Cosme

"On Christmas Eve, Cosme and Chef Enrique Olvera will serve two deliciously festive Mexican classics. Available one night only, guests can expect a classic bacalao with house-made sourdough (Salted cod prepared Veracruzana style, featuring a blend of tomatoes, capers, olives, peppers, and potatoes) and buñuelos con miel y chocolate (Sweet and flaky bueñuelos drizzled with piloncillo syrup and paired with a rich chocolate sauce)." - Kevin Chau

"Filled with jet black accents and dim spotlights above each table, this upscale Flatiron restaurant works best for special occasions. Cosme serves things like a tlayuda covered in mushrooms, and a plate of lobster prepared al pastor-style. If you get just one thing, make it the duck carnitas, a massive, juicy roast duck paired with warm tortillas. Share this feast with a few friends the next time you earn a degree, have a birthday, or decide to spend the rest of your life with someone. For a more casual occasion, check out Atla, their all-day cafe in Noho, where you can eat the best chicken soup of your life during the day, and drink margaritas at night." - willa moore, bryan kim, will hartman, neha talreja, carlo mantuano, sonal shah

"If you woke up this morning and realized that you forgot to plan an anniversary dinner that’s supposed to take place in 72 hours, take a deep breath, then book a table at Cosme. Open since 2014, this Flatiron Mexican restaurant is as impressive as ever, although it’s not nearly as hard to get a reservation here as it used to be. The room looks like the darkest minimalist furniture showroom you’ve ever seen, and the creative, frequently changing menu always feels exciting. Be sure to split the duck carnitas." - bryan kim, will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah

"“We got engaged at Cosme, so we have tons of memories there, but we also love the food and the vibe.  They could put anything on the menu and you'll still go back for the duck carnitas and the cornhusk meringue. "We’ve eaten at [a couple of] the chef’s other restaurants, Pujol in Mexico City and Manta in Cabo, so his food has become a staple in our relationship. After Andrew proposed, they brought us so many different types of alcohol… we were the most hungover we’d ever been in our lives the next morning. Now every time we go, they give us the same table that we got engaged at.”" - brennan carley

"The Mexican food scene in NYC has changed enormously since Cosme opened in 2014, but this place, from the same folks who run Atla, still feels fresh and new. Budget around $100 per person, and come by for some chunky herb guacamole and al pastor-style dover sole. The stripped down room with spotlights above each table works great for an anniversary dinner, especially if you’re in the mood for margaritas. It’s no longer difficult to get a reservation, but the big platter of duck carnitas is as tender and magnificent as ever." - bryan kim, hannah albertine