Warm Up With These Five Destination-Worthy Pot Pies

When temperatures drop, we naturally seek out the heartiest fare we can find. And savory pies, with their stewed, steamy innards and ideally flaky crusts, are a particularly satisfying way to hunker down. Most commonly associated with Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, these fortifying foodstuffs have found a home here in New York City thanks — as always — to its cultural diversity. Here are some of the best in town.

5. Gottino (52 Greenwich Avenue, 212-633-2590)
At this tiny, stalwart Italian wine bar, you might not be able to fully enjoy the back garden, but who cares when there’s game to devour? The rabbit pot pie features a creamy mixed vegetable base studded with bunny meat, hiding beneath a bulbous crust enclosing the ramekin it’s served in.

4. DUB Pies (211 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn; 718-788-2448)
New Zealand expat Gareth Hughes runs this Brooklyn bakery and food truck, selling neatly packaged Kiwi-style hand pies. Hughes offers traditional versions (minced steak with mushrooms or cheese; chicken and vegetables) and proprietary recipes (BBQ brisket; bacon, egg, and cheese) of his portable pastries.

3. Dominique Bistro (14 Christopher Street, 646-756-4145)
Hachis parmentier is shepherd’s pie’s sassier French cousin, and at this quaint West Village corner bistro, the kitchen tops lush braised short rib ragu under fancifully piped clouds of charred potato puree. Served in the pan, it’s elevated comfort food.

2. Jones Wood Foundry (401 East 76th Street, 212-249-2700)
Jason Hicks runs this smartly-appointed Yorkville pub, where pint-happy patrons flock from well beyond the restaurant’s zip code for crumpets, toasts, and plenty of UK staples (including a top-notch plate of bangers and mash). Of note are the chef’s cottage pies, including a lamb and rosemary number whose mashed potato crust bears pockmarks of char that are visible under the candlelight that graces every table. Dig down to excavate large hunks of soft meat.

1. Ngam (99 Third Avenue, 212-777-8424)
Chef and former model Hong Thaimee excels at marrying the flavors of Southeast Asia with familiar American recipes, with truly exciting results. After conquering the almighty hamburger, the model-turned-chef has whipped up an addictive twist on a western classic with her take on the humble pot pie. Meltingly soft shredded lamb shoulder simmered in massaman curry sits underneath a blistered roti bread crust, run through with sweet potatoes and cashews for texture and complexity. A ramekin of pickled cucumbers sit alongside for tart relief.