Where to eat in NEW YORK – the best breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in Manhattan and beyond

I’ve been emailing people loads of tips about where to eat in New York, and then I realised I really should just stick them up on the old blog.

Along with this list, I’d also check out this feature I wrote for the Guardian’s travel section where I use Instagram to make food-based decisions in the city. I list my fav NYC food accounts to follow and you can see where they eat.

I’ve tried to divide this into meal types, and listed the locations. When I go to NY I have to annotate maps to make sure I get to everywhere I want to eat. You should do the same, obviously.

Hokay!

First things first, BURGERS:

This is hands down one of the best burgers in New York, if not IN THE WORLD. It’s a little bit out of the way in Gotham West Market but really worth it for lunch – good tunes (Tom Petty, the Clash and Springsteen when I was there) and a retro-inspired interior. Burgers are along the same lines as Shake Shack in that they aren’t gourmet, or expensive – try the buttermilk chicken burger and the standard cheeseburger. GO GO GO. And then send me pictures, please.

Yep we have several in London, but these are some of the best most accessible burgers in NYC. If you haven’t heard me bang on about it before, Shake Shack helped inspire this blog – I was munching one of the restaurant’s burgers before a Springsteen concert in NY in 2012, and thought I loved both burgers and Bruce, A LOT. And voila. There are queues, but it’s worth it. I’d recommend going around 11pm if you’re hungry after a few beers. Also check out the Grand Central Station one for breakfast.

Ramen Co, various locations
Yeah, it’s a bit trendy, but it *does* taste good. Boiled noodles are squidged into a disc shape and then fried to make the ‘bun’. Stick them with some beef and you have a slightly more healthy take on a burger. Sort of. It has a fast food vibe so don’t go and expect to sit down for a long, leisurely lunch.


BREAKFAST/COFFEE

Well it IS my name! Local Brooklyn-based coffee shop, good if you’re staying in the area and need some caffeine in the morning.

Hipster coffee shop in the burg, they have their own roasters and it’s a handy place to have a coffee sitting down.

One of my fav coffee shops in NY, consistently good, chilled vibe. If you see one def go in!

Could pass as a breakfast and lunch place – I went for the fried chicken and waffles (with three different types of butter) and shiiiit loads of maple syrup. It’s on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, where there are loads of nice restaurants, vintage shops and little bars (try the Gibson, they were playing the Toots and the Maytals when I went).

It’s a bit pricier than your average bagel place in NY, but that’s because they have more elaborate creations. Below is a baked egg, cheddar and bacon on an everything bagel, and a maple ham, gruyere cheese and sour pickles on a normal bagel. It’s small and busy, but arrive early and you should be able to get a stool to eat in. Or just eat and walk.

More of a ‘normal’ NY bagel place, people go on the way to work. Loads of cream cheese varieties and different types of bagels – functional and good!

Great place in Manhattan’s Chinatown for huuuuuuuge portions of dim sum in a vintage tea room setting. Loads of food for your dollar. Go hungry! Leave defeated.

This is the place to come for avocado smash – avocado with feta, chilli, lime and seeds, with a coffee on the side. It’s crazily popular but one of the best places for it.

There are loads of dollar slice pizza places in New York – many are good, but this institution’s worth the extra dollar (around $2 a go). Standing room only, nip in for a slice and listen to some tunes on the radio (Dylan and Springsteen when I was there). Food tastes better with good music, and that’s a fact.

Come here for soft, pillowy dollar pork buns when you fancy a snack! Grab and go kind of place.

This place in Flushing, Queens, is a bit of a mission if you’re on your first NYC trip (you may not make it out to Queens), BUT Flushing is known as the real Chinatown, so if you get the chance, head to this food court for noodles and dumplings.

Again, maybe a bit out of town if it’s your first visit, but Jackson Heights is a good area to explore if you’re looking for loads of different foods, from Colombian to Tibetan. Go to the Arepa Lady’s little cafe for arepas with condensed milk or savoury options.

Sooooooo many delicious pie creations – I loved the apple, rosemary, blueberry and blackberry pie with an oat and brown sugar crumb.

If you have time, definitely get out of Manhattan and head to the Bronx. The Bronx Beer Hall in the historic Arthur Avenue Market is surrounded by old-school food stalls – try Mike’s Deli for parmigiana and cafe el mercarto for grandma’s pie. They’ll also bring you burgers and garlic bread knots while you drink loads of beer (anything from a blood orange pale ale, to more normal stuff). It’s a great, unpretentious place for a local neighbourhood vibe and food made with love. Over the road is an Italian restaurant that serves killer espresso martinis.

Loads of guidebooks will send you to Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn for pizza. It IS good, but Paulie Gee’s is also flipping marvellous, and doesn’t come with the same queues (although sometimes there are some, be warned). It’s hidden behind some big, wooden barn doors, and there are extensive vegan and vegetarian options, too. The Cherry Jones was my fav: fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola, prosciutto, dried bing cherries and orange blossom honey. Down the road is a nice neighbourhood bar/pub called the Achilles Heel, good to swing by for a drink before/after.

Really popular restaurant with a few locations, focusing on, you guessed it, meatballs. Loads of different meat varieties and sauces to choose from.

A1 (Liang Pi cold-skin noodles) is the famous dish here. It’s cold, fresh, fragrant and tangy (vinegar, garlic, chilli and beansprouts mixed with noodles). Really worth going for properly good noodle dishes, with lots of veggie options, too.