There’s never a shortage of new restaurants opening in New York City any time of year, but some are better designed for warmer weather than others. Whether you’re looking to entertain clients or treat yourself to a well-earned meal at the end of the day, these three newer restaurants are top choices for New York City summer dining.

Urban Cove Society & Kitchen

New this spring, Urban Cove Society & Kitchen blends American and international cuisines on a menu paying homage to the multicultural fabric of the city, particularly the Seaport district. On the ground floor of the also new urban boutique 33 Hotel, New York City, Seaport, the restaurant opens to cobblestoned Peck Slip with outdoor tables lining the quaint alley. The atmosphere leans casual among the refined service and menu of both shareables and sizeable mains, along with an impressive craft cocktail menu from the exclusive four-seater bar.

Starters are delightfully arranged by selections of Baked (try the bread tin with whipped ricotta and fig), Dipped (the pomegranate chili guacamole is delicious), Marinated and Leafy. Shareables include menus of Raw, Pasta and Assortments (charcuterie, cheeseboards, veggie platters and chilled shellfish spreads). Capitalizing on the neighborhood’s history, the seafood menu is front and center for entrées, but you’ll also find a hearty selection of steaks, vegetarian, chicken and elevated sandwich options, including Korean hot chicken with crunchy chili oil and butter-poached lobster roll. Urban Cove is also an ideal spot for weekend brunch, serving established favorites like chicken and waffles (also charmingly available on the dinner menu), eggs Benedict and avocado toast alongside upgrades like the shore benny (crab Benedict) and savory toast featuring forest mushrooms, radish and greens.

© Apicii Hospitality

Bar Harta

Bar Harta opened last year at Grayson Hotel in Midtown, just a block from Bryant Park, and its seasonal terrace will remain open into autumn. Enter from within the hotel itself or ascend the sidewalk spiral staircase from ground-level Harta’s outdoor space to the wine garden above. The wine program is the obvious star of Bar Harta, with 20 bottles also offered by the glass or half-carafe, and conveniently grouped in four categories from easy after-work sippers to special occasion savors. Sixteen of them are poured from the eye-catching tap wall behind the bar, where a selection of Mediterranean-influenced cocktails are also served. You’ll also find a selection of primarily New York beers.

Though the food menu appears small and heavily skewed toward shareables easily enjoyed with the wide variety of wines at Bar Harta, you can certainly take your entertaining from sips and snacks to full meal here. Choose from wine-friendly dips like white bean hummus with romesco sauce or whipped ricotta with truffle honey and hazelnuts, or go heavier with chorizo and potato croquettes or tomato-braised mini meatballs and goat cheese. Of course, a classic charcuterie board is always the perfect accompaniment to a refreshing glass of wine, but honey- and spice-glazed wings are a top choice if you’re opting for beer instead. A small selection of entrées includes Atlantic salmon, chicken paillard, a sizable house Angus burger and tender tamarind-glazed short ribs. Pro tip: Afterward, head further upstairs to Bar Cima for a nightcap with rooftop views of the Empire State Building and Bryant Park.

© Evan Sung

Café Carmellini

New this past autumn, Café Carmellini is the ideal spot for an upscale summer evening with outdoor ambiance that doesn’t actually require being outdoors. When temps are too high or the day is too humid for a truly alfresco experience, Café Carmellini’s two-story main dining room is anchored by a pair of sculptural trees and a small green garden island that bring the park indoors. Inside the former Gilded Age mansion that now houses The Fifth Avenue Hotel, it is full Euro-inspired, New York glamour from service to setting, but keep an eye out for a few details of whimsical cheek. Bookending the sophisticated meal, amusingly long and impossibly thin grissini bread sticks are presented soaring out of a Chicken Monster, and complimentary after-dinner chocolates are nestled in the belly of a Cocoa Monster.

Heavily influenced by both Italian and French gastronomy, Café Carmellini offers a carefully curated menu meant to be enjoyed over several courses. For the best and fullest experience, plan to linger and begin with a cocktail and selection from the Raw & Cured menu, like bluefin crudo or the elegant sweet pea tart. Move on to a first course of squash blossom and lobster or calamari Calabrese, but don’t let the deceptively simplistic titles fool you — you will be dazzled by each dish, both in preparation and construction. Seconds include creations like duck-duck-duck tortellini and the risotto del giorno, followed by entrées including squab en croute, grilled wild salmon with carrot ginger sauce and rabbit primavera. The dessert menu may be the largest of any, but the cherries jubilee for two is hard to pass up.