Where to Eat in NYC: A Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Guide From a Local Foodie
Where do you eat in a city that has over 17,500 restaurants? Well you could open Instagram, find a place with thousands of likes, a two-hour wait, and hope for the best. Or you can ask my friend and fellow foodie, Alec Johnson.
Alec is a New Yorker with no social media and strong opinions, which makes him the perfect person to recommend every single thing you should eat in this city. I've known him since 2004. We met as camp counselors at an ESL program in Long Beach, California, and have been friends ever since.
He recently joined me on a group trip to Georgia (the country, not the state) last fall, where he promptly fell in love with khinkali, tracked down the best food stalls in the Tbilisi bazaars, and attempted to smuggle freshly ground spices through the mail.
The man eats everywhere, remembers everything, and has zero interest in going somewhere just because there's a line — unless the line is actually worth it, in which case he will wait as long as it takes.
I visit Alec in New York more than I visit most people, and our informal food tours have become my single favorite thing to do in the city. I finally got him on the podcast, and he shared his philosophy on eating in New York, why Queens is criminally underrated, and which tourist traps are actually worth it.
Every place on this list is somewhere he's taken me, fed me, or sent me with very specific instructions, and now we’re sharing it with all of you.
You’re welcome.
Alec and I recently chatting on the Type 2 Travel podcast
East Village & Alphabet City
Ground zero and Alec’s home turf. If you follow him for an afternoon, you will understand why people never leave this neighborhood. The concentration of great food and drink per block is genuinely unmatched.
Carnitas Ramirez 210 E. 3rd St., Alphabet City
The sibling to the beloved Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint, but strictly carnitas. Owned by Tania Apolinar and Giovanni Cervantes, this place cooks every part of the pig — ears, tongue, snout, tail, cheek, belly — in giant bubbling vats seasoned with nothing but salt and garlic. You pick your cut, they stick it onto a tortilla, and you dress it yourself at the salsa bar. There’s no waitstaff, no tables, no stress. All tacos are $5. Order the surtida if you can't decide. Named one of NYC's best new restaurants of 2024, and it earned it.
The bacon, egg, and cheese scallion pancake at Winson
Win Son Bakery 23 Second Ave., East Village
Taiwanese-American counter-service café that operates at a frequency most restaurants can't match. The scallion pancake BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese to you non-New Yorkers) is what put them on the map and it hasn't lost a step. But the hits don’t stop there. Baseball-sized shrimp patties in milk buns, fried chicken with a sticky imperial glaze, laminated bolo bao with flaky chocolate, fan tuan with egg and pickled greens are all worth your attention. Bring a friend and share so you don’t miss a bite.
Factory Tamal 63 E. 4th St., East Village
A tiny East Village spot that grinds its corn daily using a traditional Mesoamerican process called nixtamalization. The mole poblano tamal is the one to get — flavored with 20 different ingredients, it’s not too heavy and nothing like what typically passes for a tamale in most of the country. Affordable, casual, and often overlooked in favor of the taco spots nearby. Don't skip it.
Saperavi 245 E. 14th St., East Village
A Georgian restaurant that Alec famously refused to take me to before my trip to Georgia. His logic was “why eat Georgian food before you're about to eat the real thing?” He was wrong. He eventually went, declared the khinkali on par with what we ate in Georgia, and admitted defeat. Small, intimate, cozy. The beef khinkali are a must, as is the adjaruli khachapuri (cheese bread so good you’ll have dreams about it), the honey cake, and the Georgian red wine (try the Saperavi, which is the restaurant’s namesake and my favorite Georgian red). Genuinely affordable for the quality. One of those rare places where you feel like the recipes have been guarded for generations, because they probably have.
Tompkins Square Bagels 165 Ave. A, East Village
You can’t throw a rock without hitting a bagel in New York City. But for the best, Alec sends people to his go-to local joint. Every single person comes back saying it's the best bagel they've ever had. That's no small feat. No wonder it’s been recognized in Fodor's list of America's best bagel shops. Every bagel is hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, and baked fresh on wood planks daily. With over 16 bagel flavors and 40+ house-made cream cheese spreads, there’s something for everyone. Expect a line, especially on weekends. (Hot tip: you can order ahead online if you want to skip it.) Then take your warm bag of bready goodness to its namesake park afterwards for perfect people watching.
13 Water 208 E. 7th St., East Village
If you ever wanted to try an omakase but were put off by the price, 13 Water is for you. It’s a steal at $85/person, but don’t think that means you miss out on quality. The fish is exceptionally fresh. And with a three-person chef station, the experience feels more intimate than a typical omakase counter. Standout pieces include otoro with caviar and toro with truffle. There is a 60-minute dining limit and they will move you out for the next seating, so this is the right call for a focused, high-quality dinner rather than a lingering evening. Date night material.
Punjabi Grocery & Deli 114 E. 1st St., East Village
Owner Kulwinder Singh spent five years driving a cab before taking over this basement-level spot in 1994 and making it a free 24-hour bathroom for every cab driver in the city. Now it's an East Village institution. Vegetarian Indian chaat and curries, incredibly cheap, usually $10–15 for a filling meal. The samosa chaat with the works (cut samosas, masala chickpeas, yogurt sauce, raw onions, sweet and spicy chutneys) is the order. Cash only.
7B Horseshoe Bar 108 Avenue B, Alphabet City
The bar that appears in The Godfather II, Crocodile Dundee, Sex and the City, Jessica Jones, and roughly every other film or show that needed a gritty East Village dive. Built in 1835, and it looks like it. The horseshoe-shaped bar anchors a room full of neon, worn wood, a jukebox, pinball, and televisions. You can bring your own food. Open until 4am daily, no exceptions. This is the bar you end up at, not the one you plan to go to.
Mary O's 32 Avenue A, Alphabet City
An Irish pub run by Mary O'Halloran, who is from County Mayo and is a constant, warm presence behind the bar. The food is all homemade and includes classics like shepherd's pie, fish and chips, burgers, and soda bread scones that have developed a genuine cult following. During COVID, Mary sold scones to stay open and reportedly slept in the bar. Get there by 11am if you want one because they sell out. Also known for pickle shots in a homemade sweet and spicy brine, and a perfect Manhattan on the rocks. It genuinely feels like a pub in Ireland, if you’re looking for a change of scenery.
Mono+Mono 116 E. 4th St., East Village
Part vinyl record archive, part Korean fusion restaurant. The walls hold 15,000 encased records. This place comes alive at night. The Korean fried chicken is excellent, the truffle japchae is good, and the cocktails, particularly the espresso martini and the lychee martini, punch above their weight. Try to score one of the booths built inside the vinyl shelves to get the full experience.
Queens
Alec's answer when asked which neighborhood he'd eat in for the rest of his life if he had to pick one. No hesitation.
Devouring Momos at Nepali Bhanchha Ghar
Nepali Bhanchha Ghar 74-15 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights
This is the momo spot. Alec took us on a bike ride through Jackson Heights and insisted we eat before sushi, which was either a mistake or a stroke of genius depending on how hungry you were by the time we got there. It’s won the Momo Crawl five times, and after one bowl of the jhol momo, you'll understand why. The broth is fragrant, deeply flavored, and worth the trip on its own. Get the chicken jhol momo—the soup adds everything. The thali is also a must if you're hungry. Leave room to throw some chicken choila in on the side.
Chongqing Lao Zao 37-04 Prince St., Flushing
One of the best hot pot stops in NYC. The restaurant itself is stunning. Wooden doors open into a traditional village-style interior of stone and bamboo architecture, hanging lanterns, and a water wheel that separates the two levels. It sets the mood before you've even sat down. The Triple Flavor Pot (mushroom, tomato, and mild beef broth) is the move for groups. Note that "mild" still means spicy as the dried chilies continue to infuse, so pull them out before it gets too hot (unless that’s your thing). Standout dishes are the milky beef (the server pours milk over the beef tableside, and the result is impossibly tender), shrimp paste served in a hollowed-out bamboo in crushed ice, stir-fried bean curd rolls, and the complimentary spicy pickled vegetables that you will ask for more of. You’ll wait for up to an hour or two on Saturdays, but they'll text you when your table is ready, so grab a drink nearby.
Sushi on Me 71-26 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing
This place is FUN. Semi-private bar seating, 15 rounds of omakase-style sushi with unlimited sake, and a staff that turns every meal into an event. Think a speakeasy atmosphere, karaoke, tables singing along next to you, and food that incorporates Thai influences in ways that actually work. The Penang curry with eel over rice is the move. Best experienced with a group, or you’ll make friends with the strangers eating with you. Someone described leaving feeling like they'd just been to an underground party and also eaten some of the best sushi of their life. That tracks.
Xi'an Famous Foods 133-33 39th Ave., Flushing (Multiple locations)
A family-run business that started in a 200-square-foot basement stall in Flushing in 2005. Anthony Bourdain famously ate here on No Reservations and said "I've never had anything like this before." They’re now an NYC institution with multiple locations across the city. The hand-pulled biang biang noodles are the reason to go, particularly the spicy cumin lamb noodles. They also serve the lamb as a burger on crispy flatbread. Fast, cheap, and built on a 30+ ingredient proprietary chili oil. A must for any sichuan food fan.
Worth the Trip to Brooklyn
There's exactly one restaurant on this list that requires a borough crossing. It's worth it.
Lucali 575 Henry St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Mark Iacono was a Carroll Gardens construction worker who had never dreamed of being a cook before opening Lucali in 2006. Alec calls it his favorite pizza in New York, and he is not alone. Famous enough to get a shout-out in a Kendrick Lamar diss track, Lucali has only 30 seats and doesn't take reservations in advance. The menu has exactly two items: pizza and calzones. The standard pie is a margherita with fresh basil — simple, perfect, and imperfect by design. The line forms as early as 2pm, often with professional line-sitters in lawn chairs at the front. Cash only, BYOB. Bring a bottle of wine, get in line early, and don't overthink it.
Greenwich Village & Lower East Side
When you think about strolling around Manhattan, this is the area you’re thinking of. Its cafes and brownstones have graced countless album covers. It’s also where you’ll find the best foods NYC is known for: pizza by the slice and the Jewish deli.
Joe's Pizza 7 Carmine St., Greenwich Village
Founded in 1975. New York Magazine calls it "the quintessential New York slice." GQ put it on their list of the 25 best pizzas on earth. Peter Parker delivered for them in Spider-Man 2. None of that is the reason to go. The reason to go is that it's a perfectly simple slice of New York pizza at 2am or noon or any other hour, which is exactly when you need it.
The mighty pastrami sandwich at Katz’s in all her glory
Katz's Deli 205 E. Houston St., Lower East Side
Yes, it's touristy. Yes, there's a long line. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's where they filmed the famous scene in When Harry Met Sally. And yes it's genuinely worth every bit of it. Alec took me twice in one year, and I came home with so much pastrami I kept it in my freezer. Have a plan when you reach the counter (this is not the time to browse)—but you already know what you’re going to get: the pastrami. BTW—portions are huge.
Russ & Daughters 179 E. Houston St., Lower East Side
One of Alec's stops on his unofficial food tours. At over 100 years old, it’s still one of the best “appetizing shops” in the city. That’s the official term for a place that sells fish and dairy. Not to be confused with a delicatessen like Katz’s, which sells cured and pickled meats. Traditionally, these foods needed to be kept separate. So Russ & Daughters was born. Their lox bagel can win over even the most anti-fish person. If you’re planning on doing this as part of a food tour, make sure you learn from Alec’s mistake and quarter it four ways.
El Churro 175 E. Houston St., Lower East Side
Not every place in this neighborhood is frozen in time. Next door to Russ & Daughters, you’ll find this shop offering vegan and gluten-free churros made fresh to order. The dipping sauces are the differentiator with options like honey lavender white chocolate, dulce de leche, and lemon cheesecake. Surprisingly not greasy, not heavy, exactly what a churro should be. Open late, which you’re going to appreciate after a night of drinking. Oh, and the door handle is a churro, so there’s that.
Zinc Bar 82 W. 3rd St., Greenwich Village
A jazz club and bar in a space that was the legendary Cinderella Club in the 1930s and 40s. Thelonious Monk was the house pianist, Billie Holiday sang there, and Frank Sinatra came to watch. Now restored with a Parisian zinc bar (hence the name), red velvet curtains, Art Deco decor, and live jazz seven nights a week. The entrance is below street level and easy to miss so look down. There’s a cover charge for the stage area, and a drink minimum at the bar. One of those places that makes New York feel like New York but without the pretentious vibes.
Economy Candy 108 Rivington St., Lower East Side
Not a restaurant, but Alec takes everyone here, and it belongs on this list. A candy shop that carries discontinued products by buying out-of-business companies' recipes and producing them again. Bring your parents.
Midtown & Beyond
There’s more than enough to keep you in lower Manhattan for the entirety of the trip, but if you do find yourself north of Houston, here’s where you should go.
The Campbell 15 Vanderbilt Ave., Midtown inside Grand Central Terminal
Most of the thousands of people who pass through Grand Central every day have no idea this bar exists. That's what makes it worth going to. Once a private office and reception hall built in 1923 by financier John W. Campbell with 25-foot hand-painted ceilings, leaded glass windows, mahogany millwork, and a massive stone fireplace with Campbell's original steel safe still inside. It spent decades as a signal office, a CBS studio, and an MTA police jail before being restored as a bar. Cocktails run $22–26. Live jazz on weekends. No baseball caps, ever.
Raines Law Room 24 E. 39th St., Midtown inside The William
Ring the doorbell. Wait for someone to let you in. Sit on a couch behind a velvet curtain and pull a chain on the wall to summon your server. The cocktails are serious, seasonal, and built by people who understand what they're doing. Reserve in advance, especially on weekends; the wait without a reservation can stretch to two hours. Worth it, but plan accordingly.
Los Tacos just might be worth the trip to NYC alone
Los Tacos No. 1 229 W. 43rd St.,Times Square (Multiple locations)
Alec's one concession to the Times Square area if you’re looking for good pre- or post-theater quick eats. Otherwise, Times Square is, in his words, his personal hell, and he has asked that we not discuss it further.
Want to hear Alec talk through all of this in his own words? Listen to the full conversation on the Type 2 Travel podcast — available on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
And if you want to eat and drink your way around the world with a group of people who take food as seriously as Alec does, that's exactly what we do. 👇🏻