We asked for your advice on where the best places to eat and drink are in New York and OMG you lot came up with the goods. Literally, hundreds of recommendations and you would probably need to live in New York for 10 years, and you still wouldn’t get to try them all!
I have broken this down into meal times to try and make it a little easier for you (and also me and Ian) … however please bear in mind that these are all your recommendations so if any of this information is incorrect or they don’t quite meet your high expectations…. don’t blame us! ??♂️
Worth noting that a lot of these restaurants offer Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner so could be worth a try regardless of the time of day you visit!
We have pre-booked as much as possible but have also left one evening free to be able to book last minute just in case we fancy something different.
If you have been to any of these places, let us know your thoughts (or what to order!) in the comments section.
Thank you again to everyone that contributed to this blog post.
Breakfast/Brunch
Sarabeth’s for Breakfast – multiple locations.
Brunch at The Boathouse, Central Park
Bubbys for Brunch after walking the Highline
Jacks Wife Freda – in Soho/Greenwich
Ace Hotel for Brunch
Jefferys for Brunch
The Smith for Breakfast
Black barn for Breakfast
Breakfast at The Palm (Plaza Hotel – Home Alone hotel)
Perishing Square for Breakfast opposite Grand Central Station/restaurant, not the cafe
Brilliant brunch place (bagel fest) is Sadelles
Buvette (West Village) for Breakfast
Food/Snacks/Light/Daytime
Spotted Pig – Jay Z Restaurant / The spotted pig in Greenwich village has the most ridiculously delicious chips, they’re as thin as spaghetti and to die for! It’s also in a super cool place to just walk around, you’ll love the houses, and you’ll find yourself across the road from the Hudson River
Starbucks Reserve New York Roastery
Serendipity restaurant for lunch
Katz Deli / Katz Diner – Located in Bowery it is New York’s most famous deli and full of American-inspired food. It is AMAZING!
Gotham Market West (Food Hall)
Zabar’s Gourmet Deli and Grocery Store – 2245 Broadway & 80th Street, Upper West Side
Max Brenner – Chocolate Bar/Shop at 841 Broadway is lush!
Joes Pizza – Celeb favourite! $3 a slice
Tea & Sympathy in Greenwich
Dominique Ansel Bakery for Cronuts
Pies’n’thighs Brooklyn for fried chicken and waffles
Doughnut Plant – Lower East Side or Chelsea.
Rays Pizza – Great for takeout!
Burger Joint @ Le Parker Meridien / Breakfast have won lots of awards
Shake Shack Burgers – Madison Square Park
Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station
ABC Cocina – beautiful place for a nice lunch, small plates, stunning setting, and they have their shop downstairs where they do the cutest home bits (definitely worth looking at!
Cafe Cluny – Greenwich Village
Cafe Grumpy ( slotting that one in for Ian ?)
Urban Space – great for lunch and breakfast
Whole Foods Market – The Shops at Columbus Circle or Union Square (By Soho)
Salumeria Biellese – The deli in Manhattan that supplies a lot of hotels and excellent dining places. Their menu is fantastic and the food cheap; hot and cold sandwiches and literally the best Italian meat tasted there! It doesn’t look like much when you go in; a few cafe tables and small, however, the volume comes in the form of the food!
Fancy / $$$
Buddakhan – highly recommended, one of the most commented-on restaurants.
Tao – a must-visit! If you want a blowout night, the best food, the best atmosphere, the best cocktails and fantastic music. NEED to prebook
La Esquina – SOHO -Mexican (The secret one downstairs not upstairs ) –
The Daniel Restaurant – fine dining, a gentleman must wear trousers and jackets.
The Clock Tower – fine dining
Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern in the Village is Nigella’s favourite!
Tacuba – Mexican Food in Hells Kitchen –
One Dine @ One World Observatory
The Dutch NYCDirty French – Lower East Side
Revolving Resturant Bar – Top of Marriott Marquis TS
The River Cafe – smart dress code/view of Brooklyn Bridge / best views over Manhattan/lots of love for this place – ask for a window seat.
Boathouse in Central Park/ Loeb Boathouse restaurant in Central Park for somewhere romantic.
Steak Houses
COTE – absolutely superb Korean Steakhouse, you definitely need to pre-book, it is expensive BUT outstanding food ? –
Best of the Rest
Dinner at Gramercy Tavern –
Tavern on the Green – Central Park
Black Tap Cafe – Burgers and Shakes
Beccos – best Italian in NYC! An incredible little hidden gem, amazing Italian and they do an all you can eat from 3 kinds of pasta (a must!)
Rubiosa – best Pizza in the city!
Atla (Mexican)
The Antique Garage – Mediterranean food, cool little joint and it’s nice to sit at the front to enjoy watching the New Yorkers walk by –
The best Italian (insane pizza) Wood Fire Food is Pasquale Jones
Lure – In the basement, corner of Mercer and Spring! The BEST Lychee Martinis and random but amazing seafood, from Sushi to Chowder and everything in between –
Sevilla Restaurant (West Village)
Five Napkin Burger at Hells Kitchen (takes reservations online)
El Centro at Hell’s Kitchen (don’t take bookings) http://elcentro-nyc.com
Juliana’s – has a lot of history, I think the original owner was a friend to some of the mafia, and there were a lot of pictures of him with Frank Sinatra.
New York – Bars and Clubs
For rooftop views: 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar (views of Empire State)
Salon De Ning – Cocktails
Kimberly Hotel – Rooftop Drinks
Pod39 Hotel Rooftop Bar
Rainbow Room 65 – Rockefeller Centre – Book in advance
The Moxy Chelsea for Rooftop Drinks
Ayzanyc – best chocolate Martinis
The Strand for Cocktails
The Roof at Public Hotel (Lower East Side)
The Back Room (Lower East Side/ Prohibition Speakeasy)
Westlight (Brooklyn)
W hotel in Brooklyn is beautiful. Great views back over to Manhattan from the bar.
Cafe Wha – Noho – Music Bar / House Band –
The Beekman Hotel – FD for drinks
Dead Rabbit – Financial District
The Gramercy park hotel rose bar is awesome (Flatiron)
The Hoxton Rooftop Bar (Williamsburg)
The Rooftop at The Standard / The Boom Boom Room – Sunset Jazz Bar –
O’Lunneys (Times SQ) – Irish Pub / Great Chicken Wings
Clumleys speakeasy (Greenwich)
Grand Central Terminal. The Campbell. – Used to be the Campbell Apartment. Best Manhattan?in Manhattan. The history of this bar is fabulous!! Architecture or sit at Cipriani and revel in the glow that the marble gives your skin. Great for people watching – hosts live jazz nights on Sundays.
Please Don’t Tell – A bar that’s hidden behind a phone booth in a hotdog shop.
Flaming Saddles – great bar!
Marie’s Crisis Cafe– the best bar for singing.
Bath Tub Gin is a speakeasy and looks like a little coffee shop from the front! – – you must book ahead but it is so good
Amelie– French restaurant Happy hour between 5-7PM. Wine flights $12 four glasses of wine. **COMBINE this with your trip to Greenwich and Washington square** it is just around the corner
The Playwright Irish Pub (a block away from Macy’s)
Friedmans Lunch for breakfast – chicken & waffles and the blueberry pancakes are insane!
Buddakan as previously mentioned!
Rubirosa – best pizza e v e r
Steak – st. Anselm – Williamsburg. Hidden gem, can’t book, baked truffle mash, need I say more!
Enjoy! And look forward to drunken Ian, stateside.
Tao and Buddakhan are sexy restaurants. I think Tao (in Soho) is sexier though. Been (or avoided) a lot of these recommendations (we live just outside the City). We have a booking at The Flatiron Room for Saturday night if you want it (if any of your plans change).