How to Eat Like a Local in New York City

Scott and I have called various parts of NYC home for 25-plus years now, which, besides dating us considerably, means we’ve eaten quite a lot in this fair city of ours. It was here, after all, where my own love for food, and for experiencing foods from far-flung cultures, blossomed to the point of obsession, and where we’ve moved whole neighborhoods, boroughs even, largely to surround ourselves with more interesting global eats. Within this article, I’ve detailed much of what I’d send to any friend/acquaintance/reader who writes me asking what and where to eat while in New York (of course, I always send along EYW’s NYC regional-food guide, too). Happy eating!

Of course, we also offer food tours in Queens (guided + self-guided) and easy downloadable one-day eating itineraries on various themes across NYC. Check them out! 
 

Smoked fish at Russ & Daughters, a must for NYC visitors

Back when Manhattan was still ridden with crime and undesirables, New York City was easier for tourists to manage. A Broadway show, a nice French or Italian meal, Central Park, the Met, maybe a Yankees game—there were things you did and places you went, and other places you just didn’t go. Nowadays, though, the safer, friendlier New York creates a lot more ground: Destination restaurants (and parks and museums) are scattered throughout several of the five boroughs. Brooklyn is practically a requirement. Noteworthy new places open weekly, and “hidden gems” tempt eaters further afield. Delineations exist for what’s old-school and hipster and authentic and a rip-off, and how on earth is a visitor supposed to navigate the difference?

Fortunately, you don’t have to do it all. But there’s no excuse for poor or overpriced eating in New York City. To eat like a local, follow these guidelines.

New York’s coal-fired brick-oven pizza

Know your options in Midtown.

It’s hard to tell a tourist to stay out of Times Square—it’s a spectacle worth seeing; there’s great theater to be seen and (comparatively) cheap hotels to stay in. But if you want to eat in Times Square, do some homework, because here lies the greatest concentration of overpriced mediocre food in the city. Options have improved dramatically in recent years, however.

Generally speaking, the avenues east and west of Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth have the best food options. To the west, for example, there’s Danji for modern Korean food, the always-packed Totto Ramen shop (as well as Ippudo Westside and, for less of a ramen wait, Tabata), and Esca and Becco for Italian. Exceptions to the middle-avenues rule include Los Tacos No. 1 and Toloache for excellent Mexican food, and pizza restaurant John’s Pizzeria, the latter of which serves classic coal-fired brick-oven pies.

Short on time? Hit up Margon for homestyle Cuban, the biryani cart on 46th Street, or The Halal Guys on 53rd for a taste of New York’s ultimate street food, chicken and lamb over rice. Got kids? Consider Shake Shack, Dos Caminos, or Virgil’s BBQ. Thirsty? For craft beer, try Beer Culture or the sprawling Beer Authority (near Port Authority); for dirt-cheap cocktails in a local legend, look no further than divey Jimmy’s Corner. Now that you know what to do in Midtown …

Leave Midtown

Go just a few blocks south and west to Chelsea, where you can follow the High Line, a gorgeous elevated park space, or pick up a Citi Bike and take the waterfront Hudson River Greenway to a myriad of delicious spots, from the quick eats inside Chelsea Market to Basque tapas at Txikito or a high-end Italian restaurant like Del Posto. South and east of Midtown is the Flatiron District, home to great eats and lively Union Square, and just below that the East Village, a fantastic neighborhood to get lost in, wandering among its unique mix of cheap-ethnic, famous-cheffy (Momofuku Noodle Bar, Superiority Burger), longtime classics (Veselka, Cafe Mogador) and stellar New American (like Hearth) restaurants, plus countless bars.

The West Village, Tribeca, and SoHo; the Lower East Side for Jewish classics (see below) and Chinatown for hand-pulled noodles (try Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles) and soup dumplings (a.k.a. xiao long bao, a New York favorite by way of Shanghai); Harlem for great African food (Africa Kine, Accra)—pick a few neighborhoods to explore each day and you won’t be disappointed. But once you’ve gotten familiar with Manhattan …

Get out of Manhattan

There are other boroughs to see! Brooklyn should be on your list—it’s a destination in its own right, with incredibly varied neighborhoods to see and places to eat. Not all are created equal on the food front, though—while Brooklyn Heights is spectacular to stroll around (do walk over the bridge and explore the new, ever-expanding Brooklyn Bridge waterfront park), you’re better off eating in nearby Carroll Gardens or Columbia Waterfront District (see: Frankies 457 Spuntino, Lucali, Battersby).

Dedicate another day to the restaurant-filled hipster enclaves of Williamsburg and Greenpoint—where you might enjoy a legit Polish lunch (Pyza), a farm-fresh dinner (Marlow & Sons), or some of the city’s hottest Italian food (Lilia or Misi). Go street art viewing in nearby Bushwick.

In the Bronx, pair a trip to the Bronx Zoo with a great meal on Arthur Avenue, the city’s real-deal Little Italy (Mario’s for old-school; Zero Otto Nove for contemporary), and a tasting at the excellent Bronx Brewery. There’s also fabulous African food and Latin food in the Bronx!

Queens is another must, where super diverse and delicious neighborhoods like Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Flushing (home of the borough’s Chinatown) beckon with delicious, often (comparatively) inexpensive food from all over the globe. Ride the 7 train and hop off for Filipino food in Woodside, Thai food in Elmhurst, or Nepali food in Jackson Heights. Want to impress a New Yorker? Tell them you’re just back from sampling Himalayan momos and Colombian arepas in Queens. (Need a guide? EYW offers food tours of Jackson Heights, where we’ve been based for the past 16 years.)

Splurge wisely

New Yorkers know that eating out doesn’t have to break the bank—that’s what paying rent is for!—which is one reason why neighborhoods big on cheap eats, like the East Village and Chinatown, are so popular. But visitors here owe it to themselves to have at least one delicious, high-end, multicourse, reserve-far-in-advance meal at one of the city’s upper-echelon restaurants—think Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Daniel, Blue Hill, Per Se, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare. If those are out of financial reach, consider visiting a top restaurant at a less expensive time of day, like Maialino for breakfast or Red Rooster Harlem for brunch.
 

Pastrami at Katz’s, a perennial favorite

Heed the classics

Trends come and go, but NYC’s classic foods have stuck around for a century-plus for good reason. Bagels, a good New York slice, and hot dogs are all required eating, but the list extends far beyond those. On the Lower East Side, once the heart of Jewish New York, stop by neighborhood stalwarts Russ & Daughters’ Cafe for excellent smoked fish,  try a steaming-hot knish (and some delicious borscht) at Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery, and save room for the legendary pastrami on rye at Katz’s Delicatessen. (For bonus points, pair your sandwich with a chocolate egg cream, a classic drink that contains neither egg nor cream—or try it at another iconic lunch counter, like S+P Lunch in the Flatiron District.)

Got a sweet tooth? In the East Village, try the creamy New York cheesecake at Veniero’s Pastry; a block east of Central Park, on the Upper East Side, pick up some black-and-white cookies from William Greenberg Desserts—they make excellent souvenirs and travel well. Before you leave town, swing by a storied bar, like the Flatiron’s Old Town Bar, to raise a toast to yourself with a well-crafted Manhattan: You’re part New Yorker now.

Last updated: March 2025

A version of this article originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s Travel blog.