Washington Square, NYC
The food scene in New York is amazing. Virtually any type of food you can think of is served here plus a few you never even imagined. From very high end gastronomy to a hot dog stand, there is something to suit every budget. If you’re eating American then steak is an obvious choice as well as a traditional deli sandwich but I could go on with hot dogs, all American burgers, pretzels, cupcakes, New York cheesecake. If you fancy something less American you can make the most of the melting pot and savour the Italian influence or discover China in Chinatown, whatever food you want, NYC has it all!
I’m sure I could go on all day giving various restaurant recommendations, the city has so many it would be impossible to list them all but here’s a few ideas of where to eat in NYC.
Downtown
Options far downtown are a bit more limited unless you’re happy to pay for a very high end meal…you are in the financial district after all!
If you want something cheap and cheerful then GRK does delicious fresh Greek food, think pitta bread wraps with grilled meat and salads http://grkfresh.com/menu/. Shake Shack, the burger chain is all over NYC but they make a reasonably priced pit-stop and the burgers are good! http://www.shakeshack.com/
There are plenty of foodcarts in the Financial District, providing a quick lunch to local office workers. Try Veronica’s Kitchen on the corner of Front Street and Pine Street which serves up traditional Trinidadian food.
Heartland Brewery right opposite South St. Seaport is an ok stop. The food here is reliable but run of the mill but it’s not too pricey, oh and they make their own beers. http://www.heartlandbrewery.com/
Nathan’s famous hot dogs, Coney Island, NYC
Further up Manhattan and there’s a few more options. Bubby’s on Hudson Street in Tribeca is a bit out of the way but has a lovely open atmosphere and is great with kids http://www.bubbys.com/our-restaurants/tribeca . Kelly & Ping on Green Street does quick, healthy rice and noodle dishes http://www.kelleyandping.com/ . Rice to Riches on Spring Street in Nolita has to have a mention, it serves an amazing array of flavoured rice puddings, I thought I hated rice pudding but this place has totally converted me…keep in mind the small size will be plenty big enough!
For something a bit more refined head to Balthazar http://www.balthazarny.com/ on Spring Street or the Gotham Bar and Grill on East 12th Street. http://gothambarandgrill.com/
In Greenwich Village, Malatesta Trattoria on the corner of Washington and Christopher Streets is a lovely small Italian with a neighbourhood feel, note they only take cash so stop by an ATM on your way. In a similar vein La Siren in South Village is a cash only, BYO casual French bistro.
If you’re tempted by cupcakes then the famous Magnolia Bakery has a store in Greenwich Village but the queues regularly scroll out the door and down the street since being featured in Sex and the City. If you really want a Magnolia then better to head to its midtown store just behind the Rockefeller Center on 49th Street.
The Meatpacking District has some great restaurants. Here try Buddakkan for Asian Fusion (you will need to book several weeks ahead) http://www.buddakannyc.com/ , or Spice Market http://www.spicemarketnewyork.com/
Chelsea Market, as I’ve mentioned before is a great place for food with numerous delis from which to choose a sandwich, bowl of pasta or salad.
Midtown
Midtown isn’t flooded with great places to eat but there’s a branch of Hillstone at East 26th and Park Avenue South and another at East 53rd and Lexington http://www.hillstone.com/hillstone/. There are also numerous sandwich shops and pizzerias, some of them pretty good. If you fancy a burger then the reliable Shake Shack has another branch here on 8th Avenue at West 44th Street. At the other end of the spectrum Eleven Madison Park http://elevenmadisonpark.com/ is a wonderful place if you are looking for somewhere to celebrate a special occasion. Take a deep breath when the bill comes…..
Uptown
Central Park from the Top of the Rock
Uptown the Time Warner Center has numerous eateries for varying budgets and makes a convenient stopping point for Central Park. Landmarc serves delicious food and is surprisingly child friendly http://landmarc-restaurant.com/. There’s also a Bouchon Bakery http://bouchonbakery.com/and Wholefoods supermarket there if you want to grab some food for a picnic in Central Park.
If it’s afternoon tea you’re after try Alice’s tea cup at W73rd Street near Columbus Avenue, although we couldn’t get in at all when we were there it was so busy and such a tiny place. Also, it’s not particularly buggy friendly. It does have two more locations in NYC now though at E64th Street and E81st Street http://alicesteacup.com/. It probably won’t be the cheapest afternoon tea you’ve ever had but it will be delicious. It might be worth booking ahead if you think this is somewhere you definitely want to visit.
For Mexican in Uptown NYC try Cocina Economica Mexico. I haven’t been but it’s on my list as it has great reviews and seems to be fantastic value http://www.cocinaeconomicamexico.come
Uptown it’s also worth checking the museums for some great cafes and bars. In particular, The Modern at MOMA (half café, half dining room) and the Wright (named after Frank Lloyd Wright) at the Guggenheim.