Ai Fiori

Michael White racks up more multi-star reviews (Convivio, Marea) and accolades (see: Eater's recent Chef of the Year Award) faster than you can say "orecchiette"! Hot off last summer's opening of Osteria Morini (Times takedown be damned!), White—who's now flying solo after splitting with partner Chris Cannon—debuts this elegant newcomer at the Setai Hotel in Midtown. The menu doesn't stray too far from the chef's Italian comfort zone, zeroing in on the foods of the country's Mediterranean coast, with a little French Riviera thrown in. Seafood grabs the spotlight— lobster veloute with shaved chestnuts; branzino alla plancha; pan-roasted cod with littleneck clams. But because this is Michael White, you can't not have pasta, right? Direct your attention, then, to a porcini ravioli with prawns, or perhaps the  squid-ink garganelli. Feeling gonzo? Ditch Italian altogether and go Stateside: White's much-buzzed-about White Label Burger—a Pat LaFrieda blend—could finally give Minetta Tavern's vaunted Black Label Burger a run for its supremacy.

See more: Midtown restaurants, Midtown West restaurants, Mediterranean restaurants