New York City
NYC doesn't need a sales pitch. This guide is organized by neighborhood and focused on what matters most: where to eat. The city moves fast, the food is incredible, and every borough has something worth crossing town for. Bring your appetite and comfortable shoes.
Tips
- Dorsia App โ Use it for snagging reservations at exclusive restaurants.
- Walk everywhere. The subway is great for distance, but neighborhoods reveal themselves on foot.
- Cash in Flushing. Most of Flushing's best spots are cash-only.
Midtown
- Penn Station / Madison Square Garden โ Transit hub and entertainment venue.
- Madison Square Park โ Nice green space, home of the original Shake Shack.
- Bryant Park โ Midtown oasis. Great for a break between meals.
- MoMA โ The Museum of Modern Art. World-class collection.
- The Met โ Massive. You could spend days here.
- Museum of Natural History โ Iconic. Great for families.
Ktown (Koreatown)
- Gammeok โ Korean soup specialist.
- Tosokchon โ Traditional Korean.
- Udon Lab โ Fresh udon.
- Sarum Sushi and Udon โ Japanese.
- Jongro โ KBBQ.
- Maru โ Korean.
- Olle โ Korean.
- Seoul Sweets โ Desserts.
- Pocha 32 โ Late-night Korean bar food.
- Itaewon Pocha โ Korean bar vibes.
- Den Social โ Club.
- Space Karaoke โ Karaoke.
Union Square
- La Dong โ Vietnamese. A favorite.
East Village & Lower East Side
- 886 โ Taiwanese.
- La La Bakery โ Vietnamese bakery.
- Win Son Bakery โ Taiwanese fantuan, pancakes, and more.
- Izakaya Juraku โ Japanese izakaya.
- Hi-Collar โ Japanese cafรฉ and bar.
- Soba-ya โ Japanese soba noodles.
- Public โ Rooftop bar.
- Conway Diner โ Classic diner.
Chinatown
- Nam Son โ Vietnamese.
- Golden Unicorn โ Dim sum restaurant.
Williamsburg
- Joe's Pizza โ Classic NYC slice.
- L'Industrie Pizza โ Another top-tier pizza spot.
- โ Fish Cheeks โ Seafood-focused Thai.
- Mr Moto โ Bar.
- Antidote โ Cocktails.
- Domino Park โ Waterfront park with Manhattan views.
- Honeys โ Brunch spot.
- Elsewhere โ Music venue and nightlife.
Coffee & Cowork:
- Copper Mug Coffee โ Cowork-friendly.
- Lion's Milk โ Cowork-friendly.
- Poetica โ Cowork-friendly.
- Black Brick Coffee โ Specialty coffee.
- Blue Bottle Coffee โ The classic.
Other:
- VITAL โ Fitness/climbing.
- Grind House โ Gym.
- Designer's Collab โ Shopping.
- Spikeball โ Check @nycroundnets on Instagram for pickup games.
Long Island City (LIC)
- Little Flower โ Cafรฉ.
- Astoria Seafood โ Fresh seafood market/restaurant.
- LIC Food Hall โ Multiple food vendors.
- Chef Papa โ Chinese.
- Vernon Grille โ American.
- FER โ Restaurant.
- Seven Scents โ BBQ skewers.
- Sapps โ Japanese restaurant and bar.
- Dutch Kills Bar โ Craft cocktails.
Ramen, Soba & Noodles
Some of the best noodle spots transcend neighborhoods:
- Karakatta โ Ramen.
- Soba Totto โ Soba specialist.
- Sanuki Udon โ Udon.
- Ho Foods โ Taiwanese beef noodle soup.
Fine Dining & Special Occasions
- Carbone Privato โ 37 Hudson Yards, 2nd Floor. Exclusive Italian.
- Cote โ Korean steakhouse.
- Jua โ Korean fine dining.
- Sushi by Bou โ Omakase.
- Thirteen Water โ Omakase.
- Hatsuhana โ Omakase.
Quick Hits
- Forma Pasta โ Fresh pasta.
- Soothr โ Thai.
- Ikigai โ Japanese.
- Sakagura โ Japanese izakaya/sake bar.
- Kazunori โ Hand rolls.
- Moxi โ Chinese.
- Joe's Steamed Rice Rolls โ Cantonese street food.
- Bun An Mee โ Vietnamese.
New Jersey (Quick Trips)
- Big Snow โ Indoor skiing/snowboarding.
- Surf Center โ Indoor surfing.
- Fort Lee โ Korean suburb worth exploring for food.
Flushing, Queens
Flushing is one of NYC's greatest food destinations โ an authentic slice of China right in Queens. Most spots are cash-only, so hit the ATM first.
Must-Try Street Food
- 1 Golden Pancake โ Corn croissant and egg tarts.
- Fu Yuan โ Curry fish balls and cheung fun.
- Xie Bao โ Crab roe over rice or noodles.
- Pan Bao 66 โ Shen jian bao (pan-fried soup dumplings).
- Liu Liu Sheng Jian Wang โ More shen jian bao, different style.
- Eight Jane โ Jian bing (Chinese crepes).
- Gao Xiao Pa โ Rou jia mo (Chinese meat sandwiches).
- Ming Wei โ Jian bing guo zi.
Bakeries & Drinks
- Taning Lemon Tea โ Refreshing lemon tea.
- Mr Tu's Bakery โ Pastries.
- Fay Da Bakery โ Get the taro puff.
- Lee & Bai Chinese Buns Shop โ Chengdu braised pork buns.
Restaurants
- โ Shanghai You Garden โ XLB (soup dumplings) for $8.50 and duck buns for $2.50. Restaurant seating or takeaway window.
- Taipei Hong โ Gua bao (Taiwanese pork buns).
- Corner 28 โ Char siu over rice.
- King's Kitchen โ Claypot rice.
- He Nan Feng Wei โ Chinese regional cuisine.
- Siam Thai โ Thai.
- Tai Er Sichuan Cuisine โ Spicy Sichuan.
- Alley 41 โ Taiwanese.
- Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House โ Japanese hotpot.
- Xu Chu โ Chinese.
- Mimisa โ Chinese.
- Haidilao Hotpot โ Chain hotpot (but good).
- Fish With You โ Seafood.
- Sing Choi Kee โ Chinese.
- Sunday's Best โ Brunch.
Shopping
- Tangram Mall โ Asian-focused shopping center with food court.