NYC is unique in having so much good authentic food from cuisines across the world. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the amazing food options here and am sure that this will be a continually updating list!
- Absolute Bagels: Bagel spot near Columbia University. I got the olive and pimento cream cheese on an everything bagel. Note that they take cash only. (As an alternative, if you’re going to be here for a while, bagels and cream cheese from Whole Foods are still NY-style and pretty good, and very affordable too).
- Buvette: A cute French place in West Village. There was a line when we went on a Sunday morning but we had a party of 2 so were able to cut the line because they have several tiny tables that only sit 2! Loved the vibes here.
Fun Fact: The Friends apartment is next door at 90 Bedford St — the building used for the exterior shot of the apartment (at least inferred based on other people taking pics of it!). Right beneath the apartment is Little Owl, which I hear is another great brunch place.
- Chelsea Market: indoor market with lots of food shops and stores selling clothes, books, and more. One must-try is Los Tacos No. 1 (they have other locations too): Get the pork tacos — the meat was high-quality and flavorful. Try the cactus taco too if you’re feeling adventurous. It’s hard to describe what cactus tastes like — my best attempt is that it’s soft and chewy, like an overcooked bell pepper?
- Cho Dang Gol (Koreatown): It took me 3 tries to eat here because their wait time is typically 40 minutes – 1.5 hours, including on weekday evenings. But you can put your phone number down and walk around while you’re waiting.
Chinatown/Little Italy: Did all of these places in one day – which is a lot of food, but just goes to show that Chinatown is a great place to sample food and do a lil’ food tour!
- Mei Lai Wah bakery
- Golden Unicorn: solid dim sum
- Fong On: tofu pudding — they have it savory or sweet, we got the sweet plain one and it was pretty good!
- Shu Jiao Fuzhou: I wish I had known about this place sooner! Insanely cheap and good Chinese food — they sell 6 very juicy pork & cabbage dumplings for $3, 10 for $5. They were juicy and soupy and flavorful on the inside like xiaolongbao. The $3 wonton soup was delicious and heartwarming too. Note that they take cash only.
- Ferrara (Little Italy): the gelato here is probably as close as it gets to Italian gelato in the U.S. — pistachio is a must-try, it was probably the most nutty gelato I’ve had, mmm so good. Recommend mango too — I thought I was eating a real mango. Also liked the original ricotta cannoli — the shell was crunchy but a bit less hard than Mike’s Pastry in Boston — sweet but not overly sweet.
Bars
- Aubi & Ramsa: Who can say no to spiked ice cream??
- Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar: Bar with chill vibes, (strong) chocolate martinis, and chocolate desserts.
Street Food
Some of the best value food I had in New York was street food or food from the holiday markets (if you’re here in December) — some of the food from food carts was just as delicious or even better than some restaurants. I had a tasty lamb gyro at a food cart near Columbia and started chatting with the seller, who was very friendly and seemed to know everyone, waving hello to people as they passed by. He had been in NYC for about 30 years and had sold food in Queens prior to coming here.
Check out my other blog posts for things to do in NYC, rain or shine, or if you’re here around the holidays!
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