Eating your way through New York can feel slightly overwhelming. There is something on almost every corner, but the places we remember most were rarely the obvious ones. We found exceptional pastry, small cafés taking coffee seriously, Italian restaurants with a very personal story and, of course, a bagel worth queuing for. These are the restaurants, bakeries and cafés that shaped our time in New York.
Best Bakeries & Pastry in New York
Supermoon Bakehouse
Supermoon Bakehouse takes pastry in a much more playful direction. The Lower East Side bakery is known for laminated dough, colourful fillings and creations that sit somewhere between classic French pastry and modern New York excess. What we liked was that the pastries were not only made to look impressive — there is serious technique behind them too. The menu changes regularly, so there is usually something new to discover.
Sullivan Street Bakery
Sullivan Street Bakery is much more understated. Founded by Jim Lahey, the bakery became known for its bread and Roman-style pizza, with a focus on long fermentation and simple ingredients. It is the kind of place where focaccia, bread and a good sandwich are enough of a reason to visit. We liked the contrast with some of New York’s more elaborate bakeries: here, the quality of the dough does most of the talking.
La Cabra
La Cabra combines Danish pastry culture with specialty coffee in a way that feels very natural. The cardamom buns are one of the obvious reasons to stop here, but the precision runs through everything they make. We particularly liked that the bakery never feels overly polished or showy despite how beautiful the pastries are. Come for a bun, but definitely stay for the coffee.
Magnolia Bakery
Magnolia Bakery is one of those New York names that has become almost impossible to separate from the city itself. Its banana pudding is famous for good reason: soft vanilla wafers, banana and creamy pudding layered together into something very simple and very indulgent. It is more classic than most places on this list, but we still think it is worth trying once if you have never had it.
Fabrique
Fabrique brings Swedish baking culture to New York, with breads, pastries and plenty of buns coming from its stone ovens. The cardamom bun was our favourite and probably the thing we would return for first. There is something comforting about the whole place — less about trends and more about really good dough, butter and spice.
Pinklady Cheese Tart
Pinklady Cheese Tart is a tiny Chinatown stop specialising in Japanese-style cheese tarts. The soft filling has that slightly tangy, creamy character that makes Japanese cheese desserts so different from heavier American cheesecake. They come in different flavours and colours, but despite their cute appearance, it was the texture and balance that made them memorable for us.
Breads Bakery
Breads Bakery is best known for its chocolate babka, and this is one of those cases where the famous product genuinely deserves the attention. Rich, sticky and layered with chocolate, it is difficult to walk past once you smell it. The bakery does much more than babka, with breads, croissants and savoury pastry too, but this is still the thing we would order first.
Italian Restaurants in New York
Coletta
Coletta showed us how far vegan Italian cooking can go when it is treated as its own cuisine rather than a substitute. The menu includes plant-based cheeses, meatballs, risotto, pasta and desserts, but nothing feels like it is trying to imitate the original too closely. We particularly remember how rich and generous the dishes were. It was one of the places that surprised us most during our time in New York.
Cremini’s
Cremini’s in Brooklyn feels deeply connected to the Marche region in Italy. The restaurant was created by an Italian couple who wanted to bring the food they grew up with to New York, and that personal story comes through in the menu. We loved discovering dishes that were completely new to us, including fried stuffed olives, a fettuccine ball and chocolate salami. It felt much more personal than simply going out for Italian food.
Gnocchi on 9th
Gnocchi on 9th is the opposite kind of Italian experience: quick, affordable and centred almost entirely around one thing. Fresh gnocchi comes with a choice of sauces and toppings, making it an easy stop when you want something comforting without sitting down for a long dinner. We went for the creamy black truffle version and added burrata — not subtle, but very satisfying.
Breakfast & Brunch in New York
Apollo Bagels
We came to New York hoping to eat a bagel that would justify all the hype around New York bagels, and Apollo did exactly that. The bagels are baked throughout the day and have that combination of a crisp exterior and chewy centre that you hope for. The toppings stay relatively simple, which works because the bagel itself is so good. We happily waited in line for this one.
In Common
In Common is an Australian-inspired café with a menu that goes beyond the standard brunch dishes you see all over New York. We had combinations like brioche with fried eggplant and shakshuka with poached egg, and particularly liked how colourful and generous everything felt. It is an easy place to spend a little longer over breakfast or lunch rather than simply grabbing something on the go.
Smør
Smør brings a Scandinavian influence to the East Village, with homemade bread, Nordic flavours and dishes that work equally well for brunch and lunch. It feels relaxed and neighbourhood-focused rather than designed around one signature dish. We particularly liked how different the menu felt from many of the more predictable brunch places in Manhattan.
Best Coffee in New York
Remi43
Remi43 combines coffee with flowers, giving the space a slightly softer feel than the typical New York coffee bar. The drinks are playful too, with flavours such as lavender appearing alongside more classic espresso-based options. It ended up being one of our favourite coffee stops because it had its own identity rather than feeling like another minimalist specialty café.
Bird & Branch
Bird & Branch pairs specialty coffee with a strong social mission. The café supports people facing barriers to employment while still putting plenty of attention into the coffee itself. We liked that the concept never felt disconnected from the actual café experience. There are classic drinks, seasonal creations and enough variety to make it interesting even if you are not a coffee purist.
Frisson Espresso
Frisson Espresso is small, focused and uncomplicated. The emphasis is on good beans and careful preparation rather than a big food menu or elaborate concept. Sometimes that is exactly what you want in New York: a place to step inside, order a genuinely good coffee and continue with your day.
Rhythm Zero
Rhythm Zero has the kind of clean, contemporary aesthetic you often associate with modern specialty coffee, but the atmosphere still feels relaxed. Coffee is taken seriously without making the experience overly technical. We liked it as much for the energy of the space as for what was in the cup.
Urbana
Urbana is an easy daytime coffee stop when you are exploring Manhattan. The menu covers espresso, cold brew and pastries, and the atmosphere is more casual than destination-driven. We particularly liked it as somewhere to briefly escape the pace of the city without turning coffee into a whole event.
Afficionado Coffee Roasters
Afficionado Coffee Roasters is one for anyone interested in where coffee comes from and how it is roasted. They work with carefully sourced beans and roast them themselves, with a clear focus on flavour rather than trends. The approach is quite serious, but the experience itself remains approachable.
Absolute Coffee
Absolute Coffee has the relaxed feeling of a true neighbourhood café. It is the kind of Brooklyn spot where people actually seem to come regularly rather than somewhere built mainly for visitors. We liked the straightforward coffee, friendly atmosphere and lack of fuss.
Do Not Feed Alligators
Do Not Feed Alligators already wins points for the name, but the café itself has just as much personality. The space feels creative and slightly eccentric, with specialty coffee and a small outdoor area that makes it especially nice on a warm day. We stopped for cold brew and ended up staying longer than planned.
Headrest Coffee
Headrest Coffee is a good reason to pause while exploring Bushwick. It is small, independent and fits naturally into the creative energy of the neighbourhood. We liked combining it with a walk through this part of Brooklyn rather than treating it as a destination on its own.
Now or Never Coffee
Now or Never Coffee is a useful stop when exploring SoHo and Lower Manhattan. The menu combines well-made classics with a few more playful drinks, and the space feels contemporary without trying too hard. We liked it most as a little break in one of the busiest parts of the city.
