More of a kiosk than a shop, but they have so many different notebooks, pens and other accessories.
This tiny spot has a neighborhood vibe, with original American fare by Joey Campanaro. A month in advance, call for a cozy table near those big windows and pretend the two of you live nearby.
this place is FABULOUS!! great people, great atmosphere, great neighborhood; get there before 9pm for cheaper drinks--liquor can be a pretty penny!
This haute Mexican eatery is harder to get into than Harvard, having built a rep around fancy tequilas and ceviche. Can't snag abooth? The no-frills, street-level taqueria can sate your wounded ego.
$6 shot of Jameson + Shot of pickle juice. Delicious. Don't knock it til you've tried it.
The Nasu Dengaku (grilled eggplant) and Oshinki (assorted pickled vegetables) are popular appetizers. And the miso soup comes with miso paste in a separate dish. Read more.
Ooey Gooey Goodness abounds at this upscale doughnut shop. Try a nutella filled, a dulce de leche or a hibiscus, paired with a hot cup of stumptown coffee.
If you're eyeing one of the really unique rings, wait for their sales to buy it! Be sure to sign up for VeraMeat's mailing list so you are notified about their 30-40% sales. They carry half sizes.
Every purchase of a Quirky product puts money back into the pockets of the people all over the world that helped develop it!
The staff is incredible. They have repaired many of my pieces of jewelry without question or hassle, and always keep me posted on the status.
This place is my JAM. They have all of the songs. All.of.the.songs. This includes Lou Bega, Run DMC and all things Ja. $2/song and free song ticket with each drink.
Ladies and gentlemen, no way is this a hotel. It’s a bar. An enchanting speakeasy oozing period charm in Williamsburg. Belly up to the bar at sundown or snag a little table and name your poison.
Cults lead singer worked here when she first moved to NYC. She only lasted two weeks, but still calls it the best bakery in the world. Go for the Red Velvet.
The women look like they may be jewelry designers and are overheard pronouncing Kenya “Keen-ya”; the men are almost universally floppy-haired and insist on wearing their plaid scarves through dinner. Read more.
This Michelin star restaurant is for the true foodies, especially egg lovers. We recommend the tasting menu to get the full experience.
Try the fried pizza - the dough is deep-fried, but it isn't greasy, it comes off as extra-crisp.
Try the fiery Hellboy: chili pepper-infused honey drizzled over a blistered pie w/ sopressata picante, creamy fior di latte & grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. It’s one of our #100best dishes & drinks 2011. Read more.
A delicious chocolate cake with graham cracker, covered with a toasted branded marshmallow. It's like a big ol' s'mores cake. Feast your peepers on how delicious it looks.
Vogue food writer Jeffrey Steingarten raved to us about the cuttlefish - "tender and crisp — I don't think I’ve ever had cuttlefish like that" - in his New York Diet. Read more.
Try the Chicken Parmesan: The crunchy, juicy fowl is topped with marinara, creamy house-made mozzarella and basil leaves. It’s one of our #100best dishes and drinks of 2011 Read more.
Thai home cooking in Clinton. A rich oxtail soup sets the tone. Salad with sausage, crispy duck and fried rice explodes it into harmony.
The soup and salad prix fixe is a great light lunch or dinner (includes wine and dessert!) Go for the onion soup.
Forget the brunch rush at this friendly neighborhood spot and go straight for the main attraction: a creamy, dreamy, chicken pot pie of your very own. - Buzzfeed
A good bet for anything chocolate, whether plated desserts, hot chocolate, or boxed chocolates -- we're particular fans of the chocolate mice.
As far as I am concerned, it is the best Jewish deli in New York. My order never changes: piping hot matzoh ball soup, pastrami on rye, extra mustard, extra (full sour) pickles on the side, black cher
Pretend you’re a Soviet-era spy laying low in this dark lounge as you pop mouthfuls of caviar and blini, chased with ice cold house-infused vodka and accompanied by live piano music. - Buzzfeed
The most popular time of year to visit this spot is around the holiday season, as the Christmas decor is unbeatable. To warm yourself up, order the Gluhwein and the apple strudel.
The best soup dumplings in the city! Amazingly never too crowded, and spacious for Chinatown.
“The Full Monty” is everything a hungry ex-pat or Anglophile could possibly desire on a winter morning. Come back again in the afternoon for tea and scones with clotted cream. - Buzzfeed
Ain't nothing like the pierogi with applesauce, served 24 hours at the NYC institution. Read more.
Dresden Stollen: "When you don’t have the time or dedication required for a full steak-frites feast at Balthazar proper, swing by the takeout bakery next door to pick up this sweet Christmasy treat." Read more.
Hot Pot: "Spend a couple hours hanging out and DIY-ing your dinner around a steaming, bubbling pot of yummy Japanese broth." Read more.
Go here for Manhattan’s best budget Asian noodles. Slurp up Savory Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles for $5 or Liang Pi Noodles for $4. Read more.
Potato Knish: "No square, poser knishes sold here. These are strictly round, strictly old-school, and strictly delicious." Read more.
Indian Buffet: "The all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet at this excellent, no-frills Indian restaurant would be a pretty good deal even if the food wasn’t convincingly authentic and totally delicious." Read more.
Pho: "This huge bowl of fragrant, aromatic soup is a strong contender for best pho in the city, and a great way to finish up a day of exploring the Elmhurst neighborhood." Read more.
$5 Wassail are a failsafe, definitely try the smoked green tea and jameson toddy if it's on the menu. Toss the lemon. Doesn't need it. YUM!
Order this exactly: Carafe of the house red wine is good - and cheap! Robiola and Taleggio cheese as an appetizer. Cavatelli with sausage and sage butter for an entree. mmmmmmmm
The best bbq in Brooklyn hands down. Try the brisket and/or pork belly, and don't forget about the baked beans!
You must try the smoked meat sandwich, the poutine and the sour pickles. They are closed daily from 4.30-5.30. Not much in the way of seating, so be prepared to wait.
Chow Mein may not be the most adventurous dish but I'm hooked on Cafe Tibet's smoky version. Share it with Beef Momos and some vegetables on the side.
One of our favorite bakeries of all time! Get the salted caramel apple pie to experience a little slice of Heaven.
Get the mac & cheese as an appetizer so you can have a burger for your meal. That's the way you need to roll here. Read more.
Fresh mozzarella from the Bronx, cheese from upstate, produce and chocolate from Brooklyn, home goods from the South, and more—there's quite a bit tucked into this specialty shop.
Australian coffee done drip-style + egg and cheese w/ "espresso-lacquered bacon." Your morning routine is now set. Read more.
Their fresh-baked bread is washed in olive oil and dusted with salt. Buy a loaf - they sell out quickly!
Allow me to live the lie that gelato is better for you than ice cream, and I’ll reward you with the secret to ending a sticky NYC night in bliss. Read more.
Blanca, winner of the Best Big-Pimpin' Brooklyn award, serves some of New York’s priciest high-concept cooking to just 12 flush diners a night in 20-odd courses of tweezer-plated perfection. Read more.
Have the Berkshire pork with rice! Ridiculous good. Next time the catfish. Supposed to be great, too
Go for Scandinavian-inflected dishes like oysters in cucumber juice, fried squid with shaved cauliflower, or cold smoked pike. – Green Guide Editor
Purple pub cheese, root beer pudding, whiskey cocktails with Guinness head.. How does Wylie Dufresne figure out exactly what I want before I do?
Don't let the loud tunes and neon menus fool you -- this new Ryan Hardy hotspot boasts refined eats such as veal ragu and an impressive wine list long on affordable bottles.
Vegetables are the new meat at this elegant spot for shojin Buddhist cuisine like persimmon with sesame cream and fragrant rice balls called ohagi. Featured in Where to Eat 2011! Read more.
Your ~25 course meal will have you eating ramen for the next week, but cutting into what looks like a lump of coal to find it’s a beautiful slow roasted beet will make the price more palatable.
This is the one and only time I'll emphatically say, Order the chicken. Perfectly cooked, incredibly moist, and with a side of shredded leg meat topped with a quail egg. Incredible.
Features market-driven American food like flatbreads, grass-fed gruyere cheeseburgers, salads of roasted beets and fava leaves, all kinds of daily specials. Read more.
"There’s a dessert you’ll wish Häagen-Dazs would put in a tub: a blueberry-and-wintergreen sorbet, swirled with corn ice cream, rife with chunks of blueberry cookie dough." Read more.
Are you kidding me with the Bouillabaisse?! By far one of the most incredible fish dishes I've ever had. Perfectly cooked halibut resting in seaweed butter and orange tomato sauce. Ommmmggg.
Get the Foie Gras & Smoked Cheddar Grilled Cheese. Weird, but oozing and delicious, just ask for extra napkins before you dig in.
Go to the lux two-level library for drinks, coffee and finger foods. The sweetbread hits the spot.
Incredibly small portions. Order more than you think you should. The tagliatelle with prosciutto and the bruschetta are standouts, but you'd want double the portion size.
You will spend an amazing amount of cash in minuscule appetizers and cocktails. And it will be amazing. Just make sure you've lined up where you're actually having dinner.
NYers keep turning out in droves at this nondescript storefront, dabbing their sweat-beaded brows & fanning their overheated mouths for relief from chili-oil-soaked peanut noodles & peppered pickles. Read more.
The nicest bathrooms of any restaurant in New York City, maybe the world. Fresh white roses.
The Fernet ice cream sandwich is a must-have! Aromatic undercurrents of mint and anise are infused with the Italian amaro and a smoothy, creamy finish.
HauntedNYC: Rumored to be haunted by Aaron Burr and his daughter, Theodosia, runaway slaves, and a female spirit who protects the restaurant by causing rude, "nasty" people to fight.
Last time I walked down W 8th Street, this place was full of sneaker stores. Lobby bar has a lot of potential -- fireplace, cozy chairs. It's kind of a disaster if it's Saturday night and packed.
Here at 8am. No one in sight. Found out the food market opens every Saturday at 11am. Info for everyone so dont waste your time coming early with misguided information.
Hate myself every time I give these guys money since they're such mean spirited pricks, but the bagels are the best in town. Avoid ordering sandwiches
The restaurant's $1,000 lobster frittata is sprinkled with ten ounces of Sevruga caviar. If that's aiming a bit too high? Settle for foie gras brioche French toast. It's divine.
Here's a tip: change the name of Scorpion Bowl to Hungry Hungry Sippos. You're welcome.
20 exquisite courses with bites like frizzled blowfish tails and smoked brandade make the tasting menu here top notch. One of the year’s best new restaurants, featured in Where to Eat 2011! Read more.
Excellent selection. Good staff for honest thoughts. Go through the racks carefully and know that there is only one big mirror in the back right now.
NY (See) Owner Kathy Grayson not only has great taste, but is super rad. Ask her to explain her favorite pieces to you!
I don't usually like cheesecake but this is the best- so light and fluffy! Mango and dulce de leche were both delicious.
Helmed by stylist Malin Landaeus, the color-coded racks are loaded with pristine picks from the '50s through the '80s.
Winner of Best Use of XO Sauce in the Village Voice 2011 Best Of issue! The turnip cakes are tossed in the chile and fish sauce.
Vanity Projects doesn't do nail art--they do nail fine art. You can pick any artist you want (like Lichtenstein) & wear tiny replicas of their work--they'll even do it in gels! It's a fashion must-do!
A bit overpriced; but I guess it's alright since they have a pretty good selection of things and carry some hard to find items without the wait of an online delivery. Good for crunch time items.
It's New York City's only fully dedicated rock climbing gym, and one of the East Coast's largest! Did you know that?
A true coffee bar with minimal seating and a strictly enforced no laptop rule. Perfect made-to-order coffee and rockstar baked goods.
Bring your glue and sewing kit to Bryant Park and have a crafty picnic snacking on tasty 'wichcraft sandwiches by famed Chef Tom Collichio.
Try the currywurst ($7). "A veal and pork bratwurst, cut up and served with fries and a homemade, tomato-based curry sauce, is the perfect snack food while drinking German beers." Read more.
Each theater has paired seats and tables where twosomes can nosh while taking in indie and retro flicks. Split the Nitehawk Queso, with melted cheese, black beans, spicy chorizo and cooling guac. Read more.
I want more of the everything with veggie cream cheese!! Really neat and fun concept. The owner is very nice.
“I think Eleven Madison is my favorite restaurant in the city,” chef Scott Conant told us in his New York Diet. The lobster lasagna is “awesome” and the milk-and-honey dessert is “just delicious.” Read more.
Le Bernardin is one of the NYT restaurant critic Sam Sifton’s 50 favorite NYC restaurants. To see the full list, get The Scoop iPhone app, an inside guide to New York: NYTimes.com/thescoop
My dining experiences at Per Sé have been totally sensational and demonstrate why Thomas is called one of the top chefs in the world. -Thierry Rautureau, Top Chef
Try not to get too full before dessert – a dish of complimentary chocolates and pastry bites await you. You’re also awarded a free slice of cake if it’s your birthday.
These Montréal-style bagels are small & will cost you more than what you're used to, but you can't resist trying the tobiko spread, salmon, & butter lettuce on an everything bagel. Worth the wait!
Stop by this midtown street cart and try the chorizo, egg & cheese breakfast sandwich for only $3!
Corner 28 has no sign so walk right up to the window with red signage around it that says "Rice Wrap/Peking Duck." Order some Peking duck buns. They are crispy, sweet, fluffy, excellent, and close. Read more.
Debate all you want about the best burger in town — this one is at the top of the list. Plus, it’s called the Royale With Cheese! Also on site: “bacon picklebacks” and a nice garden in the back.
Spicy, messy, and covertly veg-friendly; doubles are one of Brooklyn's finest cheap eats, the fried paratha sandwiches coming in at under two bucks a pop.
NY. Best Italian sandwich spot in the city. It's for purists, no substitutions, no lattes. Just sandwiches. The Matthew & Alyssa hit the spot.
If you love thin noodles then you must try the stamina soba, which is cooked in a steaming pork broth.
A big plate of excellent pierogies (potato and cheese recommended, but take your pick) topped with onions and sour cream costs just $5.50.
Delicious hand made Chinese noodles with a middle-eastern twist! Order the the Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodle Soup for the win. Spicy tangy goodness!
If you’re looking for ramen on a Tuesday night at 3 a.m., meet Benkei, a late-night ramen pop-up that opens in the space of Lower East Side restaurant Hill & Dale after they close up for the night.
You can't go wrong with the prices here, but definitely don't leave without trying the pumpkin buns.
The date, lime, and banana smoothie is out of this world. Get it with soy milk.
A Japanese hole in the wall in the East Village good for a quick snack. Order the Takoyaki. You'll wonder what on earth you're eating and why it's so delicious. (Hint: it's fried octopus dumplings)
Heavenly griddled arepas topped with cheese from an icon of New York's street food world. Check her Twitter for updates on when she'll be out, usually after dark during warmer months.
Slices of bottarga (pressed mullet roe) & little chiles are placed between two Italian crackers spread with butter, which are called carte de musica because they’re so thin they look like sheet music.
Not your grandmother’s babka. Breads’ version tastes less like dried-out coffee cake and more like challah French Toast, delicately striped with super-high quality chocolate.
This DUMBO bakery sustained serious damage after Hurricane Sandy, and was forced to close for almost a year. They’re back up and running now, and their almond croissant makes New York a better place.
Come once for the rotating selection of esoteric gelato flavors, like gorgonzola, or the pesto-like basil and pine nut. Come back for the hazelnut, which tastes like a cold jar of Nutella.
This long-time neighborhood establishment specializes in delicious Chinese-inflected scoops like Zen Butter (peanut butter with sesame seeds), almond cookie, lychee, red bean and black sesame.
Get the Swingle, a miniature frozen chocolate-dipped key lime pie on a stick.
French sources confirm the cream puff might be the best French pastry in the five boroughs.
The best pizza place in Queens has been around since 1959. And their best slice of pizza is the pesto slice.
A perfect iteration of Staten Island thin crust pizza. Try the, M.O.R., which stands for meatball onion ricotta.
Try the chorizo taco at this Bushwick tortilla factory. It's one of NYC's 26 best tacos! Read more.
This tiny Williamsburg newbie serves a righteous breakfast burrito—yes, that's not a taco, but it's so damn good and cheap we're sneaking it in here as a bonus 10th entry. Read more.
The freshly-made, still warm mozzarella makes this place worthy of the name “House of Mozzarella."
There are dozens of places to eat creative sushi in New York, but nowhere will it be as much fun as at the homey Bugs in the East Village, run by Sho Boo, one of the city’s few female sushi chefs.
Here’s what you do: go with four people, order the $60 combination, which gets you basically all of the restaurant’s best dishes for $15 a person.
Top your grits with pesto and bacon. And bring those people who say good grits are only in the South.
If you like banana pudding, you'll love the Banana Nilla Wafer ice cream at the summer ice cream cart in front of Cafe Cluny. It only appears sporadically, so you must be vigilant.
Past special edition flavors include chocolate babka ice cream and "Brunch," loaded with chunks of maple-soaked french toast and coffee-glazed bacon. Stop by and see what’s on the board.
S&C does the traditional stuff well, but the real draw is their slightly wacky, pan-Asian flavor options: taro, black sesame, Thai tea, wasabi and more.
In an affogato, everything depends on the quality of your ice cream and espresso. You're in good hands with this version, made with top-notch vanilla gelato from Il Laboratorio de Gelato.
The peerless vanilla bean soft-serve ice cream here comes in many formats, but piped-into-an-eclair is the one you won’t find anywhere else.
They start with tart, extremely (like, unbelievably) creamy yogurt and class it all the way up with fancy toppings. Get the pistachio sauce, which looks like snot and tastes like heaven.
Pro tip: Ask which cookies on the menu are the softest when you're designing your sandwich, since crunchier types can squish the ice cream and cause serious structural difficulties.
There's a donut sandwich covered with your choice of frosting and topping. Not for the faint of heart.
The dairy-free cake batter soft-serve is the ice cream of every vegan’s dreams (the base is made with cashews). Keep an eye out for pumpkin flavor in the fall.
This vegan-but-you’d-never-know-it treat is made with cookie dough soy ice cream, chocolate syrup, and your choice of non-dairy milk.
Get the patbingsu - a YOLO Korean take on shaved ice loaded with tons of fruit, condensed milk, sweet toppings, and — just for good measure — a scoop of ice cream.
For just $1, a paper cup of fruity sorbet that can literally save your life on a scorching-hot day is a pretty good deal.
The pistachio-strawberry-chocolate ice cream cake is made in-house and has the magical ability to transform a normal dinner into YOUR AWESOME BIRTHDAY!
UCBT is the best place to laugh at funny people before they end up on TV. Nearly every sitcom on NBC’s Thursday-night lineup features performers who honed their craft at the Chelsea venue. Read more.
The best hotel for a staycation has perfected the urban-resort concept. The tri-level pleasure complex boasts a pool with an open view of the Empire State Building, five bars and the Exhale spa. Read more.
Just steps from the Boom Boom Room, a 4-ft.-deep rooftop pool welcomes the scantily-clad, while AstroTurf pads well-heeled feet. Tip: Forgot your suit? Buy a bikini at the vending machines.
If a three-story venue to dance the night away sounds like something you can handle, you’d be foolish to miss an evening at this French transplant party spot!
Try the fried chickpeas, tossed with a savory mix of salt, cayenne pepper and pungent garam masala. It’s one of our #100best dishes and drinks of 2011. Read more.
Feel glamorous, hip, and ahead of the curve here. From Gossip Girl to The Glamour Magazine party. tres chic! True NYC club experience.
Puts drybar to shame. This place is so much better, cheaper, sleeker, and faster. Everything is amazing, including their mini champagne bottles. Way to go Rachel Zoe, you killed it.
Made from locally grown and sustainable fruits and herbs, these pops—in cool flavors like blackberry-jasmine and rhubarb-cinnamon—are a new favorite of children (and their parents).
Steakhouse brand STK has launched this to-go kiosk just steps from Bryant Park. Burgers, sliders, mac-and-cheese balls, truffle fries and a birthday-cake shake are all on the menu. Read more.
Celeb chef Marcus Samuelsson’s eatery offers his take on soul-food classics. Come for Renaissance on Thursdays (7:30pm), a weekly DJ night devoted to jazz and soul tunes from across the globe. Read more.
The sister restaurant to Tao, this clubby spot has a dance club downstairs, and serves an intense one-pound Wagyu-blend meatball upstairs. Read more.
Want chicken with your Gaga? This megaclub serves a full international-themed menu, so you can't blame an empty stomach for feeling a few butterflies when you spot stars like Chace Crawford.
Manhattan's first bi-level rooftop lounge.Hotel guests have unrestricted access from 5pm to 9:30--after that it's up to the doorman. Good celeb spotting. Fun for after concerts nearby!
Artists Julian LaVerdiere & Paul Myoda had a studio in the World Trade Center before they watched it collapse. 10 years later, their work would appear on the cover of our 2011 commemorative edition.
Come here for Gameshow Speakeasy, the best game night in NYC, featuring wisecracking panelists from NYC’s nightlife circuit and a famous mystery guest. Read more.
A block from Washington Square Park, Mario Batali's upscale Italian restaurant is superb. We recommend the pasta tasting menu and the beef cheek ravioli!
This quaint little West Village gastropub is good for a casual lunch. If you're adventurous get the popular chicken liver toast, otherwise the burger and fries are mighty fine too.
Cuke+Lime is sooo refreshing! Perfect for a hot day. It kind of tastes like a mojito sans mint.
At this museum devoted to medieval art, a path winds through the peaceful grounds to a monastery that appears to have survived from the Middle Ages. Don’t miss the famed unicorn tapestries. Read more.
Our favorites: Spicy pork meatballs & mozz on brioche, bratwurst balls topped w/ beer-infused mustard sauce, & Underballs' Whiskey Float w/ citrus liqueur, root beer, & house-made vanilla ice cream. Read more.
Bring a sweet taste of Vegas to NYC. Don't try ordering anything other than one of their drinks from the menu. Jameson was served in the same glass as the water.
The island's name stems from British colonial times when the colonial assembly reserved the island for the exclusive use of New York's royal governors.
Skip the packed restos in the neighborhood and head to this cozy outdoor spot with friends for cocktails. Grab a burger and fries, which are cooked on a grill outside.
For completely vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics check this place out! I simply cannot live without their Lip Tar! Amazing!- Pandora Boxx, RuPaul's Drag U
The Village Voice voted this Most Unusual Use of an Old Nightlife Space in our Best Of New York Poll!
