Il Buco

Curated by Omar Bennett, Renaissance Navigator

This place is simply outstanding. The front half is an amazing Italian grocery overflowing with cured meats, incredible cheeses and fresh baked breads; it’s a great place to stop in for a coffee and a pastry in the morning, or pick up exquisite ingredients for dinner at night. The real secret of this place, though, is the romantic trattoria in the back, which serves some of the best Italian food in New York. The rustic, wine-bottle lined space feels like Tuscany, while simple but extraordinary dishes like house-cured salt cod croquettes, porchetta a la Romana and octopus carpaccio will send you reeling.