America’s largest city is also one of its greatest food cities—maybe even the greatest (certainly if you ask a New Yorker this question). Look at things by the numbers and you can’t deny New York City’s formidable culinary bonafides. The five boroughs are home to over 21,000 dining establishments. Of those restaurants, 72 boast Michelin stars; the most of any city in the western hemisphere.
But New York’s food scene isn’t defined by tasting menus and white table cloths. This city of 700 languages is an atlas of options, with places to eat featuring cuisines from pretty much every corner of the world, with something to suit every budget.
But for any visitor looking to explore the vast culinary landscape of NYC, you should know: (Incredibly exhausted but unfortunately apt cliché warning) You can’t eat the Big Apple in one bite. There’s simply too much to explore. This is a good thing, but it means you have to be strategic about how you take on the city—and where you choose to stay will make all the difference.
In creating a hotel guide for people who travel with their stomachs first, we had specific criteria in mind. The list had to feature top-notch hotels across a range of price points that could serve as ideal home bases for travelers looking to eat their way through the city. Since some of the best food neighborhoods are scant on quality accommodations, we broke up the city into geographic chunks with superb hotels that are within walking distance of great restaurants and also conveniently located for taking the subway to explore farther flung locales.
Starting point: Lower Manhattan, West
The Western chunk of lower Manhattan has become an epicenter of buzzy, hard-to-get-into places to eat. You’ve probably heard of Via Carota, a West Village institution created by chefs Rita Sodi and Jody Williams that's so in demand there are hours-long waits for its rich yet simple seasonal Italian plates (the green salad is somehow the most famous). The constellation of Michelin guide picks in this area includes the three-starred contemporary Korean spot Jungsik, and Semma, which has made it to the top of numerous best-of lists for its celebratory menu of South Indian cuisine. Yet somehow, it’s the Corner Store—a see-and-be-seen joint for steaks and fries—that’s become one of the hardest reservations to land in the city. Try your luck, but just know that there’s no shortage of alternatives.
For example, if you want a slice from L’industrie Pizzeria but don’t want to stand in line like a sucker, you can step inside its next-door neighbor Talea and order one to your table to enjoy with a locally-brewed sour beer. And Via Carota’s sister restaurant the Commerce Inn speaks the same simple-yet-exquisite vernacular, with a an American Shaker accent, and does take reservations. There's also Shukette for shareable mezze, the Odeon for martinis and frites, and Don Angie for red sauce comforts.
Wine nerds and aspiring oenophiles alike will appreciate Terroir’s exquisitely over-detailed wine list written by a Riesling-loving mad man. At the risk of pissing off regulars, my favorite spot is the Ear Inn, a historic pub haunted by a sailor named Mickey.
Taking the A, 1, 2, or 3 train uptown makes hitting other iconic west side spots easy. Columbus Circle has haute-Caribbean superstar Tatiana and legitimately kooky Bad Roman. The Upper West Side is home to Barney Greengrass, New York’s quintessential appetizing, and Zabar’s, a grocery store with absolutely lethal babka and extremely good merch. Then there’s Harlem farther north, where Sylvia’s and Red Rooster deliver soul food both classic and contemporary.
Situated in the middle of Greenwich Village, The Marlton Hotel is as conveniently located as it gets if you’re looking to explore all that downtown New York has to offer during your stay—though with lauded spots like Loring Place, Mace, and Tokyo Record Bar mere steps down the block, you needn’t go far to get top-tier food and drink. Step into the lobby and you’ll feel transported to a different era. The room's wood paneling and warm lighting imbue the interior with a sense of character that’s equal parts inviting, intimate, and historic.
The rooms at The Marlton, of which there are 112, are compact (alas, New York hotel rooms are notoriously small, even at luxury properties) but well-appointed, equipped with the essentials: a closet, minibar, toiletries, robe, and slippers. The black-and-white-tiled, brass-fixtured bathroom will make you feel like you’re in Paris, but but when you glance out the bedroom window you'll see Washington Square Park's famed Arch, not the Arc de Triomphe.
Once you’ve checked into your room, head downstairs to the lobby-adjacent lounge. It’s a cozy place to post up whether you're clocking laptop hours during the day or grabbing a nightcap after dinner.. I spotted a group sharing a bottle of wine in the corner sitting area and made a mental note to bring friends along to do the same come winter, when the fireplace will be blazing. Walk past the lounge and through the bar to access the recently revamped hotel restaurant, Chez Nous, where rich red velvet banquettes offer a dramatic backdrop for hot gossip, cold martinis, and some well-executed French fare.—Alaina Chou, commerce writer
Visited by Alaina Chou
From the moment you enter your room and take in the scattered light that filters through a bank of eyelet curtains, it's apparent the Hotel Chelsea is attuned to the details. The transformation from bohemian housing co-op to 5-star hotel was a lengthy and expensive process (in many ways, it’s ongoing—several permanent residents still call the building home) but the result is a remarkable hotel with enough history to fill a book. Rather than scrub the walls clean of its (sometimes sordid) past, the Hotel Chelsea wears it proudly. Art by tenants past and present covers the hallway walls, and the staff will recant the building’s ghost stories without demur. The colorful and sophisticated accommodations emphasize comfort via squishy couches and plush bedding, and clever layouts make smart use of the space in rooms and suites alike.
There’s a stunning rooftop spa, which ventures beyond a traditional menu of facials and massages with some charmingly woo-woo treatments—go ahead and book a tarot reading or multi-sensorial writer’s block remedy. If you choose to stay in your room, you can still get plenty of R&R by taking advantage ofH the marbled bathrooms with soaking tubs, rainfall showers, and C.O. Bigelow products.
The ground floor Lobby Bar, with the grandeur of an aristocratic drawing room, pours cocktails as interesting as its people watching, and the hotel's trio of restaurants—Cafe Chelsea, El Quijote, and Teruko—each provide a different shade of old-meets-new allure
Visited by Wilder Davies
It’s easy to walk right by the Greenwich without noticing it. While it takes up the entire corner of Moore and Greenwich in Tribeca, its facade has only a small sign bearing its name. This is intentional, as the hotel—founded, owned, and fashioned by Robert De Niro—serves as a discreet hideout for stars passing through the city for film festival press junkets and industry negotiations.
Opened in 2005, the building was constructed from the ground up, so each design detail is fully intentional. The rooms have a cozy, eclectic sensibility—overstuffed leather sofas and Siberian oak floors mingle with globally sourced antiques and artwork by De Niro’s father, Robert De Niro Sr. Some Greenwich amenities rarely found elsewhere in the city include European-style bidets, in-room saunas, courtyard-facing Juliet balconies, and, the most extravagant: a complimentary snack basket and drink fridge. You’d be remiss to not venture into the basement to the Shibui Spa, where you can sip sake poolside in a subterranean oasis. Guests can order from the Locanda Verde menu and enjoy their meals in the exclusive courtyard. Just remember, no photos please.
Visited by Wilder Davies
Starting point: Lower Manhattan, East
On the Janus coin of lower Manhattan, the east side is the younger, edgier, wears-sunglasses-at-night side. The Lower East Side, the East Village, Chinatown, and the Bowery are so dense with worth-it restaurants and bars that you could easily spend an entire trip eating and drinking just here. Many of the city’s hottest cocktail spots—Double Chicken Please, Schmuck, and Ha’s Snack Bar—live here. As do more scene-y locales like Clandestino, Funny Bar, and of course, Dimes. Go to Kopitiam for Malaysian street-food and potent iced coffee in a bag, Golden Diner for a truly killer pancake, and Kiki’s for cozy Greek food. Chinatown is best explored by wandering, with numerous spots for dim sum, hand-pulled noodles, and some of the only cha chan tengs in North America.
Destination-worthy options continue as you head north through Nolita and the East Village. Thai Diner, the casual reincarnation of Uncle Boons, has Thai tea French toast and an unforgettable breakfast roti sandwich with spiced sausage. The most creative vegetarian food lives at Superiority Burger, where there's also a rotating all-star cast of desserts (if they have the pearl pie, order it). Scarr's and Una Pizza Napoletana will have you covered for S-tier slices; Russ and Daughters and Kossar’s if you're craving bagels.
If you were to place all the hotels in the city on a spectrum ranging from traditional to uber modern, the Public would fall firmly and boisterously on the latter end. It’s Ian Schrager’s baby after all, and one could only expect a property created by the founder of Studio 54 to have a clubby, cocaine-mirror glamour running through its veins. Yes there’s a rooftop bar, and yes there’s a club, but even the most dedicated nightlife enjoyer needs a peaceful place to crash when the party’s over, and the Public provides that too. The blonde wood accents, white furniture, and ambient mood lighting are a tranquil remedy for those suffering the consequences of a long night out.
The scene, you might have guessed, is youthful, and the hotel offers amenities that suit a younger set, like super fast wifi, complimentary Pilates classes, and plenty of common space for meeting friends or getting some work done.
Visited by Wilder Davies
It seems only natural that a vacant Beaux Arts building smack dab in the area between the Lower East Side and Chinatown controversially known as Dimes Square would be reborn as a luxurious cool-kid hideout. The hotel opened in 2022, but both the operation and atmosphere have the air of an established institution. The interior spaces artfully play with old and new—Jacobean florals and damask textiles juxtapose nicely with custom wood furniture and bespoke BDDW ceramics (a favorite of Gwyneth Paltrow’s) in the form of lamps, room key fobs, and toilet paper holders, of all things. The Swan Room on the ground floor serves as a marvelous second life for the Jarmulowsky Bank’s tellers’ stations, and retains much of the original interior splendor, The soaring marble walls and ornately molded ceiling make for one of the nicest places to sip a martini in the city.
Visited by Wilder Davies
While many hotels in New York (including several on this list) inhabit iconic historic buildings, only The Beekman can lay claim to a dramatic 19th century central atrium, which is itself a city landmark. An opium-den-chic design scheme (jewel-toned velvet, studded leather, gothic wallpaper) gives the space an air of mystery, but the rooms are light and bright, with large windows and several with outdoor terraces.
With heavy-hitter chefs at the helm of The Beekman's in-house restaurants—Tom Colicchio at Temple Court and Daniel Boulud at Le Gratin—you don't need to leave the hotel for a great bite. But when you're ready to branch out beyond the Financial District, The Beekman's proximity to Fulton Street's subway hub makes it easy to hop on trains that can take you to all parts of the city.
Visited by Wilder Davies
Starting point: Midtown East
The neighborhoods North of 14th Street between Park Ave and the East River get a bad rap. Midtown is thought to be an anoxic, synapse-frying sensorial hellscape; Murray Hill and Kips Bay are sloppy dens for finance hellions; and the Upper East Side is filled with the fossilized remains of New York’s old money elite walking their designer dogs. While there’s some truth to each assessment, maintaining that cloudy lens will only deprive you of stellar dining opportunities.
The neighborhood has something for every palate and wallet: fine dining classics (Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernadin), incredible Korean restaurants (in K-town and beyond, including the at the World's Best Restaurant list-topper Atomix), or red-sauce Italian joints (Nonna Dora's Pasta Bar, Elio's). Midtown East is also an easy launching pad for exploring the Upper East Side (try to snag a res at Le Veau d'Or or Chez Fifi), the Bronx (New York's actual Little Italy), and Queens.
The first thing you’ll notice when you push your way through the swinging doors of Freehand's New York outpost is the spectacular wood paneling that adorns the elevator bank. It’s the centerpiece of the hotel’s lobby, which is compact but well-designed by architectural firm Roman and Williams, which renovated the property in 2018. The original building dates back to 1928, and the modern, updated space balances aesthetic nods to its history with thoughtful modern touches.
The Freehand’s 401 rooms are compact, but if you’re looking to stretch out, why not check out Broken Shaker, Freehand’s rooftop bar. The crowd is young, and the music is Top 40 from the early aughts, but it’s a spectacular perch from which to view the sun setting through a maze of Manhattan high rises. Downstairs, Bar Calico has a more restrained vibe. The bar, inspired by Georgia O’Keefe, focuses on agave spirits and sports a remarkable selection of sotols to try. Start the night with a buzzy cocktail at Broken Shaker before you venture out into the city, and come back for a nightcap at the sultry, dimly lit Bar Calico before heading back to your room. —Sam Stone, writer
Visited by Sam Stone
Maybe it’s the towering Art Deco facade that looms over Madison Avenue, or perhaps it's the Ludwig Bemelmans murals scattered throughout the rooms and across the walls in the hotel's bar. Whatever the reason, there’s no place that conjures the mythic, cosmopolitan spirit of Manhattan quite like The Carlyle—you can almost hear Rhapsody in Blue’s fluttering clarinet solo as you walk through the doors.
Much like Gershwin’s orchestral masterpiece, The Carlyle is an enduring symbol of New York City’s Jazz Age, but many still consider the hotel one of the best places in the city to rest your head for the night. Stately and elegant furniture says "five-star hotel," but playful details in the form of porcelain figurines and more Bemelmans illustrations make the rooms feel uniquely special.
Visited by Wilder Davies
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The Lowell is arguably the most if-you-know-you-know of New York's historic luxury hotels. It manages the near-impossible task of bringing the warmth and intimacy of a bed and breakfast to an upscale metropolitan hotel, thanks to attentive and considered service: You’re likely to encounter a doorman or bellhop who's spent decades working there, giving the property a constancy and familiarity that’s fostered a loyal clientele. A plurality of the rooms are suites, and each is styled with a quintessential Upper-East-sider sensibility—formal furniture in flaxen neutrals, chinoisery accents, and an abundance of Assouline coffee table books—and feel more like apartments than hotel rooms. The most spectacular touch might be the fully functional fireplaces in many of the rooms, which the hotel stocks with firewood during the cooler parts of the year.
Visited by Wilder Davies
Starting Point: Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is a smart jumping-off point for exploring New York's largest two boroughs. Here you’ll find the iconic steakhouse Gage & Tollner and its theatrical upstairs tiki bar the Sunken Harbor Club, but the area is largely a business district, so it's in your best interest to venture beyond to enjoy southern Brooklyn's broad sweep of neighborhoods.
For a morning bite there are bakeries in abundance. Visit Otway in Clinton Hill, Winner in Park Slope, or Burrow in Dumbo (just to name a few) and you’ll find an innovative take on pastry at each spot. Pie lovers should go for the salted chocolate chess pie at Four & Twenty Blackbirds in Gowanus or pick up a Swingle (a chocolate-covered mini version of the bakery's signature tart) at Steve’s Key Lime in Red Hook to nibble while gazing at Lady Liberty across the East River.
Brooklyn Chinatown is an underrated culinary hotspot, and it's worth taking the trip down 8th Avenue for hot pot at LaoJie, noodles at Yun Nan Flavor Garden, and bánh mì at Ba Xuyên. A short jaunt on the train from there will take you to Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay, where the city’s Central Asian and former-Soviet diaspora boasts culinary offerings that aren’t easy to find in the U.S. You’ll find succulent Uzbek lamb plov at Omar Khayyam, Georgian soup dumplings (khinkali) at Geo Khinkali, and an invigorating hot bowl of Uighur mampar at Kashkar Cafe.
Venture east of downtown to Fort Greene, Bed Stuy, and Crown Heights, where new restaurants and wine bars have a way of cropping up like weeds. The hard-to-land tables at Place Des Fêtes and Theodora are worth it, but the area's staggering abundance of alternatives means you won't be deprived of a good meal if they're booked solid. Want a perfect roast chicken and fries? Try The Fly. Hit up Agi’s Counter for the tuna melt with confit tuna, which is so beloved it often sells out. Or stick around late enough at Turkish by-way-of Germany spot Bunny and you might witness the owners switch on the disco ball and start spinning vinyl. The list of special spots goes on, and on, and on.
It's hard to imagine a more conveniently located hotel than the Ace outpost in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood. Its 287 rooms are minutes away from Downtown Brooklyn, a short stroll from restaurant-heavy Fort Greene, and a quick subway ride from Manhattan. But for all the nearby attractions, the lobby at the Ace may feel most like the place to be. The chic, comfortable space features cement walls with natural wood accents and is bedecked in leather couches and communal seating areas. You’ll find guests and locals alike relaxing, or, after happy hour begins at 5 p.m., enjoying a cocktail from the bar.
Built and decorated under the creative direction of design firm Roman and Williams, the hotel is rich with art, from the entryway's ceramic installation by sculptor Stan Bitter to unique textile art in every room. If you’re hoping to dine at the Ace, you’ve got options. At Lele’s, chef Francesco Battisti serves a menu of hearty Roman favorites, while the Lobby Bar offers bites and snacks throughout the day. With a rotating artist-in-residence program and an active events series, there’s always something to enjoy at the Ace Hotel Brooklyn. —Sam Stone
Visited by Sam Stone
Starting Point: Williamsburg (onward to Bushwick, Ridgewood, and Flushing)
The second starting point for outer borough exploration is Williamsburg, which needs no introduction. There’s a lot to enjoy in the immediate vicinity, but the L, J, and G trains will quickly transport you to even more vibrant dining destinations.
Williamsburg proper is home to uber-fancy and hard-to-get-into, trendy hotspots. Two-starred Scandinavian restaurant Aska is still going strong, as is the LCD-Soundsystem-affiliated wine bar Four Horseman and the old-meets-new brasserie Francie. On the way to Greenpoint (known first and foremost for its Polish community), you’ll encounter several beloved new-wave Chinese and Taiwanese establishments, each offering something a little different. Win Son and its bakery are known for spicy fly’s head and sticky sweet red date buns, Bonnie’s has Calvin Eng’s homey Cantonese American cooking, Wenwen feels like a communal dinner party, and Birds of a Feather impresses with its light and serene interpretation of Szechuan cuisine.
Two pizza spots reign supreme in Bushwick: Roberta’s, for its massive convivial space and unique wood-fired pies, and Ops, which has a famously impressive natural wine list. Continue deeper through Bushwick and into Ridgewood and you’ll encounter innovative Mexican food at Hellbender, the insanely fun soju spot Orion Bar, and killer sandwiches at Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette.
Arguably, the greatest culinary adventure you can have requires you to take the G to the 7, which serves as an express train through the densest and most diverse food neighborhoods in the entire city. In Jackson Heights you’ll find countless Central and South American restaurants and street carts, the Elmhurst dining scene encompasses South and Southeast Asian cuisines writ large, and Flushing hosts the city’s largest and most bustling Chinatown. Connecting them all is Roosevelt Avenue, considered to be one of the best food streets in the country.
If you’re looking to stay in a prime location in Brooklyn’s restaurant-rich Williamsburg, The Hoxton Hotel is an affordable, clean, and lively home base for a weekend of exploring. The rooms are small but modern and smartly designed, with (incredibly) comfortable beds you’ll be eager to sink into after a day spent eating your way through North Brooklyn. Consider a lazy lie-in with breakfast in bed one morning: You can order the hotel’s “Little Breakfast” to your door, or grab some pastries from the downstairs café to enjoy while swaddled in the fluffy duvet.
That downstairs café is none other than K’Far, the New York outpost of the Philly restaurant, café, and bar from star restaurateur Michael Solomonov. It occupies most of the hotel’s light-bathed sunken lobby, with a sit-down restaurant on the right and a counter service café and bar on the left, near reception. There is ample seating, most of which you’ll find occupied by Williamsburg’s WFH-ers during working hours. The music always seems to be bumping here—fitting, given the whole place has a young, hip kind of energy that very much befits its location.—Alaina Chou
Visited by Alaina Chou
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Northwest Williamsburg houses a clutch of hotels, of which the Wythe is the most refined and least ostentatious. The turn of the century building lived a past life as a cooperage and textile factory; however, the barrels and bolts were long ago replaced by a youthful, monied clientele eager to explore the fertile crescent of Brooklyn hipsterdom.
The property's common spaces, especially Bar Blondeau's sweeping rooftop terrace, are airy and filled with light—as are the rooms. If you book yourself a room with a river view, you can anticipate a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass with an unobstructed view of the Manhattan skyline. The Wythe's food and beverage program is anchored by Le Crocodile, a fantastic contemporary French brasserie on the ground floor.
Visited by Wilder Davies
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