If Esquire’s 2025 class of Best New Restaurants knows one thing, it’s how to celebrate. On December 9, Esquire and Glenfiddich toasted 33 acclaimed restaurants and chefs with food, cocktails, and one shimmering ice sculpture at Maison Passerelle in New York City. “A lot of work goes into opening a restaurant, especially in this day and age, this political climate, this economy,” said Maison Passerelle Chef Gregory Gourdet. “A lot of risks are taken, no matter how big or small the restaurant is. To have something that resonates with our guests and our regulars feels really, really good.”

Under a glittering mosaic ceiling, celebrants mingled over Glenfiddich cocktails and platters of steak and roasted eggplant. Friends and honorees from across the country toasted another exceptional year

See Full Page