Eat Your Way Through Lower Manhattan

We explored these neighborhoods:

• West Village: Fashionable crowds, designer boutiques, and trendy restaurants

• East Village: Old-school bars, music venues, posh cocktail lounges, and hip restaurants

• Soho: Designer boutiques, fancy high-end art galleries, and elegant facades and cobblestone streets

• Chinatown: Vibrant and densely populated with busy sidewalks selling items such as dumplings, pork buns, and spices

We went to all of these places in one day (in this order)! It’s a lot of walking, and even more eating, so get your tummies ready to go for a food tour that’s worth doing!

Lafayette Grand Cafe & Bakery

A beautiful, grand French café with a warm traditional brasserie-style interior to enjoy a great meal or pick up a sweet treat from the walk-up bakery. The pistachio croissants are unbelievable and a must-have!

Levain Bakery (NoHo location)

Warm cookies? Say no more! These cookies are warmed up to order, so you are guaranteed to have the chocolate melt in your mouth. The cookies are gooey, and you can’t go wrong with their classic chocolate chip walnut flavor.

Banter NYC

Very Soho-esque brunch spot with fresh ingredients, brunch cocktails, and green vitality juices. Items include golden folded eggs, avocado toast, and Nutella French toast.

John’s of Bleecker Street

Everyone has their own opinion about who has the best pizza in New York. This one takes my vote, hands down! They only serve full pies that are made in the classic brick oven, so get ready to chow down—but we guarantee you’ll eat the whole thing in no time.

Clinton Street Bakery

The breakfast menu takes inspiration from the American South, coastal New England, and Jewish New York, and traditions from Mexico and the Southwest. We recommend the brioche French toast, latke eggs Benedict, and the pancakes with warm maple butter, which might be the best pancakes we’ve ever had.

Katz’s Delicatessen

This is a must-do. It’s not only iconic as the oldest Jewish deli in New York (since 1888), but their pastrami sandwich is unlike any other. The simplicity of the thick sliced meat, spicy mustard, and rye bread makes it impossible not to crave. And the matzoh ball soup? Out of this world.

Russ & Daughters

Known for their smoked fish, caviar, bagels, and bialys, this little shop has all sorts of different options to choose from. Their smoked salmon is definitely worth noting!

Double Chicken Please

A mix of nostalgia, fun, and innovation. Their goal is to tell stories by serving cocktails inspired by classic cartoons, and their signature Taiwanese-inspired fried chicken sandwich is a perfect treat.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor

This is a historic gem in Chinatown that has a nostalgic vintage diner-like ambience serving Hong Kong-style dim sum. Say yes to pork and shrimp siu mai, pan-fried noodles, roast pork buns, and chicken soup dumplings.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

There are multiple locations throughout New York, but all of them boast of ice cream that’s creamy, sweet, and flavorful for both omnivores and vegans. Flavors like honeycomb, Earl Grey tea, and marionberry cheesecake go a long way.