Fork, Feast & Five Boroughs: 101 Things to Eat in New York City

New York City has more restaurants than any metropolis in the Western Hemisphere — roughly 25,000 at any given moment, with hundreds opening and closing each month in a churn of ambition and appetite that has been operating at this frequency since the first immigrant ships unloaded their cargoes of labour and culinary memory into the harbour. The food of New York is the food of everywhere. Every tradition that arrived through Ellis Island stayed, adapted, and was eventually absorbed into the city’s own vernacular — so that the bialy and the bagel, the dumpling and the manicotti, the jerk chicken and the birria taco are all, in New York, simply local food.

This guide covers 101 essential eating experiences across all five boroughs — from the $3 slice to the $400 omakase, from the 4am halal cart to the century-old deli that has not changed a single thing since 1888.

The Holy Trinity: Bagel, Pizza & Pastrami

Bagel with Lox & Cream Cheese at Russ & Daughters — The standard against which all other bagel experiences are measured: a hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, oven-baked everything bagel from the appetizing counter at Russ & Daughters on East Houston Street (open since 1914), piled with hand-sliced Nova smoked salmon, scallion cream cheese, capers, and thin-shaved red onion. Eating it at the marble counter of the adjacent café, with a glass of beet kvass, is a complete immersion in Lower East Side Jewish food culture. Everything about it — the chew, the crust, the smokiness, the tang — is unavailable outside New York.
Plain Everything Bagel with Butter at an Early Morning Shop — The correct order for understanding a bagel on its own terms, before any topping obscures the object: a fresh-baked everything bagel, halved, pressed briefly back in the oven to re-crisp the cut faces, with a generous layer of salted butter melting into the warm dough. Ess-a-Bagel on Third Avenue (since 1976), Murray’s Bagels in the West Village, and Tompkins Square Bagels in the East Village all produce reliably honest versions. Eat it standing at the counter at 7am.
New York Pizza by the Slice — The fold: the distinctive lengthwise fold of a New York pizza slice that allows it to be eaten walking, the grease draining away from the tip, the cheese holding its ground against the thin, slightly charred crust. Di Fara in Midwood, Brooklyn (Domenico DeMarco, owner and sole cook since 1965, using imported Italian flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella) is the most celebrated slice in the five boroughs. Prince Street Pizza’s Spicy Spring (pepperoni cups in a Detroit-style square slice) is the most imitated. Any decent neighbourhood slice shop is the most convenient.
Whole Pie at a New York Pizzeria — The New York coal-oven or wood-oven pie — thinner and more blistered than the slice shop version, eaten immediately at a table while the cheese is still molten. Lucali in Carroll Gardens (no phone reservations; arrive early and wait); Roberta’s in Bushwick (reservations taken, outdoor tables in summer, the best beer selection of any pizza restaurant in New York); and John’s of Bleecker Street (coal oven, 1929, the finest classic New York pie) are the three most important addresses.
Pastrami on Rye at Katz’s Delicatessen — The single most culturally specific sandwich in the United States: hand-carved pastrami (beef brisket cured with spices and then smoked, then steamed until it yields to the slightest pressure), sliced thick, piled on seeded rye bread with a streak of brown mustard, and nothing else. Katz’s Delicatessen at 205 East Houston Street (since 1888) is the standard. Ordering at the counter, not losing your ticket, and carrying the tray to Table 11 (the When Harry Met Sally table, marked with a sign) are the ritual. The sandwich costs $25 and is worth every cent.
Corned Beef at the 2nd Avenue Deli — Katz’s rival and the most ardently defended alternative: the 2nd Avenue Deli (moved from its original Second Avenue location but restored to full deli operation), with the corned beef sandwich that the regulars insist is superior to Katz’s pastrami. The chopped liver, the matzo ball soup, and the Dr Brown’s Cel-Ray soda complete the experience.

The Breakfast Table

Eggs Benedict at a Greenwich Village Brunch — The Sunday brunch in New York is an institution with its own liturgy: the wait, the bottomless mimosa, the eggs Benedict (the dish invented in New York, at the Waldorf Astoria or Delmonico’s, depending on which story you prefer). Buvette in the West Village (the most beautiful small brunch room in Manhattan), Jeffrey’s Grocery (the best oyster-and-egg combination in the neighbourhood), and Cookshop in Chelsea (the most genuinely ingredient-focused weekend brunch in the Meatpacking district) are the finest addresses.
Bodega Bacon, Egg & Cheese on a Roll — New York’s most democratic breakfast: a deli-style bacon, egg, and American cheese on a Kaiser roll, made on the flat-top griddle of the corner bodega or deli by a counter worker who has made the same sandwich 400 times this week. Order it “BEC” and specify your roll type. The combination of the soft egg, the melted American cheese (not cheddar — American, specifically), the salty bacon, and the roll is entirely New York and entirely irreproducible outside the context of a corner deli at 7:30am.
Avocado Toast at a Williamsburg Café — The brunch dish that defined a decade: a thick slice of sourdough, spread with avocado mashed with lemon and red pepper flakes, finished with flaky sea salt and a poached egg. The Butcher’s Daughter in Nolita and Egg in Williamsburg are the most cited; any neighbourhood café in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side produces the format. It is either completely mundane or the finest 15-ingredient item on any menu, depending on who is making it and with what avocado.
Dim Sum at Jing Fong or The Golden Unicorn, Chinatown — Weekend dim sum in Manhattan’s Chinatown: the wheeled carts of steamed char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), egg tarts, and turnip cake circulating through a large hall of communal tables as the morning moves toward noon. Jing Fong (relocated from its Elizabeth Street original but maintaining its cart service) and Golden Unicorn on Elizabeth Street are the most complete traditional experiences.

Chinatown & the Chinese Boroughs

Soup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao) at Joe’s Shanghai or Nan Xiang — The soup dumpling: a thin wrapper of flour dough enclosing a pork or crab meatball and a pool of hot stock (the stock gelled by pig’s trotters and dissolved into the filling, then re-liquefied in the steamer). The correct method is to bite a small hole in the wrapper, allow the stock to cool slightly, then drink it, then eat the rest of the dumpling. Joe’s Shanghai (the Chinatown original) and Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in the Flushing New World Mall food court (the most technically precise version in New York) are the definitive addresses.
Peking Duck at Peking Duck House, Chinatown — The twice-cooked Peking duck — a whole bird air-dried for 24 hours, then roasted in a hanging oven until the skin is lacquered and shatteringly crisp — carved tableside and served with thin pancakes, hoisin sauce, scallion, and cucumber. The Peking Duck House on Mott Street has been the standard address in Manhattan for four decades; the process requires advance ordering at most locations.
Flushing Mall Food Court, Queens — The most concentrated and most authentic Chinese street food experience in New York: the underground food court of the New World Mall on Main Street, Flushing, with stalls representing almost every Chinese regional cuisine — Shanxi hand-torn noodles, Xinjiang lamb skewers, Chongqing maocai, Dongbei cold noodles, and the Sichuan spicy noodle soups of Xi’an Famous Foods (which started here before expanding to Manhattan). The correct strategy is to walk the entire circuit first before ordering.
Xi’an Famous Foods Hand-Ripped Noodles — The most influential Chinese food expansion in New York’s history: the Xi’an-style hand-ripped biang biang noodles (wide, irregular, dressed with chilli oil, cumin-spiced lamb, and a sauce of pungent intensity), the cold sesame noodles, and the lamb burger (rou jia mo — marinated lamb inside a flatbread) began in a Flushing stall and now have locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn. The most copied format in the New York noodle world.
Cantonese Roast Duck at Wah Fung Fast Food, Chinatown — The most-loved no-frills lunch in Chinatown: the roast duck counter at Wah Fung No. 1 on Chrystie Street, where a plate of roast duck, char siu (barbecue pork), and soy-sauce chicken over rice, with a scoop of roasting juices, is available for under $5. The quality is exceptional; the price is municipal.

Italian New York

Sunday Gravy at a Red-Sauce Restaurant — The Italian-American Sunday tradition: a long-cooked tomato sauce (gravy) with braised meatballs, sausage, and pork ribs, served over pasta with a glass of Chianti at a tableclothed restaurant where the waiters have known the regulars for 20 years. Bamonte’s in Williamsburg (opened 1900, entirely unchanged), Rao’s on Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem (the most exclusive table in New York — reservations are owned, not made), and Carmine’s on the Upper West Side (family-style portions for the table) are the three great addresses.
Arthur Avenue: The Bronx’s Real Little Italy — The most authentic Italian food neighbourhood in New York: the Arthur Avenue Retail Market (an indoor market with Biancardi’s Meats, Calandra’s fresh ricotta and mozzarella, and Teitel Brothers dry goods, all operating since the mid-20th century), Dominick’s restaurant (the family-style red-sauce institution without a menu — the waiter tells you what’s good today), and the Addeo & Sons bakery (the finest Italian bread in the Bronx). More genuinely Italian than anything remaining in Manhattan’s Little Italy.
Fresh Pasta at Lilia or Rezdôra, Brooklyn/Flatiron — The new generation of pasta cooking in New York: Lilia in Williamsburg (Missy Robbins’s restaurant, with the mafaldini with pink peppercorns and the rigatoni with lamb, the most awarded pasta restaurant in Brooklyn) and Rezdôra in Flatiron (Emiliano Coppa’s Emilian-style fresh pasta, the most technically accomplished fresh pasta programme in Manhattan). The combination of American ingredients and Italian technique produces pasta as good as you will eat outside Bologna.
Margherita Pizza at Lucali, Carroll Gardens — Mark Iacono’s single-page menu, coal-fired oven, and the rule that you bring your own wine: the Margherita at Lucali (tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil) is the finest Neapolitan-influenced pizza in New York. The line forms before opening; bring something to read and something to drink.

Jewish & Eastern European New York

Matzoh Ball Soup at the 2nd Avenue Deli — The soup that Jewish grandmothers in the five boroughs have maintained as a standard for a century: a light chicken broth of clarity and depth, with a single large matzoh ball (the floater style — light, yielding) and thin-sliced carrots. The definitive version is at the 2nd Avenue Deli; the Borscht Belt joke is that you can’t get a bad one anywhere in New York, which is broadly true.
Bialys at Kossar’s Bialys, Lower East Side — The bialy — a chewy roll with a depression in the centre filled with caramelised onion and poppy seeds, never boiled (unlike the bagel) — originated in Białystok, Poland, and has been made in New York since the first wave of immigration. Kossar’s, on Grand Street (since 1936), is the oldest bialy bakery in America and the standard for the form.
Rugelach at William Greenberg Desserts, Upper East Side — The crescent-shaped pastry of cream cheese dough, filled with cinnamon sugar, apricot jam, and raisins, and baked until the exterior is just short of burnt: the finest rugelach in New York are at William Greenberg on Madison Avenue, produced in the same way since 1946.
Knish at Yonah Schimmel, Lower East Side — The baked dumpling of potato, kasha, or sweet potato, wrapped in thin dough and baked (never fried): Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery on Houston Street has been making the same knishes since 1910, delivered to the counter via a dumbwaiter from the bakery below. The most historically intact food destination on the Lower East Side.

South Asian New York

Gunpowder Dosa at Semma, West Village — The most celebrated South Indian restaurant in New York: Semma’s gunpowder dosa (a crisp fermented rice-and-lentil crepe with a fiery dry chutney of lentils and dried red chillies applied to the inside surface) is the dish that The New York Times named the best dish in the city in its 2022 restaurant list. The bone marrow varuval, the coconut prawn curry, and the chettinad chicken together make it the finest meal in New York for understanding the full range of Tamil Nadu cooking.
Biryani on Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights — The biryani corridor of Jackson Heights, Queens: the South Asian restaurants on Roosevelt Avenue and the cross streets between 74th and 82nd produce the finest biryani in New York, in both the Hyderabadi (dum-cooked, with caramelised onion and fried cashews) and the Lucknowi (pukka/kachcha method, with whole spices and a cleaner rice) styles. Kabab King on 73rd Street and Pakiza on Hillside Avenue are the most reliably excellent.
Chaat at Patel Brothers Food Court, Jackson Heights — The Indian street food of the Jackson Heights food court adjacent to the Patel Brothers supermarket: bhel puri (puffed rice with tamarind chutney and sev), pani puri (hollow semolina shells filled with spiced water and potato), and aloo tikki chaat (crisp potato patties with yoghurt, chutneys, and pomegranate). The most authentic Indian street food experience in New York, at prices that make Manhattan’s Indian restaurants look expensive.
Kati Rolls at the Kati Roll Company, Greenwich Village & Midtown — The Kolkata street food of the kati roll — a paratha (flaky flatbread) wrapped around an egg omelette and a filling of chicken tikka, seekh kebab, or paneer — was introduced to New York in 2002 and has become one of the defining Indian street food formats in the city. The original location on MacDougal Street maintains the standard.

Latin New York

Tacos al Pastor at Taqueria Ramirez, Greenpoint — The al pastor taco — pork shoulder marinated in achiote and dried chilli, cooked on a vertical spit (trompo) and shaved onto a small corn tortilla with pineapple, onion, and cilantro — is the most debated taco in New York. Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint (with the dedicated trompo in the window) produces the finest version currently operating in the city; Calexico in multiple locations produces the most accessible.
Cubano at La Palma, Sunset Park — The Cubano sandwich — roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread, pressed until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted — at La Palma on 5th Avenue in Sunset Park (Brooklyn’s Latin neighbourhood), made in a panini press that has been there since the Clinton administration. The finest $10 lunch in Brooklyn.
Pernil at a Bronx or East Harlem Restaurant — Slow-roasted pork shoulder (pernil), the defining Puerto Rican Sunday food: marinated overnight in achiote, garlic, oregano, and sofrito, then roasted for six hours until the chicharrón (crackling) is shatteringly crisp and the meat underneath falls apart. Available at the botanicas and restaurants of the South Bronx and East Harlem on Sunday afternoons; the most specific Puerto Rican food experience in the city.
Dominican Food in Washington Heights — The Dominican cooking of upper Manhattan: sancocho (the slow-cooked meat and root vegetable stew), mangu (mashed plantains with sautéed onions), and the pollo guisado (stewed chicken with olives and capers) of the Washington Heights restaurants on Broadway between 145th and 190th streets. El Malecon on Broadway is the most celebrated; the mofongo (mashed plantains in a mortar with garlic, pork cracklings, and broth) is the definitive dish.
Birria Tacos at a Brooklyn Food Truck — The birria taco — corn tortillas dipped in consommé (the braising liquid of slow-cooked beef or goat), filled with the shredded braised meat, and griddled until crisp on the outside, served with a cup of the consommé for dipping — arrived in New York from Jalisco via Tijuana via Los Angeles and became the defining street food phenomenon of the 2020s. Birria-Landia in Jackson Heights and multiple Bronx and Brooklyn trucks serve the finest.
Empanadas at the Empanada Mama, Hell’s Kitchen — The Colombian-style empanada — a pastry shell filled with spiced beef, chicken, or vegetable mixtures and either baked or fried — in the specific Hell’s Kitchen context of Empanada Mama (open until 6am on weekends): a midnight or post-theatre snack of considerable comfort. The green sauce (aji verde) is required.

East & Southeast Asian New York

Ramen at Ippudo, Ivan Ramen, or Tonchin — New York’s ramen scene has deepened significantly: Ippudo (the Fukuoka tonkotsu chain, with the Akamaru Modern the most ordered bowl in the city), Ivan Ramen (chef Ivan Orkin’s Tokyo-inspired shop in Hell’s Kitchen, the most original ramen voice in New York — the double soup, the shio with rye noodles), and Tonchin (the Tokyo import with the finest Tokyo-style shoyu in Midtown) represent three distinct directions.
Sushi Omakase at a Counter Bar, East Village or Lower East Side — The omakase counter experience: 12–18 courses of nigiri chosen and paced by the chef, with each piece presented individually and explained briefly. Sushi Yasuda in Midtown (one Michelin star, the most rigorous Edomae tradition for the price), Sushi Nakazawa in the West Village (apprentice to the sushi master in Jiro Dreams of Sushi), and the smaller omakase counters of the Lower East Side — Noda, Yama, Kanoyama — at more accessible price points.
Korean Barbecue in K-Town (Koreatown), 32nd Street — The Korean restaurant block of 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues: tabletop charcoal grills, marbled short ribs (galbi), thinly sliced beef (bulgogi), and the banchan (side dishes — kimchi, scallion pancake, spinach, bean sprouts) that arrive before the meat. Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong and Jongro BBQ are the most visited; the 24-hour operations of several K-Town restaurants make it the finest late-night dinner destination in Midtown.
Bibimbap at Hangawi, Murray Hill — The vegetarian Korean restaurant in a Gramercy brownstone, where diners remove their shoes and sit on floor cushions: the dolsot bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables in a heated stone pot that crisps the rice base) arrives sizzling. The most meditative Korean dining experience in New York.
Pho at Pho Bang or Pho Bac, Chinatown or the East Village — The Vietnamese beef noodle soup: a clear broth of star anise, cinnamon, and charred ginger and onion, slow-cooked for eight hours, poured over thin rice noodles and thin-sliced raw beef that cooks in the bowl, served with a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, and lime. The Chinatown and East Village Vietnamese restaurants produce the most direct versions; Pho Bang on Mott Street is the oldest address.
Filipino Food at Maharlika or Tselogs, East Village — Filipino food has had its New York moment: adobo (pork or chicken braised in vinegar, soy sauce, and bay leaf), kare-kare (oxtail in peanut sauce with fermented shrimp paste), and the lechon (roasted whole pig, served with liver sauce). Maharlika in the East Village maintains the most comprehensive menu; the silog breakfast dishes (garlic fried rice with egg and a protein) are the finest introduction.
Thai Food at Ugly Baby (Returning), Williamsburg — The return of one of New York’s most beloved Thai restaurants, moving to a larger Williamsburg space: the fish maw soup, the crab fried rice, and the massaman curry of a menu that was never tamed for American palates. The most authentically southern Thai cooking in New York.
Japanese Curry at Go! Go! Curry, Midtown — Japanese curry rice: a thick, slightly sweet, mahogany-coloured curry sauce poured over Japanese short-grain rice with a katsu (panko-breaded pork or chicken cutlet), at the Go! Go! Curry counter in Midtown. The combination of the heavy sauce, the crisp breading, and the sticky rice is unlike any curry in any other Asian tradition.

American Classics & New York Originals

The Chopped Cheese at a Harlem or Bronx Bodega — The chopped cheese: a New York invention specific to the bodegas of Harlem and the Bronx, made by chopping a hamburger patty into pieces on the flat-top griddle, melting American cheese over it, and serving it in a hero roll with lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, and mayonnaise. The direct ancestor of the Philly cheesesteak, invented independently in New York, and for twenty years the city’s best-kept food secret. Blue Sky Deli on 116th Street in Harlem is the most cited address.
Clam Chowder at Grand Central Oyster Bar — New York clam chowder — cream-based, with clams, potatoes, onion, and celery, but not the thickened stew of the New England version — served in the vaulted tiled ramp beneath Grand Central Terminal’s main concourse, in the restaurant that has operated in the same space since 1913. The tiled ceiling of the dining room (Guastavino tiles, the same construction method as the City Hall station vaults) is as good a reason to visit as the chowder.
Oysters at Grand Central Oyster Bar or Cull & Pistol — Raw oysters on the half shell: the Grand Central Oyster Bar’s raw bar (with the full range of East and West Coast species, the Pan Roast of oysters in a cream sauce, and the Oyster Stew) and Cull & Pistol at Chelsea Market (the finest oyster list currently in midtown) are the two definitive addresses. A dozen oysters, a glass of Muscadet, and the knowledge that you are eating the most efficiently produced protein on earth.
Lobster Roll at Luke’s Lobster, Multiple Locations — The Maine lobster roll in the Connecticut style (cold, with mayonnaise — the superior version to the warm butter style, in the settled view of New Yorkers): Luke’s Lobster sources directly from Maine lobstermen and produces the freshest, most honest lobster roll in New York. The Lower East Side original and the Fenway Park-adjacent counter are the two most atmospheric locations.
Fried Chicken at Pies ‘n’ Thighs, Brooklyn — The Southern-style fried chicken that has become Brooklyn’s most beloved comfort restaurant: bone-in fried chicken with a buttermilk brine, a seasoned crust, and the honey butter biscuits that arrive with every meal. Open since 2006 in Williamsburg; the second location in Park Slope (2026) extends the reach without diluting the product.
New England-Style Clam Strips at a Brooklyn Shore Restaurant — The battered and fried clam strips of the seafood tradition: not the belly clams of Ipswich (also excellent, also available) but the strips — tender, sweet, with a cornmeal crust — served with tartar sauce and coleslaw at the waterfront restaurants of Sheepshead Bay, City Island, and the Rockaways. The most specific non-deli New York seafood experience.
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog at Coney Island — The original: Nathan’s Famous on Surf Avenue, Coney Island, where the hot dog (beef frankfurter in a natural casing, grilled on the flat-top until the skin is blistered) has been served since 1916. Dressed with brown mustard and sauerkraut, eaten on the boardwalk with a beer, it is not the world’s finest hot dog — it is simply the world’s most historically specific one.
Black & White Cookie at William Greenberg or a Manhattan Bakery — Half vanilla, half chocolate fondant frosting on a soft, cakey round cookie — not quite a cookie, not quite a cake — the black and white is New York’s most specific baked good, available at every Jewish bakery and diner. William Greenberg Desserts on Madison Avenue produces the finest; Zabar’s on the Upper West Side produces the most democratic.

Fine Dining & Special Occasions

Le Bernardin, Midtown — Eric Ripert’s French seafood restaurant, four Michelin stars for 25 years running, widely considered the finest restaurant in New York and one of the finest in the world: the barely-cooked, simply-sauced fish preparations at the intersection of French classical training and the finest Atlantic and Pacific seafood available. The prix-fixe lunch (a fraction of the dinner price) is the finest value luxury meal in Manhattan.
Per Se, Columbus Circle — Thomas Keller’s New York outpost of French Laundry, overlooking Central Park from the Time Warner Center: the nine-course tasting menu of contemporary American cuisine in the classical French framework, with the salmon cornet and the oysters and pearls as the most famous individual dishes. The most formal dining experience in New York.
Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy — Daniel Humm’s plant-based tasting menu in the monumental Art Deco dining room of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company annex: the most discussed restaurant conversion of the decade (fully plant-based since 2021), with the technical ambition of three Michelin stars applied to an entirely vegetable, grain, and fungi menu. The most intellectually ambitious dining experience in the city.
Sushi Nakazawa, West Village — The former apprentice of Jiro Ono (of Jiro Dreams of Sushi): a 20-piece omakase that begins with the lightest white-fish nigiri and builds through tuna, shellfish, and roe to the tamago (sweet egg custard that traditionally marks the end of an Edomae sushi meal). The finesse of the rice temperature, the knife work, and the sequencing are as close to the Tokyo tradition as New York offers.
Don Angie, West Village — Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito’s Italian-American restaurant in the West Village: the pinwheel lasagne (a single large portion of pasta wound into a spiral with a ricotta and fennel sausage filling, served sliced), the mozzarella al forno, and the clam toast are the three most copied dishes currently in New York cooking. The restaurant that convinced New York that Italian-American can be fine dining.

Borough Food Crawls

The Jackson Heights Food Crawl, Queens — The 74th Street corridor from Roosevelt Avenue to 37th Avenue: begin at Patel Brothers for Indian groceries and coriander chutney; cross to the Nepali/Tibetan momos at Himalayan Yak; move to the Colombian bakeries for pan de bono; continue to the Pakistani biryani at Kabab King; finish with Bangladeshi mishti doi (sweet curd) from the mithai shop on the corner. The most globally diverse single-street eating experience in New York.
The Arthur Avenue Market Circuit, Bronx — Begin at Biancardi’s for a sample of fresh mozzarella; continue to the Teitel Brothers for canned tomatoes and olive oil; cross to Calandra & Sons for fresh-made pasta; order at Dominick’s for lunch; finish at Madonia Brothers Bakery for a sesame-seeded Sicilian loaf. The most complete single-neighbourhood Italian food circuit in New York.
The Flushing Night Market & Underground Court, Queens — The Saturday evening Queens Night Market at Flushing Meadows (over 100 vendors, 80 cuisines, April–October) followed or preceded by the New World Mall underground food court: the two-destination Flushing food evening that covers the widest range of global cooking for the least money available anywhere in the five boroughs.
The Lower East Side Appetizing Walk — Begin at Russ & Daughters (smoked fish, caviar, and pickled herring); continue to Yonah Schimmel for a knish; pass the Essex Market; stop at Katz’s for a pastrami sliver from the cutter (free while you wait); end at Economy Candy (since 1937, the finest candy shop in New York) for a bag of gummy bears and a chocolate-covered pretzels. The complete Lower East Side food heritage in two hours on foot.

Markets, Food Halls & Street Eating

Smorgasburg, Brooklyn (Saturday & Sunday) — The outdoor food market that became a global model: 100 vendors at the Prospect Park Road entrance (Saturdays) and the Williamsburg East River waterfront (Sundays), April through November. The ramen burger (when it appears), the Dough doughnuts, the Wafels & Dinges Belgian waffles, and the rotating vendors of newly opened or soon-to-open restaurants make it the finest weekly outdoor food event in New York.
Chelsea Market — The Nabisco factory food hall: the Lobster Place (the finest fish counter in midtown Manhattan), Los Tacos No. 1 (corn tortillas, trompo-cooked al pastor, the most-visited taco operation in the Food Hall), High Street on Market (artisan bread and sandwiches from a Philadelphia bakery cult), and Amy’s Bread (the finest cinnamon roll in the West Village food corridor). Free to enter; a full meal under $20.
Eataly, Flatiron or Downtown — The Italian hypermarket: fresh pasta extruded on the floor, the fish counter with live sea urchin, the salumi and cheese counters, the pizzeria with a wood-burning oven, the Lavazza coffee bar, and the rooftop birreria. The largest Italian food market in New York, the most comprehensive single Italian food education available under one roof.
The Grand Central Market — The concourse market at the base of Grand Central Terminal: Murray’s Cheese (the finest artisan cheese shop in New York, with the most knowledgeable counter staff of any market in the city), Dishes at Grand Central (breakfast and lunch prepared foods), and the Apple Market on the lower concourse (for the freshest fruit in Midtown). The most beautiful market setting in the city.
Night Hawk Food Truck (and NYC Food Trucks Generally) — New York’s food truck scene has produced permanent institutions: the Halal Guys’ original cart at 53rd and 6th (the chicken-over-rice that spawned a franchise, still best at the original cart), the Red Hook Lobster Pound truck, and the Wafels & Dinges cart. The 4am Halal cart outside any Midtown bar is the city’s most democratic and most important late-night institution.

Drinks, Bars & the New York Night

Cocktails at the Dead Rabbit, Financial District — The Irish bar-meets-craft-cocktail concept in the Financial District: the bar voted World’s Best Bar twice in three years (2015 and 2016), with a ground-floor pub serving Irish whiskey punches and a first-floor cocktail parlour of extraordinary technical ambition. The Guinness and the Oatmeal Flip are the most ordered; the seasonal cocktail menu is the finest in downtown Manhattan.
Natural Wine at Wildair or June Wine Bar, Lower East Side — The natural wine bar movement in New York: Wildair on Orchard Street (the wine bar that defined the Lower East Side’s current food scene, with the most considered natural wine list and the best fried chicken liver toast in the city) and June Wine Bar on Hicks Street in Brooklyn (the Carroll Gardens neighbourhood natural wine room that makes the conversation about wine feel like a conversation about cooking). The finest argument for the New York wine bar as an institution.
Beer at the Brooklyn Brewery, Williamsburg — The brewery that defined Brooklyn’s craft beer identity: the Brooklyn Lager (amber, clean, the most sold craft lager in New York), the Black Chocolate Stout (winter only, the finest stout made in New York), and the Defender India Pale Ale, served at the tasting room tables of the original North 11th Street space. Tours available on weekends.
Coffee at the Original Blue Bottle, Williamsburg — The Oakland-origin specialty coffee company that introduced New Yorkers to single-origin pour-over and espresso made with Third Wave precision: the Williamsburg location (the US original) maintains the purist approach. The Gibraltar (a small cortado-style drink in a Gibraltar glass) and the New Orleans iced coffee (cold-brew with chicory and organic whole milk) are the signatures.
Espresso at Caffe Reggio, Greenwich Village — The cafe that claims to have introduced the cappuccino to the United States, in continuous operation on MacDougal Street since 1927: the original 1902 espresso machine is on display, the walls are hung with Renaissance reproductions, and the espresso (served in the same cups since the 1970s) is as honest as any in Manhattan. The most authentic Greenwich Village café experience available.

Dessert & the Sweet Side

Cheesecake at Junior’s, Brooklyn or Midtown — The most famous cheesecake in New York: Junior’s on Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn (since 1950), with a dense, rich New York-style cream cheese cheesecake on a graham cracker crust. The plain, undecorated original is the correct order. Junior’s also has a counter in the Times Square subway station, which is the most conveniently located access point.
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie, Upper West Side — The most celebrated cookie in New York: the Levain Bakery chocolate chip walnut cookie (since 1995, 97th Street and Amsterdam Avenue) is a 6-ounce, 2-inch-thick construction of butter, flour, walnuts, and chocolate chips that is simultaneously crisp on the outside and molten in the centre. The queue forms on weekends; the wait is justified.
Croissant at Lafayette Grand Café or Aux Merveilleux de Fred, various — The French croissant in New York: Lafayette Grand Café on Great Jones Street produces the finest all-butter croissant in Manhattan; Aux Merveilleux de Fred on 8th Avenue (a Belgian meringue and whipped cream pastry specialist) produces the finest pain au chocolat. The standard for French pastry in the city has risen significantly in the past decade.
Ice Cream at Van Leeuwen or Morgenstern’s — The New York artisan ice cream generation: Van Leeuwen (oat milk and full-dairy varieties, with the macaroni and cheese ice cream as the most-discussed flavour, and the Earl Grey as the most consistently excellent) and Morgenstern’s on the Lower East Side (the most technically precise ice cream in New York, with the burnt honey vanilla the standard-bearer). The ice cream truck remains free-range; the shops are superior.
Cannoli at Ferrara Bakery, Little Italy — The Italian-American pastry: a fried pastry shell filled with ricotta sweetened with candied orange peel and chocolate chips, made to order (the shell and filling are kept separate until the moment of purchase to preserve the crunch). Ferrara Bakery on Grand Street (since 1892) is the oldest Italian café in the United States and the most historically continuous Italian pastry experience in New York.
Sfogliatelle at Villabate Alba, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn — The sfogliatella — the crisp, layered pastry shell shaped like a seashell, filled with ricotta and semolina — is the most technical Italian pastry and the one most imperfectly replicated outside specialist bakeries. Villabate Alba in Bensonhurst (Brooklyn’s most Italian neighbourhood) produces the finest version in the city, alongside Sicilian cassata and cannoli of equivalent quality.

Global New York: The Outer Boroughs

Haitian Food in Flatbush, Brooklyn — The Haitian cooking of Flatbush: the griot (twice-cooked pork — braised then fried until crisp — with pikliz, the spiced pickled cabbage that is the defining condiment of Haitian cooking), the legim (a slow-cooked vegetable stew of extraordinary complexity), and the conch in sauce. Chez Alina on Flatbush Avenue is the most celebrated; the Saturday and Sunday breakfast spots (with Haitian coffee and bread pudding) are the finest weekends.
West African Food in the Bronx or Harlem — The West African restaurants of the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue corridor and the Harlem-area restaurants: jollof rice (the most debated rice dish in the African diaspora, with the Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Senegalese versions producing three distinct and genuinely different results), egusi soup (ground melon seeds in a palm oil stew with leafy greens and meat), and suya (spiced beef skewers). Zoma Ethiopian (technically East African), The Wokery (Senegalese), and the Little Senegal corridor of 116th Street are the finest Harlem addresses.
Greek Food in Astoria, Queens — The most Greek neighbourhood in New York: the tavernas and bakeries of 30th Avenue in Astoria, with spanakopita, saganaki (flamed cheese), grilled branzino, and the Sunday lamb roast. Taverna Kyclades on Ditmars Boulevard (the finest grilled seafood in Queens) and the Omonia Café (the finest loukoumades — Greek doughnuts in honey and sesame — in New York) are the most celebrated.
Jamaican Food in Crown Heights or Flatbush, Brooklyn — The jerk chicken and oxtail stew of Brooklyn’s Caribbean neighbourhoods: the jerk chicken (marinated in Scotch bonnet pepper and allspice, cooked over pimento wood) from the outdoor jerk pits on Utica Avenue, and the oxtail braised with butter beans and browning sauce at the restaurants of Crown Heights. The Kingston Restaurant and Bar and Miss Lily’s are the most consistently excellent.
Ethiopian in Harlem or the Bronx — Ethiopian injera (the sourdough flatbread that doubles as plate and utensil) with a selection of wots (stews) of lentils, chickpeas, and slow-cooked lamb: Ghenet in Harlem (the most enduringly excellent Ethiopian restaurant in the city) and Salam in the West Village produce the most complete tasting plates. The communal eating format — tearing injera and scooping the stews — is the most sociable dining format in New York.
Bangladeshi Food in Kensington, Brooklyn — The Bangladeshi neighbourhood of Church Avenue in Kensington: the mustard-heavy fish curries (hilsa fish in a pungent mustard oil sauce is the defining Bangladeshi dish), the shutki bhorta (dried fish mixed with mustard oil, onion, and green chilli), and the mishti (Bengali sweets). The most under-documented food neighbourhood in New York, and one of the most rewarding.

Neighbourhood Classics

Sunday Brunch at the Odeon, Tribeca — The Odeon has been the Tribeca late-night anchor since 1980, the restaurant that Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol made famous, and the brasserie that set the template for the New York restaurant-as-neighbourhood-institution. The French onion soup and the croque madame at Sunday brunch, in a room that has not changed materially since the Mudd Club era, are among the city’s most reliably perfect meals.
Dinner at Café Mogador, East Village — The Moroccan restaurant on St Marks Place (since 1983) that introduced New York to harissa, merguez, and the bastilla: the lamb tagine with preserved lemon and olives, the shakshuka (eggs in spiced tomato sauce), and the weekend brunch of the same dishes with fresh mint tea. One of the few New York restaurants that has maintained its character and quality through four decades.
The Spotted Pig, West Village — The gastropub that defined a genre for a decade: the gnudi (ricotta and spinach dumplings with brown butter and sage), the chargrilled burger with Roquefort cheese on a bun studded with black pepper, and the deep-fried pig’s ear. Now operating with the same menu in various community events, the concept’s influence on New York cooking is as large as any single restaurant’s in the past 20 years.
Lunch at the Saigon Shack or Num Pang, Various — The Vietnamese and Cambodian sandwich shops that defined the New York fast-casual culture: Saigon Shack (banh mi and pho in the West Village, since 2009) and Num Pang (the Cambodian pork belly sandwich and tiger prawn sandwich, a mini-chain that began in Union Square). The most widely replicated sandwich formats in contemporary New York.

The Best Deals

$1 Oyster Hours — The New York institution of the dollar-oyster happy hour: multiple bars and restaurants across the city offer East Coast oysters at $1 each during a specific two-hour window on weekdays. Grand Banks on the Hudson River (on a historic schooner, one of the finest oyster bars in New York), Maison Premiere in Williamsburg (the most theatrical oyster bar in the city), and Cull & Pistol in Chelsea Market all participate in the practice.
The Halal Cart, 53rd & 6th — The Halal Guys’ original street cart: chicken or gyro meat (lamb and beef combined), white rice, iceberg lettuce, and the white sauce (a garlic-and-mayonnaise mixture of specific and addictive intensity) with the optional “death sauce” (a hot sauce of genuine heat). The original cart at 53rd and 6th operates until 4am; the queue at midnight is a social cross-section of the entire city.
The Egg and Cheese Cart, Random Midtown Corner — The most democratic breakfast in New York: the aluminum-sided cart on any midtown corner, dispensing hot sandwiches on a roll or a wrap from a flat-top griddle, for $3–5. Not an institution. Not famous. Entirely essential.
Joe’s Pizza, Carmine Street — The counter-service slice shop that has operated at the corner of Carmine and Bleecker since 1975 and has never changed: the plain cheese slice (a round, slightly irregular disc of the daily pie) for $3 and change. The gold standard for the New York slice in its most honest form, undiluted by reputation or ambition.

Hidden Eats & Unexpected Discoveries

The Grand Central Oyster Bar Pan Roast — The oyster pan roast: not the stew, but the cream-based pan roast (oysters, clam juice, butter, chilli sauce, and Worcestershire, reduced with cream and finished with paprika) that has been served at the Oyster Bar counter since 1913. The most specific and the most underappreciated hot dish in the building.
Sunday Mornings at Sahadi’s, Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn — The 75-year-old Middle Eastern grocery on Atlantic Avenue, with the finest olive bar in Brooklyn, house-made hummus, imported cheeses, and the pistachio baklava that has been made from the same recipe since 1948. The most serene food shopping experience in Brooklyn, in the most historically layered food street in the borough.
The Mission Chinese Food Experience — Danny Bowien’s Chinese-American restaurant on Bowery: the Sichuan-inspired cooking of a Jewish chef raised in Oklahoma, producing the most creatively volatile Chinese-American food in the city. The thrice-cooked bacon (with pickled rice cakes and red-eye gravy), the kung pao pastrami, and the cold sesame noodles constitute the most inventive menu currently operating in New York’s Chinese food world.
Crif Dogs with the Spicy Redneck, East Village** — The hot dog shop with the phone booth in the back wall that opens into PDT (Please Don’t Tell), one of the most celebrated speakeasy cocktail bars in New York: the Spicy Redneck dog (deep-fried, wrapped in bacon, with cream cheese and jalapeño) is the bridge between the two experiences. Eat the dog first; make the reservation in the phone booth for after.
The Levantine Breakfast at Balaboosta, Nolita — The Israeli-inspired breakfast at Balaboosta: shakshuka with feta, burekas (phyllo pastry filled with potato or cheese), labneh with za’atar, and fresh-baked pita. The most complete Levantine breakfast experience in New York, in the most charming small dining room in Nolita.
Congee at Congee Village, Lower East Side — The Chinese rice porridge of the weekend morning: at Congee Village on Allen Street, the full-service dim sum and congee restaurant that serves the classic Cantonese congee with century egg and pork, fish congee, and the shredded chicken version, alongside the dim sum at communal round tables. The most restorative morning food in Chinatown at the price of a cup of coffee.
The Steak at Peter Luger, Williamsburg — The cash-only (famously) steak house in Williamsburg that has been making the case for the dry-aged porterhouse since 1887: the beef is USDA prime, dry-aged on-site for 21–28 days, broiled in a 900-degree broiler, finished with butter and pan drippings, and served sliced for sharing. The Luger Burger (available at lunch only) and the thick-cut bacon appetizer are equally essential. No credit cards except their own Luger card.
The Chopped Salad at Sweetgreen or Any NYC Salad Bar — New York’s salad culture — developed to serve the five-day work week of professionals who want a healthy and affordable lunch without leaving a three-block radius — is the most complete in the world. The chopped salad format (all ingredients diced and mixed in a large metal bowl with dressing) is a New York invention; the Sweetgreen kale caesar and the mixed salad bars of every midtown deli are the most democratic versions.
Roti and Doubles at a Trinidadian Restaurant, Flatbush — The West Indian doubles — two fried bara (bread) filled with curried chickpeas (channa), mango and tamarind chutney, and scotch bonnet pepper sauce — is the finest street food in the Caribbean tradition and the finest breakfast sandwich in South Brooklyn. Singh’s Roti Shop in Richmond Hill (Queens) and various Flatbush shops produce the most authentic versions.
The Late-Night Bagel Shop — New York’s all-night bagel shops are the most specifically New York institution that no tourist documentation covers: the 3am sesame bagel with butter from any of the 24-hour shops that have served the city’s nighttime workers, cab drivers, and returning club-goers since the shops existed. The best late-night bagel shop in New York is the one that is open when you need it.
Tasting Menu at Atomix, Koreatown — The two-Michelin-star Korean tasting menu at Atomix on 30th Street: Junghyun Park’s interpretation of Korean court cuisine and fermentation culture in a 10-course format that uses the finest seasonal American ingredients in the service of the Korean flavour tradition. The doenjang (fermented soybean paste) reduction, the aged kimchi, and the wagyu are the three dishes most discussed by food writers. The most technically ambitious Korean restaurant in the United States.
Jamaican Beef Patty at Golden Krust or a Crown Heights Bakery — The Jamaican beef patty — a flaky yellow pastry crust (coloured with turmeric) enclosing a filling of spiced minced beef with Scotch bonnet pepper — is the finest $2 snack in New York and the most culturally specific food of the Caribbean community. Golden Krust (the chain, ubiquitous in the outer boroughs) is the most accessible; the Crown Heights and Flatbush bakeries are the finest. Eaten warm, with a carton of Jamaican ginger beer.
A Cup of Coffee at Any New York Diner at 7am — On your last morning, find the nearest Greek diner (the New York Greek diner — blue vinyl booths, laminated menus, the bottomless cup of filtered coffee — is one of the city’s most distinctive institutions, and it is slowly disappearing). Order the coffee. It will not be specialty-roasted or single-origin or pour-over. It will arrive in a ceramic mug, dark and hot, with a small plastic container of half-and-half. It will be refilled without being asked. You will drink it while reading the newspaper or watching the street through the window or simply sitting in the particular New York silence of a room where people are eating and not talking to each other. This is not the best coffee in New York. It is the most New York coffee in New York. And at 7am, before the city begins again, it is exactly sufficient.

Quick Reference: Price Tiers & Borough Guide


Under $5	Halal cart · Joe’s pizza slice · Bodega BEC · Jamaican patty · Dumpling (Chinatown)
$5–$15	Katz’s pastrami · Russ & Daughters bagel · Tacos (Jackson Heights) · Ramen · Pho
$15–$40	Oysters happy hour · Korean BBQ · Dim sum · Lobster roll · Brunch entrée
$40–$100	Full dinner at a neighbourhood restaurant · Sake tasting · Special occasion dinner
$100+	Omakase sushi · Tasting menu · Steakhouse (Peter Luger) · Michelin-starred dining
Best outer borough food	Queens (Jackson Heights, Flushing) · Bronx (Arthur Avenue) · Brooklyn (Flatbush, Bensonhurst, Williamsburg)
Best late night	Halal cart (Midtown) · K-Town BBQ (24 hours) · Joe’s Pizza (until 4am weekends)
Best Sunday morning	Russ & Daughters · Grand Central Oyster Bar · Sahadi’s · Chinatown dim sum

New York’s food does not wait for you. It is already happening — in the cart, the bodega, the basement kitchen, the 12-seat counter that opened last week and already has a three-month wait. The only way to eat well in New York is to eat constantly, eat everywhere, and eat without prejudice. The finest meal in the city may cost $400 or $4. In New York, both are entirely possible.