Best Restaurants to Eat Like a New Yorker in New York

The Time Square area sure does have a ton of places to get great food, but Bond 45 is the place I find myself coming back to because it produces some of the best food in NYC, specifically Italian food. This is one of the must go places to eat in New York to get that Italian-American vibe, they’ve not only got excellent meat and steak selection, but you’re also going to find some pretty world class pasta and antipasti here too! Not only this, but it’s got the best brunch NYC can offer. I’m not lying, the breakfast and brunch menu in this joint is a real favourite of mine, it’s the perfect place to start your day off before exploring the city. Personally, I’d say Bond 45 is really good if you’ve got kids because the menu is so big everyone’s sure to find at least something they like, even the fussiest of eaters, you know who you are!

If you’re really looking for the best restaurants to eat like a New Yorker, you’re going to have to go somewhere that’s totally connected to the city and its story, such as Lombardi’s, America’s oldest pizzeria that’s down in the vibrant lower Manhattan. This place was founded way back in 1905 so they know a thing of two about making a good pizza, their coal-baked bases are the stuff of legend and their tomato sauce is the best of the best. The pizza chefs still cook the pies in the exact same way they did one-hundred years ago, even the ingredients have remained the same so don’t come here expecting fancy toppings, it’s all old school in this joint, let me tell you. Lombardi’s is as authentic as it gets, this place should be on every New York food guide, as should pretty much everywhere in Little Italy, I really can’t think of many better things to do in NYC for food lovers. 

The beauty of my city is that some of the best restaurants in NYC are in places you’d just never expect, like the totally unassuming Arthur’s Tavern, which is just over the water in New Jersey. I know this isn’t technically New York, but you can get there in no time at all and I think it’s a good idea to see somewhere less touristy on your travels. Arthur’s is known for one thing and one thing only; huge steaks, and I mean HUGE steaks, these things can be about the size of one of my arms and oh boy are they delicious. The place just looks excellent as well, it’s got a mix of traditional American restaurant with a bit an eccentric flare to it, so you’re just never going to get bored in there. If you’re searching for where to eat in NYC that’s aimed solely at meat lovers, then this is the place for you, believe me, I don’t know anywhere this good over in Manhattan.

Between Chelsea and Greenwich Village is the super cool Meatpacking District, an area of the city where choosing just one place to eat here is a difficult ask, so I’ve cheated just a little bit and chosen an entire market! I’m always looking for fun restaurants in NYC, and Chelsea Market has them in plentiful amounts, let me tell you, the place is like a gold mine of excellent food. Whether you want sushi, hamburgers, tacos or pizza, it’s all here under one big roof, waiting for you to come and devour it all before exploring the areas the buzzing nightlife scene. You could honestly make a New York food guide all about this one area, make sure you set aside a big chunk of your day here because you’ll be here for some time. The most popular places to eat here are mökbar, Los Mariscos and Creamline, but if I’m honest not one of these joints does bad food, so be adventurous! 

Next up, we’re going to be going to the area that I know best; The Bronx. It’s a little-known fact that The Bronx has some of the best restaurants in NYC that serve seafood, and honestly, it’s crazy that more people don’t know about this. If you’re looking for things to do in NYC that are going to give you that real New Yorker vibe, then you just have to head over to City Island, there’s a whole load of places there where you can get absolutely any seafood you like and it’s probably going to be the best you’ve ever had. There’s this place called the Seashore Restaurant that’s just as you get onto the island, and I swear they give so much food every time I go in there that I can’t finish is, and believe me, that’s saying something! This area is one of the best places to eat in New York, it’s just perfect to spend an evening here exploring all the excellent food.