The First Timer’s Guide To Eating In NYC

Waiting several hours for pizza in this city is ridiculous. But the pizza at Lucali will make you do ridiculous things. To get a table at this cash-only BYOB in Carroll Gardens, show up around 4pm and stand in line until they start taking names. If you’re quoted a four-hour wait, don’t sweat it. Crunchy pies with shredded parm and fresh basil await you on the other side of a leisurely tour of the local Italian markets and a drink at Black Mountain Wine House.

When it comes to pastrami, icons only. If you can't do the line at Katz’s again, go to S&P in Midtown. The Jewish deli still has signage from the previous owners (a legendary sandwich shop called Eisenberg’s) and a menu revamped just enough to give you things like the Dinkleburger—a beef patty topped with juicy, marbled pastrami—without alienating your grandparents.

Waiting in line is a classic New York experience, like hailing a yellow cab or being yelled at for absolutely nothing. If you’re lucky, the line at this cash-only spot will be down the block. But if you come at 10am on a Saturday, it’ll be around the corner. Either way, it’s worth it. Your order? Everything bagel, scallion cream cheese, untoasted.

The influencers are here, and they’re eating chicken fingers, taking pictures of martinis, and sporting tiny designer handbags. Follow suit, because by the next time you’re in town, this place won’t be cool anymore—this is New York, and life moves quickly. Let us be clear: you're not here for the food. But the scene is unbeatable and the chicken fingers are passable.

The West Village is full of excellent Italian restaurants. If you only visit one, make it Via Carota. Home of the city’s most glamorously tall salads and springiest cacio e pepe, this spot takes limited reservations, and if you don’t arrive by 5pm, the odds of getting a walk-in table are slim. Fortunately, they’re open for lunch. Swing by when they open at 11am, and if you see an Emmy nominee eating chopped steak, be cool.

You got the shot. Now that the dopamine rush has subsided, you’re hungry, and most of the restaurants in Dumbo won’t sell you a sandwich for under $30. Wander over to Brooklyn Heights for a burger and a negroni at Ingas Bar. The dining room is full of people who actually live here, and by the end of the evening, you’ll be convinced that you need to move here, too.

Bernie’s has martinis, mozzarella sticks, and TGI Fridays-adjacent decor that’s just a smidge ironic. In other words, it’s a very Brooklyn place, on the border of Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Put your name in for a table, then have a drink on the curb with some neighborhood folks who come here weekly, after dropping their kids off at the local climbing gym. Eat a burger, then finish your meal with a brownie sundae.

So, you made it to Macy’s in Herald Square. Eleven stories and too many perfume samples later, your Fitbit has short-circuited and your iron is low. Haul your bags up the block to Keens for a porterhouse and their famous mutton chops. The iconic steakhouse has been around since the 1800s, and Rowland Hussey Macy himself probably ate there.

It’s hard to avoid Rockefeller Center, whether you’re there for the seasonal tree or to chase a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. You braved the crowds and brought your family for the pic, and now you need a place to hide from the world. Choose Pebble Bar, a three-story spot in a townhouse tucked into the side of 30 Rock. It’s the perfect place to catch a breath and inhale a quality martini before diving back into Midtown.