The best restaurants in New York City

Choosing where to eat in New York City can be tough with so many amazing options. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best restaurants in New York, covering everything from fancy dinners to casual bites. New York’s diverse food scene is one of its greatest charms, and we’re excited to share the standout spots we discovered. If you love food as much as we do, you’re in for a real treat!

Best restaurants in New York for breakfast
Best restaurants in New York for lunch and dinner
Where to stay in New York

Best restaurants in New York for breakfast

Maman

Maman is a French bakery with different locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Jersey City, Montreal and Toronto. This cute bakery offers a selection of baked goods, coffee, breakfast and lunch options. We went for the smashed avocado toast and the omelette. The avocado toast was a real piece of art, the presentation was extraordinary! The best part is it tasted even better than it looked. We also had a delicious chai latte here, although not the best we had in NYC (keep on reading to discover where you can get THE best chai latte). Maman is open seven days a week, if you’re in New York you really should grab breakfast here at least once.

Check the locations here.

Telegraphe Café

Telegraphe Café is one of the best restaurants in New York for breakfast. The avocado toast topped with feta was so good we returned here on our last day to enjoy this amazing meal twice. The whole menu is just so tempting, we wanted to try everything here. We decided to try some bagels, we went for the bagel with egg and cheese, and a bagel with cream cheese. We preferred the bagel with egg and cheese, since the cream cheese was a little too much for us. Everything here, from food to drinks, is very tasteful. Since we teased about where you could get the best chai latte, and we do not want to keep you waiting, here it is: the Telegraphe Café officially has the best chai latte in all of NYC! We had the chai latte with vanilla spice with some extra whipped cream on top, and the thought alone makes our mouths water.

Where: 107 W 18th St

The Grey Dog

Did someone say mimosas? Finally our movie-moment arrived! We were looking for mimosa’s everywhere when having breakfast, and were finally able to grab some at The Grey Dog. We went for the omelette and avocado toast – again, we know. Both dishes were tasty, if you’re looking for a modern place to have a healthy breakfast, The Grey Dog got you covered.

Check the locations here.

Levain Bakery

Levain Bakery is not a classic breakfast spot, but still worth visiting. If you like pastries, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re sure you saw a picture of the New York City’s most famous cookies on Instagram or Pinterest. If you’re not that hungry, we recommend to share just one and let us tell you why. We thought it would be a good idea to order one each, biggest mistake ever! These cookies are so big, you can’t possibly eat an entire cookie on your own (even on an empty stomach). If you don’t want chocolate as a predominant flavor, we suggest to take the two chocolate chip cookie. This one was our favorite!

Check the locations here.

Best restaurants in New York for lunch and dinner

Luke’s Lobster

Luke’s Lobster is a family-owned shack with multiple locations. They serve some delicious lobster rolls, our all time favorite. The only thing better than a lobster roll is a lobster roll topped with truffle! We went for a trio of lobster rolls: the classic, the white truffle and the spicy honey butter. We really can’t choose between the spicy honey butter lobster roll and the white truffle lobster roll. Both were in their own way heavenly good. We recommend this place to all lobsters enthusiasts.

Check the locations here.

Pasta Lovers Trattoria

The name says it all, Pasta Lovers, located in Manhattan, offers an extensive menu with all kind of pastas and pizzas. We’re still dreaming about the baked ziti, a pasta with so much cheese it feels like you’re in heaven. We also had a bottle of prosecco here, it was the best alcoholic drink we had during our ten days trip in New York (and really not that expensive). If you love some good pasta, you really have to try this Italian restaurant! You get a looooot of food and even a personal waiter to grate your cheese until you’re so embarrassed you have to say stop.

Where: 142 W 49th St

Melt Shop

Melt Shop is a fast food chain with four locations in Manhattan. Trust us when we say they have the best chicken burgers of the city! We have eaten so much burgers in New York, but nothing can beat the juicy, flavourful burgers of Melt Shop. The Korean BBQ and the crispy BBQ chicken from Melt Shop were both so finger-licking good, we can’t even decide which one was best. You just have to try them both!

Check the locations here.

Nathan’s Famous

You can’t go to New York without trying a famous New York style hot dog! On every corner of the streets you can find a hot dog stand and we’re all for it. They’re cheap, filling, and of course, delicious! Nathan’s Famous is known for its fast food restaurant specialized in hot dogs. When we saw they also have booths in the streets of New York City, we knew we would order our first New York style hot dog here. We also bought some crinkle-cut fries topped with cheese, both were soooo gooood! If you pass this booth, you definitely have to order an original hot dog!

Check the locations here.

Elite Williamsburg

Elite Williamsburg, where the music is probably just a little too loud and the portions are a little too big. Just how we like it! Don’t expect a romantic setting, but enjoy some excellent Latin-American inspired dishes and specialty cocktails. Make sure to make a reservation in advance, since they’re fully booked most of the time. We went for the elite burger and shrimp tacos, both delectable dishes. Don’t expect the most polished meals, but what they lack in refinement, they most definitely make up in taste! The service is also worth mentioning. Our waitress was super attentive and friendly, this place really sets the standard for service!

Where: 128 Metropolitan Avenue

The Chelsea House

In the Chelsea area (obviously) of Manhattan you can find The Chelsea House, a seafood bar and grill with some amazing cocktails. We tried the grilled oysters with garlic shallot butter and parmesan, which were really nice. But what has stayed with us are the seasoned fries we had with both our burgers. These were so flavorsome! As Europeans, we didn’t really know seasoned fries existed (we even asked what the fries were seasoned with) but we’re glad we discovered them now! The Lychee Rosé Martini is also worth mentioning, since it was the best cocktail we had in New York City. A must try when visiting The Chelsea House!

Where: 235 9th Ave

Shake Shack

Last but not least, one of the hottest burger chains in America: Shake Shack. This place is known for its delicious burgers and long lines. Without doubt it is worth the wait! Shack Shack is so much more than a regular fast food burger chain. With their creative burgers and toppings, the menu covers meat lovers, flexitarians and vegetarians. We are truly obsessed with their black truffle burger and the crispy crinkle-cut fries topped with cheese are also very appetizing! We even have to admit that Shake Shack was one of the main reasons we wanted to visit New York, and they really did not disappoint!

Check the locations here.