In This Guide
Exploring NYC
NYC Travel
NYC Maps
NYC Taxis
NYC Public Transportation
Walking in NYC
Driving in NYC
Bike Riding in NYC
NYC Hotels
Apartment Search in NYC
NYC Restaurants
NYC Shopping
NYC Entertainment
NYC Theater
NYC Music Venues
Movies and Film in NYC
NYC Art Museums and Galleries
NYC Nightlife
NYC Celebrity Sightings
NYC Family Events
NYC Sports Teams
NYC Sports Leagues and Fitness Centers
NYC Parks
NYC Pet Care
Finding NYC Doctors, Locksmiths or Other Help
New York City Guide
You don't have to be a native New Yorker to act like one—not if you use our New York City Guide. Want to seamlessly travel between neighborhoods, find the city's best pizza or learn insider tips on hotels or permanent housing? Our New York City Web Guide points you to the Big Apple’s vast array of fun activities: Visit New York’s most famous attractions, see a show, catch the big game, attend a gallery opening, spot a celebrity and much more. We also offer a Spanish-language version of the Guide.
Expand All Guide SectionsExploring NYC
New York covers 12,000 square acres of land, has more than 8 million residents and hosts more than ... read more »
NYC Travel
Planning and implementing your New York City travel to and from the hectic ... read more »
NYC Maps
If you’re unclear about how New York is laid out, don’t worry: Many residents of the ... read more »
NYC Taxis
Yellow taxis are about as symbolic of New York as the Statue of Liberty, and if you’re in ... read more »
NYC Public Transportation
New York City has a fantastic public transportation system, run by the Metropolitan Transit ... read more »
Walking in NYC
With the combination of bad traffic and public transit that isn’t always door-to-door, many ... read more »
Driving in NYC
You can drive your car around New York City; whether you’ll want to is another story. If you ... read more »
Bike Riding in NYC
Bike riding in New York City draws many to the streets en masse for its ... read more »
NYC Hotels
New York is an expensive place to live, and it can be an even more expensive place to visit unless ... read more »
Apartment Search in NYC
An apartment search in New York City can be a hassle, but the sites below can help ... read more »
NYC Restaurants
The city that never sleeps, or the city that always eats? Although New York has its mainstays—the pizza, deli sandwiches and bagels that have made it famous among food lovers—the city offers more than a few surprises when it comes to food and dining out. In this section we’ll help you narrow your New York City restaurant options and find exactly what you crave. Look for reviews by critics and fellow diners, top-notch delivery services, the lowdown on the biggest food events in the city and more.
Insights for NYC Restaurants
- Often, the personality of a neighborhood is a good indicator of the personality of the cuisine you’ll find there. Upscale areas have fancier restaurants. Office-heavy neighborhoods like Midtown and Wall Street lack innovative fare but are full of mid-price lunch places and chains like Cosi and Guy & Gallard types of eateries, which are usually closed on the weekends.
- If you’re new in town and feeling overwhelmed by the countless restaurants, trendy dishes and foodie culture, don’t forget the classics. New York is still a great place to grab a slice of pizza or a hot dog from a street vendor. In most cases, you can fill up for less than $5.
- Many New York City restaurants don’t take reservations, in which case you should be ready to wait for a table. But a growing number of eateries are allowing online reservations, according to The New York Times.
- The outer boroughs offer an outstanding array of ethnic foods and trendier upscale cuisines (especially in Park Slope and Cobble Hill in Brooklyn). Eating In Translation is a blog with sections about each borough.
Top Sites for NYC Restaurants
For an introduction to New York City food and dining …
New York Magazine
has a comprehensive guide to the best New York food of 2008. Beginning with the hottest new restaurants, this savvy rundown offers an A-to-Z list of topnotch noshes. Everything is covered: burgers, brunches, meatballs and neighborhood bagel shops and pizzerias, to name a few. Scour this site for an overview of the scene.
For iconic New York City foods …
Time Out New York
tips you off to the best hotdogs, cheesecake, burgers, and knishes in the city. In this quick, entertaining feature, four New Yorkers compare their favorite to a challenger’s offering, with some surprising results. The magazine also weighs in on its favorite pizza.
Serious Eats
is a blog about food and eating written by down-to-earth author Ed Levine. Get Ed’s take on the best Jewish delis around the city, and commentary on those that don’t measure up. Ed also shares some preferred city coffee shops, conveniently plotted on a map.
Grimaldi’s
is consistently praised by Zagat Survey and is arguably the best pizza in New York; the trick is the coal-fired oven, says founder Patsy Grimaldi. There are three locations: the original under the Brooklyn Bridge, one in Garden City on Long Island, and one in Hoboken, New Jersey. Bring cash, be prepared to wait in line and know that you’ll have to purchase a whole pie—Grimaldi’s doesn’t do slices.
New York Magazine
provides the details on DiFara’s pizza in Midwood, Brooklyn. DiFara’s rivals Grimaldi’s for being the most popular pizza in New York, with each pie handmade—slowly—by owner Domenico DeMarco. Be prepared to wait for your pizza, and treasure the Italian-imported ingredients. For an inside look before you go, visit YouTube for a selection of short videos taken inside DiFara’s.
Junior’s Cheesecake
is a timeless favorite among New Yorkers, and got its start at the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues in Brooklyn in 1950. Visit the original shop or head to Junior’s, at Grand Central Station or Times Square for a creamy slice.
For restaurant listings and reviews …
MenuPages Search
grants would-be diners access to menus of Manhattan and Brooklyn establishments. Search for eateries by neighborhood and type of cuisine or use the interactive map to pinpoint a location. There are also alternative search options (“Open 24 Hours,” for example) and a “Hot Menus” section featuring the most clicked-on restaurants of the past 24 hours (scroll down to find it).
CHOW
has a search tool that organizes restaurants according to cuisine, such as Greek, ice cream and fusion. Chow’s “Boards” are what set it apart, however, with numerous entries from food fanatics in Manhattan and the outer boroughs to help you find a place to eat that’s perfectly suited to your tastes.
Urbanspoon
covers restaurants in a number of U.S. cities, including New York. This is a great one-stop site for comparing reviews from several different sources, including New York Magazine and The Village Voice. To access reviews and “best” lists, click on a neighborhood or type of food.
Zagat.com
is the site of the famous restaurant survey, and has a section covering New York City. Join for $2.08 per month to have access to Zagat ratings of eateries in all five boroughs, or peruse member reviews on the site for free. Other free online features include “New Restaurants” and “Top Lists” of various categories, such as barbeque and prix fixe lunch.
The New Yorker
compiled its “Tables for Two” restaurant reviews from January of 2006 through the current issue, searchable by author and date or keyword. For additional archived results check off “Tables for Two” in the search tool. Reviews are often humorous, and just long enough to establish a restaurant’s character.
For reservations …
OpenTable
is an online reservation service for hundreds of restaurants in New York. Enter the date and time you wish to eat, neighborhood and/or cuisine, and a list of restaurants fitting your criteria is displayed. You can then make a selection and reservation for free after a completing a quick sign-up.
For eating outside of Manhattan …
The Brooklyn Paper
has an online dining section that helps locals and visitors discover new hot spots and trusted standbys throughout the borough. Search the listings by neighborhood, cuisine or keyword; results include detailed summaries of each restaurant, as well as contact information, average entrée price and the credit cards accepted. Below the search tool, read restaurant reviews and feature articles.
The Porkchop Express
is a fun blog devoted to eating in Brooklyn; scroll down on the right side of the page to link to sections on specific ethnic cuisines.
I Love The Bronx
is the Web site of the Bronx Tourism Council. The site advises where to eat in the borough and offers insider tips like where to dine al fresco in the warmer months. Some eateries are Zagat rated and others are local favorites.
Gridskipper
is a blog that covers Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, a legendary Italian food haven. Learn which establishments to visit and link to the official sites of top pasta shops, bakeries and more. The site also has a guide to eating on Staten Island. Though Staten Island isn't typically considered a gastronome's paradise, you can find great ethnic Sri Lankan cuisine and pizza.
The New York Times
writer Seth Kugel discusses why he moved to Jackson Heights, Queens: for the food! Learn which diners, street carts, taco stands and pizza places make the neighborhood unique, or join Kugel on a video tour of his favorite establishments.
Citysearch
reveals the best places to try ethnic foods in Astoria, Queens. Whether you want to go Greek, Colombian or Thai, you’ll find information here. Listings of Astoria spots to eat in or grab a quick bite are also included.
For diners on a budget …
New York Magazine
offers its annual list of the best cheap eats in the city, including new cheap eateries and chef’s favorites. Each pick includes contact info, a profile and reviews, and a link to the restaurant’s official site.
The Street Vendor Project
is an advocacy group working to protect the legal rights of street vendors. The group sponsors the annual Vendy Awards, a “cook-off between the best sidewalk chefs” in New York. Take a look at the winners and finalists of the Vendy Awards to discover new favorite cheap eating options at street carts around New York.
Shake Shack
is a favorite for inexpensive burgers, hot dogs and frozen custard. Centrally located in Madison Square Park, the Shack provides menus and a custard calendar online.
For special dietary requirements in New York City …
SuperVegan
makes it easy to find vegan and vegetarian options with its “NYC Vegan Restaurant Guide.” Search or browse by cuisine, neighborhood, level of veganism, and special features, such as free Wi-Fi and BYOB. Listings include star ratings and customer reviews, and you can link to restaurant Web sites.
The Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program
helps the gluten-averse dine out in New York. Search for restaurants by location or by type of cuisine.
Nachas.org
lists kosher restaurants in New York State, and has divided its New York City listings by borough and Manhattan neighborhood. Some restaurants can be linked to from this site, and you’ll find contact and price information for all.
Zabihah.com
provides listings of Halal restaurants in each of the five boroughs along with links to each site, payment information, and menu descriptions. This site is cluttered but the content is thorough and helpful.
For tourists …
BlackBook Guides
offers a list of New York restaurants led by celebrity chefs. There are more than 100 hot spots on the list, and you’ll find information about price and cuisine at each. However, only some listings include the name of the chef; for others, you’ll have to visit official restaurant Web sites, which have links from this site.
Accent on Dining
is a consulting firm that finds restaurants suiting the needs of groups traveling in unfamiliar cities, sometimes at discounted rates. If you’re planning a trip to see a Broadway show with your friends and family, or your New York–based company is hosting a group of out-of-town visitors, AOD can help you plan where to dine out based on your tastes and budget.
For dining in …
SeamlessWeb
is an online delivery service connecting you to restaurants all over New York. By entering an address, you’ll be presented with listings of nearby eateries with food ratings, prices, estimated delivery time, occasional discount offers and photos of food. The site also makes it easy to reorder your favorite dishes.
Delivery.com
is a free delivery service that connects you with groceries, restaurant meals and more. Enter your address (hint: for best results, enter street name/number and zip code only) for a list of participating merchants throughout New York, complete with essential info like minimum order amount, delivery hours and ratings of quality, value and speed.
The Council on the Environment of New York City
promotes regional agriculture by bringing fresh, local produce to Greenmarket farmers markets throughout the city. Greenmarket has managed farmers’ markets in the city since 1976. Look for a chart of the produce available each month, as well as a map of Greenmarket locations.
Not Eating Out in NY
is a blog written by a young woman that's committed to cooking her own meals and not dining out in the city. She profiles a few prominent foodies, reveals her reasons for eating local food and shares tricks for saving money by not eating out.
For food events …
Time Out New York
has a weekly updated section of “Eat outings.” Options are kept to a minimum and vary in price and subject matter; you may find a literary wine event and a brewery festival listed during the same week.
New York Magazine's
“Grub Street” blog has an archive of “Foodievents.” Entries offer insight into trendy food happenings with photos and embedded links to restaurants. If you want an entertaining read, love entering quirky eating contests or want to know what happened at last night’s hot event, this is a helpful site; however, you won’t find listings of upcoming events.
For food tours …
Famous Fat Dave
can chauffeur you and a few friends in his yellow cab on an eating tour of 13 (or more) neighborhoods. A few of the quirkier options are the The Pickle Tickle Tour, The Boot Of The Bronx Tour and The Midnight Munchies Tour. Famous Fat Dave’s tours are not cheap, but they do include food, drinks and gas.
Big Onion Walking Tours
has a food tour, in addition to several treks through ethnic neighborhoods and historic districts. Take a look at “Tour Descriptions” for a full list of available tours.
A Slice of Brooklyn Tours
has a “Pizza Tour” of the borough. Board a bus in Manhattan to embark on a journey to Brooklyn’s best pizzerias, including Grimaldi’s, mentioned in the iconic foods section of this guide.
NYC Shopping
New York City shopping is like shopping in ... read more »
NYC Entertainment
Why come to New York if you plan to stay in your room all day? Since ... read more »
NYC Theater
The earliest documented performance of a play in New York was on Dec. 6, 1732 ... read more »
NYC Music Venues
We all know how to get to Carnegie Hall: Practice, practice, practice. ... read more »
Movies and Film in NYC
Not only is New York City the backdrop for some of the greatest movies ... read more »
NYC Art Museums and Galleries
If a trip to Africa isn’t in the cards for you, perhaps ... read more »
NYC Nightlife
They call New York “the city that never sleeps,” and ... read more »
NYC Celebrity Sightings
Hang around in New York long enough and you’re bound to see ... read more »
NYC Family Events
For all of the sophistication and culture available in New York City, ... read more »
NYC Sports Teams
If you’re a sports fan, following New York ... read more »
NYC Sports Leagues and Fitness Centers
If New York only conjures up images of models in stilettos and ... read more »
NYC Parks
New York City’s skyline is its thumbprint and, in many ways, its ... read more »
NYC Pet Care
Sometimes, the best medicine for dealing with New York’s ... read more »
Finding NYC Doctors, Locksmiths or Other Help
It has been said that New York is the city that never sleeps. ... read more »
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