50+ Best Places To Eat In New York City – NYC Best Restaurants

Last Updated on 2nd July 2024

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Are you looking for some of the best places to eat and drink in New York City? You’ve come to the right place! In my guide below I’m sharing just some of my favourite food and drink spots in NYC!

Below, I’ve compiled a list of all the best places to eat in New York City, including my top recommendations for the best brunch places in NYC, the best restaurants in Manhattan and a little insight into some of the best nightlife and rooftop bars in New York too.

If you’ve got a trip planned to the Big Apple anytime soon, I hope this ultimate guide of the 50+ best places to eat in New York City helps you out when it comes to finding great places to eat! I’ll also be sure to keep updating this post whenever I visit NYC so that it’s always full of the good stuff!

Heading to NYC? Get my Ultimate New York City Travel Guide ebook which includes over 234 pages full of information to help you plan your trip to New York! You can also join my FREE New York Facebook Group for more travel tips and advice!

Please note, all prices and information are accurate at the time of writing this post in January 2022; taxes and service fees may differ at the time of your visit to any of the below places. The list below of the top places to eat in NYC are not in any particular order and of course, I will be sure to continue updating this list every time I visit New York and find new places to eat.

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Best food tours and attractions in New York City

Want to enjoy some of the best foodie experiences in New York? Check out some of the top food tours and attractions in NYC!

• Half-Day Pizza Tasting Bus Tour
• Chinatown & Little Italy Food Tour
• New York City Food Tour
• Lower East Side Food Tastings and Culture Tour
• Little Italy Italian Food Tasting Tour
• Food Tour Of Greenwich Village
• Luxury Brunch, Lunch or Dinner Harbor Cruise
• Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO Neighborhood Food Tour
• Hell’s Kitchen Walking Food Tour
• Original Cupcake Tour of Greenwich Village
• Brownstone Brooklyn Food Tour
• 3-Hour Williamsburg Bites Food Tour

Read more: 20 Best Food Tours In NYC

Best places for breakfast/brunch/lunch in New York

New York City is home to an abundance of incredible breakfast cafes, awesome brunch spots and brilliant places to grab a light bite or a more decadent meal for lunch.

During our month-long visit to New York, we managed to visit some of the city’s top eateries for breakfast, brunch and lunch and I’ve also included a few of my recommendations for the best snacks in New York, too. Check them out below!

Read more: 4 Days In New York City Itinerary

Tompkins Square Bagels – best places to eat in New York City

Tompkins Square Bagels was located less than a 5-minute walk from our apartment in the East Village and it was also the first breakfast place we ate at on our first full day living in the city.

It’s a true local joint and you’ll find many regulars frequenting this establishment to enjoy some of the best bagels in the city. They’re not particularly cheap at around $10-$12 a bagel, but they’re so bloody huge and hearty and you could easily share one with someone if you don’t think you could tackle the whole thing by yourself!

What to order:

• Bacon egg and cheese bagel – $9 
• Large Americano – $3.50
• The Weezer (bacon, chorizo, cheese, egg and cream cheese of choice (bacon scallion) – $10.95

Empanada Mama

Empanadas aren’t necessarily synonymous with breakfast but we’ve eaten them at numerous places on our road trip around America so far and they actually make quite a great meal to start the day with!

The best empanadas we’ve tried were from a little place called Empanada Mama and there are actually two locations in Manhattan. The pepperoni pizza and BBQ pulled pork flavours were my personal favourite.

What to order:

• Columbiana empanada wheat flour – $4.15
• BBQ pulled pork cornflour – $4.30
• Shredded chicken baked empanada – $4.30
• Pepperoni pizza wheat flour – $4.15
• Shredded beef empanada – $4.69

Read more: NYC In A Day: How To Spend One Day In New York

Horus Cafe on A – best breakfast places in New York City

This adorable Mediterranean place was also located literally just around the corner from our apartment in the East Village and even though we walked past it dozens of times on our way into the city, we didn’t eat at Horus Cafe on A until one of our last mornings in New York City.

This cafe offers a great breakfast/brunch menu and it’s very reasonably priced, too! They’re also open on an evening and offer Hookah experiences if you want to enjoy a longer, more chilled out vibe while dining.

What to order:

• Two eggs any style (with juice or tea or coffee) – $9 

Breads Bakery (63rd street)

We visited the Breads Bakery branch on Broadway and West 63rd Street which is just one minute from the Central Park West entrance.

There are so many delightful delicacies to choose from at Breads Bakery, including many wonderful pastries, bread products and both sweet and savoury treats, too. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite to eat first thing in the morning before taking a stroll through Central Park.

What to order:

• Pain au chocolat – $4.35
• Croissant – $3.95
• Potato bureka – $3.95

Sathi – best restaurants in New York City

Sathi certainly isn’t a breakfast place (unless you want to have curry for breakfast, then, by all means, go ahead!), but it is an excellent choice for lunch or dinner.

We happened upon Sathi on our way to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and as we visited on a lunchtime, we were offered their lunch special menu where you’re given the choice of one dish (either a chicken tikka masala or saag paneer) and then you get to choose an additional entree and a side of rice or naan. For less than $12 each, I thought this was tremendous value for money, especially as many of the Indian restaurants we’ve seen in America are incredibly expensive and the food here was also truly divine.

If you’re looking for the best Indian restaurant in New York City, be sure to check out Sathi!

What to order:

Lunch special Monday to Friday 11am to 3pm 

• Chicken tikka masala and butter chicken with rice – $11.95
• Chicken tikka masala and vindaloo with naan – $11.95

Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs

I knew I wanted to visit Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs on our most recent trip to New York City as I’d heard so many great things about them.

In reality, they are just pretty standard hotdogs, but they’re still delicious and they make for a great snack stop while exploring NYC.

What to order:

• Hot dog combo meal (with fries) – $8
• New York Cheesesteak – $10.99

Read more: What Is New York Famous For?

Los Tacos in DUMBO, Brooklyn 

This recommendation of the best places to eat in New York City actually comes from Matt as I didn’t eat here as I’m quite fussy about what I like in a taco (I literally despite cilantro/coriander so much), so Matt took the reigns on this one and he actually said it was one of the best tacos he’s ever had!

They’re super tiny, so you’ll definitely need to order more than one if you want to make a meal out of your visit to Los Tacos, but they also make a great little snack once you’re over the Brooklyn Bridge into DUMBO.

What to order:

• Chicken taco – $3.75

Isouvlaki – best places to eat in New York City

Matt and I are both huge fans of gyros, so when we came across Isouvlaki, we knew we wanted to grab a bite to eat there. Technically, we each had a tylikto combo, which is very much like a gyro; I went for the chicken and Matt had the steak, but we both agreed that the chicken was much better.

I couldn’t get over how big the portions were at Isouvlaki, so if you visit here for lunch or dinner, make sure you’ve worked up quite the appetite beforehand!

What to order:

• Tylikto combo chicken with fries – $11.90
• Tylikto combo steak – $13.40

Berlin Currywurst (in Chelsea market)

Located inside Chelsea Market, AKA one of the best food halls in New York City, the hotdog we had from Berlin Currywurst was absolutely scrumptious.

My only qualm was that it was a little pricey for just a hotdog at $8, but it really was yummy, so I think if you’re craving this kind of easy-going snack, you’re onto a winner at Berlin Currywurst!

What to order:

• Pork Paprika Currywurst with Sauerkraut – $8

Doughnuttery (inside Chelsea market)

I fell absolutely head over heels in love with the doughnuts from Doughnuttery and if you’re partial to a sugary sweet treat, I urge you to try them out! There are a few locations of Doughnuttery dotted around the city, including a stall at Bryant Park at Christmastime and they’re truly worth every single cent!

The salted caramel sugar glaze was my personal favourite and even though I usually prefer savoury snacks to sweet treats, I honestly think I could eat these every single day.

What to order:

• 6 doughnuts with 2 toppings and sauce (salted caramel and glaze chocolate drizzle) – $5.99

Levain Bakery – best places to eat in New York City

I’m definitely contradicting myself somewhat by saying I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth and then putting two incredibly sweet treats right after one another, but the dark chocolate cookie from Levain Bakery was all kinds of delights for the senses.

There are multiple locations dotted around the city, so whenever you see a branch, be sure to pop in for something sugary and delicious.

What to order:

• Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie – $4.50

Best places to eat in New York City – dinner recommendations

As much as I’m a huge lover of all things breakfast and brunch, nine times out of ten, I’d say that dinner is where it’s at for me.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of incredible restaurants in New York and I’ve been lucky to experience my fair share of them on each of my trips to the Big Apple.

If you’re looking for the best dinner recommendations in New York City, I’ve got you covered in my list below.

Read more: 7 Days In New York Itinerary – Ultimate 7-Day NYC Itinerary

Ruby’s

I’m going to start this roundup of the best places to eat in New York for dinner with one of my very favourite restaurants in NYC; Ruby’s. There are three locations in New York City, one in Murray Hill, one in the East Village and one in SoHo.

We ate at the Murray Hill location in the outdoor seating area which was actually pretty bloody cold as it was the end of December, but I imagine it would be the dreamiest outdoor seating restaurant in the warmer months.

The menu at Ruby’s is actually what caught my eye as we walked past as they had my favourite; sausage pasta. I’ve been making this dish as a campervan meal ever since we road tripped around New Zealand and while I’d like to think my version is pretty good, Ruby’s spicy Italian sausage pasta with rigatoni and a creamy tomato sauce was genuinely out of this world. Matt had the Ruby’s Ragu which was also divine.

If you’re a pasta fiend like me, you need to add Ruby’s to your NYC food bucket list!

What to order:

• Spicy Italian sausage pasta (rigatoni, creamy tomato sauce, baby peas and Parmesan) – $16.50
• Ruby’s Ragu (slow braised beef short rib, pappardelle, pecorino, burrata sauce, bacon) – $17

Dudley’s – best places to eat in New York City

We’d walked past Dudley’s numerous times and checked the menu before we eventually ate there as it was always pretty busy on an evening.

When we did eventually dine there, I was delighted to discover that it was more than worth the wait as the food, atmosphere and staff were all exceptional. I opted for the fried chicken burger at the recommendation of our waiter who said it was wonderful and that it certainly was! Matt had the lamb pappardelle pasta which was so freaking yummy.

It’s an Australian restaurant but it somehow feels very local and it was one of my favourite places we ate at on our most recent trip to New York.

What to order:

• Lamb pappardelle – $20
• Fried chicken burger – $16
• Pilsner – $6

Royale Bar

Royale Bar is what inspired me to write this post about the best spots to eat and drink in NYC as it was the very first place we ate at once we’d arrived in New York for our one-month stay.

We sat outside in their heated beer garden and ate the most scrumptious burgers and a huge portion of fries and we raised a toast to the beginning of our incredible trip.

What to order:

• Crispy buttermilk chicken burger – $12
• House fries to share – $5
• Bacon royale – $12
• Magners cider – $8
• Pilsner – $8

Ellen’s Stardust Diner

Ellen’s Stardust Diner is one of the quintessentially American diner experiences that you simply have to indulge in while you’re in New York City.

Perched just on the corner of Broadway, just up from Times Square, Ellen’s is a beacon for that classic all-American diner tradition with a theatrical twist; the servers are all performers working to make their way onto Broadway!

It’s undeniably cheesy and I can imagine it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste to listen to people sing theatre songs while you eat, but I absolutely loved the whole experience and even better, the food here is also truly delicious! We ordered the meatball parmesan and chicken and waffles and while they’re not the cheapest you’ll find in the city, they very well might just be the tastiest! Ellen’s should definitely be on your list of places to eat as it’s undoubtedly one of the coolest restaurants in New York City.

What to order:

• Meatball Parmesan hero sandwich – $21
• Lenox Avenue style chicken and waffles – $27
• Pepsi – $4

Bubby’s – top places to eat in New York City

Bubby’s is another one of my top 5 restaurants in NYC and one of the most famous places to eat in New York and before my first visit there, I’d heard so many raving reviews about the food here, that I knew I had to give it a try.

With hearty sandwiches and portions big enough to fill your belly just by looking at them, Bubby’s packs a punch when it comes to decadent dining. The bacon mac and cheese was filthy in the best possible way and the turkey pastrami Reuben was one of the best sandwiches we had in NYC.

Bring your appetite to Bubby’s; you’re going to need it!

What to order:

• Turkey Pastrami Reuben – pastrami, cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing on rye bread – $20 
• Bacon Mac and Cheese – $12

Flame Hibachi

Matt had wanted to eat at a Teppanyaki place for years, so when we came across the rave reviews for Flame Hibachi in NYC, we jumped at the chance to eat there. We also dined at around 4pm mid-week, so it was reasonably quiet and it meant that we didn’t have to make a reservation or queue for ages to be seated.

The concept of Flame Hibachi is very cool and you pick the type of meat or seafood that you want (there are also combos so you can get one of each or the choice of two types of meat which is exactly what Matt and I did) and then you have a choice of one appetiser and the meal is then cooked in front of you on huge grills and the food is served with vegetables, side salad and jasmine rice. The chefs/waiters really go all out and put on a show while cooking so expect giant flames and the chance to catch food in your mouth as they throw it in the air; it really is one of the most fun places to eat in New York!

The food is truly delicious but it’s the experience of dining at Flame Hibachi that really seals its rightful place on this list of the best places to eat in New York.

What to order:

• Sirloin steak and free range chicken – $30
• New York Strip Steak and free range chicken – $32

(Both came with beef potstickers as an appetiser, vegetables, side salad and jasmine rice).

Jose Luis

We ate at Jose Luis, an Italian/Mediterranean restaurant, on Christmas Eve in New York City and while it certainly wasn’t the most traditional festive food, it was still very yummy, although definitely not the most affordable place to eat if you’re looking for cheap pasta dishes.

I had the chicken parmigiana which is one of my favourite meals and while it was so good, I’d have preferred spaghetti rather than penne pasta with it. Matt had the salmon pasta which was the first time he’s ever ordered a seafood pasta dish and he said that it didn’t disappoint!

We also accidentally timed our visit to coincide with happy hour at Jose Luis so we ordered bellinis to toast Christmas!

What to order:

• Pollo Parmigiana – $25
• Salmon pasta – $21
• Bellini $5 (at happy hour)

Churchill Tavern – best places to eat in New York City

On the day that we ate at Churchill Tavern, I’d been saying to Matt all morning about how much I was craving proper English pub food and when we came across this cute little pub in the heart of New York City, I was very happy indeed.

The bangers and mash were very good pub grub, but Matt’s beef and ale pie didn’t quite live up to expectations, unfortunately. We’re very blessed with our pubs in England so we’re probably a little spoiled when it comes to pub food! Thankfully, New York has a plethora of wonderful restaurants and an abundance of cuisines so we’re more than happy with that!

What to order:

• Beef and English ale pie – $20
• Bangers and Mash – $20

Eataly (inside Oculus) – best places to eat in New York City

If you’re looking for one of the best restaurants in NYC with a view, head to the Eataly establishment inside Oculus in the Financial District. If you’re seated near a window, you’ll be treated to stunning views of One World Trade while you eat.

I’d wanted to eat at Eataly for so long and when we finally did, I wasn’t disappointed by the pizza! The veal and pork-filled pasta was also something I was desperate to try as it sounded so delightful and while I definitely did enjoy it, I personally thought it would work better with a tomato sauce, rather than a creamy white sauce. The portion of this also wasn’t particularly huge, especially considering how expensive it was, so I’d probably skip this next time, but I wouldn’t hesitate to order the spicy salami pizza again; this was delightful!

What to order:

• Agnolotti del plin al parmigiano (veal and pork filled pasta) – $27
• Massese (spicy salami pizza) – $21

New Moon Restaurant

I feel like this might be cheating somewhat as we didn’t actually eat at the New Moon restaurant, we just ordered takeaway to our apartment, but it’s still one of my top recommendations for the best places to eat in New York City, so here it is!

The food from New Moon was so good and I literally couldn’t get over how bloody huge the portion sizes were; we still had so much food leftover for breakfast, which is always a winner in my eyes!

What to order:

• Chicken Lo Mein with soft noodles – $14.95
• Sautéed Pepper Chicken with rice – $15.75

Virgil’s Real BBQ – Times Square

We ate at Virgil’s Real BBQ in Times Square when we met up with some family friends who were on holiday in the States at the same time as us and not only was it so lovely to see them, it also meant that we ate some bloody good food, too!

The menu at Virgil’s is aimed towards meat lovers and there are plenty of hearty, indulgent options to choose from, including ‘The Pig Out’ sharing platter that Matt and I had which consisted of so much food that we struggled to finish it all!

What to order:

• The Pig Out (pork spare ribs, sliced Texas beef brisket, pulled pork and BBQ half chicken – $55.95
• Strawberry kicked up lemonade – $14

Yard House – best places to eat in New York City

Incidentally, we also ate at The Yard House with the same friends who we dined at Virgil’s with and again, this was another brilliant place to eat in NYC, especially as it’s so conveniently located in Times Square, so you get to enjoy the hubbub of the city outside while you eat lots of delicious things!

I’m really not much of a salad person at all (literally the only salad I will eat is a Caesar salad), but when we ate at The Yard House, I just wasn’t particularly hungry at all but I didn’t want to be left out so I ordered the Caesar salad! It was nice enough, but it definitely needs some chicken added to it because the portion of leaves was just too huge and plain on their own.

Thankfully, Matt took one for the team and had the Nashville hot chicken burger which more than made up for my lack of effort in ordering!

What to order:

• Caesar salad – $8.49
• Nashville hot chicken burger – $14.99
• Cider – $7.29
• Half a yard beer Coors – $13.99

Golden Forest Chinese takeaway

Another Chinese takeaway that you can add to your list of the best places to eat in New York City is Golden Forest. We ordered from here on New Year’s Day after spending the entire day hungover in bed (it was not a pretty sight…) and the food literally healed my body!

The chicken lo mein combo platter was exactly what I needed and while I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was the best Chinese food I’ve ever had, it’s more than yummy enough for a takeaway option if you don’t fancy heading out to eat.

What to order:

• Beef with Black Bean Sauce Combo Platter with rice – $13.50
• Chicken Lo Mein Combo Platter with rice – $12.40

Shake Shack in Brooklyn (Old Fulton street)

Shake Shack obviously isn’t a revolutionary place to eat in New York, but it is one of my favourite fast-food chains and the Brooklyn branch on Old Fulton Street is my personal favourite as it’s where Matt and I ate almost six years ago when we first visited New York together.

Sometimes you just can’t beat quick and easy fast food and the chicken shack burger and fries is exactly that.

What to order:

• Truffle burger (special) $8.99
• Chicken shack burger $7.59
• Fries $3.25
• Large coke $3.49

Katz’s Deli

Katz’s Delicatessen is cited as one of NYC’s best restaurants in almost every food guide to New York City and while I can certainly vouch that the food here is excellent, I didn’t particularly enjoy the dining experience as much as I’d anticipated.

I’d wanted to visit Katz’s ever since I realised it was the filming location of the infamous diner scene from When Harry Met Sally. Not only that, but Katz’s is one of the most famous restaurants in New York City in its own right and the beloved Jewish deli has been serving its famous Pastrami sandwich for over 130 years. They also pride themselves on their “no-frills” approach and “intentionally cranky service”, but I personally just didn’t particularly enjoy the service and I wanted to share my honest opinion here so you know what to expect, unlike me as I was very unprepared!

Firstly, the queues to even get inside Katz’s are often right down the block, so you can expect to wait in line at least 30 minutes, seemingly no matter when you visit. This is often a sign of a great place to eat, however, so I didn’t actually mind that too much.

However, I also found the queueing system inside to be chaotic and very confusing and there are separate lines for different types of food, which makes it difficult if you want to order different things off the menu.

When we managed to grab a table, we waited for ages for someone to come over and serve us and then the wait staff were extremely pushy about leaving tips; we’d been in New York for over 3 weeks at this point and we knew just how important tipping is in American culture, so we’re always more than happy to leave one, but the staff mentioned tipping throughout the meal so many times to us.

I also didn’t like the ticketing system in which you receive a ticket that’s supposedly worth $50 that you then have to “exchange” for your receipt when you go to pay. It’s imperative that you don’t lose your ticket and make sure you hand it back before you leave otherwise they’ll charge you a $50 “lost ticket fee”. This whole system just seemed bizarre to me.

However, as I said before, the food at Katz’s truly is wonderful. They’re famed for their Pastrami sandwich and I can totally see why; it was so delicious, albeit very expensive for just a sandwich. I opted for the cheesesteak sandwich and I actually probably preferred this to the Pastrami alternative, so if you do decide to visit Katz’s, these sandwiches are both great options.

Overall, I don’t think I would personally be in any rush to revisit Katz’s Deli any time soon, but if you want to see the famous eatery and even sit where Harry and Sally sat from the iconic movie scene, go ahead and please let me know how you found the experience!

What to order:

• Pastrami sandwich – $24.95
• Cheesesteak – $19.95

The best pizza slices in Manhattan

I was going to write about the below pizza places in their entirety but I’ve already written a huge guide to the best pizza slices in Manhattan, so go ahead and check that out if you’re looking for the best pizza places in NYC!

• East Village Pizza – the cheesy garlic knots from here are on another level!
• Sal & Carmine Pizza – this was our most highly rated pizza slice when we did our “pizza tour“.
• Joe’s Pizza (Carmine Street) – Joe’s in an iconic pizza joint in New York City with many branches.
• Village Square Pizza
• Baker’s Pizza
• Sofia Pizza Shoppe
• Koronet Pizza
• Prince Street Pizza
• My Pie Pizzeria Romana
• Bleecker Street Pizza

Read more: The Best Pizza Slices In New York City (Manhattan) – RANKED

The best bars in NYC – best places to eat in New York City

If you’ve sated your appetite and you’re now looking for the best places to drink in New York, check out my list below of some of NYC’s best bars!

230 Fifth Rooftop Bar

We actually ate/drank at 230 Fifth Rooftop bar on Christmas Day as we booked their bottomless Christmas brunch and it was an experience that did not disappoint! They have so many wonderful special packages you can choose from and it offers one of the (if not the) best viewpoints of the Empire State Building in New York City.

The food and drinks here are so unbelievably good and the rooftop area is unbelievably huge and such a great place to hang out in all seasons! You can check out my full review of 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar here.

Time Out Market Brooklyn rooftop bar

If you’re looking for more of the best rooftops in New York, look no further than Time Out Market, located in Brooklyn, right in between the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge.

This place is idyllic if you want to sip a fancy cocktail while watching the twinkling lights of Manhattan at night and it’s also perfect for a bite to eat as the downstairs area of Time Out Market New York caters to a tonne of culinary desires and preferences.

PJ Clarke’s on the Hudson

If you want an expensive glass of wine with the most stunning setting for sunset, you’ve basically won the lottery if you visit PJ Clarke’s on the Hudson. We stumbled across this place completely by accident one day when we were mooching around Brookfield Place, but as we noticed the sun starting to set, we decided to hang around and watch the whole show and it was entirely worth it for the $13 glass of wine!

The Library Bar – best places to eat in New York City

The Library Bar in the East Village became somewhat of our local while we lived there as it wasn’t far from our apartment at all, especially when they had their happy hour offer of two drinks for $8.

It’s a very dingy-looking place and not for everyone as it can be a bit too local sometimes, but we enjoyed our ventures there and the cheap prices made it one of the more competitive places to drink for us cheap Brits!

Doc Holliday’s

We went to Doc Holliday’s on our second full night in New York City and it’s an incredibly cool and edgy bar located in the East Village. It was busy in there every single night we walked past, regardless of whether it was a weekday or weekend, so I’m pretty sure you can always guarantee a lively vibe at Doc Holliday’s.

The Factory 380 – best bars and places to eat in New York City

We also visited The Factory 380 on our first full day living in New York for a little afternoon tipple and even though it was relatively quiet when we first went inside, it soon started to liven up as the evening progressed.

They offer a pretty good happy hour with lots of drinks on offer, so definitely one to add to your list of the best bars in New York if you want somewhere slightly more affordable.

McSorley’s Old Ale House

McSorley’s is an iconic beacon in the New York City pub scene and this little joint prides itself on only serving two kinds of ale (light and dark).

Unfortunately, these tipples aren’t to my tasting as I don’t like any kind of beer or ale at all, but the vibe of McSorley’s is very cool and Matt enjoyed a fair few drinks so it’s definitely worth popping in as it’s a very unique and authentic place to drink in New York. It opened all the way back in 1854, so it’s a very old establishment in the city of New York and it’s got some real character to it, plus plenty of locals who frequent this unique place. Watch out for all the sawdust on the floor too; another iconic trademark of McSorley’s!

Standings – 8 teles

Standings isn’t exactly a bar in New York City where you’ll go for a nice date night or for somewhere with a lively atmosphere, but it is the place to be if you’re a huge sports fan as there are eight televisions positioned around the walls at Standings. It’s a crazy small place and I honestly think you could fit just a dozen people inside before it becomes far too crowded, but if you’re into watching NFL or basketball games, this is the place you need to be.

Spike’s – best places to eat in New York City

Spike’s was located literally just around the corner from our apartment in New York and it was always full of the liveliest characters. We had a couple of drinks in here while it was still happy hour on New Year’s Even and they played some truly fantastic singalong music which is very much right up my street!

Paddy Maguire’s Ale House

Paddy Maguire’s is a special bar in New York for me as it’s where we rang in 2022 on NYE. The drinks in here are really rather expensive (you’re looking at around $10 for a vodka lemonade), but their Christmas decorations were some of the best I’ve seen in the city and it just has a wonderful vibe to it. Perhaps pop in for just one drink to check it out and then head somewhere a bit cheaper!

The Grisly Pear (comedy show)

We’d wanted to watch a live comedy show the whole time we were in New York but we only managed to get around to doing it on one of our last nights in the city. We found the live comedy night at The Grisly Pear on Airbnb and as tickets were only around £9 with no expectations to purchase drinks once you’re there (like many comedy clubs do), we decided to give it a whirl and it was definitely a very fun experience!

11th Street Bar 

There’s really not an awful lot to be said about 11th Street bar apart from the fact that it’s a Liverpool FC supporter’s bar, so if you’re into football like Matt is and you’re a big Liverpool supporter, 11st Street bar is an excellent choice in New York City. Apart from that, it’s a pretty standard bar with not a tonne of things going on.

The Market Line – NYC food bucket list

I’ve included The Market Line (and Essex Market below) in this roundup of the best bars in New York City as I didn’t really know where else to place them.

There are certainly a lot of dining options to enjoy at The Market Line, plus plenty of places where you can grab a tipple and just wandering around the building is a fun activity in itself, especially if you pick up something scrumptious while you’re there.

Essex Market

The Market Line and Essex Market are actually located within the same building, so you really can’t see one without visiting the other. Get a delicious helping of yummy food while you’re there and check out the many sweet treats and bar stalls they have to offer, too.

Top tips for eating out in New York

• If you’re visiting New York on a budget, don’t order drinks with your meal – you will get free table water everywhere you go and it will help to cut back on the cost of meals significantly.
• You will be expected to pay a tip for everything in New York (and in America in general). The usually recommended tip is between 18% and 25%, but it’s up to your discretion how much you want to tip.
• The price of the food is very rarely what you’ll actually end up paying – always prepare for additional service fees, taxes and charges to be added on to your bill at the end of your meal.

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• 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar – The Best Places For Bottomless Brunch In New York
• SUMMIT One Vanderbilt New York – Everything You Need To Know
• 35+ Best Things To Do At Christmas In New York – Magical Experiences In 2022
• New York Tips For First-Time Visitors – Best NYC Travel Tips

Pin for later – best places to eat in New York City

Do you have any places to add to this list of the best places to eat in New York City? Let me know in the comments or in my New York Facebook Group!