Laliguras Bistro in Jackson Heights, NYC | Image credit: zohrankmamdani/Instagram
Summary
Whether you’re building a must-eat list or just enjoying a little civic curiosity, here are the NYC restaurants Zohran Mamdani has been spotted at.
We have reached peak Zohran. Since being sworn in as Mayor of New York City on January 1, 2026 (and making a few policy moves after his midnight oath), there is simply no avoiding it. The effect of the American politician has rippled through everyday life in the city since he formally announced his candidacy in 2024 — streams of Bollywood anthems like Dhoom Machale spiked, residents re‑romanticised public transit, and the Western population suddenly discovered Rajnigandha mints.
Perhaps most surprisingly, he has become known almost as much for his impeccable taste and restaurant picks as for his policy. Who would have thought? Across New York City, locals and online observers have already begun tracking his restaurant sightings, informally mapping a dining trail. Not in pursuit of an encounter, but out of curiosity about how a mayor moves through the city’s food landscape, and what those choices reveal about place, habit, and taste.
Also, check out our conversation with Kyle Hotchkiss Carone, who shares stories from his travels and how they inspired his NYC restaurants.
Where Zohran Mamdani loves to eat in New York City
Sami’s Kabab House, Astoria
In September 2025, Mamdani treated fellow progressives Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to lunch at Sami’s Kabab House, the namesake Afghan spot in Astoria where owner Sami Zaman brings a true taste of Afghanistan to Queens.
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Urban Vegan Roots, Astoria
Plot twist: the master plan may have been vegan. Urban Vegan Roots, the plant-based restaurant and bar, has confirmed that Mamdani and his team have stopped by several times, lingering over meals. It was here, according to State Senator Jabari Brisport, that Mamdani first “hatched his master plan” for a mayoral run.
“Same restaurant we had gone to about a year ago, when he was first telling me he was planning to run for office, before he announced, and I was expressing doubts. I was like, ‘Will New York vote for a socialist, Zohran? I don’t know. Will this campaign work? I mean, I’ll support you, but I don’t know. Is this the best use of your time?’” Brisport told CBS News. “To have dinner there with him again a year later after he won the primary was pretty funny.”
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Also, follow the cast of Bling Empire: New York to their favourite places in New York.
Moka & Co. Coffee, Astoria
Image credit: Zohran Kwame Mamdani/Facebook
He’s publicly called Moka & Co. Coffee one of his favourite coffee houses, regularly stopping in for traditional Yemeni brews and praising their rich, complex flavours. The cafe also doubled as a political nerve centre in 2025, hosting Mamdani’s election night watch party, where supporters gathered to celebrate his mayoral race victory. It later reappeared as a pop-culture waypoint when Hasan Piker joined Mamdani on a livestreamed walk around Astoria, stopping by several of his favourite neighbourhood spots.
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Little Flower Cafe, Astoria
The New York Times highlighted the cafe as a key stop on a “scavenger hunt” tied to his campaign and praised their menu, specifically mentioning a firni doughnut and a merguez breakfast burrito that “ruled”.
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Pye Boat Noodle, Astoria
Zohran Mamdani is a devoted fan of Pye Boat Noodle in Astoria, regularly spotlighting it as a must-visit in the neighbourhood’s diverse food scene. His go-to order? The koy nua, a spicy raw beef Thai salad that’s essentially a raw take on larb. Mamdani has mentioned Pye Boat Noodle in multiple interviews, often alongside other local favourites, cementing its status as one of his top Astoria picks.
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Kabab King, Jackson Heights
Mamdani’s connection to this 24-hour Pakistani-Bangladeshi restaurant runs deep, so much so that The New York Times even called the place the “beating heart of the Zohran Mamdani foodieverse”. His usual order is the biryani, goat or chicken, often followed by a paan from the shop across the street. He has been coming here since high school, stopping by after cricket practice long before politics entered the picture.
The restaurant has also played a role in his cultural life. Before his political career, Mamdani filmed a music video here for his rap persona, Mr Cardamom, using the top floor as a set. During the 2025 mayoral campaign, it became a gathering place for supporters, with Mamdani serving food to cab drivers late into the night. After his election victory, the restaurant marked the moment by adding a ‘Mamdani Biryani’ to the menu.
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Also, learn about the best places to savour biryani in India.
Zyara, Astoria
Zyara counts as one of Zohran Mamdani’s go-to restaurants in New York City, and he’s been very specific about how to order at the Steinway Street spot. The move is to get the lamb adana laffa, a hand-minced, spice-packed grilled lamb wrapped in flatbread, paired with mint lemonade, hummus, and pita. After he praised Zyara in interviews, including The New Yorker, the owner confirmed the shout-out translated into an immediate bump in customers.
“Of course, I gained more customers after the video. He will help to highlight cuisines from cultures of all directions and from all countries,” Zyara’s owner, Feras Al Zughier told BBC.
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Mokafé, Astoria
The community-focused coffee shop with several locations (Astoria, Paterson, Times Square, etc.) also debuted a “Mamdani cardamom matcha” in a cheeky nod to his support.
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Laliguras Bistro, Jackson Heights
Image credit: zohrankmamdani/Instagram
Zohran Mamdani enjoyed momos and chai alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Nepalese restaurant for the first meal as NYC Mayor-elect. Sharing on social media, he wrote: “A busy first day as your Mayor-elect: early morning interviews, transition announcements and meetings. More to say on all of it tomorrow. But a highlight was lunch chilli chicken with tingmo bread and aloo dum with @aoc at Laliguras Bistro in Jackson Heights.”
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Mahmoud’s Corner Halal, Astoria
Joking about the rumour that he’d make everyone eat halal if elected on The Daily Show, Mamdani quipped that for anyone genuinely craving it, they should just hit up Mahmoud’s at 34th and Steinway.
Find it here
Also, check out our guide to the best halal food in Bangkok.
Boishakhi Restaurant, Astoria
Last night I took @hasanthehun on a walk around Astoria. We ate, we drank mufawar coffee and adeni chai, we talked. For more than three hours. He streamed the whole thing.
Our stops:
🌸 Little Flower Cafe
🇧🇩 Boishakhi Restaurant
☕️ Moka & Co
🇾🇪 MOKAFÉ pic.twitter.com/MXZTM7oVbY
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) April 7, 2025
In April 2025, Mamdani took Hasan Piker, a prominent American Twitch streamer, political commentator, and former journalist, on a three-hour Astoria food crawl, streaming the whole thing. Their stops included Boishakhi Restaurant, a Bangladeshi spot that describes itself as a “no-frills nook serving traditional halal specialities from Bangladesh till late at night.”
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AbuQir, Astoria
Image credit: AbuQir
In an interview with Bon Appétit, Zohran Mamdani name-checked AbuQir on Steinway for great Egyptian seafood. Here, you can pick your own fresh fish, and choose your prep, from grilled to fried or garlic-and-lemon. Expect a lively, sometimes loud atmosphere and long waits, a scene only amplified by the Mayor‑Elect’s own visits.
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Bahari Estiatorio, Astoria
In the same Bon Appétit interview, Mamdani highlighted Bahari Estiatorio, a restaurant that draws its inspiration from “rustic, cosy, and inviting family gatherings reminiscent of Greek hospitality.”
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Chamoun’s Way, Upper East Side
Image credit: Zohran Kwame Mamdani/X
Zohran Mamdani was spotted at Chamoun’s Way in Brooklyn and even posted a photo from the visit on social media in November 2025. If you find yourself here, go straight for the shawafel on markook (a clever mashup of chicken shawarma and falafel) or the braised lamb shank marinated in the restaurant’s special spices, served with rice, peas, and a beef-and-carrot stew.
Find it here
Shop the best travel experiences here
(Feature image credit: zohrankmamdani/Instagram)
Related: Taste Of India In NYC — Your Guide To New York City’s Best Indian Restaurants
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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Written By
Sneha Chakraborty
Sneha Chakraborty is a journalist and photographer covering how travel intersects with food, culture, ..Read Moreand identity. Her reporting has appeared in National Geographic Traveller India, Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveller, Vogue India, and Hindustan Times, where she spent two years on staff as a correspondent covering travel and culture. She is an alumna of the University of Westminster`s Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design. Currently based in Delhi, she grew up in various cities across India and has lived in Amsterdam, and London. Read Less
Dining and Cooking