My girlfriend and I had a 2 and a half day trip to the city and decided to take full advantage of the food the city has to offer.
We both loved the city, and the NYC food scene is easily the best we've ever experienced and had so much fun here.
We know what you're thinking, so to try and be preemptive here are a few answers to some of the questions you may be having…
Yes we are big time tourists so we went to all the places you would expect people like us to go to.
Yes it was expensive, but we were willing to spoil ourselves a bit.
Yes it was a lot of food, and yes we ate it all. It was so good how could we not.
We also decided to rank what we ate below with my rankings having an M before them and hers having an H before it.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and let us know what you agree/disagree with and share with us some other spots we should check out when we come back. Cause trust me, we have to come back.
1: Popup Bagels
M – 7.8/10 H – 8.5/10 (Everything Bagel + Scallion Schmear)
M – 7.6/10 H – 9.2/10 (Sesame Bagel + Scallion Schmear)
M – 7.6/10 H – 9.3/10 (Salt Bagel + Scallion Schmear)
Amazing for what it was. We both loved the rip and dip but I personally thought it was a little basic.
2-5: Carbone
M – 9.1/10 H – 9.4/10 (Spicy Rigatoni Vodka)
M – 8.7/10 H – 8.0/10 (Caesar alla ZZ)
M – 8.5/10 H – 9.2/10 (New York Lemon Cheesecake)
M – 7.9/10 H – 7.0/10 (Mario's Meatballs)
M – 7.8/10 H – 8.4/10 (Salami, Garlic Bread With Parmesan, Homemade Mozzarella)
M – 7.8/10 H – 3.0/10 (Rainbow Cookie)
I can see why people like the ambiance of the restaurant. It was funny because every table had the same items, but they are famous for a reason and we thought their staple dishes were outstanding. Except the meatballs, they had a strong sausage flavour and the meat was more chunky and not as grounded up as we typically prefer. It is also a very expensive place.
6: Magnolia Bakery – Central Park South
M – 9.1/10 H – 9.5/10 (Pumpkin Spice Pudding)
M – 8.8/10 H – 9.4/10 (Classic Banana Pudding)
We thought both flavours were incredible and deleted them so fast. Super airy and creamy yet packed such a deep level of flavour. We also both love pumpkin spiced flavoured things and this definitely did the flavour justice.
7-10: Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi
M – 9.4/10 H – 8.9/10 (Braised Oxtails)
M – 9.2/10 H – 9.3/10 (Curried Goat Patties)
M – 9.2/10 H – 9.1/10 (Bodega Special)
M – 8.2/10 H – 8.2/10 (Rice & Peas)
M – 6.3/10 H – 7.2/10 (Strawberry Daiquiri Boozy Jelly)
When you start throwing around some of the accolades they have like best restaurant in the city in 2024 by the NYT you build some pretty big expectations. And it feels crazy to say this but Tatiana not only delivered, they exceeded them. Everything was so unique and flavourful, which made every bite so delicious. The sauce in the braised oxtail was incredible.
11-12: Golden Diner
M – 9.6/10 H – 9.8/10 (Honey Butter Pancakes Add Berry Compote)
M – 8.0/10 H – 7.3/10 (Korean Fried Chicken Wings Saucy)
The pancakes were incredible and I can see why there was a massive lineup for them. If you haven't had them please do yourself a favour and have them. The wings were also good, they were super crunchy, huge and had good flavour. I thought the chicken quality was a bit inconsistent and it was too oily, and my girlfriend thought they were too spicy, which I don't really agree with I think it was more of a kick from the gochujang, but her spice tolerance is not the greatest.
13: L'industrie Pizzeria West Village
M – 9.1/10 H – 9.7/10 (Burrata Slice)
M – 9.1/10 H – 9.7/10 (Fig Jam & Bacon Slice)
Some of the best pizza we have both ever had if not the best. Both slices were incredible in their own way and the level of detail that goes into every component of the pizza is ridiculous. Just outstanding.
14: Caffe Panna
M – 9.6/10 H – 9.8/10 (Pretzels, Peanuts & Coffee Scoop With Panna and Oreo Brittle)
M – 8.4/10 H – 8.6/10 (Matcha Yuzu Soft Serve)
You can really tell everything they use is super high quality, and paired up with their amazing flavour combinations and boom you have yourself some of the best food you can get. We loved the rich and soft texture of the scoop, and with the added toppings a bite was an explosion of flavours. The texture on the soft serve was not personally our favourite as we thought it was too firm but we liked how it was loaded up with toppings.
15-18: Theodora
M – 9.9/10 H – 10.0/10 (Sourdough)
M – 9.4/10 H – 8.8/10 (Lamb)
M – 9.1/10 H – 9.3/10 (Doughnuts)
We both agreed this was the best meal we have ever had. From the food to the service to the ambiance everything this meal offered was incredible. The sourdough was the best thing we have both ever eaten, and we do not say that lightly. The depth of flavour and how everything paired together was something we will both be dreaming about. The lamb and doughnuts were also great, we liked the variety of sauces that came with the lamb, but personally I would have liked a sweeter sauce and we also did find the lamb a little too salty. We also both thought the doughnuts could have been filled a little more with jam and the glaze you dip them in could have been thicker and had more of a punch of flavour to it. But this is just us nitpicking as the meal was extraordinary and I would easily demolish everything a million times over. We had amazing seats at the chefs counter where we were tucked away on the bend with just two seats for a very intimate yet engaging meal.
19: Radio Bakery
M – 8.7/10 H – 9.3/10 (Apple Brown Butter Croissant)
M – 8.7/10 H – 8.8/10 (Chocolate Cherry Croissant)
M – 8.4/10 H – 8.2/10 (Brown Butter Corn Cake)
M – 8.0/10 H – 8.0/10 (Smoked Salmon Focaccia w/ Cream Cheese, Dill, Pickled Onion)
Not going to lie we were slightly let down by Radio Bakery. Don't get us wrong this place is amazing and what truly sets them apart if their execution on their unique flavours that are done so well and are very tasty. We just thought we would be blown away, and that could be partially on us for having such high expectations but we both feel like we have had better elsewhere and although everything was great we don't think it's in a tier above other places as many people may believe.
20: Sunday Morning
M – 9.7/10 H – 9.4/10 (Banana's Foster Cinnamon Roll)
M – 9.6/10 H – 9.5/10 (Strawberry Earl Grey Cinnamon Roll)
M – 9.0/10 H – 9.6/10 (Blueberry Lemon Curd Cinnamon Roll)
M – 9.0/10 H – 8.2/10 (Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Roll)
We were both blown away by Sunday Morning. Huge and fresh cinnamon rolls that are perfect for sharing, or hey have them to yourself I'm not gonna judge they were fantastic. Definitely go with the fruit flavours they were incredible, we loved the tart and sweetness that's incorporated in the cinnamon rolls with the fruit. Additionally, we liked how they stayed true to the cinnamon roll and had a good amount of cinnamon sugar in the rolls and the toppings were additions. Please give this place a go if you have not, it's phenomenal.
by ChillFamGgNoRe
Dining and Cooking