Where to Eat in New York: 10 Recommended Restaurants

This guide to the best restaurants to eat in New York will help you make the most of the gastronomy of the city that never sleeps, where in addition to visiting the most emblematic places such as Times Square, the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty, it is also worth trying American food without going broke.

Keep in mind that New York's restaurants are quite expensive and the most famous ones tend to have long queues, so to save time between visits and money, the best option is often to eat at fast food joints, whether they serve hamburgers, pizzas, sandwiches, hot dogs or health food bowls, perfect for a picnic in Central Park.

Based on our dining experience during our two visits to New York, the first time on an 11-day trip to New York and the second time living in a flat for a month and a half, during which we wrote this guide to New York travel tips, we have made this selection of our top 10 favourite restaurants in New York.

1. Shake Shack

Shake Shack, a fast food chain, has the best burgers in New York, along with Five Guys, and is one of our favourite places to eat in New York.
Keep in mind that there are many Shake Shack locations throughout the city and it's so popular that at some locations, during peak hours, long lines form and sometimes there's no room to sit down, so it's advisable to arrive between meals or take your food with you.
Their burgers are characterised by their fresh, untreated, juicy Angus beef with an intense grilled flavour, which sets them apart from other fast food chains. The ShackBurger and Smoke Shack Burger are our favourites, accompanied by curly fries and melted cheese. The menu is priced between $10 and $15 (including drinks).
Don't forget their delicious Frozen Custard milkshakes and ice cream, which will add even more calories, but which we know, you won't regret trying.

Shake Shack

2. Grimaldi's, one of the best restaurants to eat at in New York City

Grimaldi's, located near the Brooklyn Bridge in the neighbourhood of the same name, is the most iconic pizzeria and one of the best restaurants in New York for wood-fired pizzas, which gives it an extra kick of flavour.
Although the pizzas are not cheap, between 18 and 25 dollars (you can only pay in cash), they are huge, and one pizza can easily feed two people.
Next door to this restaurant is Juliana's Pizza, a restaurant set up by the former owners of Grimaldi's, which also has crispy, tasty pizzas that are almost identical in taste and price. This is important as there are usually long queues at these two restaurants, especially on weekends, which can last up to an hour, so it's a good idea to get in line at the restaurant with the fewest people.
If you're looking for good pizzas on the island of Manhattan, we also recommend John's of Bleecker Street, ranked among the best in the United States.

Grimaldi's, one of the places to eat in New York.

3. Katz's Delicatessen

Katz's Delicatessen is another of the most famous places to eat in New York thanks to the filming at one of its tables of a legendary scene from the movie "When Harry Met Sally" starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.
Although its real star is its delicious pastrami sandwiches, with a 30-day cured meat, to which you can add various toppings such as sauces and cheese.
These delicious sandwiches cost around $20, but keep in mind that they are huge and enough to fill the stomachs of at least two people.

Kat's Delicatessen

4. Gray's Papaya

Although there are many hot dog stands on the streets of New York, the best known and one of the best, according to the prestigious New York Times, is Gray's Papaya.
In this small place with just a few tables, they serve delicious freshly made hot dogs for about two dollars each. We recommend ordering a minimum of two and accompanying them with their famous papaya juice.
Another great place to try hot dogs is at the food trucks that carry the Nathan's Famous sign.

Gray's Papaya

5. Five Guys

Another of the best places to eat burgers in New York City is Five Guys, a fast food chain with over 20 locations throughout the city.
Although we've tried their burgers in other countries, as with the Shake Shack, New York's burgers have a special, unmistakable flavour that makes them unique.
In their distinctive red-and-white colour scheme, they serve high-quality fresh beef burgers and non-frozen fries, the best we've tried, for about $9.
Our favourite is the full-size Bacon Cheeseburger, to which you can add about 15 free toppings or toppings, and you can also refill your drink for free.

Five Guys, another restaurant to eat at in New York.

Recommended travel cards

Remember that to avoid paying commissions and to always have the current exchange rate, we recommend you use the Revolut card and the N26 card, which are the ones we use, are free and will save you a lot of money.
You can find more information in this article on the best cards for commission-free travel.

6. Luke's Lobster, another one of the best restaurants in New York City

Although the prices at Luke's Lobster are a bit steep, the shrimp, lobster and crab sandwiches are so good, we have to include it in our list of the best restaurants in New York.
In these little places around the city, they serve up soft, seafood-flavoured sandwiches in little cardboard boxes for just over $20.

Luke's Lobster

7. Digg Inn

Digg Inn, with several locations in Manhattan, offers healthy food made from fresh, natural foods sourced from over 100 New York State farmers.
At this fast-food joint, you can try a variety of hot and cold dishes where you choose the ingredients that make up the dish, such as meat, fish, vegetables, salad, cereal, for about $12 per person.
Another of New York 's best restaurants for healthy eating is Sweet Green, which offers full salad bowls made with fresh, seasonal produce, accompanied by a freshly squeezed juice.

Digg Inn

8. Eataly in New York

Eataly, although not a restaurant but a gourmet Italian food market, has numerous stalls where they serve delicious pasta dishes made to order at a reasonable price, making it another place where you can eat very well in New York.
In this huge space, located next to the Flatiron, one of the must-visit places in New York, you'll feel like you're in Italy for a moment as you can buy most of the most famous products from the transalpine country and try some of its most traditional dishes such as pasta and pizza.
They also have several Italian dessert stands and serve an espresso, which will remind you of Italy.

Eataly

9. Amy Ruth's

After attending a gospel service in New York on a Sunday morning, it's almost a must to have brunch at Amy Ruth's, another of the restaurants to eat at in New York.
Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch that has become very popular in New York and other parts of the world. It is usually served on weekends, between 12 and 1pm, and is one of the best things to do in Harlem.
At Amy Ruth's, one of Harlem's most iconic restaurants, they serve delicious, hearty Southern food, with their signature dish being fried chicken and waffles.
If this place is packed, we recommend a visit to Sylvia's Restaurant, which is similar in style and one of New York's top-rated restaurants.

Amy's Ruth, one of the best restaurants in New York.

10. Whole Foods

Another of the best things to do in New York is to buy take-out food at Whole Foods, a large, reasonably priced health food supermarket.
In addition to the typical supermarket products, in the huge food section you can fill cardboard boxes with all kinds of hot and cold food, such as salads, pizzas, soups, pasta, sandwiches, vegetables, which you pay for later by weight.
Although there are several Whole Foods in the city, we always went to the one located in Columbus Circle, as it is next to Central Park, the best place to have a picnic.

Picnic with Whole Market

All these restaurants where to eat in New York are located in the tourist routes of the city, which you can organize following these guides optimized according to the days you have available:

• New York in one day

• New York in 2 days

• New York in 3 days

• New York in 4 days

• New York in 5 days

• New York in 6 days

• New York in 7 days

• New York in 8 days