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Ready to take a bite out of New York? Hope you've come hungry. In a city where creativity is expressed in innumerable ways, the food scene takes center stage, with literally thousands of chances to taste what Gotham is all about. Whether lining up at street stands, gobbling down legendary deli and diner grub, or chasing a coveted reservation at the latest celebrity-chef venue, New Yorkers are a demanding yet appreciative audience.
Every neighborhood offers temptations high, low, and in between, meaning there's truly something for every taste, whim, and budget. No matter how you approach dining out here, it's hard to go wrong. Planning a day of shopping among the glittering flagship boutiques along 5th and Madison Avenues? Stop into one of the Upper East Side's storied restaurants for a repast among the "ladies who lunch." Clubbing in the Meatpacking District? Tuck into a meal at eateries as trendy as their patrons. Craving authentic ethnic? From food trucks to hidden joints, there are almost more choices than there are appetites. Recent years have also seen entire food categories, from ramen to meatballs to mac 'n' cheese, riffed upon and fetishized, and at many restaurants you find an almost religious reverence for seasonal, locally sourced cuisine.
And don't forget—New York is still home to more celebrity chefs than any other city. Your chances of running into your favorite cookbook author, Food Network celeb, or paparazzi-friendly chef are high, adding even more star wattage to a restaurant scene with an already through-the-roof glamour quotient. Newfound economic realities, however, have revived appreciation for value, meaning you can tap into wallet-friendly choices at every level of the food chain. Rest assured, this city does its part to satisfy your appetite. Ready, set, eat.
When it comes to baked goods, the party is definitely happening at this delightful, tiny café where breakfast sandwiches are served all day (well, 'til 4 pm every day when they close), and the lunch options include sandwiches and individual pizzas. The display case tempts with all sorts of delicious goodies, including brownies, cookies, and croissants—though if carbs are your thing, you can't go wrong snacking on a hunk of freshly baked baguette.
One of Manhattan's last classic standalone diners, Pearl Diner has been serving all the favorites from its compact corner spot since the early 1960s. In the affluent Financial District, it's a welcome relief to find such an affordable (and hearty) menu.
This acclaimed corner restaurant takes its name seriously, specializing in sweet dessert pies—apple, pumpkin, and banana cream, to name a few—and the fried chicken thighs to eat before them. Amid vintage decor, diners enjoy Southern-style meals that include catfish, burgers, pulled pork, and, of course, fried chicken (the other parts, too). Sides and breakfast items also abide by the Southern-inspired fare, including biscuits and grits.
At Ponty Bistro, Franco-Senegalese cuisine reigns supreme. The sophisticated flavors and cooking traditions of Senegal are combined with French and Mediterranean dishes. They are served alongside house cocktails in a warm, dark-wood bistro in this oft-neglected reach of Central Harlem. Try dishes like poisson yassa (a whole branzino with white rice), three cheese gougeres (French cheese puffs), or niokolokoba (grilled sirloin steak with African spice).
What started 10 years ago as a catering business is now also a beloved, women-owned café, with attractive baked goods, as well as sandwiches, soups, frittatas, and focaccia for lunch. There's also a smattering of pantry items, as well as prepared foods to take home, plus outdoor seating on one of Cobble Hill's prettiest little streets.
Brunch staples like smoked fish, bagels, pancakes, and French toast don’t get more refined than they do at this airy, sophisticated spot in the heart of the SoHo action. Come during the week for a more leisurely experience, because who said brunch has to be relegated to weekends?
Predating the banh mi craze by perhaps a decade, this cash-only storefront serves some of the best Vietnamese sandwiches in the city (some say the best in the country); those in the know opt for the "house special" with Vietnamese cold cuts and creamy pate. The baguettes are crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, just as they should be.
Lining up for brunch at this bric-a-brac-filled restaurant is as much an Upper West Side tradition as taking a sunny Sunday afternoon stroll in nearby Riverside Park. In the morning, locals love the lemon ricotta pancakes and the "fat and fluffy" French toast served with fruit and organic maple syrup; later in the day, folks come for comfort-food dishes like chicken potpie or steak frites with truffle herb fries. There are several other locations around town, but this is the original—the "mother ship."
Owner Peter Shelsky pays homage to the traditional Lower East Side deli by stocking the classics—bagels, babka, and the like—but often with a nouveau-Brooklyn twist. Gravlax, Nova, and smoked salmon, for example, share space in the refrigerator with house-cured Jamaican jerk salmon, Mexican achiote salmon, and other deli delectables like pickled herring, whitefish salad, knishes, and prepared salads. You can purchase by the pound or opt for one of the excellent made-to-order sandwiches. For an amusing 1990s fashion flashback, check out Shelsky's bar mitzvah photo album on the ordering counter.
Subterranean and almost hidden, the Smile turns frowns upside down if you're into lounging among a fashion-conscious clientele in a cozy, brick-walled space. The brunch and lunch menu leans to comfort foods like waffles, egg sandwiches, and avocado toasts, while dinner options, like whole trout, brisket, hanger steak, or roasted chicken, are more ambitious.
Celebs, fashion-industry insiders, and the common folk, too, all cluster at this buzzy restaurant inside The Standard, High Line hotel. The menu is Gallic-accented comfort-luxe, with dishes like the heritage pork chop with burned apple sauce and whole roasted branzino. For dessert, there's the nearly obscene "Deal Closer": a chocolate mousse, devil's food cake, and vanilla whipped cream concoction for two. In warm weather, the spacious outdoor seating area is perfect for sampling creative cocktails; there's an indoor bar, too, and two dining rooms—a casual one in front and a larger room in back, with a floor whimsically made up of thousands of glittering pennies.
Since 1994, master baker Jim Lahey has been churning out incredible loaves of Italian bread and pastries, as well as toothsome sandwiches and even pizza at this lauded Roman-style bakery.
A Harlem mainstay, Sylvia's has been serving soul-food favorites like smothered chicken, barbecue ribs, collard greens, and mashed potatoes to a dedicated crowd of locals, tourists, and college students since 1962. Owner Sylvia Woods may have passed on in 2012, but her restaurant and signature sauces, jarred and sold online and in the restaurant, are more popular than ever. Some say it's overly touristy—as the busloads attest—but it's still worth a visit. For the best bang for your buck, come during the week for the lunch special, where you can get one main and one side for only $14.
In addition to offering a variety of Japanese and other international baked goods, this casual café serves coffee and assorted teas. The matcha crepe is a favorite for a snack or small meal, although the cakes, buns, and macaroons are equally tasty.
The kitschy decor, colorful diner-esque menu, and trendy patrons will quickly cue you into the fact that this is no ordinary Thai restaurant: the food is slightly off-kilter, in a good way, and the vibe is playful. The food is a combination of creative interpretations of Thai dishes and American diner classics, with an emphasis on fried chicken.
Is it an Italian grocery store; an Italian coffee shop; an Italian wine bar; an Italian restaurant? It's all of the above. The name might not giveaway its Bel Paese motif, but step inside and you'll experience a sensory explosion of all things Italian, right down to the employees gesturing wildly while speaking the language of their birth. If you visit in the morning, sidle up to the bar for a cappuccino and a croissant, at lunch indulge in some pizza, and in the evening, pasta and wine. They also sell good homemade pastas and various made-in-Italy food products to take home.
A tiny storefront with only a sprinkling of outdoor tables, Ursula has become known and beloved for its whimsical takes on New Mexican cuisine, including a substantial breakfast burrito (only available until noon), green chile chicken sandwiches, and sopaipillas, a fried dough encasing beans and rice or meat, and smothered in red chile. A selection of homemade pastries makes the most of south-of-the-border ingredients like tres leches and blue corn. It’s also become known as a community hub, hosting a series of pop-ups inviting different local chefs to take over, including a Queer Brunch.
