Best Luxury Dining Elite Restaurants in Upper East Side-Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island
2 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Raon
A kimchi-centered tasting menu that treats fermentation with wine-pairing seriousness.
Notable Picks
#1
Raon
8.8
Raon is a serene counter-style Korean fine-dining restaurant where each course in the tasting menu is built around a different kimchi. Chef Soogil Lim’s French-inflected technique, meticulous plating, and thoughtful pairings make it one of the city’s more distinctive modern Korean experiences.
Must-Try Dishes:
Foie gras mandu in duck broth, Uni and caviar tofu with gamtae, King crab with oi kimchi salad
What makes it special: A kimchi-centered tasting menu that treats fermentation with wine-pairing seriousness.
Worthy Picks
#2
Sushi Akira
7.8
A newer omakase address in the neighborhood that’s built around a tight, chef-paced progression in a calm room—good for couples who like focused tasting menus. It’s still early in its review-volume life, but the experience is clearly designed for a reservation-style date night rather than a casual roll run.
Must-Try Dishes:
18-course omakase, Seasonal nigiri sequence, Chef’s closing hand roll
What makes it special: Newer neighborhood omakase built for a chef-led tasting arc.