20 Restaurants We Tried in New York (And Which Ones We’d Return To)

29 Jul 20 Restaurants We Tried in New York (And Which Ones We’d Return To)

When I first visited New York in 2017, I already knew I wanted to eat at as many ethnic restaurants as possible. There were two reasons for that.

The first was simple: curiosity. Where else can you try Pakistani, Brazilian, Nigerian, Argentinian, Chinese, Japanese, and countless other cuisines during the same trip? For me, one of the most fascinating things about New York has always been the incredible diversity of its food. Every neighborhood feels like a different part of the world, and every meal is a chance to discover something new.

The second reason was that I had built my entire food itinerary around a newspaper article listing the best cheap eats in New York. Back in 2017, the online food scene looked very different. There weren’t hundreds of YouTube videos, Instagram reels, or TikTok recommendations for every restaurant in the city like there are today.

For our most recent trip, I approached things very differently. Instead of looking only for the cheapest or trendiest places, I planned almost every restaurant around the routes we were already following through the city. Most of the places you’ll find in this guide are just a short walk from the attractions we visited, making them easy to include in your itinerary without crossing New York just for a meal. In a city this big, good food should fit naturally into your day rather than take it over.

New York is simply too diverse to eat the same type of food every day, so I still wanted to experience as many different cuisines as possible.

Of course, there are still a few places I wish we had managed to visit, and I’ll probably save those for our next trip. As you’ll notice throughout this guide, I naturally gravitated toward certain cuisines more than others. My tastes have changed over the years, and I’ve discovered foods I genuinely enjoy returning to. They’re also the kinds of meals that work perfectly after spending an entire day exploring the city.

Before we get into the reviews, I want to make one thing clear.

I’ll never pretend to be a chef, a food critic, or a food influencer. I’m simply someone who enjoys discovering good places to eat whenever I travel. Before every trip, I spend a lot of time researching restaurants, reading reviews, comparing recommendations, and building a list that mixes local favorites with places that genuinely interest me. Once I’m there, I always try to step outside my comfort zone and order something new whenever I can.

You’ll also notice that none of the food photos in this guide are particularly polished. Every single one was taken quickly with my phone, and that’s intentional.

Table of Contents

• Woorijip
• Ichiran
• Los Tacos No. 1
• Sarge’s Deli
• Raising Cane’s
• Juliana’s Pizza
• Best Bagel & Coffee
• Very Fresh Noodles
• Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles
• Joe’s Pizza – Broadway
• Tick Tock Diner
• John’s Pizzeria of Times Square
• Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao
• Black Seed Bagels
• Magnolia Bakery
• Little Pie Company
• Ralph’s Coffee
• Krispy Kreme
• Shake Shack
• Levain Bakery

Although I started this blog in 2017, I barely published anything over the following years. When we visited New York in 2025, I had no idea I would eventually return to blogging, so I wasn’t taking photos for an article. I was simply documenting our trip for ourselves.

When I decided to bring ASITravel back to life in March 2026, I realized these imperfect phone photos were all I had. They’re not carefully styled, the lighting isn’t always perfect, and some were taken in a hurry. But they’re authentic. They show exactly what we ate and where we were.

I have no intention of changing that.

Even though I’m committed to growing this blog, I’ll never spend ten minutes arranging every plate or searching for the perfect angle before taking a photo. I’d rather enjoy the meal, take a quick picture, and then tell you honestly whether I think a place is worth visiting. For me, the experience will always matter more than the photograph.

Before we continue, there’s one more thing worth mentioning.

If you spend enough time watching YouTube or following food creators, you’ll quickly notice that many recommend neighborhoods outside Manhattan, especially Queens, which is famous for its incredible food scene and huge variety of ethnic restaurants.

Believe me, I watch those videos too, and there are plenty of places I’d love to try one day.

The reason we focused almost exclusively on restaurants in Manhattan, with just one short stop in Brooklyn, was simple. Since it was my fiancée’s first time in New York, I didn’t want us to spend more than an hour each way on the subway just to eat one particular dish, no matter how amazing it might have been.

Instead, we tried to integrate food into our itinerary rather than build our itinerary around food.

We love traveling first and foremost, and good food has always been part of that experience—not the reason for the trip itself.

That’s why about 99% of the restaurants you’ll find in this guide are located in Manhattan. They fit naturally into the routes we were already following, allowing us to experience both the city and its food without sacrificing one for the other.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to the fun part.

These are all the restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and food spots we tried during our trip to New York. I hope my experience helps you decide which places are worth adding to your own itinerary.

Woorijip

Woorijip was the restaurant closest to our hotel. We literally just had to step outside, and it was right there in the heart of Koreatown. Because of that—and because we loved the food—we ended up eating there several times during our trip.

The concept is simple: a few tables at the front, a few more at the back, self-service, takeaway, and a constant flow of people coming and going. We ate inside twice, but on another visit the restaurant was so busy that we decided to grab our food to go and enjoy it on a nearby bench instead. Honestly, that’s part of the New York experience anyway.

Being located in Koreatown and specializing in Korean food, Woorijip was packed during peak hours. Locals, office workers, and tourists were constantly stopping by, picking up their meals, eating quickly, or taking everything home.

We absolutely loved it, which is exactly why we kept coming back. Several of the dishes were outstanding, especially the fried chicken, which was easily one of our favorite meals of the trip. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, and nothing felt like it had been sitting around for hours.

Don’t expect a cozy restaurant where you’ll spend two hours over dinner. The seating is functional rather than comfortable—just enough to enjoy your meal before making room for the next customers. You walk in, choose what you want, pay, and then either find a free table or do what many New Yorkers do: take your food to a nearby park or bench and enjoy it outside.

As far as we’re concerned, Woorijip is one of those places you simply have to try if you’re staying anywhere near Midtown or Koreatown.

The prices were also very reasonable. Our bill ended up being higher than average, but that’s only because we wanted to try as many different dishes as possible. Looking at the photos, two people could easily have had a satisfying meal with about half the amount of food we ordered.

Friendly staff, fast service, excellent food, and a place we’d return to without thinking twice.

One detail that mattered to me—and gave me even more confidence in the place—was the clientele. Every time we visited, the overwhelming majority of people eating there were Korean rather than tourists. It wasn’t a restaurant that existed just because it had become popular on social media. It felt like a place where people from the local community genuinely came to enjoy the food they grew up with.

For us, that was always a good sign. Seeing so many locals choosing to eat there made us trust the quality of the food even before taking our first bite. As it turned out, that trust was well deserved, and it was one of the reasons we kept coming back during our stay in New York.

Ichiran

Ichiran was another restaurant I really wanted to try. During my research before the trip, I had come across several reviews, and they made me incredibly curious. After spending an entire day walking around New York, all we wanted was a delicious, hot bowl of ramen. Right from the start, I can honestly say that this was the best ramen I’ve ever had.

The restaurant itself isn’t very big, and the concept is quite unusual. Inside, you sit in small individual booths. Even though I was there with my fiancée, each of us had our own booth. They were open between us, but every bowl of ramen was served through a small opening directly in front of you.

Even though we arrived right when the restaurant opened, there was already a long line outside, with people who had been waiting before us. As far as I know, there are no reservations. You simply wait in line, and once it’s your turn, you’re given two sheets of paper where you customize your ramen exactly the way you want it.

Almost everyone seems to order an extra portion of noodles, which we did as well. After that, you take your seat, wait for your bowl to arrive, and simply enjoy the experience.

The whole visit was a lot of fun, and both my fiancée and I were genuinely impressed by the quality of the ramen. The staff were friendly and everything went smoothly, but what really stayed with us was the food itself. Even now, around nine or ten months later, it’s still one of the meals I think about.

If you’re not sure how to customize your ramen, you can use AI to suggest a combination or simply search online. There are countless recommendations from people who have visited Ichiran, and you’ll notice that many of the same combinations keep appearing in different reviews.

We absolutely loved it. If it had been closer to the areas where we spent most of our time, we would definitely have gone back. The only reason we didn’t was because we wanted to try a different restaurant every day, as you’ll see throughout this guide. Otherwise, the quality, the flavor, and the entire experience were outstanding.

To avoid any confusion, I should mention that Ichiran has a few locations in New York. The one we visited was the West 31st Street location, which was relatively close to our hotel. We walked there without any problem and then simply continued exploring other parts of New York after our meal.

Ichiran custom order that I used for my meal.

Flavor Strength: Rich
Richness: Rich
Garlic: 1 Clove
Green Onion: Both (White + Green)
Chashu: Yes
Original Red Sauce: 4 or 5(can’t remember exactly)
Noodle Firmness: Firm

Why this combination?

• Rich flavor + Rich broth gives the full-bodied, creamy tonkotsu experience Ichiran is known for.
• 1 clove of garlic adds depth without overpowering the pork broth.
• Both white and green onions provide balance and freshness.
• Chashu is an essential part of the classic Ichiran experience.
• Original Red Sauce at level 4 adds gentle heat and complexity while keeping the broth balanced.
• Firm noodles are the traditional Hakata style and hold their texture perfectly in the hot broth.
• A Soft Boiled Egg complements the rich broth and adds extra creaminess.
• One Kae-Dama (extra noodles) is highly recommended to enjoy the remaining broth, just as many regular Ichiran customers do.

Los Tacos No. 1

Los Tacos No. 1 was another restaurant we tried during our trip to New York. It has several locations across the city, but we visited the one near Madison Square Garden. I’m convinced they’re all just as good.

These were some of the best tacos I’ve ever had, easily better than the ones I tried during my first visit to New York. The Adobada tacos were a perfect 10 out of 10.

We arrived at a fairly busy time, around 5:00 or 5:30 p.m., probably when people were finishing work, so we spent quite a while waiting in line. The system is simple: you queue up, order your tacos, and then either find a place to eat or take them to go.

The staff were incredibly friendly. We somehow managed to communicate using a mix of Spanish and English. I honestly don’t know how much English they spoke or how much Spanish I speak, but we understood each other perfectly, and everything went smoothly.

We have absolutely nothing to complain about. The tacos were outstanding, and we were extremely happy with our choice. During the entire time we were there, the line never disappeared. People kept arriving, placing their orders, checking if there was a free seat, and either eating there or taking their food with them.

The tacos were absolutely delicious, slightly spicy, exactly as we wanted them.

Los Tacos No. 1 is a place I would recommend without hesitation. Along with the ramen at Ichiran, it’s one of the meals we crave the most when we think back to our trip to New York.

LOS TACOS No. 1 ORDER you might try

2× Adobada Tacos
• Corn Tortilla
• Everything
• Extra Lime

Side:
• Grilled Jalapeños & Onions

Drink:
• Horchata

Small note: I love horchata but my fiancé is not crazy about it so if you never tasted horchata before it could be better to skip it for now and stick to your regular drink.

Sarge’s Deli

Before our trip, I had come across Sarge’s Deli and its famous pastrami sandwich countless times. I had seen it in videos, read about it online, and it had become one of those places I knew I wanted to try while we were in New York.

The pastrami sandwich is definitely expensive, although it’s also incredibly large. We stopped by one evening, ordered it to go, and ate it outside the restaurant. Looking back, one sandwich is easily enough for two people because of the sheer amount of meat packed inside.

I have to admit that I absolutely love pastrami. I also love good bread, and I generally enjoy simple food. Most of the time, if I order a pizza, for example, it will have only two or three toppings at most. I don’t usually need complicated combinations to enjoy a meal.

That being said, I’m not entirely sure I liked the bread they used for this sandwich. The pastrami itself was excellent, and I honestly have nothing to complain about when it comes to the quality of the meat. However, with such a huge quantity of pastrami, I felt that the pickles and the small amount of mustard simply weren’t enough to balance the sandwich. For my personal taste, it ended up feeling a little too one-dimensional.

It’s difficult to explain because I can completely understand why so many people recommend it. I had seen countless positive reviews before visiting, and I know many people absolutely love it. For me, though, the whole experience felt just a little too dry. That’s probably the best word I can use to describe it.

I’m still glad we tried it because it’s one of those iconic New York sandwiches that I think many visitors are curious about. It was an interesting experience, and I’m happy I can now say I’ve had it.

Would I order it again on my next trip to New York? Probably not.

That doesn’t mean I think it’s bad—quite the opposite. The meat was excellent, the portion was incredibly generous, and I completely understand why so many people enjoy it. It just wasn’t the kind of sandwich that made me think, “I have to come back for this again.” For me, it falls into the category of experiences that are absolutely worth trying once, but not necessarily repeating.

Raising Cane’s

In general, I’m not a big fan of fast-food chains like this. In fact, during my first trip to New York, I don’t think I ate at any of them. No McDonald’s, no Burger King—nothing.

That being said, after seeing so many viral videos and advertisements about Raising Cane’s, I thought, “Why not?” It was right in Times Square, close to the routes we were already following, so it made perfect sense to give it a try without going out of our way.

My fiancée was the only one who ordered a meal because I already knew I wanted to eat somewhere else afterward. We ended up sharing part of her meal before moving on to another restaurant later in the day.

From what I tasted, it was good. That’s probably the best way I’d describe it: good.

The atmosphere was exactly what you’d expect from a busy fast-food restaurant. Since this location is in Times Square, it was packed with tourists. There were long lines, but they moved surprisingly quickly. The staff were friendly, there was loud music playing, and if I remember correctly, there was even a DJ performing live.

Overall, if you’ve always wanted to try Raising Cane’s, I don’t see any reason not to. It’s not so expensive that you’ll regret spending your money on it.

At the same time, I honestly think New York offers places where you get much more bang for your buck. If you’re a big fan and you’ve watched countless Instagram or TikTok videos about the chicken, the sauce, or the Texas toast, then it’s worth checking off your list.

But if you’re more interested in discovering ethnic restaurants or trying food that’s prepared a little differently and feels more unique, then I think you can skip Raising Cane’s altogether. Personally, I don’t think you’ll feel like you’ve missed anything essential.

Juliana’s Pizza

On the day we explored Brooklyn, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to stop at a place I had read so much about and seen recommended on several YouTube channels while preparing for our trip.

Juliana’s Pizza is a fairly large restaurant, but it fills up incredibly quickly. One of its biggest advantages is that you can simply order a whole pizza to go and enjoy it outside instead of waiting for a table.

That’s exactly what we did.

We picked up our pizza and walked over to the steps near Jane’s Carousel, where we sat looking toward the Brooklyn Bridge and the waterfront. That alone turned lunch into a perfect experience.

The pizza itself was excellent. Out of all the pizzerias we tried in New York, this was our favorite.

I’m sure that the next time—or rather, when we return to New York and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge again—this will be one of the places we’ll come back to without hesitation.

The staff were great, and although the restaurant was completely full inside, the waiting time wasn’t bad at all. We placed our order, received our receipt, waited around 15 to 17 minutes, picked up the pizza, and headed outside to eat it on the steps by Jane’s Carousel.

For us, it was a 10 out of 10 experience.

Is it better than our favorite pizza in Moneglia, Italy? No. That one is still our personal favorite.

But among the three pizzerias we tried in New York, Juliana’s was easily the best. It’s a fantastic pizza and one that, in my opinion, could hold its own almost anywhere in the world.

If you visit Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo do yourself a favor and try it.

Best Bagel & Coffee

Best Bagel & Coffee was the very first place where we ate something in New York. On our first morning in the city, we specifically wanted to start the day here. One reason was that it was relatively close to our hotel, and the other was simple: we wanted to begin our New York trip with a proper bagel and coffee.

We ended up eating here twice during our stay. Both times, we ordered different bagels. I had the classic Lox Bagel, and we also tried the Bacon & Eggs on an Everything Bagel.

The restaurant itself is fairly spacious. There are several tables inside and a couple of small tables outside. What we noticed on both visits was how busy it was. Even though the staff worked incredibly fast and the service was very efficient, there was a constant flow of customers. At least during both of our visits, the place never seemed to slow down.

We really enjoyed the bagels, and we can honestly say that if this had been the only place where we had eaten bagels in New York, we would have gone home convinced that we had found an excellent spot.

Fortunately for us, we also discovered another bagel shop later in the trip that eventually became our personal favorite, and we’ll talk about that a little later in this article.

Overall, we have nothing to complain about here. It’s definitely a place we would confidently recommend to anyone visiting New York. The classic Lox Bagel was excellent, and the amount of bacon, eggs, or smoked salmon in the sandwiches was very generous.

The only thing that could be improved, in our opinion, was the coffee. That being said, this wasn’t something unique to this place. We found that the coffee in several locations around New York wasn’t quite as good as we had expected. At the end of this article, I’ll also mention the place where we had our favorite coffee of the entire trip.

Other than that, this is a place we can wholeheartedly recommend. We visited on two different days, the quality was exactly the same each time, the bagels were excellent, the fillings were generous, and we left both visits completely satisfied. If you’re looking for a great place to start your morning in New York, you can confidently add Best Bagel & Coffee to your list.

Very Fresh Noodles

I first heard about Very Fresh Noodles from a YouTube video while planning our trip. On the day we walked the High Line and then continued toward the East Village, we stopped here on our way back for lunch.

The restaurant is located inside Chelsea Market, where there are several places to eat. We were lucky enough to find a small table in a corner near one of the shops, and that’s where we enjoyed our meal.

We did have to wait a little while for our food because there was a line, but that was completely understandable. It was the weekend, right around lunchtime, so we really have nothing to complain about in that regard.

We ordered a spicy noodle soup with thick noodles, along with one of the house specialty noodle dishes.

They were absolutely phenomenal.

We genuinely loved them, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip.

The only thing worth mentioning is that people who don’t particularly enjoy slightly oilier dishes might not like them quite as much. Both the soup and the noodles had a layer of rich chili oil, but for us, that was exactly what made the dishes so flavorful. It added both depth and heat, and I honestly think it’s a big part of what makes Very Fresh Noodles so special.

One thing is certain: the next time we return to New York, Very Fresh Noodles will definitely be one of the places we’ll visit again.

One thing worth mentioning is the spice level. If you’re not used to spicy food, I’d recommend choosing a lower level of heat when ordering your soup, noodles, or any of the other dishes. These were among the spiciest meals we had during our entire trip to New York, even though we selected what was supposed to be a medium spice level. To us, the “medium” here felt noticeably hotter than a medium spice level in most other restaurants.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. The staff were great, and, as I mentioned before, the food was so good that we’d happily eat here again at any time.

It’s exactly the kind of place we’d always return to and one we’d recommend to anyone visiting New York. The only thing to keep in mind is that you should either enjoy spicy food or choose a milder spice level. I assume that’s an option, although we can’t really comment on how those dishes taste because we almost always order food that’s at least mildly spicy, if not hotter. That’s simply what we enjoy the most.

What We Tried (and What We’d Recommend)

During our visit to Very Fresh Noodles, we wanted to try some of their signature dishes, and they definitely lived up to the hype. Our favorites were the La Mei Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, the Tingly & Spicy Cumin Beef, and the Tingly & Spicy Cumin Lamb. If you’re visiting for the first time, we genuinely think you can’t go wrong with any of these.

As a little bonus tip, don’t skip the Cleaver Smashed Cucumbers. They make a refreshing starter and pair perfectly with the rich, flavorful noodle dishes.

One thing to keep in mind is the spice level. Even what we considered a medium level was noticeably spicier than what we’ve experienced at many other Asian restaurants in New York. If you’re not used to spicy food, we’d recommend choosing a lower spice level so you can fully enjoy the flavors without the heat becoming overwhelming.

Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles

Before getting into the review itself, I want to make one small clarification that I forgot to mention earlier.

This restaurant, along with several others we visited, offers hand-pulled noodles. One thing I really enjoyed was being able to choose between different noodle thicknesses. Some were thinner, some much thicker, some had a chewier texture, while others were softer. Because of that, the noodles themselves tasted and felt different from restaurant to restaurant, even before taking into account the flavor of each individual dish.

We visited Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles after spending the day exploring Little Italy and Chinatown. We had actually walked past it earlier that morning, but it was still closed. After wandering through Chinatown and taking a few photos, we came back and ended up being among the restaurant’s first customers of the day.

We didn’t even go inside, so I honestly don’t know whether there is indoor seating. We sat at one of the outdoor tables, which are very simple—just a few regular tables, nothing fancy at all.

The staff were very friendly. As usual, we ordered a soup, a noodle dish, and a few additional items to share as starters or side dishes.

The first thing I have to mention is the portion size. These were some of the biggest portions we had anywhere in New York. If you look at the noodle dish in the photos, it’s absolutely enormous. It honestly looks like something that could easily feed two people.

More importantly, the flavor matched the size of the portions.

I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this restaurant to anyone visiting New York and Chinatown. The portions are generous, the noodles are delicious, and everything we ordered tasted excellent.

Compared to the noodles we had at Chelsea Market, the dishes here felt a little fresher. The soup was lighter, and although the noodles still had a bit of oil, they weren’t nearly as spicy or as rich. On this visit, we intentionally chose something a little milder because we still had a long day ahead of us. Even though we generally enjoy spicy food and tolerate it quite well, it simply felt like the better choice that day.

This is a really nice restaurant, and it’s one I would happily recommend. I’m glad we came across it in a YouTube video while planning our trip because it immediately caught our attention, and I’m equally glad that we decided to give it a try.

Without question, it’s one of the places I’d happily return to the next time I’m in New York.

Joe’s Pizza – Broadway

From the very first day we arrived in New York, we spent hours walking around the city. That also meant walking along Broadway over and over again, and almost every time we passed by Joe’s Pizza.

My fiancée had first heard about it through Instagram or TikTok—I honestly can’t remember which one—and I had also seen it mentioned in several YouTube videos while researching the trip.

One thing I can say with complete confidence is that I didn’t see another food place in New York with such a consistently long line. No matter what time we walked by, there were always people waiting for a famous slice.

After eight days of exploring New York, I think it was either our last or our second-to-last evening when we finally decided to join the queue ourselves. Luckily, although the line looked long, it moved surprisingly quickly. To give you an idea, we probably waited around 25 minutes despite there being roughly 30 meters of people in front of us.

The space inside is quite small. We were incredibly lucky because just as I walked over to place our order, someone got up from one of the standing spots by the window. We immediately took it and ended up eating there while watching the next people waiting outside in line.

We ordered two or three different slices. The entire place worked like a well-oiled machine. Customers kept moving, orders were prepared quickly, and everything was very organized. The staff were friendly, and despite how busy it was, everything felt under control.

I remember ordering the famous pepperoni slice because I had seen it recommended by several people online. For the second slice, I simply asked one of the employees to give me his personal favorite. That became our order.

The pizza was good.

Now, I should probably add a small disclaimer.

I absolutely love pizza. If I had to choose one food to eat every single day for the rest of my life, it would probably be pizza. I’d choose it over burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, pasta—pretty much anything.

Precisely because I love pizza so much, I tend to judge different types of pizzerias differently. A small family-run pizzeria with a short menu deserves to be judged on its own terms. A much larger, more commercial place should also be judged for what it is, rather than being compared directly with traditional pizzerias.

For that reason, I’ll never compare Joe’s Pizza with Juliana’s Pizza, or with small family-owned pizzerias in Italy or Spain—places in Naples, Genoa, Monterosso al Mare, or anywhere else where the entire experience is built around a completely different philosophy. To me, those are simply different categories.

For what it is, Joe’s Pizza is very good.

If there isn’t a huge line, I think it’s absolutely worth trying. At the end of the day, it’s one of those historic New York places that many people associate with the city’s classic pizza slice.

You just shouldn’t expect the experience of sitting in a traditional family-run pizzeria in Italy. That’s not what Joe’s Pizza is trying to be.

Could you skip it? Sure. I think there are better pizzas in New York.

On the other hand, you can also grab a slice, take the classic New York photo, enjoy it, and continue your day. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The quality is genuinely very good—it just isn’t at the level of the very best pizzas I’ve had elsewhere.

Overall, Joe’s Pizza?

Why not?

Tick Tock Diner

Even before we booked our flights to New York, we knew there was one experience we didn’t want to miss: having breakfast at a classic American diner.

While planning the trip, we watched plenty of YouTube videos and eventually came across Tick Tock Diner, which seemed like exactly the kind of place we were looking for. On the morning we visited the Edge, we stopped there for breakfast since it was conveniently located just a short walk from our hotel.

Honestly, the atmosphere alone makes it worth visiting.

It feels exactly like the classic American diners you’ve seen in countless movies and TV shows. From the booths and the waitstaff to the vintage decorations, the artwork on the walls, and the overall atmosphere, everything felt authentic and instantly recognizable. We absolutely loved it.

We came specifically to enjoy a traditional American breakfast, so we ordered a classic breakfast plate along with a stack of pancakes.

We weren’t disappointed.

Everything was exactly what we had hoped for, and the experience was just as enjoyable as the food itself.

Without a doubt, this is one of the places we’ll return to on our next visit to New York. After growing up watching so many American films and TV series, there’s something special about sitting in a place like this. It’s not just about the food—it’s about experiencing a small piece of that classic American culture.

As far as I remember, Tick Tock Diner is open 24 hours a day, making it an easy option whether you’re looking for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late-night meal.

We genuinely enjoyed our visit and would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a classic New York diner experience.

John’s Pizzeria of Times Square

I first came across John’s Pizzeria while watching a YouTube video, and it immediately became one of the places I wanted to visit. Partly because of its location and partly because almost everything I had read or watched about the pizza was positive.

Just a short walk from Times Square, this unique pizzeria is located inside a former church. As you’re eating, you can look up and still see the stained-glass windows and many of the original architectural details. It’s a very large space that can accommodate a lot of people, yet it still has a darker, old-fashioned atmosphere that feels like something out of a classic movie. I honestly think that’s a big part of the restaurant’s charm.

As for the pizza itself, I would rank it second among the pizzerias we tried in New York—behind Juliana’s Pizza but ahead of Joe’s Pizza.

The pizza is large, baked in an old oven, and we really enjoyed both the crust and the quality of the ingredients. It was more than enough for the two of us, and we finished the meal completely satisfied.

If I said earlier that Joe’s Pizza is a “why not?” kind of place, mostly because it’s such an iconic New York slice, then I’d say John’s Pizzeria is a place I can genuinely recommend if you’re looking for a sit-down pizza near Times Square.

I’m not completely sure I’d return myself, simply because there are still so many highly rated pizzerias in New York that I’d like to try on future visits. But if you’re in the area and you’re hungry, and maybe you don’t feel like eating at Raising Cane’s nearby—or perhaps you’ve already tried Margon, which I mentioned in my article about my first trip to New York—then John’s Pizzeria is a very good choice.

It works equally well before a Broadway show or as a lunch stop if you want a proper meal that will keep you going for the rest of the day.

The service was good, and the pizza arrived fairly quickly. Unfortunately, I never timed how long we waited at any of the restaurants we visited because I was simply trying to enjoy being there rather than paying attention to details like that.

Overall, it’s a very good pizza and an experience I can confidently recommend.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao

We were incredibly lucky with this restaurant because it was located on the next street from our hotel, almost directly across from one side of the Empire State Building. After spending the day walking several kilometers around New York, it was the perfect place to stop for a meal and finally try something I had been looking forward to for a very long time.

Ever since we started planning this trip, I had been searching not only for places to visit but also for restaurants that could fit naturally into our itineraries. One dish I wanted to try more than almost anything else was soup dumplings.

I spent quite a bit of time reading reviews, comparing recommendations, and looking at different places before finally deciding that Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao was one of the best restaurants in New York for soup dumplings. The fact that it was only a few hundred meters from our hotel made the decision incredibly easy.

The restaurant itself is large, beautifully arranged, and has plenty of staff to handle the constant flow of customers. When we arrived in the evening, I think we got the very last available table. As soon as we sat down, a waiting line started to form outside, which says a lot about how popular the place is.

Just like Woorijip in Koreatown, this restaurant was filled mostly with local Asian customers, with only a relatively small number of tourists. For us, that created a much more authentic atmosphere. Just as with Woorijip, I think that was reflected both in the quality of the food and in how faithful the dishes felt to their original recipes.

Besides the soup dumplings, we also tried a savory pie, two different types of soup dumplings, and some glazed marinated ribs.

Everything we ordered was outstanding.

We honestly have nothing negative to say about this restaurant. I would confidently recommend it to anyone visiting New York, and it’s definitely one of the places I would happily return to.

I don’t know if I would necessarily go back to explore the entire menu, simply because I’d also like to discover more restaurants on future trips. But for the soup dumplings alone, I would absolutely return. If I find myself in New York again, I’ll definitely try to eat here one more time.

This restaurant has built much of its reputation around its soup dumplings. They’re the highlight in Michelin guides and in countless reviews across the internet. Everyone talks about them, and once you finally try them yourself, it’s very easy to understand why.

Without a doubt, this was one of the most pleasant surprises of our entire trip.

Black Seed Bagels

I intentionally left Black Seed Bagels until later in this guide because I wanted to spend a little more time talking about it.

We actually discovered it by accident. After finishing the first part of our walk through SoHo, before continuing toward Little Italy and Chinatown, we realized we hadn’t eaten anything that morning. We had left the hotel very early, spent several hours wandering around SoHo, and finally decided it was time for a bagel.

I quickly searched online because, to be honest, the bagel places I had written down before the trip were a little farther away from where we were. Finding Black Seed Bagels was really a matter of luck. It happened to be only about 100 or 200 meters closer than the place I had saved on my phone, so we simply thought, “Why not?”

I’m really glad we did.

We loved that little area between SoHo and Little Italy—I honestly don’t even know exactly which neighborhood I’d place it in. The location itself is small, and we were lucky enough to grab one of the outdoor tables, where we enjoyed breakfast.

This time we changed our order a little. Instead of the Bacon & Eggs bagel, we ordered the Classic and the Classic 2.0, both on an Everything Bagel.

That was the moment everything changed.

Black Seed Bagels was the place that made me stop thinking about Best Bagel & Coffee and start looking for another Black Seed location closer to our hotel. Luckily, there was one only a couple of hundred meters away.

Because of that, we came back two more times. In total, we ate at Black Seed Bagels three times across two different locations. Every single time, we ordered the Classic and the Classic 2.0 on an Everything Bagel.

To this day, it’s still my favorite bagel.

It’s the bagel I think about whenever we talk about returning to New York, and if I found myself back in the city tomorrow, it’s probably the very first thing I’d go and eat.

There are endless discussions about bagels—how they’re made, how they’re baked, whether they’re boiled in a certain way, whether they should be chewier or firmer. I’m not a food critic, and I’m not going to explain the technical side of how Black Seed makes its bagels.

All I can say is that, for me, this is the perfect bagel.

Of course, the next time I’m in New York, I’ll continue trying other places because I’m curious to see whether this opinion will still hold after tasting even more bagels.

But for now, Black Seed Bagels is one of the best discoveries we made during our trip. It’s a place I’d recommend without hesitation to anyone who wants to try a great bagel, and it’s somewhere I’d return to without thinking twice.

Now that we’ve covered the main restaurants, I’d also like to mention a few places where we stopped for just one item—usually a dessert, a coffee, or a quick snack.

I think they complement the rest of this guide very well. They probably don’t need the same detailed reviews as the restaurants above since we only tried one or two things at each of them, but I still wanted to include them because some genuinely impressed us, while others were simply solid stops during our days exploring New York.

Magnolia Bakery

We had seen Magnolia Bakery mentioned in quite a few YouTube videos before our trip, and we ended up trying it in two different locations.

The first one was in Manhattan, relatively close to Times Square, and the second one was in the Village, if I remember the neighborhood correctly.

The experiences couldn’t have been more different.

At the Manhattan location, we ordered the famous Banana Pudding along with another cake that, in our opinion, was extremely sweet. To be fair, that was something we noticed quite often in New York. Many desserts were much sweeter than we expected, sometimes to the point where the sweetness became the dominant flavor.

The Banana Pudding, however, completely lived up to the hype.

We had read about it, watched videos recommending it, and both my fiancée and I absolutely loved it. It quickly became one of the desserts we wanted to have again before leaving New York.

A few days later, we visited the Village location and ordered the Banana Pudding again.

This time, though, we weren’t impressed at all.

Honestly, if that had been the first Banana Pudding we had ever tried, I probably wouldn’t have ordered it again anywhere else.

I honestly can’t explain why. In theory, it should be the same dessert made with the same ingredients and the same recipe, but the taste was completely different. If I had to rate them, the Manhattan location was a five-star experience, while the one in the Village was probably somewhere around 2.5 or 3 stars.

I’m sure that the next time we visit New York, we’ll go back for the Banana Pudding—but only at the Manhattan location.

Little Pie Company

I spent quite a bit of time looking for a good pie shop because I really wanted to have another great pie while we were in New York.

During my first visit to the city, I had two pies that stayed in my memory for years. This time, though, getting back to that area wasn’t very practical, and I had also read that the original shop had closed and moved.

At Little Pie Company, we tried the Apple Pie and, if I remember correctly, another variety that was probably a crumb pie. I can’t remember exactly which one it was.

The Apple Pie was very, very good.

Overall, I don’t know if I would place it among my very top recommendations, mainly because I still remember enjoying those pies from my first trip even more. Maybe that’s just nostalgia, but I can’t honestly say these were the best pies I’ve ever had.

The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. The shop itself is small, and through a large glass window you can actually see the kitchen where the pies are being made, which is a really nice touch.

You can either buy a whole pie or just individual slices, which is exactly what we did.

It was good—definitely good—but I still felt like something was missing. I can’t really explain what that was. Maybe I simply expected a little more.

Interestingly, my fiancée absolutely loved them.

Ralph’s Coffee

We had coffee in four or five different places during our trip to New York, but once we discovered Ralph’s Coffee, it quickly became a habit. We would often stop there for a coffee first and then have another one later in the day, depending on where our itinerary took us.

Without any doubt, this was the best coffee we had in New York. For us, it wasn’t even close. Whether we compare it with the coffee at Best Bagel & Coffee, a small bakery in the East Village, or even Black Seed Bagels, Ralph’s Coffee was on a completely different level.

I think it’s simply a different approach to coffee, or maybe a different coffee culture altogether, and that really shows in the cup.

As someone who mostly drinks espresso, I was genuinely happy to find a place that reminded me much more of Europe. I’m simply not a fan of the large cups of American-style coffee that you find in many places.

Overall, both my fiancée and I considered Ralph’s Coffee a must-visit. If you enjoy good coffee and want a break from the typical American style, this is the place we would recommend first.

Krispy Kreme

One of the classic American foods we wanted to try during our trip was donuts.

Before arriving in New York, we were debating between Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme. Since Krispy Kreme is so well known, we decided to give it a try. Conveniently, there was a location inside Penn Station, just a short walk from our hotel, so one evening on our way back we picked up three different donuts.

To be completely honest, this isn’t an experience I’d repeat.

For me, these donuts perfectly fit the stereotype you sometimes hear about American desserts—that they’re incredibly sweet but somehow don’t have much actual flavor.

All I could taste was sugar.

I kept expecting different fillings or glazes to bring something interesting, but everything was simply… sweet. There wasn’t much depth or character beyond that.

This is one of the very few places in New York that I personally wouldn’t recommend.

Maybe you’ll enjoy them if you have a serious sweet tooth or you’re craving something loaded with sugar, but otherwise, I think there are far better desserts to spend your calories on in New York.

Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and plenty of people absolutely love Krispy Kreme. It simply wasn’t for us, and it’s one place we wouldn’t return to.

Shake Shack

We visited a Shake Shack on Broadway.

I know that most people recommend Shake Shack for its burgers, but I’ve said it several times throughout this article—I’m simply not a big burger fan. What we really wanted was to eat a hot dog in New York.

Yes, it may sound a little cheesy or like a typical tourist thing to do, but that’s exactly what we wanted.

So that’s what we ordered.

There isn’t a huge amount to say about the restaurant itself. It’s fairly large, relatively clean, and the staff seemed friendly. We placed our order using one of the self-service kiosks, received our number, and waited at our table for the food.

We tried two different hot dogs.

They were good. Not the best hot dogs I’ve ever had, but certainly not the worst either.

If you simply want to satisfy your curiosity and be able to say that you had a hot dog in New York, I think Shake Shack is a perfectly decent place to do it.

If you’re not interested in hot dogs, though, I don’t think you’re missing anything by skipping this stop. I should also mention that we didn’t try the burgers, which are really the main reason why Shake Shack is so well known.

Overall, it’s a perfectly decent and fun option, and we have no complaints about the experience.

Levain Bakery

I have to admit that I was incredibly skeptical before trying Levain Bakery.

My fiancée had seen it all over Instagram, and by the time we arrived there, a long line had already formed outside. It moved surprisingly quickly, but my first thought was that this was probably another place that had become famous on social media without really living up to the hype.

Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

These were, without question, the best cookies we’ve ever had anywhere.

They were so good that after we returned home, one of the very first things we did was go shopping for ingredients, find a cookie recipe, and try to recreate them ourselves.

That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give.

I honestly don’t think I can recommend Levain Bakery highly enough. No matter how much I praise it, I still feel like the cookies were even better than my words can describe.

If you’re visiting New York, this is one of those places I genuinely think everyone should experience at least once.

We arrived expecting another overhyped Instagram spot, but we left completely convinced that the reputation is fully deserved.

Our only regret is that we didn’t discover Levain Bakery earlier in the trip. Had we found it sooner, I’m almost certain we would have gone back almost every single day.

Final Thoughts

I think these were, for the most part, all of our memorable food experiences from this trip.

We also had coffee in a couple of other places and stopped for a few more desserts here and there, but they were such small parts of the trip that we honestly don’t remember them well enough to include them here.

While writing this article, I kept checking Google Maps, looking through the places we had saved, the photos we had taken, and the reviews we had left, just to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. These are the places that stood out the most.

Looking back now, I realize that although we wanted to try as many different things as possible, we still ended up going back to Woorijip three times and eating at Black Seed Bagels two or three times as well.

I don’t regret that at all.

The only thing I’d probably do differently next time is try to fit even more new places into the itinerary alongside the restaurants we already know and love.

One thing we noticed throughout the trip was that many portions were large enough to share. Whether it was the huge bowls of soup or the generous noodle dishes, splitting a meal between two people was often not a problem at all.

As I mentioned earlier in the article, we deliberately focused almost entirely on Manhattan because we didn’t want to spend hours traveling just to eat one particular dish while missing out on places we wanted to explore.

Next time we visit New York, we’d like to dedicate a little more time specifically to food and maybe travel to other neighborhoods just for certain restaurants. We already have a fairly long list of places we’d like to try. Whether we’ll actually manage to visit all of them is another story.

At the end of the day, we’re simply people who love traveling. We’re not food bloggers, and our trips have never revolved around restaurants. For us, discovering a city always comes first. Good food is an important part of the experience, but it’s never the main reason we’re there.

Once again, New York exceeded our expectations.

I had already been impressed by the city’s food scene during my first visit in 2017, and this trip confirmed that feeling all over again. In fact, several months after returning home, there are still a few dishes from this trip that both my fiancée and I catch ourselves thinking about from time to time. That’s probably the biggest compliment we can give any restaurant.