I’m going to complete my New York travel guides with a round up of what I ate in New York! I apologize that most of the photos are not very good as we snapped a lot of these on our phones in dim light. For each restaurant, I’ll share with you the neighborhood, address, website, how expensive it was and what I would rate it out of five.
Sit Down Restaurants
Thursday Kitchen
East Village – 424 E 9th St
Yelp $$
For our first dinner, we went to Thursday Kitchen in East Village. It’s a relatively small restaurant serving Korean fusion with small share plates. The lines can get long so make sure to show up right at 6 for their opening. One of their specialty item is the soju drink in a Capri-sun like plastic sac. It was a nice dinner at a moderate price but there wasn’t anything that really stood out to me. The menu items are eclectic and innovative but not memorable enough for me to recommend any specific dishes. 3.5/5
Lilia
Williamsburg – 567 Union Ave
Website $$$
For our splurge meal, we decided on Lilia which is one of the hottest Italian restaurants in New York. The reservations are snatched up almost a month in advance! However, we still waited almost an hour for our table even though we had a reservation and the hostesses were not apologetic at all which made a terrible start to the evening (we planned our entire days activity pretty much around this dinner). The food was delicious and the stand out dishes were the pull apart artichoke, grilled clams, and an Agnolotti with honey! However, you expect service and efficiency to be top notch at this level. 4/5
Cote Korean Steakhouse
Flatiron – 16 W 22nd St
Website $$$
As mentioned in my New York City travel guide, going to a Michelin star restaurant is a must as there are so many to choose from! Cote recently earned their first star and I love that it’s a casual setting with a grill on every table. The set menu called the Butcher’s Feast is an affordable $48 and includes 4 cuts of meat and lots of sides. We were a group of four and chose quite a few items to add on to, but we couldn’t finish everything! Portions are more filling than you’d think! The cocktails here are delicious and fun as well! My favorite sit down experience in New York! 5/5
Casual Cheap Eats
Xi’An Famous Foods
Multiple Locations
Website $
I’d love to say this is a hidden gem, but it’s one of the most well known chains in the city. The food is loved by high earning investment bankers as well as immigrant students craving a bit of home cooked food. The portions are large and the noodles are just as delicious as everyone says! It is on the spicy side though so if you can’t tolerate spice, beware of what you order. If it’s your first time, make sure to get one of the hand-ripped noodles in soup! The dining area is small and you might struggle to find a spot. However, it is clean and fits in the with authenticity of the food. 5/5
Los Mariscos
Chelsea Market – 409 W 15th St
Website $
While lining up for Los Tacos No.1, we saw signs pointing to another taco restaurant. We’re glad that we discovered a just as delicious taco joint almost in the same spot and with seating and bathroom for your convenience. The tacos ($3-$4.50) at Los Mariscos are all seafood based though, so you’ll have to get back in line if you are only craving for some carnitas. The prices were fair and we also ordered a seafood ceviche ($6) which was so fresh! 5/5
Davelle
Lower East Side – 102 Suffolk St
Website $$
Our most disappointing food experience was a breakfast at Davelle. It was newly opened when we were in New York and the memories of Tokyo made me want to give it a try. It definitely retains the charm of Japan but the only menu items for breakfast are toast. Which would have been okay except the toasts are $8-$10. It comes with one piece, a boiled egg, and a potato salad. I think it’s a bit overpriced and I dislike boiled eggs. So it’s a bit of our own fault for not looking at the menu closely. 2/5
Urbanspace Vanderbilt
Midtown – East 45th &, Vanderbilt Ave
Website $$
Food halls are gaining greater popularity and it makes eating in a group a breeze. There are 20 different vendors to choose from at Urbanspace Vanderbilt and not a single Subway in sight. We went with Roberta’s Pizza as the actual location is out of the normal touristy zone. All the stalls are very cool and the location is very convenient! It’s just a couple blocks away from Grand Central Station and Bryant Park. The service is pretty quick as most of the food are already prepared, so it’s perfect if you just want a quick bite during your day of sightseeing. 5/5
Momosan Ramen & Sake
Midtown – 342 Lexington Ave
Website $$
I came here by myself for lunch as it was right next to the hotel and I was looking for somewhere I could eat alone. I only found out afterwards that Momosan was actually created by Iron Chef Morimoto! The ramen was delicious although slightly more expensive than I’m used to ($17) but probably normal by New York standards. 3.5/5
Snacks
Russ & Daughters
Lower East Side – 179 E Houston St
Website $
One of the classic New York restaurants, Russ & Daughters is still packed these days. Most people come to order bagels but others do order from the deli or the fresh fish in the freezers. It took us about 30-45 minutes to wait our turn to get our bagel. One bagel was enough to satisfy both of us for a quick snack! It costs about $10 for a smoked salmon bagel. I think it was good, but I hate waiting in line. Russ & Daughters also has a cafe where you can get sit down service. 4/5
Murray’s Bagel
Multiple Locations
Website $
The next day, we went for another bagel as my boyfriend really misses New York bagels. Apparently the ones in Vancouver are just not as good! There are multiple Murray’s Bagel locations and we went to the one near the High Line. There was a line here as well and it took about 30 minutes to get through. Honestly, the two were quite similar in comparison so I’d say just pick the one that’s most convenient for you! 4/5
Chacha Matcha
Nolita – 373 Broome St
Website $
I love iced drinks, and I love matcha, so this was a match (pun inteded) made in heaven. Add in the super Instagrammable interior and hip music, I could come to Chacha Matcha every day! I got the Iced Matcha and they often have seasonal specials as well! Even if you’re not at matcha lover, you can try some of the lemonade and other seasonal specials 5/5
La Margarita Pizzeria
Lower East Side – 168 Ludlow St.
Yelp $
You can’t come to New York without having pizza, so of course we hit up a pizza shop that’s the closest to our hotel. It was actually so good that we returned for dinner the next day. I really love the variety of flavors and also how thin the crust is. They were about $2 for a slice and during the day, they would have combo specials. 5/5
il laboratorio del gelato
Lower East Side – 188 Ludlow St
Website $
Another place we hit up right next to our hotel is this gelato shop! Apparently they have 300 flavors available but I saw about 30 out for display. While we were there, a food tour group also came by. I thought the flavors were nice but it also wasn’t amazing! I’d recommend this if it’s on your way and you need a spot to sit and relax from the heat. 3/5
Oddfellows Icecream
Multiple Locations
Website $
There are five locations of Oddfellows in NY and we went to the one in Brooklyn. The waffle cone was yummy and the flavors were interesting as well. However, the shop itself is pretty small inside and not super enjoyable to spend time inside. Again, it was nice as it was convenient but I wouldn’t go out of your way for it. 3/5
Best Places to Eat in New York
A couple of the places are in Lower East Side as it was close to our hotel, Hotel Indigo Lower East Side. My top recommendations for you to visit are Cote, Chacha Matcha, Los Mariscos, and Xi’an Famous Foods. Make sure to also read my full New York city guide and tips on taking the best photos at Brooklyn Bridge! Let me know what your favorite restaurants are or if you’ve been to any of the same places!
