NYC Top Eats by a Local
NYC Top Eats by a Local
Meko Rooks
I love food & New York arguably has some of the best food in the world. This map holds all of my absolute favorite places to eat in the city. These are the places I frequent & always recommend to friends when they visit.
Most of these recommendations are in Manhattan, but there are a couple in other boroughs. And as I said, more will come. The genre of these restaurants ranges from nicer to quick grab-and-go spots, with options for Mexican, Mediterranean, American, Malaysian, Cuban, Jamaican, Latin-inspired, & Italian food - plus a couple of food hall options & doughnuts!
This is a living map. By living, I mean that I will continue adding more places to this map when I come across them & you'll automatically get the updates!
It's truly a map of my favorite places to eat in the City, so if you've followed me for a while & just want to check out my favorite spots, this map is for you!
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1803 NYC
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Cafeteria
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The Late Late
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Kogane Ramen
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Ichiran
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noda
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Sushi Yasuda
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Shuko
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The Halal Guys
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Borrachito Taqueria & Spirits
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Taco Mix
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El Paso Taqueria
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Manhattan
📍Midtown
Vida Verde
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Another great bar to stop at if you're bar hopping in the area. They also have really cheap tacos and a big mural on the wall that's super colorful.
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Mom's Kitchen and Bar
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Located in Hell's Kitchen, this spot has the best food. The line is often out the door. Kids are welcome!
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Vida Verde
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Another great bar to stop at if you're bar hopping in the area. They also have really cheap tacos and a big mural on the wall that's super colorful.
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📍Chelsea
Pergola
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$$$ | Pergola is a cute hookah lounge. It's one of my favorite places, I love it. You can often spot celebrities, they sometimes go after games at Madison Square Garden which is nearby.
This is my number one top pick when people ask me where they should go when they visit New York. They also have really good food. Even if you don't smoke hookah, I still think you should go.
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Frying Pan
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The Frying Pan is only open May to October, but it overlooks the Hudson River & has really good food.
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Chelsea Market
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This is another great food hall. It's located inside of an actual shopping mall, so it's great for a rainy day. You can try some good food and the shop a bit.
Some of my favorite spots in Chelsea Market are Takumi Taco, Los Tacos 1, Miznon, Lobster Place, Mokbar, Very Fresh Noodles, Pia, & Seed + Mill.
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Dough Doughnuts
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Oh my gosh this place is so good. They're open all day, not just at breakfast time and they serve, literally, giant doughnuts made out of something that is SO good.
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Daily Provisions - Union Square
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I've never actually been here, but a lot of people recommend it to me. It's a diner that serves everything - breakfast, lucnh, and dinner. It's good & affordable.
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📍Greenwich Village
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📍East Village
Yuca
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This bar is a great bar to stop at if you're bar hopping. They also serve great Latin-inspired food.
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📍Lower Manhattan/Little Italy
La Mela
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This little Italian restaurant in Little Italy is my favorite! It has the best service, they literally treat you like family, & I feel like I'm in Italy when I eat here.
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The Bronx
📍Concourse
Flavas International Grill
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This spot is located by Yankee Stadium and has the best Caribbean food. It's so good and is a perfect stop if you're going to a Yankees game.
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Brooklyn
📍DUMBO
Time Out Market New York
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This is a new place in New York. It has a bunch of food halls with famous food from New York. It always showcases vendors from the best places in New York at the time, and it's constantly changing. It's a fun way to try a bunch of good foods without having to travel all around the city.
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GoldBar
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Jajaja Mexicana
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Eataly NYC Flatiron
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Kyma
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Don Angie
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C as in Charlie
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Sticky's Finger Joint
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Panna II Garden
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Nura
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Misi
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MONO+MONO
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Antidote
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Mama's TOO!
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Claud
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Elite Williamsburg
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The Cactus Shop
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Lilia
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Ceremonia Bakeshop
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Sea Fire Grill
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The Clam
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Biga Bite
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Liberty Bagels 5th Ave
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miss KOREA BBQ
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LOVE Korean BBQ
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Sugar Factory
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Pietro Nolita
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$$ | Everything is pink in this restaurant. It's super cute, and the Italian food is really good.
Literally, the chairs are pink, everything is pink.
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Black Tap
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$$ | Ahh this place is so good. They're famous for their burgers and their crazy LARGE milkshakes. I love their milkshakes so much. They put ice cream & big chocolate chip cookies, or cotton candy on top. They're crazy.
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The Happiest Hour
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Ellen's Stardust Diner
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S'MAC East Village
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Ladybird
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Dirt Candy
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The Acre
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Guevara's
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Cadence
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Tarallucci e Vino Union Square
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Casa Restaurant
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Zona De Cuba
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The Ainsworth Midtown
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Lillie's Victorian Establishment
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Frying Pan
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The Frying Pan is only open May to October, but it overlooks the Hudson River & has really good food.
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iFLY Indoor Skydiving - Westchester
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One World Observatory
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AIRE Ancient Baths New York
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* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meko Rooks
Motherhood With No Limits🤱🏽 🛫
Hi! I'm a lifestyle blogger and social influencer. Being a native New Yorker has given me the ability to transition from the fast-paced city life to balancing a family while continuing to travel & explore. I have a passion for trying new foods, discovering underwater life, learning new cultures, and exploring different countries.
I'm born and raised in New York & have lived there for over 20 years now! I love traveling abroad with my kids (and without them), but when I'm home, I love exploring my City. My favorite things to do in NY are to look for new pop up activities. Depending on what season or holiday is happening, there's always a fun event going on. I also love rooftop bars & enjoying the city views.
I'm a foodie at heart so that's the number one thing I get asked for recommendations. Food & nightlife in the City. I also love to find a lot of fun unique activities for the kids because I love getting my kids out of the house to explore parks & indoor activities.
I've been featured in publications such as HuffPost, SkyScanner, Travel Noire, The Points Guy, & Seeker for my NYC & other travel expertise.
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