East Village sibling to the uptown Bánh, with a more ambitious menu and house-made noodles that shine in their beef pho. The broth is aromatic and peppery, and the kitchen’s craft-forward approach makes it feel like a special-occasion pho stop rather than a routine bowl.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef Pho with fresh-made noodles, Bún bò bơ (butter-sizzled beef noodles), Bánh chưng chiên (crispy sticky rice cakes)
What Makes it Special: Fresh extruded noodles and a refined, chef-driven pho program.
8.1
A newer, design-forward Vietnamese dining room in Court Square where pho is treated like a centerpiece rather than an afterthought, with richer upgrades and a more polished night-out feel. The move is to pick one signature bowl and keep the table tight so the meal stays about broth depth, not menu sprawl.
Must-Try Dishes:
Signature Pho, Short Rib Pho, Wagyu Pho
What Makes it Special: An elevated pho lineup in a polished LIC dining-room setting.
#17
Two Wheels
8.1
Compact Vietnamese counter-service spot on Amsterdam Avenue known for pho, banh mi, and vermicelli bowls that skew fresh and consistent. Locals use it for quick but satisfying sit-down meals before or after time in Central Park or the nearby museums.
Must-Try Dishes:
Signature Banh Mi, Deluxe Pho Dac Biet, Vietnamese Wings
What Makes it Special: Modern Vietnamese counter-service with strong pho and banh mi in a small, busy room.
A clean, modern Bay Ridge dining room that leans into lighter, herb-forward Vietnamese comfort staples with a calmer pace than most neighborhood counters. The move is pho or vermicelli bowls paired with a crisp bánh mì—simple, fresh, and satisfying when you order tight.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef pho (clear, aromatic broth), Grilled chicken bánh mì, Shrimp summer rolls
What Makes it Special: A newer, polished room for classic pho-and-bánh mì cravings.