New York City Dining Guide
Pastrami, bagels, dumplings, slices and tasting menus, borough by borough.
New York has more restaurants than anyone could try in a lifetime, and some of its most famous food is also its simplest. The Jewish delis and appetizing shops of the Lower East Side gave the city pastrami on rye and bagels with lox; the coal and wood ovens of Italian immigrants gave it the New York slice; and Chinatown and Flushing serve dim sum and hand-pulled noodles at all hours. At the other end of the scale, Manhattan has some of the most acclaimed dining rooms in the world.
Reservations matter at popular sit-down restaurants, and many open bookings 30 days or less in advance. Classic delis, pizzerias and noodle shops rarely take them, so go off-peak. Some long-established places are cash only, so check before you go.
Downtown Classics
Delis, dumplings and slices below 14th Street.
Hand-carved pastrami on rye in a cavernous room that has served customers since 1888.
Smoked fish, bagels and caviar from a family shop on Houston Street since 1914, with a cafe nearby.
Dim sum on a crooked Chinatown street, served since 1920.
The classic thin New York slice, served at Carmine Street since 1975.
Hand-ripped noodles and spicy cumin lamb, from a family business that began in a Flushing basement food court.
A bustling Parisian-style brasserie, good for breakfast, oysters and steak frites.
Midtown and Uptown
Oysters under Grand Central, steakhouses, fine dining and Upper West Side institutions.
Oysters and pan roasts under a vaulted tile ceiling, in the station since 1913.
Mutton chops and steaks under a ceiling hung with thousands of old clay pipes, since 1885.
Seasonal American cooking with a walk-in front tavern and a formal dining room.
The Sturgeon King, serving smoked fish and eggs with lox on Amsterdam Avenue since 1908.
Fried chicken, ribs and Sunday gospel brunch at a Lenox Avenue landmark opened in 1962.
Brooklyn
Steak, pizza and cheesecake across the river.
Dry-aged porterhouse for two in a beer hall-style room, serving since 1887.
Coal-oven pizza from the Grimaldi family's founder, steps from the Brooklyn Bridge.
A neighborhood pizzeria founded in 1965 whose slices draw pilgrims from across the city.
Candlelit pizza and calzones in a former candy store; expect a long wait.
A diner famous for its cheesecake, on Flatbush Avenue since 1950.
The original hot dog stand on Surf Avenue, open since 1916 and home of the July 4 eating contest.
Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island
Neighborhood favorites worth the subway ride.
A long-running Thai restaurant known for spicy, unadjusted cooking and a garden in back.
Grilled whole fish and Greek seafood in Astoria's Greek neighborhood.
Hero sandwiches and Italian specialties inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market.
A family pizzeria and tavern since 1937, known for its thin, crisp pies.
Restaurants change hours, menus and ownership often — check with the restaurant before you go. Listings are editorial picks, not paid placements.
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Get free trip quotes »New York City Dining — FAQ
What food is New York City known for?
The New York slice, bagels with lox and cream cheese, pastrami on rye, cheesecake, hot dogs from street carts, dim sum and dumplings, and a fine dining scene with some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world.
Do I need reservations in New York?
For popular sit-down restaurants, yes, often weeks ahead. Delis, pizzerias, dim sum halls and many neighborhood places do not take reservations, so go at off-peak hours.
Where is the best food outside Manhattan?
Flushing and Jackson Heights in Queens, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Carroll Gardens and Sunset Park all reward a trip.