A Foodies Guide To NYC 

With a population of over 1.6 million people, it’s no surprise there is an endless list of old favourites and newly opened restaurants to discover in New York City.

Adam and I visited New York in early December (to celebrate our first year together – yay, go us!), and between a number of friends, relatives and colleagues, we found ourselves with a ridiculous list of restaurant recommendations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Read on down to discover my hot list of over 35 restaurants, ranging from super casual to something a little more special. To make things easier for you, I have grouped each venue in accordance to which local suburb they are located within (you can thank me later). Check out their websites, take a note of their opening hours, and head on down!

Whilst we didn’t personally get a chance to visit all those listed below, I have been told that they are all worth a visit. Hopefully you’ll agree too.

Midtown

Burger Joint
Best For – – Hidden burger bar within the Park Meridian Hotel. Casual with a simple menu. Famous for a reliable burger.
Address – 119 West 56th St, New York, NY 10019 (between 6th and 7th Ave)
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday. 11:00 – 11:30
Friday – Saturday, 11:00 – 12:00

When We Visited – Hidden in the Park Meridian Hotel, this burger restaurant was quietly tucked away. You would have never known this existed if it wasn’t for the queue of hungry visitors lined up along floor to ceiling black drapes. There was a very simple menu offering either an ‘everything burger’ or just the regular ‘cheese burger’. Fries, soft drinks and beers were also on the menu. Whilst this was a fun spot to hangout out, the line was very long (plan either an early or late lunch!), inside was tiny, and it was pretty pricey for what it was. Totally worth a visit though!

ABC Cocina
Best For – Brunch within a funky department store.
Address – 38 east 19th Street, New York, NY 10003
Opening Hours:
Brunch | Saturday – Sunday, 11am-3pm
Lunch | Monday – Friday, 12pm-3pm
Dinner | Mon – Wed, 5:30pm-10:30pm, Thurs, 5:30pm-11pm, Fri – Sat, 5:30pm – 11:30pm & Sun, 5:30pm-10pm
Top Tip – Book in advance!

When We Visited – ABC Cocina is located on the street level of the ABC homestore. For any Brits, think of Liberty department store in London and you’ll get the vibe! A friend of mine who was living out in NYC at the time took us here. I loved this restaurant as it was a popular hang out for locals and not touristy at all. Always busy, so reservations are recommended. Don’t listen to staff telling you it’s tapas style menu and you need 2/3 items each – one was enough. Ask for the cookies for dessert, which aren’t on the menu, and super tasty!

230 on 5th
Best For – Rooftop drinks and nibbles
Address – 230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Opening Hours:
Open daily till late (Happy hour between 4pm – 7pm)

When We Visited – It was early December and there were really cool igloo’s up on their rooftop bar. Each igloo had a number of casual seats, tables, blankets and heaters inside – none of which could be pre-booked. We arrived late on a school night and had no problem finding space, but I’m guessing this is a busy spot on weekends. Find the green igloo with incredible views of the Empire State Building. If the igloo’s are no longer there anymore then it’s a cool rooftop bar anyway so would still recommend.

Dylan Candy Bar
Best For – Sweat treats for kids of all ages.
Address – 1011 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10065 (3rd Avenue at the corner of 60th St)
Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday, 10am – 9pm
Friday & Saturday, 10am – 11pm
Sunday, 11am – 9pm

When We Visited – This was like an adult Willy Wonka world! Chocolates of all flavours and varieties, including a pizza flavoured chocolate bar! Make sure you check out the small café upstairs which serves a mega 10 scoop ice cream!

Hakkasan
Best For – Special Occasions
Address – 11 W 43rd St, New York, NY 10036
Opening Hours:
Monday – Wednesday, 5:30pm – 12:00am
Thursday – Friday, 5:30pm – 1:00am
Saturday & Sunday, 11:30am – 1:00am
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Mandarin Oriental
Best For – Breakfast with a view
Address – 80 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10023
Opening Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 7 – 10:30am
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Per Se
Best For – Special occasions. Check out the tasting menu for a REALLY special occasion.
Address – 10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019,
Opening Hours:
Lunch | Friday – Sunday, 11:30am – 1:00pm;
Dinner| Nightly, 5:30pm – 9:30pm
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Rainbow Rooms (Bar 65 @ Rockefeller Center)
Best For – Cocktails with best views over Manhattans skyline
Address – 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65th Floor, New York, NY 10112
Opening Hours:
Weeknights from 5pm until close
Sundays, 4pm until 9pm. Kitchen opens at 5pm.

Serendipity Café
Best For – Film buffs. Here you find the famous frozen Hot Chocolate from the film Serendipity.
Address – 225 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday, 11:30am to midnight
Friday – Saturday, 11:30am to 1:00am

Sarabeth’s Central Park
Best For – Brunch
Address – 40 Central Park S, New York, NY 10021
Opening Hours:
Monday—Saturday, 8am-11pm
Sunday, 8am-10pm

Union Square

The Coffee Shop
Best For – This is a famous restaurant and bar where the servers are usually models!
Address – 29 Union Square W, New York, NY 10003,
Opening Hours:
Open Late

Chelsea

Lightship Frying Pan
*Due to reopen in summer 2017
Check out Pier 66 Maritime in the meantime which is owned by the same people.
Best For – Food and drink in a Historic Floating Barge and Lightship.
Address – Pier 66 in Hudson River Park,(W 26th Street entry), New York
Opening Hours:
Weekly, 12:00pm – 12:00am
Top Tip – This once sunken barge has been rescued and converted into a floating restaurant. It is only open when the weather is good because it is all outdoors. If you go, make sure you explore the side of the boat that does not have a restaurant because you can see the old restored cabins – very cool or very creepy?

STK
Best For – Well, steak of course!
Address – 26 Little W 12th St, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours:
Sunday, 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Monday, 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Tuesday – Thursday, 6:00pm-12:00am
Friday – Saturday, 6:00pm-12:30am
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Buddakan
Best For – Special Occasions
Address – 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Opening Hours:
Monday & Tuesday, 5:30pm – 11:00pm
Wednesday & Thursday, 5:30pm – 12:00am
Friday & Saturday, 5:00pm – 1:00am
Sunday, 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Top Tip – Book in advance!

The Standard Hotel
Best For – Trendy hangout for rooftop cocktails and dinner. In the summer, Le Bain, the hotels nightclub takes over the rooftop with a plunge pool
Address – 848 Washington St, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours:
Tuesday, 10PM – 4AM
Wednesday, 10PM – 4AM
Thursday, 10PM – 4AM
Friday, 10PM – 4AM
Saturday, 2PM – 4AM
Sunday, 2PM – 3AM

Los Tacos No 1
Best For – Famous for being the best tacos in New York.
Address – 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday, 11am-9pm
Sunday, 11am-8pm

Dos Cominos
Best For – Mexican food and freshly made guacamole!
Address – 675 Hudson Street at 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Wednesday, 11:30am – 11:00pm
Thursday, 11:30am – 12:00am
Friday – Saturday, 11:30am – 1:00am

Greenwich Village

Keste Pizza
Best For – Gourmet pizzas (not by the slice)
Address – 271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday, 11:30AM – 11:00PM
Friday – Saturday, 11:30AM – 11:30PM
Sunday, 11:30AM – 10:30PM

When We Visited – This great little restaurant was brimming with hungry customers munching on enormous sized pizza’s. The portions were huge so we shared a yummy butternut squash based pizza between the two of us. There was a constant stream of delivery guys coming and going, so if you can’t be bothered to head out, then order in!

Spotted Pig
Best For – Brunch
Address – 314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours:
Brunch, 11am – 3pm | Weekends only
Lunch, 12 – 3pm
Bar Menu, 3 – 5pm Weekdays | 3 – 4:30pm Weekends
Dinner, 5:30pm – 2am
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Morandi
Best For – More interesting Italian dishes
Address – 211 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours:
Breakfast | Monday – Friday, 8:00AM – 11:30AM
Lunch | Monday – Friday, 12:00PM – 4:00PM
Brunch | Saturday & Sunday, 10:00AM – 4:30PM
Afternoon | Monday – Friday, 4:00PM – 5:00PM
Dinner | Thursday – Saturday 5:30PM – Midnight, Sunday – Wednesday 5:30PM – 11:00PM

Brooklyn Fare
Best For – Three Michelin star rating, but not pretentious at all.
Address – 666 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 07:00am – 10:00pm
Top Tip – Book in advance!

East Village

Crif Dog
Best For – A choice of a million different hot dogs whilst you wait to be let into a secret cocktail bar (PDT) via a phone booth
Address – 113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 12pm-2am
Friday – Saturday: 12pm-4am
Top Tip – Book in advance for PDT!

When We Visited – You would never know a hidden cocktail bar (called ‘Please Don’t Tell’) lurks behind the old school telephone booth. Find the phone booth, dial one, and wait to be greeted from a secret door! Tables can’t be reserved so head down early to put your name down on the wait list. We went late, around 9pm, and were advised they had a two hour wait list. Four hours later they called us back!

Big Gay Ice Cream
Best For – Amazing Ice Creams
Address – 125 East 7th Street, New York NY 10009
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Wednesday, 11am-10pm
Fri day – Saturday, 11am-12am

When We Visited – We stopped for a late night treat post dinner. Although there was a relatively long line, the queue did move swiftly so don’t be put off. Lots of choices with toppings of your choice. If they still have The Salty Pimp on menu, order it!

Pomme Frites
Best For – Late night nibbles
Address – 128 Macdougal St, New York, NY 10012
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday, 11:00am – 2:00am
Friday – Saturday, 11:00am – 3:30am

When We Visited – Funny enough, whilst we were out in NYC we came across an article on Buzzfeed for Pomme Frites and it confirmed it was somewhere we must visit. This teeny tiny mini restaurant has a handful of seats and not much else. Order your loaded fries at the counter and find a spot to enjoy. Prepare yourself for mental size portions with endless condiments of your choice. I would suggest you share a regular portion as I have no idea how one person could eat that many fries! Look out for the funny holes in the table tops so you can prop your fries up as you eat!

Mamoun’s
Best For – Cheap falafels.
Address – 30 St. Marks Place, New York, NY, 10003
Opening Hours:
Monday – Wednesday, 11AM-2AM
Thursday, 11AM-3AM
Friday – Saturday, 11AM-5AM
Sunday, 11AM-1AM

Caracas Arepas
Best For – Amazing Venezuelan sandwiches. Gets busy from 7pm and there’s is always a long line. Go for a late lunch instead to avoid the queues.
Address – 91 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Opening Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 12:00noon -11pm
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Luke’s Lobster
Best For – Lobster Roll is a very American sandwich, traditional New England. The lobster is flown in from Maine fresh every day.
Address – 93 E. 7th Street, New York, NY 10009
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday, 11am-10pm
Friday – Saturday, 11am-11pm

Takahachi
Best For – Fresh fish and not too expensive. A local favorite.
Address – 85 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
Opening Hours:
Unable to advise

Momofuku Ssam Bar
Best For –
Address – 207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003, USA
Opening Hours:
Lunch | Monday – Friday | 11:30 am – 3:30 pm
Brunch | Saturday + Sunday | 11:30 am – 3:30 pm
Dinner | Sunday – Thursday | 5 pm – midnight, Friday + Saturday | 5 pm – 1 am

Pylos
Best For – Fancy simple amazing Greek food – not ghetto at all)
Address -128 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Opening Hours:
Lunch/Brunch | Wednesday through Sunday (11:30 am to 4:00 pm)
Dinner | Sunday through Thursday (5:00 pm to midnight),
Friday and Saturday (5:00 pm to 1:00 am)

Lower East Side

Clinton Street Bakery
Best For – American Brunch
Address – 4 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002,
Opening Hours:
Sunday: 9am – 5pm (no dinner on Sundays)
Monday thru Friday, breakfast: 8am – 4 pm, lunch: 11:30am – 4 pm, dinner: 5:30pm- 11 pm
Saturday, brunch 9am – 4pm, closed 4pm- 5:30pm, dinner 5:30pm-11pm

When We Visited – The CSB is famous for their breakfast and brunch, which is evident by the weekend queues which will have you waiting for around 2 hours unless you get there before 10:00am. We visited on a Sunday and arrived around 30 minutes before the restaurant opened. Within about 10 minutes the queue snaked round the corner – never seen somewhere so busy! Worth the wait though!
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Meatball Shop
Best For – You guessed it, meatballs!
Address – 84 Stanton St, New York, NY 10002,
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday, 11:30am to 2:00am
Friday – Saturday, 11:30am to 4:00am
Top Tip – Check out the homemade Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich on the dessert menu!

Beauty and Essex
Best For – Special Occasions
Address – 146 Essex St, New York, NY 10002
Opening Hours:
Dinner | Sunday: 6pm-12am, Monday-Wednesday: 5pm-12am, Thursday-Saturday: 5pm-1am
Brunch | Saturday-Sunday: 11:30am-3pm, Sunday Champagne Party Brunch: 1pm-6pm
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Supper 
Best For – Reliable good dinner at anytime
Address – 156 E 2nd St, New York, NY 10009
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday, 4:00pm – 12:00am
Saturday, 10:00am – 1:00am
Sunday, 10:00am – 12:00am
Top Tip – Book in advance!

Sweet Chick
Best For – Chicken and Waffles
Address – 178 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday, 11:00am – 12:00am
Friday – Saturday, 11:00am – 4:00am

SoHo/Nolita

Cafe Habana
Best For – Cuban Food. One of the most popular restaurants with the locals.
Address – 17 Prince St, New York, NY 10012 (corner of Elizabeth St)
Opening Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 09:00am – 12:00am

Balthazar
Best For – Special Occasions (perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!)
Address – 80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday, 7:30am – 01:00am

Freemans
Best For – American food. Try the mac n cheese
Address – Freeman Alley, New York, NY 1000
Opening Hours:
Lunch | Monday – Friday, 11AM to 4PM
Brunch | Saturday – Sunday, 10AM to 4PM
Afternoon Cocktails & Light Fare | Every Day, 4pm to 6pm
Dinner | Every Night, 6pm – 11:30pm

Lombardis
Best For – Old school Pizzeria
Address – 32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012,
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday, 11:30am – 11pm
Friday – Saturday, 11:30am – 12 Midnight

Chinatown

Jing Fong
Best For – Dim Sum
Address – 20 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013
Opening Hours:
Unable to confirm

Golden Unicorn
Best For – Dim Sum
Address – 18 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002
Opening Hours:
Restaurant | Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 10:30 pm, Saturday – Sunday 9:30 am – 10:30 pm
Dim sum Hours | Monday – Friday, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm, Saturday – Sunday, 09:30 am – 4:00 pm (Walk-ins only)

Brooklyn

Henry’s Public
Best For – Brunch and late night supper
Address – 329 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201,
Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday, 5 pm – 2 am
Friday, 5 pm – 4 am
Saturday, 11 am – 4 am
Sunday, 11 am – 2 am

One Girl Cookie
Best For – A whoopie Pie (a yummy cake cookie sandwich filled with cream invented in Brooklyn)
Address – 68 Dean St, Brooklyn, NY 11201,
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8am-7pm
Saturday, 9am-6pm
Sunday, 10am-6pm

Grimaldi’s
Best For – Famous pizzeria near Dumbo
Address – Under the Brooklyn Bridge, 1 Front Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday, 11:30-10:45 pm
Friday, 11:30-11:45 pm
Saturday, 12:00-11:45 pm
Sunday, 12:00-10:45 pm

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
Best For – Afternoon Ice Cream Treats
Address – 1 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Sunday, 12 pm – 10pm
Top Tip – Cash Only!

Habana Outpost
Best For – Mexican and Cuban cuisines on the cheap
Address – 757 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217,
Opening Hours:
Unable to confirm

Top Tip – This is the sister restaurant of Café Habana in Manhattan, however the Brooklyn branch happens to be NYC’s first restaurant that is entirely solar powered. The food is amazing and cheap, and they also show outdoor movies on Sunday nights.!

Cake Man
Best For – The best Red Velvet Cake in the City
Address – 2914 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11207
Opening Hours:
Daily, 12:00 – 20:00