While Mission Chinese Food has a location in Manhattan's Lower East Side, we're partial to its Brooklyn outpost. Glued to Elsewhere, a multi-storey music venue dedicated to art and a roster of big-name DJs, this is the perfect restaurant to fuel a night of dancing. Most of the plates here are great for sharing, so come with a big group and mix up your order with dishes ranging from the relatively tame coconut shrimp fried rice to the mouth-numbing mapo tofu.

A Midtown eatery that is all-out 30s Shanghai, Café China is a haven tucked away from the madness of 37th Street. Stop by this sleek restaurant for a clandestine tête-à-tête or a light bite post-work. This is the place for spice done right, so test your limits with the mouthwatering chicken and Szechuan-style pickled vegetables. Traditionalists should make sure to order a round of the crystal prawn dumplings, shredded bang bang chicken with peanuts and dan dan noodles. The tea-smoked duck is also a winner for something less likely to appear on other menus - and it's done just right.

A Lower East Side spot that's on the finer end of the spectrum, this sprawling space is illuminated by a golden glow and rimmed with massive leafy plants. Perfect for group celebrations, this is the spot to book for ten people when you're sick of big Italian meals and want to introduce your friends to something new. The menu has a lovely mix of classics and creative twists on dumplings and seafood dishes. The prawn-and-lobster toast with chilli and convoy jam is a must to start, as is the sweet potato curry spring roll. Veggie diners will also find an array of killer dishes here, such as the crispy aubergine with Sichuan and peanut caramel. For a Friday evening done right, throw on your finest, start the night off with drinks at Peachy's (the bar below) and dine here.

Locations in both the East Village and Bryant Park make Málà Project an obvious choice for weekend dinners or workday pit stops. The main event here is a dry pot, for which you choose a meat, seafood or veggie base, a spice level and a variety of toppings. It's great for a meal on a budget, as you can have something as simple as spicy tofu topped with veg, or test out your adventurous side with some of the more daring meat options. A few of our favourite options include the bean-curd sheet, glass noodles and enoki, shiitake and oyster mushrooms.

A chic, spacious dinner spot hidden away in Tribeca, this is a restaurant where you'll likely see celebs discreetly tucking into shiitake potstickers at a corner table. The atmosphere here is loud and fun, so gather a crew and plan your entire evening around the neighbourhood, following up on dinner with drinks at Macao Trading Co. and jazz at The Django, if it strikes your fancy. Must-orders for the table to satiate you through the night are the drunken chicken, bean-curd wraps and Shanghai pan-fried noodles.

In operation since 1920, Nom Wah is the OG of New York City tea parlours, and has become even more iconic since appearing in scenes in films such as Premium Rush and episodes of Law and Order. This vintage dim-sum spot is your go-to for Sunday lunch dumplings and the restaurant's pastries that have been adored for decades. Share scallion pancakes, pan-fried pork dumplings and prawn-and-bacon rolls for your main, and make sure to follow up with the steamed red-bean buns and almond cookies that are largely responsible for Nom Wah's renown.