The Ultimate NYC Food Bucket List in 2024 (99 Best Places to Eat in NYC)

Ultimate NYC Food Bucket List (99 Places to Eat in NYC)

On our first foodcation, we had a very ambitious list we wanted to get through in 5 days. We returned home many pounds heavier, which I think we can say was a success. On the other hand, we lost our DSLR with most our NYC photos (it got lifted by a lyft driver). RIP to the original photos and places we won’t return to, but I’m glad I happened to take some on my phone to share.

Brooklyn

1. Aska (Williamsburg, 💰💰💰💰, Scandinavian) – Michelin 2 Star 2022, Bon Appetit Top 50 Best New Restaurants 2017
2.  Bien Cuit (Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill + Midtown East, 💰💰, Bakery/French) – Zachary Golper at the Brooklyn location was a James Beard Outstanding Baker Nominee 2017.
3.  Kitsby (Williamsburg, Desserts & Tea, 💰💰) – Cute spot for an afternoon tea set.
4.  Di Fara Pizza (Midwood, Pizza, 💰💰) – a 52-year-old institution with pizza legend Dom DeMarco, mentioned by many friends and is also recommended by Timeout and Thrillist.
5.  Frankies 457 Spuntino (Carroll Gardens, 💰, Bar/Italian) – Homey setting, handmade pastas. Named as a neighborhood Italian staple by Eater.
6.  Hart’s Restaurant (Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy, New American, 💰💰💰) – Bon Appetit’s Best #5 New Restaurants 2017
7.  L’industrie Pizzeria (Williamsburg, 💰, Pizza) – on the yelp100 list in 2017.
8.  Lilia (Williamsburg North, 💰💰💰, Italian/Cocktails) – Missy Robbins was a JBF Best Chef NYC Nominee 2017, Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants. Try the burrata sandwich
9.  Maison Premiere (Williamsburg South, 💰💰💰, Seafood/Bar) – JBF Outstanding Bar Program 2016
10.  Mile End Delicatessen (Boerum Hill + Various, 💰💰, Sandwiches) – On the Michelin Guide. The Smoked Meat sandwich is one of NY’s best sandwiches according to CNN, and the Fried Green Tomato is one of Eater’s 15 Best NY Sandwiches. Try the smoked meat sandwich, the fried green tomato sandwich, or the Reuben.
11.  St Anselm (Williamsburg North, 💰💰💰, New American/Wine Bar/Steakhouse) – On eater’s essential NY restaurants for Fall 2017. Order the NY Strip or ax handle rib-eye.
12.  L&B Spumoni Gardens (Gravesend, 💰, Pizza/Italian) – On the Thrillist and timeout’s NYC bucket list. Try the Sicilian square pizza and the rainbow spumoni for dessert.
13.  La Vara (Cobble Hill, 💰💰💰, Spanish, ) – Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants. The Molletes sandwich is one of Eater’s 15 best NY sandwiches.
14.  Olmsted (Prospect Heights, 💰💰💰, New American) – James Beard Best New Restaurant Nominee 2017, Bon Appetit Best New Restaurants 2017, Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants, on the Michelin Guide – Try the crab rangoon, carrot crepe, and watermelon sushi.
15.  Peter Luger (Williamsburg, 💰💰💰💰, Steak) – It’s an NY namesake, and you should try it at least once. A lot of people say it’s the best steak in the city others think it’s a waste of money. A group of us went for my birthday and tried just about everything. The burger was better than the steak, but you can only get it at lunch. Bacon was really thick like ham, and we like ours crispy. Everyone raves about the creamed spinach, but I’ve never been a fan, and this one did not change my mind.
16.  Roberta’s Pizza (Bushwick + Midtown East, 💰💰, Pizza/Italian) – Haven’t heard of another pizza joint in NYC mentioned more than Roberta’s. We ordered the Margherita pizza and romaine salad. It was good, but I personally wouldn’t go out of the way for it since there’s great pizza in the city too. It’s also been mentioned on businessinsider, buzzfeed, thrillist, timeout, Eater’s Essential 38 Restaurants to eat in America in 2016, and eater’s essential NY restaurants in Fall of 2017, and on the Michelin guide.
17.  Traif (Williamsburg, 💰💰💰, New American/Tapas)

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Chinatown

18.  Alimama (💰💰, Desserts) – Mochi donuts and the best cream puffs. On our recent NYC trip, this was the most memorable thing we ate.
19.  Joe’s Shanghai (💰💰, Seafood / Noodles) – Known for their soup dumplings
20. Keki Modern Cakes (Chinatown, 💰💰, Desserts) – These fluffy and jiggly cheesecakes are so good! We’ve only had the Ube one and it’s very light with a hint of cheesecake.
21.  Shanghai 21 (💰💰, Chinese) – Shanghai-style soup dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, and more. The crab and pork soup dumplings are my favorite.
22.  Taiwan Pork Chop House (💰, Taiwanese) – the food is so cheap here! Oddly enough, the popcorn chicken and chicken over rice were much better than the pork. Also, it’s on the famous Doyers st, so don’t forget to stop for some photos.

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East Village

23.  Hanoi House (Alphabet City, 💰💰, Vietnamese) – one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants. They have a great beef pho.
24.  Hearth (East Village, 💰💰💰, New American/Italian/Breakfast/Brunch) – Marco Canora won the James Beard Best Award for Best Chef in NYC 2017
25. LoveMama (East Village, 💰💰, Thai/Malaysian/Vietnamese) – Popular local spot.
26.  Luke’s Lobster (East Village + Multiple Locations, 💰💰, Seafood) – They get daily shipments from Maine. The Lobster Roll is one of CNN best NY sandwiches and the Lobster Grilled Cheese Sandwich is one of Eater’s 15 Best NY Sandwiches. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it of the seasoning, but the lobster itself was good.
27.  Momofuku Noodle Bar (💰💰, Ramen/New American) – I always hear mixed reviews about this, and while I didn’t love the ramen, the other dishes like their chilled spicy noodles were good. Could I make them better at home? Probably. Awards: JBF Outstanding Restaurant Nominee 2017, one of Eater’s 38 Essential Restaurants in America (2016) and NYC (Fall 2017), Michelin guide, timeout.
28.  CheLi (East Village, 💰💰, Chinese) – Puer tea soaked rice with sea urchin. Talk about indulgence! Featured on Eater’s 30 Restaurants That Define the East Village.
29.  Somtum Der (Alphabet City, 💰💰, Thai) – found on the Michelin guide. Normally, we like trying new spots, but everything we order here has been so good that we kept coming back once a week to try new things on the menu.
30.  Sunny & Annie’s Deli (💰, Sandwiches) – Try the pho #1 sandwich here. It’s the strangest thing how a sandwich can satisfy my craving for a bowl of noodle soup, but it does. The first few bites were so confusing, but by the end, I wanted another. I ended up being so addicted to these that a friend of mine vacuum sealed a bunch and sent them to me.

See More: 17 Best Desserts in NYC + Ones You Should Skip

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Flatiron

31. Cosme (Mexican, 💰💰💰) – Daniela Soto-Innes was JBF Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2016, #40 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2017), Business Insider’s #9 Best Restaurant in America (2017), one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants.
32.  Eataly (Italian/Grocery, 💰💰) – There are multiple food stalls. You should try the nutella crepe bar, pasta at La Pizza and La Pasta, the roast beef sandwich at La Rosticceria. You can also make a reservation at the rooftop restaurant and microbrewery La Birreria.
33.  Eleven Madison Park (New American/French, 💰💰💰💰) – Since we visited they changed their menu to be completely plant-based. We haven’t decided if that’s worth another visit or not. Other Press: #1 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2017), Business Insider’s #2 Best Restaurant in America (2017), yelp100 (2014, 2016). Note: since our visit, they now only serve vegetarian dishes.
34.  Gramercy Tavern (New American, 💰💰💰💰) – Michelin 1 Star 2022, Michael Anthony won the JBF Outstanding Chef Award in 2015, Business Insider’s #16 Best Restaurant in America (2017), yelp100 (2014, 2016), one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants.
35.  Upland (New American, 💰💰💰) – Chic brasserie with Cali-style culinary ideas.

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Greenwich Village

36.  Carbone (Italian, 💰💰💰💰) – Michelin 1 Star 2020, sometimes 2-month wait for reservations.
37.  Joe’s Pizza (Multiple Locations, Pizza, 💰) – We found that some locations were better than others. It’s great grab and go pizza.
38.  Babbo (Italian, 💰💰💰💰) – Business Insider’s #39 Best Restaurant in America (2017).
39.  Gotham Bar and Grill (New American/Bars, 💰💰💰💰) – Business Insider’s #36 Best Restaurant in America (2017) (Reopens in September 2021)
40.  Willow (💰💰, Vegan, New American) – Vegan bistro serving up plant-based American comfort food. Try their vegan mac and cheese.

See More: The Ultimate NYC Bucket List / 101 Things to Do in NYC

Little Italy + Nolita

41.  Eileen’s Special Cheesecake (Nolita, Cheesecake, 💰) – so fluffy and delicious. My fave is the plain, and Jacob loved the marbled one.
42.  Estela (Nolita/NoHo, New American/Brunch, 💰💰💰) – Ignacio Mattos was a JBF Best Chef NYC Nominee 2017, Michelin 1 star 2022.
43.  Nyona (Little Italy + others had bad reviews, Asian Fusion, 💰💰) – on the Michelin guide. The food we tried was just okay, but I couldn’t get over how affordable it was. Maybe we need to go back and try some more dishes
44. Rubirosa (Pizza, 💰💰) – People love this spot but we thought it was just okay
45.  Taiyaki NYC (Little Italy, Desserts/Ice Cream, 💰) – those popular fish cake ice creams on ig.

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Lower East Side (LES)

46.  Clinton Street Baking Company (Bakeries / Breakfast, 💰💰) –  Popular spot with long waits. It was good, but I wouldn’t wait long for it.
47.  Doughnut Plant (Multiple Locations, Donuts, 💰💰) – Don’t want to overhype it, but these are my favorite doughnuts on the east coast. The creme brulee doughnut is their top seller, but I loved the coconut creme best. Even if you don’t like coconut, this might convert you.
48.  Sam’s Fried Ice Cream(Desserts/Ice Cream, 💰💰) – Don’t forget to try the fried Oreos.
49.  Katz’s Delicatessen (LES, Deli/Sandwiches, 💰💰) – We still haven’t tried it because I’m intimidated by the lines, but we’ll eventually get around to it. It is one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants, and also recommended by cnn, thrillist, timeout, Michelin guide. There are only a few places left in NYC you can get a traditional smoky pastrami sandwich. The wait is horrendous, but go and grab a ticket, since it’s an experience in and of itself. Fun Fact – they serve 10k pounds of pastrami, 5k pounds of corned beef, 2k pounds of salami, and 12k hot dogs each week
50.  Russ & Daughters (Also LES2, Bagels/Smokehouse/Delis/Kosher, 💰💰) – You have to go to the deli and not the cafe. It’s on thrillist and timeout‘s NYC bucket list, and on the Michelin guide. Get the bagel with the city’s best lox or get the lox alone according to CNN, and the old pickled herring.
51.  Soft Swerve (Ice Cream, 💰) – popular ice cream spot on ig. Loved their matcha, but the ube is too pretty not to try.
52.  Spaghetti Incident (Italian, 💰💰) – Homey, cash-only Italian pasta dishes. Known for their Sicilian-style rice balls.
53.  Spicy Village (Chinese, 💰) – so cheap and so good! Order one of the hand-pulled noodles. We got the spicy beef dry noodles. one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants.
54.  Wildair (LES, New American, 💰💰💰) – Brought to you by the restauranteurs from Contra, is #8 on Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants (2016) and is one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants. It’s great for small plates and natural wines.
55.  Ye’s Apothecary (Speakeasies, Szechuan, 💰💰💰) – Speakeasy serving tapas style food in an intimate space with classic Asian decor.

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Midtown East

56. Ess-a-Bagel (Midtown East + Stuyvesant Town, Bagels, 💰) – Everyone says you have not had a real bagel until you try the ones in NYC. I’ve had two friends recommend Ess-A-Bagel, but other people say most bagel spots in NYC will have a bagel that surpasses any other bagel you’ve had. These were pretty damn good.
57.  Nishida Sho-ten (Midtown East, Ramen, 💰💰) – our friend’s favorite ramen spot in the city. We liked the black kakuni over the white one.
58.  Sushi Yasuda (Midtown East, Sushi, 💰💰💰) – Michelin 1 Star 2022
59.  Valerie (Midtown East, New American, Cocktail Bar, 💰💰) – Elevated cocktails.
60.  Totto Ramen (Midtown East, Ramen, 💰💰) – This is still our favorite ramen in NYC. They use chicken broth which makes the soup base very light. It reminded us of dduk gook (korean rice cake soup). They used very thin noodles, and I usually like my ramen noodles thicker, but overall, it was an impressive bowl of ramen.

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Midtown West

61.  Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare (Hell’s Kitchen, Japanese, 💰💰💰💰) –  Our second favorite prefix meal in the city. Michelin 3 Star 2022, #82 on the World’s Best Restaurants, Business Insider’s #48 Best Restaurant in America (2017)
62.  The Halal Guys (Multiple Locations, Middle Eastern/Food Stand, 💰) – I think it’s overhyped for what it is. Everyone claims that the best Halal Guys is still the one on 53rd and 6th. It was a great stop after drinks and a solid meal on the cheap (P.S. prices went up again though). The one right next to our apartment in LIC is pretty comparable sans the drunk crowd. Some carts have a sign for a free drink with your meal in tiny print, which they won’t give you unless you specifically ask for it. On yelp 100 for 2016. They’ve opened up locations in other cities, and so far the ones we’ve tried have been terrible.
63.  Gabriel Kreuther (Midtown West, French, 💰💰💰💰) – Michelin 2 Star 2022, Business Insider’s #26 Best Restaurant in America in 2017.
64.  Kwik Meal Cart (Indian/Middle Eastern, 💰) – this actually tasted way fresher and better than halal guys.
65.  Le Bernardin (Theater District, 💰💰💰💰, French) – Michelin 3 Star 2022, #17 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2017, Business Insider’s #3 Best Restaurant in America (2017), yelp100 (2014, 2016). It was just okay – enjoyed the other Michelin 3 star restaurants more.
66.  Masa (Hell’s Kitchen, 💰💰💰💰, Sushi) – The best meal we’ve had in NYC and we had high expectations. It’s the most expensive meal we’ve ever paid for. I have to drag Jacob to prix fixe places and he almost always complains when the bill comes, but this one he thoroughly enjoyed. We even got to meet Chef Masa! P.S. No photos are allowed except the one at the. end with Chef Masa. Press & Awards: Michelin 3 Star 2022, Business Insider’s #17 Best Restaurant in America (2017).
67.  The Modern (Midtown West, 💰💰💰💰, New American) – Michelin 2 Star 2022, Business Insider’s #14 Best Restaurant in America in 2017
68.  Oceana (Theater District, Seafood, 💰💰💰) – Michelin 1 Star 2014.
69.  Per Se (Hell’s Kitchen, 💰💰💰💰, French) – I’m a huge fan of Chef Keller’s restaurants. We went for my birthday and they added some nice personal touches. Nothing to complain about the food, but the service was weird that day, a surprise us for a 3 Michelin star place. Per Se is on every list imaginable: Michelin 3 Stars 2022, World’s Best Restaurants, Business Insider’s Best Restaurants in America, and Yelp 100 (2014, 2016).
70.  Pure Thai Cookhouse (Theater District, Thai, 💰💰) – This is the one spot we always recommend to friends in town since it’s in Midtown and convenient to where most visitors like to stay. We usually never order pad thai, but we were told it was exceptional here. They were right! It was our second fave thing we tried, and our absolute fave was the crab and pork dry noodles.
71.  Sullivan Street Bakery (Also Chelsea, Bakery, 💰💰) – Jim Lahey won the JBF Outstanding Baker  Award (2015), and it’s also one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants.

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Queens (QNS)

72.  The Alcove (Woodside, Gastropub, 💰💰) – On Yelp 100 (2018). How do they have 5 stars?
73.  Blend (LIC, Latin American, 💰💰) – Pan-Latin dishes. Try their empanada sampler paired with their classic mojito.
74.  Casa Enrique (Long Island City (LIC), Mexican, 💰💰) – The only 1 Michelin Star in our neighborhood for 2022.
75.  Cafe Henri (LIC, French, 💰💰) – Great for brunch in the area if you can’t be bothered to go into the city.
76.  Chip NYC (Astoria, Bakery, 💰💰) – popular cookie place that’s similar to Levain as far as how dense the cookie is.
77.  Hahm Ji Bach (Flushing, Korean, 💰💰) – the best Korean we’ve had in NYC (not saying too much. I thought NYC’s Korean food was supposed to be as good as LA but hasn’t been as good as I had hoped) and you have to trek far to get it. We didn’t try the samgyupsal but the galbijjim was good.
78.  Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao (DT Flushing, Chinese, 💰💰) – Soup dumplings.
79.  Sal, Kris, & Charlie’s Deli (Astoria, Deli/Sandwiches, 💰) – On the yelp 100 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018). It’s my fave sandwich spot in NYC. The Soppressata on that sesame bread is so delicious.
80.  Xi’an Famous Foods (Multiple Locations, Chinese,💰) – The original one was in the Golden Mall in Flushing but eventually closed because they outgrew it. Now they’re everywhere. You can watch them hand pull the noodles. I liked the dry noodles over the soupy ones and the burgers weren’t that good, but the Liang pi cold skin noodles and spicy cumin lamb noodles were delicious. Not a fan of the pork burger.

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Upper East Side (UES)

81.  Daniel (UES, French, 💰💰💰💰) – Ghaya Oliveira – Michelin 2 Star 2022, JBF Outstanding Pastry Chef 2017, Business Insider’s #8 Best Restaurant in America in 2017, and yelp100 for 2014 and 2016.
82.  Ladurée Madison (Bakery, 💰💰) – Pick up some iconic macrons.
83. Uva (Italian, 💰💰💰) – Cute Italian spot

West Village

84.  Buvette (West Village, French, 💰💰) – Jody Williams was a JBF Best Chef NYC Nominee in 2017. Buvette is a cute French cafe that serves an amazing brunch with fresh ingredients. I ordered fresh squeezed orange juice, scones, and the special – tartinette with zucchini and goat cheese. Jacob ordered the croissants and prosciutto with eggs and toast. The croissants were so flaky and yummy. I loved the croissants over the scones, but the creme fraiche was amazing that came with the scones.
85.  Faicco’s Italian Specialties (West Village, Italian Sandwiches, 💰💰) – get the famous and massive Italian sub. Just the meat alone had to be stacked a couple inches tall. It’s a good one to split with a friend.
86.  Jack’s Wife Freda (SoHo + West Village, Mediterranean, 💰💰) – go for a boozy brunch, and try the prego roll is one of eaterNY’s 15 Best Sandwiches.
87.  John’s of Bleecker Street (West Village, Pizza, 💰💰) – historic pizza joint with delicious pizza, but you can’t order them by the slice. So far it’s my favorite sit down pizza spot.
88.  Magnolia Bakery (West Village + Various, Desserts/Bakery, 💰💰) – the other desserts weren’t great, but their banana pudding is so bomb.
89.  Olio e Piu (West Village, Italian, 💰💰) – a local favorite with pizza and pasta.
90.  Sushi Nakazawa (Japanese, 💰💰💰💰) – Michelin 1 star 2022. We’ve heard a lot of good things about this spot but haven’t had a chance to check it out yet.

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Miscellaneous

91.  Bar Jamon (Gramercy, Spanish/Tapas, 💰💰💰) – Great spot to hang out and have appetizers and wine. Get the Chorizo with Pickled Peppers.
92.  The Dead Rabbit (Financial District, Cocktails, 💰💰) – JBF Outstanding Bar Program Nominee 2017 and best bar in the world by world’s 50 best bars. “Cocktail menu looks more like a graphic novel than a bar menu” – Business Insider. They have 145 different Irish whiskeys and other unique cocktails.
93.  Dominique Ansel Bakery (South Village, Bakeries/Desserts, 💰💰) – The spot where the famous cronut was invented, but now there’s no line. We tried the DKA and cookie shots. They’re also famous for the frozen s’more, magic souffle, waffle affogato, and DDQ.
94.  Jungsik (TriBeCa, Seafood/Korean, 💰💰💰💰) – Michelin 2 Star in 2018.
95.  Pig and Khao (LES, Filipino/Thai, 💰💰💰)
96.  Le Coucou (Soho, French, 💰💰💰💰) – James Beard Best New Restaurant 2017, Business Insider’s #28 Best Restaurant in America in 2017 , Bon Appetit Best New Restaurants in 2017, America’s 38 Essential Restaurants according to Eater in 2017, and of course, and one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants. (Reopens Sept 2021)
97. Levain Bakery (Also UWS 2 + Harlem, Bakery, 💰💰) – everyone raves about the cookies here. One is good enough to share with 2-3 people. It’s so big and dense, and the texture is in between a scone and a cookie. We tried all the flavors, and the oatmeal raisin and chocolate peanut butter were our favorites.
98.  Jean-Georges (UWS, French/New American, 💰💰💰💰) – We went for their lunch tasting menu, which was a nice way to sample their food. Michelin 2 Star 2018 2018, Business Insider’s #13 Best Restaurant in America in 2017.
99.  Los Tacos No 1 (Meatpacking District/Chelsea + Midtown West, 💰, Tacos) – if you can’t make it out to the west coast and need a taco fix, this is probably the best in NYC we’ve tried so far and it’s inside Chelsea Market. They are on the yelp 100 (2015, 2016, 2018), and one of Eater’s 38 Essential NY Restaurants.

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Have we missed any on our list of best places to eat in NYC? How many of these have you been to and were any of these unsatisfactory?