Pizza Studio Tamaki among 12 new NYC openings

Observer and Bloomberg each published New York restaurant roundups on May 20 that put Pizza Studio Tamaki into the city’s early-summer dining conversation. Observer included the restaurant in its list of the 12 most exciting openings in New York City this May, while Bloomberg published a separate guide to five new restaurants for summer 2026. (observer.com) The two lists were framed differently. Observer cast a wider net across 12 openings and said New York’s May class included imports, pizza, bars and an old-school soda shop. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg narrowed its selection to five “hot” restaurants and said the group ran “from pizza to Michelin picks.” (observer.com) ### Where does Pizza Studio Tamaki fit in these new May lists? Pizza Studio Tamaki appeared in Observer’s May 20 openings package, which identified it as one of a dozen new restaurants to watch in New York this month. The same list grouped it with Hed NYC, Indienne New York, Selene, Oyatte and The Standard Soda Shop, among others. (observer.com) Observer’s description of the broader May field pointed to “Tokyo’s take on Neapolitan pizza,” a line that places Pizza Studio Tamaki inside a wave of imported or cross-market concepts arriving in the city this spring. The outlet said May was “an especially fruitful time for imports,” citing both Indian and pizza entries in the lineup. (observer.com) ### What exactly did Observer say opened this month? Observer’s May package listed 12 venues: Bar Susanne, Botequim at Birdee, Cafe Bar J.F., Hed NYC, Indienne New York, Kinda Nice, Love Thy Neighbor, Oyatte, Pizza Studio Tamaki, Selene, Sono and The Standard Soda Shop. The article was published May 20 and presented them as the month’s most noteworthy arrivals. (observer.com) Juliet Izon wrote the Observer piece. The article said the openings mix included local-waterway seafood, imported restaurant brands and retro American formats timed to late spring. ### How is Bloomberg framing the same summer restaurant moment? (observer.com) Bloomberg published its own New York dining roundup on May 20 under the headline “5 Best New NYC Restaurants for Summer 2026, From Pizza to Michelin Picks.” The summary text described the list as “Five Hot New York Restaurants Now” and said it also featured “power Italian” near Madison Square Garden for Knicks, Rangers and concert traffic. (observer.com) Bloomberg’s item, based on the available search result, was a tighter seasonal recommendation list rather than a month-by-month openings ledger. That makes it adjacent to Observer’s piece, but not identical in scope. (observer.com) ### Is this part of a broader New York openings run? Observer has been publishing monthly New York openings lists through spring 2026. Its April roundup named 10 openings, and its March roundup named 11, showing a continuing cadence of new-restaurant tracking before the May list expanded to 12. The May article’s framing suggests editors see the current wave as suited to warmer-weather dining, with bars, seafood, pizza and casual formats arriving as late spring turns into summer. (bloomberg.com) That characterization comes from Observer’s own write-up of the month’s openings. ### What can readers verify right now? (bloomberg.com) Observer’s May 20 list is the clearest public accounting of where Pizza Studio Tamaki sits in the month’s opening class. Bloomberg’s May 20 roundup confirms that pizza-led newcomers are also making its shorter summer restaurant list. Readers looking for the full 12-name field can find it in Observer’s May openings package, while Bloomberg’s separate five-restaurant story offers the parallel summer shortlist. (observer.com 1) (observer.com 2)