“Overwhelmed” should be defined in the dictionary as the feeling you get when trying to choose the best dining options on your first visit to New York. When researching must-try foods in NYC, you are likely to go through dozens of lists: the best restaurants by neighborhood, iconic foods, the most popular pizza, cheap eats, et cetera… et cetera. When you travel to New York for the first time with only a few days to spare, where do you even start in terms of great food?
To avoid feeling like I am missing out, I usually come up with a theme every time I travel to NYC. One time it was restaurants featured in movies and TV-shows, on another trip I explored the dining scene in East Village where I was staying, but my very first trip was all about the most iconic NYC foods.
From pastrami sandwich to bagels to pizza, this list includes must-try New York foods and where to find them. Some foods on this list require waiting in line, but they are totally worth it!
One cannot leave New York without trying a pastrami sandwich from Katz’s Deli. First of all, the deli is over a hundred years old. It was opened in 1888 under the name of Iceland Brothers. Over time, the deli changed names and locations until it found a permanent home on Houston Street as Katz’s Delicatessen (Houston is pronounced “House-ton”, by the way).
Katz’s Deli is most famous for its pastrami sandwich that is so big, there’s a sign inside that dares you to finish it on your own. Pastrami here is prepared the old-school way: first curing the meat for 3-4 weeks, then smoking it for up to 72 hours, and finally 4 to 6 hours of boiling. After that, you can cut the meat with a butter knife.
Katz’s Deli served as a filming location for movies like When Harry Met Sally and Across the Universe. I wrote all about my experience at Katz’s in this post.
Katz’s Delicatessen — 205 East Houston Street (corner of Ludlow St)
I have a post with all the things to do in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Museum at Eldridge Street, the statue of Lenin on a rooftop, and a bookshop that also sells pickles are just a few cool things to see in this neighborhood.
Dominique Ansel’s Bakery quickly turned from a “must-try on the first visit” to a “must-try on every visit to NYC” for me. I simply adore the genius of Dominique Ansel and can’t wait to try his new creations every time I am back.
He has many pastries and desserts that will blow your mind, starting with DKA (Dominique Koign Amann) to madeleines made to order and served piping hot to a milk shot presented in a cookie cup. But the one pastry Ansel is most famous for is cronut, a combination of croissant and donut that changed the baking game and made the world go crazy.
There’s only one flavor of cronut sold at the bakery at any given time, but the flavor changes monthly. In the past, the bakery offered fig mascarpone cronut, Valrhona chocolate champagne cronut, and even matcha golden pineapple cronut. Cronuts are sold from the opening hour until sold out which usually takes only a couple of hours.
There used to be a long line in front of the bakery and you had to come at 7 am to get a cronut (which I did years ago!) but at the moment it’s enough to come by in the first half of the day. On my last trip to NYC I stopped here around 12 and easily got a cronut.
Dominique Ansel Bakery — 189 Spring St
Walk around the neighborhood and admire its many cast-iron buildings. The prettiest streets to explore are the Greene St, Spring St, and Prince St. SoHo is also famous for its many boutique shops. MoMA Design Store was my favorite to browse at.
The list of must-try foods in New York would be incomplete without the famous banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery. The light pudding is layered with freshly whopped cream, vanilla wafers, and banana slices. By the way, if you are a fan of Sex and the City, this is where Carrie and Miranda dropped by to have cupcakes and discuss Aiden in season 3 of the series.
There are several locations around New York, but if you want to visit the original one (featured in Sex and the City) head to West Village. The bench in front of the bakery where Carry and Miranda sat is, unfortunately, not there anymore.
Magnolia Bakery — 401 Bleecker St (this is the original location inside Chelsea Market, there are several more in NYC)
Carrie’s apartment from Sex and the City is steps away from the bakery. Apartment building from Friends is also nearby. Whitney Museum of American Art and Chelsea market are some of the best things to do in NYC located 10 minutes away.
I’d say Chelsea Market in general is a must-visit in NYC for anyone who travels for food, but as I have to choose one dish, I’ll go with tacos from Los Tacos No.1. Chelsea Market is an indoor market and dining space located in a building that formerly served as the headquarters for National Biscuit Company. It has dozens of restaurants inside from simple and affordable like Los Tacos No. 1 to high end like Buddakan.
The menu of Los Tacos No.1 is short and sweet with only four varieties of tacos available. But the few options they serve are impeccable. Take it from a person who lived in Austin for two years and is now spoiled for life by Texan tacos. Their adobada (marinated pork) and carne asada (grilled steak) tacos are worth waiting in line for. Not to worry, the line moves fast: it took me only 15 minutes to get my order.
Los Tacos No.1 — 75 9th Ave (this is the original location inside Chelsea Market, there are many more in NYC)
Explore more of Chelsea Market. One of my favorite stalls is Seed + Mill that makes exceptional halva. Walk the High Line. Explore Little Island or go to the rooftop park at Pier 57.
Russ & Daughters is a New York Institution that has been around for over a century and is still owned by the same family. In 2009 it has entered its fourth generation of ownership. The original store was opened in 1914 on Orchard Street by Joel Russ, an immigrant from Poland, but was moved to Houston street in 1920 and that’s where you can still find it today.
A century after the shop was opened, Joel Russ’ great-grandchildren opened Russ & Daughters cafe. You can choose whether to drop by the shop and get your bagels with cream cheese and lox to-go or to have a proper brunch at the cafe (for the latter, make a reservation).
Both the shop and the cafe have been praised by every publication imaginable from the New York Times to Eater to the New Yorker. And their brunch was named one of Oprah’s favorite things in 2018.
Russ & Daughters — 179 E Houston St
Russ & Daughters cafe — 127 Orchard St
Pier 35 is not too far and provides amazing views of Manhattan skyline. The Tenement Museum is steps away.
A tiny unassuming joint located on Carmine Street in Greenwich Village, Joe’s makes one of the best pizza in NYC beloved by locals, tourists and celebrities alike. In their own words, Joe’s Pizza has “no glossy corporate backing, no fancy pants pies, no pretentious nonsense and no gimmicky budget pizza either.”
Joe’s offers classic New-York-style pizza. The recipe is the same as it was in 1975 when the joint first opened and the cooking process is still overlooked by Joe Pozzuoli, who immigrated to the USA in 1950s from Naples, Italy.
Joe’s has several locations in New York. The original restaurant in Greenwich Village is crowded, but the line moves fast. While waiting to order, check out the walls inside to spot your favorite actor. It seems like everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Ann Hathaway to Bradley Cooper love this place!
Joe’s Pizza — 7 Carmine Street (the original location, they have several more in NYC)
Washington Square Park with its iconic Washington Arch is steps away. The apartment building from Friends is 7 minutes away. Magnolia Bakery is also within walking distance so you can cover two iconic foods in New York in one go.
Unlike Katz’s Deli and Russ & Daughters that have a century-long history, Shake Shack is a relatively new player that was opened in 2004. Nevertheless, a burger from Shake Shack is a classic New York bite. In Los Angeles you go to In&Out, in the South — to Waffle House, in New York — to Shake Shack.
Having started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, Shake Shack grew into a nationwide chain of restaurants serving gourmet burgers and custard-based milkshakes. What separates it from other fast food chains is the attention to the quality of ingredients. The meat in burgers is all-natural Angus beef, vegetarian fed and humanely raised. They also promise to never use hormones or antibiotics. Multiple locations around New York and affordability are added advantages.
Shake Shack — the original location is in Madison Square Park, but there are many more around NYC
If you are visiting the original Shake Shack location, admire the Flatiron Building, explore authentic Italian products at Eataly, and relax at Madison Square park. Empire State Building is 10 minutes away. There are many more branches in NYC so whatever neighborhood you are exploring, just Google if there’s one near you.
Levain Bakery makes the world’s greatest chocolate chip cookie (as per fans of this cozy neighborhood bakery and their official website). Levain was founded in 1995 by two friends, Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, who started out by making artisan breads for restaurants.
Today, they are most famous for their chocolate chip cookie which is somewhat of a celebrity among NYC desserts (alongside Dominique Ansel’s cronut and Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding). At 6 ounces, it’s rather big for a cookie (but who is going to complain, right?) It is quite banal to describe a cookie as crispy at the edges and gooey on the inside, but it is what is. The edges are indeed almost caramelized, and the center is molten, rich and decadent. The chunks of chocolate and nuts make it even more luxurious. I would come back here in a heartbeat!
By the way, they have a gluten-free version of the cookie too, which is just as good as the original.
Levain Bakery — 167 West 74th St (this is the original location, they have many more in NYC)
Do a self-guided tour of the Upper West Side and admire its beautiful brownstones, walk around Central Park, have a bagel at Zabar’s, an iconic NYC deli.
We’ve already covered the classic New York foods like pizza, bagels, and pastrami sandwich. Now to hot dog! While there are plenty of hot dog carts around the city, there’s one place in particular that is considered iconic in NYC — Gray’s Papaya. Anthony Bourdain once featured it on his show No Reservations.
The original location is in the Upper West Side. It was founded by Nicholas Gray, a former employee of Papaya King, another iconic hot dog venue, in 1973. The standard order here is a hot dog and a papaya fruit drink. That is where the name comes from.
I might be spoiled by years of living in Germany where sausage is taken very seriously, but I have to say, Gray’s Papaya hot dog was only all right for me. I would try it if I was exploring the Upper West Side, but I wouldn’t make a detour just for its sake. Gray’s Papaya’s hot dog is one of the best cheap eats in New York, though. A hot dog is only $3.25, for $5 you get a hot dog and a drink.
Gray’s Papaya — 2090 Broadway (the original location)
Do a self-guided tour of the Upper West Side and admire its beautiful brownstones, walk around Central Park and stop at the Bethesda Terrace, have a bagel with lox at Zabar’s, a must-try NYC deli.
*Full disclosure: I haven’t tried this spot yet. But it belongs on this list and I am looking forward to going back to New York and checking it out.
Chicken over rice might be the ultimate NYC street food. Ok, the second ultimate right after hot dog… which is funny because that’s how The Halal Guys started: as a hot dog cart on the intersection of West 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue. After opening their original cart in 1990, they quickly realized the demand for halal food from Muslim cab drivers and switched to making rice with chicken and gyro instead.
Several decades later, a single cart turned into a global chain with multiple locations across the country and even abroad. The original locations on 53rd and Sixth Ave is still their flagship location and has a line of locals and tourists alike. There are also plenty of copycats around New York now, so if you want to try the real thing, double-check the address of the branch online and look for yellow and red uniform the staff is wearing.
You need to order chicken over rice or lamb over rice, but they say the secret is in the sauce that comes with them. Take both the white and red sauces and mix them in — it makes all the difference.
The Halal Guys — corner of 53rd Street and Sixth Ave (the original location)
The Museum of Modern Art is a 5-minute walk away. Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square are also nearby. The 5th Avenue with its many shops is steps away.
If you prefer a local to show you the city and its best bites, booking a food tour is a good idea. NYC has dozens of tours around its many neighborhoods. Here are a few: a tour of China Town and Little Italy, Brooklyn food tour of mom and pop shops, or Chelsea Market food tour.
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A step-by-step itinerary for one day in New York
Another step-by-step itinerary in case you have 3 days in NYC
15 Cheap Eats in New York (and what to see nearby)
New York Restaurants From Movies (That You Can Visit in Real Life)
16 Things to Do in the Lower East Side (+One Day Itinerary)
11 Places to Eat in the Lower East Side of Manhattan
NYC with Toddlers: 16 Things I Would Do Again
I write stories about food, travel, and my life as a mom of two boys. Home is Russia, but somehow also Sri Lanka and Hamburg, Germany. Go figure.
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I think that you mean lox and bagels. :)
hahaha, yes, I do! I think it’s German slowly crawling into my mind. Here I got used to say “lachs” for salmon, so I somehow ended up with a combination of the two :) Thank you for letting me know!
The original Grays Papaya is on the Upoer East Side of Manhattan, not the Upper West Side.
Hi Tim! Thank you for the comment! I thought the original location was 2090 Broadway, was it not?
From classic street bites to legendary deli favorites, NYC’s food scene is a flavor adventure you’ll never forget
True that!