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One of the best and worst things about New York City is the number of food options. There are more restaurants in NYC than there are polar bears in the North Pole – 28,000 restaurants, in fact, so when you’re looking for somewhere to eat, this may be why you’re struggling to narrow down options. With this endless supply of amazing places to eat in NYC, finding one that leaves a mark is no easy task – as honestly, most of them are very, very good.
So, to help you out, we’ve rounded up our list of the most iconic places you must dine at in NYC. These are places we eat whenever we visit (as we are frequent visitors to NYC) and have found them to be consistently good over the years.
Whether you want to find the quintessential New York City classics or a hidden gem, these are the places I bring out-of-towners because I love them, and I hope you do too.
NYC at a glance 🔍
- Accommodation options: NYC has a lot of accommodation options, though it’s famously expensive, and rooms are small. The most budget-friendly hostels, boutique hotels, and vacation rentals go for a minimum of $100 USD per night, and luxurious hotels for a minimum of $300 USD per night.
- Getting around: NYC is well serviced by the metro. The Subway connects most attractions and neighborhoods.
- Unmissable sights: Bike around Central Park, watch a show on Broadway, and do a food tour of the Greenwich neighborhood.
- Money saving tip: You can save money on attractions in NYC by getting yourself a NYC Explorer Pass. This can give you discounts to many of NYC’s top attractions, restaurants, and entertainment options.
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1. Bagels at Tompkins Square Bagels
You can find bagels anywhere in NYC, of varying prices and standards, but my daughter and I recently discovered Tompkins Square Bagels on our visit on a mother daughter trip. They were sensational and are a favorite of Timothy Chalamet (so the rumor goes). It’s unreal how many choices you have for toppings. The bagels are warm and chewy and doughy – the perfect New York City bagel.
The toppings are traditional, but varied, and the prices are low. The line is out the door on the weekends, but the wait is well worth it. My bacon, avocado, and sundried tomato cream cheese on gluten free bagel was divine! There are three locations in NYC, but we recommend the flagship in East Village.
2. Cronut from Dominique Ansel Bakery
A cronut is a combination of a croissant and a donut, and is the brainchild of French pastry chef Dominique Ansel. You can try the original cronut from his bakery in NYC, the aptly named Dominique Ansel Bakery, which features a rotating selection of cronut flavors. There are lines out the door, so come early to avoid disappointment.
3. Breakfast at Buvette
This French-inspired bistro in the West Village is cozy and chic, complete with excellent espresso and an exceptional wine list. I especially love Buvette for breakfast on weekdays, since it can get quite crowded for weekend brunch: the multi-grain toast with smashed avocado and the yogurt with muesli, fresh berries, and honey are both favorites.
4. Brunch at Freemans
New York City loves brunch, and tucked away in a hidden graffiti-lined alley in the Lower East Side of New York City is a fan favorite, Freemans. The clandestine restaurant features a horseshoe bar with tasteful taxidermy, complete with homespun American favorites and artisan cocktails.
5. Spicy chicken sandwiches at The Commodore
Don’t be fooled by the outside, or even the inside. This windowless dive bar in Brooklyn is dark and crowded and loud, and the back courtyard is filled with cigarette smoke and cheap patio furniture. Full honesty here, the service at The Commodore isn’t fantastic, per se, but the spicy chicken sandwiches (and the adult grilled cheese, and the nachos) make up for everything.
The food is out-of-this-world delicious, making it one of those don’t miss places to eat in NYC! And the ambiance might even grow on you after a while. I still have friends from California who text me out of the blue, reminiscing over the “hot breast” chicken sandwich.
6. Katz’s Ruebens at Katz’s Delicatessen
The home of “I’ll have what she’s having,” Katz’s is definitely a touristy spot, but for good reason. The hand-carved hot pastrami sandwich is as good as it gets. Ruebens, latkes, pickles, and even egg creams: the traditional deli favorites are some of the best that you’ll find. It’s so good, the deli doesn’t sleep on the weekend, people come all through the day and night!
7. High Tea at Bergdorf Goodman
It’s not cheap, but holy moly, high tea at Bergdorf Goodman is such a lovely splurge. With sweeping views over Central Park – best in the heart of changing foliage in fall or right after a heavy snowfall in winter – and pastel-colored fixings, Bergdorf Goodman’s restaurant is a fun place to people-watch the city’s fabulous. I especially love high tea on Sunday afternoons, complete with a glass of Veuve Cliquot!
8. Pizza at Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
You can get a $1 slice of pizza almost anywhere in the city, of varying standards. But Artichoke Basille’s is one of my favorite street joints: it’s open late, and there’s nowhere to sit, but the slices are huge and homemade and tasty. The special twist is the Artichoke slice: artichoke hearts, spinach, cream sauce, mozzarella, and pecorino. Mamma mia! They have three locations in Midtown Manhattan, but we recommend the one in Chelsea near The High Line, as it has great views.
9. Cheeseburgers (and beer) at Burger Joint
I’m a sucker for speakeasies, especially when they involve cheap beer and juicy cheeseburgers. Located down a dark, unmarked hallway off the luxurious Le Parker-Meridien lobby, the unassuming dive bar vibe of Burger Joint feels ages away from the skyscrapers outside. And most importantly, the burgers are cooked to perfection. It is probably the best burger I have found in NYC.
10. Cookies at Levain Bakery
A cross between a brownie, muffin, and traditional cookie, each Levain Bakery cookie is six ounces of pure, gooey deliciousness. The chocolate chip walnut is especially appealing when it’s still warm out of the oven, although I can never finish it while it’s still hot. I like to slowly munch on it on a long walk through nearby Central Park.
There are several shop locations across NYC, and they are all good, but we recommend the one on 74th Street, as you can easily walk over to Central Park or the Metropolitan Museum of Art and enjoy your cookie outdoors. There’s also another shop on the other side of Central Park in the Upper East Side NYC.
My daughter and I visited their location in NoHo. I’m not a cookie lover, but these were divine, and I ate the whole thing (and it was gluten-free).
11. Ice Cream at OddFellows
The flavors at this hipster favorite ice cream joint in Brooklyn are exactly what you’d expect: artisanal and small-batch, the 14 original flavors change daily and range from burnt marshmallow to Thai iced (tea) cream to black pepper fig. The best part of Oddfellows is the fresh-baked waffle cones: you can smell them as soon as you walk in the door.
12. Falafel at Mamoun’s Falafel
Mamoun’s Falafel is the most famous falafel in all of NYC. As soon as you step inside, the smell of onions, kebab meat, and Middle Eastern spices starts to make your mouth water. It’s one of the longest-serving Middle Eastern chain restaurants in the city and, as well as falafel, also serves great shawarma and kebabs. There are four restaurants in New York City, but most people go to the Greenwich Village restaurant, as this is where it started.
13. Soda Floats at Brooklyn Farmacy
Although they’ve been open since 2010, the Brooklyn Farmacy was never meant to be a new place but a place of history. Set inside a 1920s pharmacy, this soda shop is like stepping back in time. The store is decorated with antiques and kitschy knick-knacks, from red twirling stools to hand-drawn menus. It’s clear that a lot of love goes into this family-owned business.
When it comes to the menu, you’ll find classic American ice cream desserts from sundaes to banana splits to ice cream-topped milkshakes. Of course, you have to try an ice cream float, a soda with ice cream on top. This is something quintessentially American, so if you’re visiting from overseas, be sure to give this tasty treat a try!
14. Soft Serve at Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
The Big Gay Ice Cream shop is a colorful ice cream parlour (and truck) that has been selling soft serves in NYC since 2009. Its founders, Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff, have become somewhat of a celebrity, having published their own cookbook and appeared on several TV series. They even gave a TED talk.
It’s not just about ice cream, which is exceptional, but about the mission this company brings to the table. Their rotating weekly flavors are fun, bold, filled with color, and imaginative ingredients. They capture the essence of play and fun, capturing the hearts of both adults and children. They have several stores over the city, but we recommend head to the one near Penn Station since there’s a ton of attractions nearby to visit. Opening times are varied.
15. Everything at Chelsea Market
Whenever we visit a city, we like to eat at places that offer variety so that everyone can enjoy something to their taste. With a gluten-free eater (myself) and the world’s fussiest eater (Savannah), it’s important we find options. From Thai to tacos to doughnuts, cheese, oysters and seafood, fried chicken to corned beef, acai bowls to gelato – the options are endless.
Chelsea Market offers just that; it’s a food hall with every cuisine you can think of under one roof. It’s located in a former Nabisco factory, so it not only offers tasty food options, but it’s also a little slice of history. When you walk in, you’re met with a warm, charming warehouse vibe with fun spaces to hang out in.
16. Banana Pudding at Magnolia Bakery
Magnolia Bakery is a chain of bakeries all over NYC, and although I think their cakes are pretty average (except the frosting, that’s the best part), their banana pudding is wonderful, and it’s pretty much the dessert that put them on the map! I also like the cheesecake with caramel when I feel like I need something more sugary.
They also serve key lime pies, cream pies, and homemade cupcakes. And it doesn’t matter which store you go to; the quality is consistent throughout its stores. There are several shops all over the city, and they are all much of the same. The original location is in Greenwich Village. Here are other things to do in Greenwich NYC, while there!
17. Challah at B&H Dairy
Another restaurant in NYC I like to visit for its history is B&H Dairy, which is located inside a 1940s kosher diner in East Village near Union Square and Washington Square Park. It serves up vegetarian Jewish cuisine, from borscht, blintzes, and matzo ball soup, as well as kosher, of course.
The menu and the decor are pretty old-school, with a long bar table with barstools. It’s quite small, so be prepared to be crammed in, but I personally love the intimate vibe you get with watching the chef prepare your meal in front of you. The challah French toast (grilled cheese sandwich) is amazing – it’s big, filling, and the price to quantity ratio is on point!
18. Baked clams at Gargiulo’s
When I think of old-school Italian restaurants in New York, my mind instantly thinks of Gargiulo’s on Coney Island. This fancy joint has that Italian flair that you expect with a fine dining Italian restaurant, with waiters in tuxedoes and white linen tablecloths. The staff is very friendly and attentive, and even the owner is known to pop out and speak to guests and tell them a bit about the history of the place. But it’s not just the decor or service of this 1907 banquet hall restaurant that attracts people here. The food is exceptional!
The baked clams are a particular house favorite, and one of the main reasons to come here. You can also find other seafood dishes, pasta dishes, and steaks. The portion size is good, and the prices are reasonable.
19. Michelin Star Ramen at Mr. Taka Ramen
For Japanese food, you’ll want to try Mr. Taka Ramen, located on the Lower East Side near the Williamsburg Bridge. As you might expect from the name, it serves several types of ramen, as well as Japanese appetizers and sake. Behind the helm are two award-winning chefs, one with a Michelin star. Both from Tokyo, these chefs prepare authentic, hearty, and delicious ramen, which I honestly believe is the best ramen in NYC. The only downside to this place is that the restaurant is so small. If you weren’t looking for it, you would probably walk right past it!
20. Tacos at Los Tacos No. 1
Los Tacos No. 1 is the best place to find fusions of Mexican and Californian blends from the East Coast in NYC. The original store is located in Chelsea Market, and they now have five stores across the city. I prefer their third store in Noho as it’s quieter.
It has become well known for its tacos, quesadillas, and aguas frescas. The Adobada (marinated pork) tacos are particularly flavorful and worth coming here just to try. The Carne Asada (grilled steak) is another popular flavor of taco as well. If your vegetarian, you might want to try the cactus tacos! It has a street food-style setup with no tables or chairs, so be warned, you have to stand!
21. Molly’s Cupcakes
I have to include Molly’s Cupcakes in Greenwich Village, especially if you are gluten-free. It’s a must-visit every time we go to New York, and I have been four times so far! USA Today named it one of the 10 best cupcakes in the country. It’s by far the best cupcake I’ve ever had.
Chocolate lava oozes out of the middle of the moist cake, and the icing is not too thickly caked on that you want to either throw up after or cartwheel out the door because of the sugar hit. Molly’s bakes their cupcakes from scratch in small batches every day. You can create your own flavors or go for their famous center-filled flavors like peanut butter Nutella, creme brulee, and peach cobbler. There are cute swinging chairs at the counter you can sit at, and the coffee is pretty good here, too.
Molly’s Cupcake is only a 5-minute walk from Washington Square. You will find no lines (hopefully) and a place to sit, play a game, and dive into deliciousness. Kids will love this NYC refueling stop. We loved visiting it on this Greenwich Village Cupcake walking tour during our weekend getaway to NC with teens.
In honor of Molly (a former teacher of the owner who inspired this bakery) and as a way to help our children, a portion of Molly’s Cupcake profits is donated directly to schools in the local community.
Map of Places to Eat in NYC
To help you plan where to eat and find a restaurant near you, here is a map of all the places we’ve recommended in this guide.
Iconic New York Food to Try
As well as picking a place to eat, you must make sure to try the most iconic foods and dishes that make NYC famous on your trip. New York is a very multicultural city, and so a lot of the cuisines and flavors you find in the city stem from many different countries and regions.
You have Chinatown, where you’ll find everything from Hong Kong-style dim sum to northeastern Chinese food. You’ve got Little Italy which is known for its pizzas. Then you have Middle Eastern cuisine, which is served all over the city. Not to mention the street cart food such as hot dogs, pretzels, and corn dogs, which pop up all over the place. But what food is iconic to NYC? Make sure you try the following:
- Pizza – NYC pizza is world-famous, so make sure to try one.
- Bagels – the Bagel was invented in Poland, but NYC made it famous. Particularly a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel.
- Cupcakes and donuts – if you have a sweet tooth, you won’t have problems finding dessert options in this city!
- Cronuts – a croissant and donut blend that was invented in NYC, by an artisan bakery named Dominique Ansel Bakery
- Hot dogs – a classic, needs no more explanation
- Pastrami sandwiches – you won’t find bigger or better than the ones in NYC
- French fries – you can get great Belgian ones in the Greenwich Village neighborhood
- Rice balls – another delicacy found in Greenwich Village
Final thoughts
So there you have it, those are our favorite places to eat in New York City, and as you can see, there’s a lot of delicious goodness to choose from here! We hope this guide helped you plan where to dine out in the city and gave you suggestions for what food to try. If you are still stuck for ideas, I highly recommend taking a food tour of NYC so you can be taken around all the foodie neighborhoods by a local.
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Where are you most excited to eat in NYC? Please share in the comments below!
