1
Ethiopian•Flatiron•moderate
Cafe Massawa
Cafe Massawa is an easy ethiopian option in Flatiron in New York to suggest without needing a long explanation.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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10.0
Based on 137 reviews
Best spicy Restaurants in New York: 24 Picks for 2026
The best restaurants for spicy in New York, curated by TastyPals editors.
24 restaurantsAvg rating 9.5Updated July 2026
Google
Top picks for spicy in New York
Fast answers for diners searching for spicy restaurants in New York. These first picks make the occasion easier to compare.
2
Google
Thai•New York•value
Mitr Thai Restaurant
Mitr Thai Restaurant keeps showing up in the right conversations when people want a reliable thai plan.
Thai fooddinnertakeout
Read restaurant page
9.8
Based on 9572 reviews
3
Google
Thai•New York•value
Dagg Thai Restaurant
Here's the thing about a Midtown Thai spot a few steps from Grand Central: it could phone it in and still fill tables off commuter foot traffic.
Thai fooddinnertakeout
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9.8
Based on 2779 reviews
4
Google
Indian•Upper East Side•moderate
Cloves Indian Cuisine
Cloves Indian Cuisine sits at 66 Madison Ave with a pedigree that deserves attention before you even walk through the door.
spicydinnerindian
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9.8
Based on 1760 reviews
5
Ethiopian•New York•moderate
Addey Ababa
Washington Heights doesn't need another Ethiopian restaurant that plays it safe, and Addey Ababa doesn't offer one.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.8
Based on 269 reviews
6
Google
Indian•New York•moderate
Patiala Indian Grill & Bar
Patiala Indian Grill & Bar is doing something the midrange Indian dining scene in New York rarely pulls off with conviction: it centers the kitchen's identity on the grill, not the curry pot.
spicydinnerindian
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9.6
Based on 4588 reviews
7
Google
Thai•New York•value
Hey Thai
Hey Thai operates on a principle that a lot of New York restaurants have quietly abandoned: Thai food at its best is aggressive, not polite.
Thai fooddinnertakeout
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9.6
Based on 3661 reviews
8
Ethiopian•New York•moderate
RAS Plant Based
RAS Plant Based is a ethiopian restaurant in New York that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
Read restaurant page
9.6
Based on 1361 reviews
9
Indian•New York•moderate
Ane Bar & Restaurant
Ane Bar & Restaurant is an easy indian option in New York to suggest without needing a long explanation.
spicydinnerindian
Read restaurant page
9.6
Based on 477 reviews
10
Ethiopian•New York•moderate
Benyam
Benyam is a Harlem Ethiopian restaurant that positions itself as something more than a place to eat — it's a statement about Black creative life on the northern end of Manhattan.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.6
Based on 447 reviews
11
Ethiopian•Greenpoint•moderate
Bersi Ethiopian Restaurant
Bersi is, first and foremost, a plant-forward Ethiopian kitchen built around a genuine point of view rather than a compromise position.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.6
Based on 233 reviews
12
Google
Thai•New York•value
Thai Villa
Thai Villa keeps showing up in the right conversations when people want a reliable thai plan.
Thai fooddinnertakeout
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9.4
Based on 7659 reviews
13
Google
Ethiopian•Flushing•moderate
Bunna Cafe
Bunna Cafe is an easy ethiopian option in Flushing in New York to suggest without needing a long explanation.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.4
Based on 1969 reviews
14
Google
Indian•New York•moderate
Spice Symphony Times Square
Spice Symphony, a few steps off the main theatre district drag on West 46th Street, addresses one of Midtown's most persistent dining frustrations: where to find genuinely well-spiced Indian cooking within walking distance of Broadway wi…
spicydinnerindian
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9.4
Based on 1485 reviews
15
Indian•New York•moderate
Musaafer
Musaafer is a indian restaurant in New York that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room.
spicydinnerindian
Read restaurant page
9.4
Based on 1297 reviews
16
Thai•New York•value
CHADA NYC
CHADA NYC is a thai restaurant in New York that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room.
Thai fooddinnertakeout
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9.4
Based on 1051 reviews
17
Ethiopian•New York•moderate
Awaze
Awaze arrives in New York with a focused ambition: to bring Ethiopian cooking to a mid-price audience without flattening its edges.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.4
Based on 149 reviews
18
Indian•New York•moderate
Manu's Dabeli Station
Manu's Dabeli Station is an easy indian option in New York to suggest without needing a long explanation.
spicydinnerindian
Read restaurant page
9.4
Based on 84 reviews
19
Indian•New York•moderate
Adda
Adda in Long Island City operates on a premise that the rest of New York's Indian dining scene would do well to study: cook from specific regional traditions with seriousness, charge prices that don't require a special occasion, and trus…
spicydinnerindian
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9.2
Based on 911 reviews
20
Ethiopian•New York•moderate
Haile
Haile is making a case that deserves attention: Ethiopian cooking, practiced with conviction and without softened edges, represents some of the most genuinely communal dining available in New York right now.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.2
Based on 566 reviews
21
Ethiopian•New York•moderate
Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
Lalibela has built a reputation as the Ethiopian restaurant for people who are done approximating the experience — and the distinction matters.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.2
Based on 343 reviews
22
Indian•Flatiron•moderate
Passerine
Passerine is an easy indian option in Flatiron in New York to suggest without needing a long explanation.
spicydinnerindian
Read restaurant page
9.2
Based on 261 reviews
23
Ethiopian•Upper West Side•moderate
Massawa
Massawa is a sensible ethiopian call in Upper West Side in New York when you want something that usually lands well.
group dinnerdinnerspicy
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9.0
Based on 758 reviews
24
Indian•New York•moderate
Chatti by Regi Mathew
Chatti by Regi Mathew is doing something that most Indian restaurants in New York still won't risk: building an entire identity around Kerala, not as a regional footnote tucked beneath a North Indian menu, but as the whole point.
spicydinnerindian
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8.8
Based on 822 reviews
Common questions about spicy in New York
What are the best restaurants for spicy in New York?
The top restaurants for spicy in New York include Cafe Massawa, Mitr Thai Restaurant, Dagg Thai Restaurant. TastyPals curates these picks based on occasion tags, Google ratings, and editorial judgment.
What is the best spicy restaurant in New York?
Cafe Massawa is among the top-rated options for spicy in New York, with a 10.0 Google rating and 137 reviews.
TastyPals curates picks based on Google ratings, community reviews, and editorial judgment. Learn how we choose →
Best neighborhoods for spicy in New York
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