Yes, New York City is known for its memorable skyline, flashy Times Square, eclectic neighbourhoods, fantastic museums, and much more.
But the reason why I love to visit New York City isn’t so much for these things.
We may earn affiliate commissions from websites we link to, at no cost to you. Click here for details.
I return here to EAT! Seriously, there are so many delicious things to indulge in I don’t even know where to begin.
But let’s start with my top 10 best food New York City has to offer, in no particular order.
Table of Contents
This place had me at ‘juicy hamburger, bloody marys’. FACT: These guys cook the best darn hamburgers in New York City. Better yet, get a side of cottage-fried potatoes and a thirst-quenching Bloody Mary, and you’re all set.
NOTE: These guys are old school. They accept cold hard cash only! Bring more dosh than you need, it’s hard to stop at just one Bloody Mary!
Address: 1291 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021
Website: J.G Melon
The pork bun from this place is unbelievably good! I’ve eaten some delicious pork belly bao in my time, but this one is memorable.
Sure, they’ve got some other banging dishes to eat, but we always return to the pork bun. Unbeatable.
Address: 171 1st Ave, New York
Website: Momofuku Noodle Bar
Get a taste of Eastern Europe right here. If we’re talking about the best food New York City bagels, get your fix right here at Absolute Bagels on the Upper Westside.
Address: 2788 Broadway, New York
$15 for one of the best ramen noodle soups you’ve ever eaten? Yes, please! Your best food New York City list just got longer. You need to add this to the very top.
This place always seems busy, a sure sign that the ramen is top-notch.
Address: 248 E 52nd St, New York
View Totto Ramen On TripAdvisor
This place is an institution here. You’ll likely find it on every list for best food New York City, so it may not surprise you it’s on mine.
There’s a lot to love about this place on the Lower East Side. The go-to food here is the pastrami on rye sandwich. It is, without doubt, one of the best sandwiches you’ll ever eat.
Does it below on the best food New York City list? For sure!
Address: 205 E Houston St, New York
Website: Katz’s Delicatessen
They call her the Queen of Soul Food, and we agree. Sylvia has been cooking home-style food for over 55 years; that’s gotta tell you she’s doing something right. The best food New York City offers food lovers is here.
I’m always saying that love is the secret ingredient to any good dish.
Sylvia’s restaurant has poured bucketloads of that into the food here.
If you’re craving some southern-style fried chicken, deep-fried catfish, chicken waffles or short ribs, you need to pin this one at the top of the hit list. Hands down, if soul food is your caper, then Sylvia’s restaurant serves the best food New York City has to offer.
Address: 328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York
Website: Sylvia’s Restaurant
Get Connected with eSIM
Get connected easily on your travels—buy an eSIM! An eSIM works like an app: buy it, download it, and get connected in minutes! It’s easy, affordable, and convenient. Keep your original phone number, too!
Click below and view which eSIM data plan you need for your next adventure. Use our referral code: RACHEL5045, to get $3 off your first purchase!
The Greenwich Village institution and the best food New York City offers! Joe’s has multiple locations in NYC now, so you can always find a huge slice of real Italian pizza for which Joe’s is famous.
You haven’t been to New York City if you didn’t grab a slice from Joe’s Pizza shop.
Address: 7 Carmine St, New York
Website: Joe’s Pizza
Have you noticed a trend here for the best food New York City line-up?
Because NYC is such a multicultural city, we’ve tried to reflect that in the food we’ve included on this list. Many immigrants arrived years ago, and with them, they bought their cuisine and recipes.
Pierogi from Veselka is the place you want to go when you feel like a warm hug, but of the food kind. Does that make sense?
Veselka has been serving up consistently amazing Ukrainian food for ages now. If you haven’t tried pierogi yet (dumplings with sweet or savoury fillings, boiled or pan-fried) Same location, and same excellent taste. Don’t miss it.
Address: 144 2nd Ave, New York
Website: Veselka
Best food New York City must have the best soup dumplings included. That’s my rule! Joe’s Shanghai Restaurant makes the best ones. Xiao Long Bao (better known in the West as soup dumplings) are the size of golf balls here.
My Tip: Order a steaming basket of pork xiao long bao to get your fix of New York City’s best food.
I hope you get to taste all the best food New York City has on offer. Tell us what you would add to our list of the best food in New York City?
You may also enjoy reading our best tips about how to find the best food when travelling
If you’re planning to travel in the USA, then you should get consider getting an eSIM for USA to stay connected. Check out these 15 Best Places to Travel in the USA to plan the best trip.
Interested in exploring the USA in a FREE Motorhome? Well, almost free; we only paid $1 per day to drive a motorhome along Route 66 for a few weeks! Read this post to learn how you could do this dream trip, too.
You can find more of our best travel hacks for travel here.
For more of our best travel advice, tips and websites we use to live a lifestyle of constant travel, head to our Travel Resources Page.
✈️ Flights: We use Skyscanner to book cheap flights worldwide.
🏨 Accommodation: Booking.com is our preferred platform for booking hotels and accommodation.
🏥 Travel Insurance: We recommend Heymondo (Get 5% off Heymondo) & SafetyWing
🚌 Transportation: Trainline is the best website to reserve trains. We use Omio to book transport worldwide. For travel in Asia, we use 12Go.
🚘 Car Rental: We use DiscoverCars to book rental cars worldwide.
👫 Group Tours: G Adventures OR compare multi-day tours worldwide with Tourradar.
📸 Day Tours & Trips: GetYourGuide & Viator are the only two platforms you need.
📚 Lonely Planet: The Best Range of Travel Guides & Ebooks, and FREE Shipping! (use code RACHELDAVEY10 for a 10% discount)
🎒 Luggage: Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack or Samsonite Luggage Range.
🛄 What to Pack: Don’t forget your Universal charger and a good power bank. To help you pack the essentials, here is our ULTIMATE Packing List for all Travellers.
🐶 Become a House Sitter: Join Trusted Housesitters and enjoy FREE accommodation worldwide. Use our invite to receive 25% off your new membership.
💰 Send Money Anywhere: WISE & Revolut are the best online accounts that let you send money, get paid, and spend money internationally. Both are so easy to use and way cheaper than any bank transfer.
📶 Stay Connected: Airalo eSIM allows you to get connected the moment you land at your destination, and you can avoid those expensive data roaming charges. We LOVE this product! Use promo code NOMAD15 for 15% off ALL eSIMs (new Airalo users only) OR use NOMAD10 for 10% off ALL eSIMs (for existing Airalo users)
✅ Check out our Travel Gear and Travel Resources for more valuable tips to save you money!