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.
