Guidebook for New York

Alex
Guidebook for New York

Food Scene

Excellent and inventive salads, small plates, and coffee too.
82 locals recommend
El Rey
82 locals recommend
Excellent and inventive salads, small plates, and coffee too.
Local coffee/sandwich shop
69 locals recommend
Tinys Giant Sandwich Shop
69 locals recommend
Local coffee/sandwich shop
Danny Bowien's Mexican inspired restaurant.
29 locals recommend
Mission Cantina
29 locals recommend
Danny Bowien's Mexican inspired restaurant.
One of the top new restaurants in NYC.
12 locals recommend
Tuome
536 E 5th St
12 locals recommend
One of the top new restaurants in NYC.
Famous for pastrami and other smoked meat sandwiches.
690 locals recommend
Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St
690 locals recommend
Famous for pastrami and other smoked meat sandwiches.
Recently opened cafe serving up bagels, salmon, and egg creams in a nostalgic setting
181 locals recommend
Russ & Daughters Cafe
127 Orchard St
181 locals recommend
Recently opened cafe serving up bagels, salmon, and egg creams in a nostalgic setting
One of the best ramen shops in the city.
124 locals recommend
Ivan Ramen
25 Clinton St
124 locals recommend
One of the best ramen shops in the city.
Great, cheap, spicy noodles from Western China. There are a couple locations around the city, but this is the closest. In the summer, get the cold noodle dish -- A1!
107 locals recommend
Xi'an Famous Foods
88 E Broadway
107 locals recommend
Great, cheap, spicy noodles from Western China. There are a couple locations around the city, but this is the closest. In the summer, get the cold noodle dish -- A1!
Cheap, delicious, quick chinese food. The dumplings are great but the Sesame pancakes (with roast duck!) are very good, as are the spicy wontons!
288 locals recommend
Vanessa's Dumpling House
118A Eldridge St
288 locals recommend
Cheap, delicious, quick chinese food. The dumplings are great but the Sesame pancakes (with roast duck!) are very good, as are the spicy wontons!
Very trendy, very delicious restaurant focused on food that's health-aware.
212 locals recommend
Dimes
49 Canal St
212 locals recommend
Very trendy, very delicious restaurant focused on food that's health-aware.
Very good Issan style Thai food. Get the larbs and the papaya salads. Spicy!
51 locals recommend
Somtum Der
85 Avenue A
51 locals recommend
Very good Issan style Thai food. Get the larbs and the papaya salads. Spicy!
Excellent Thai food. Elevated take on some classics.
68 locals recommend
Uncle Boons
186 Mott St
68 locals recommend
Excellent Thai food. Elevated take on some classics.
EXCELLENT (but quirky) Italian cafe with delicious sandwiches, homemade bread, and daily pasta specials. Might be the best sandwich around.
57 locals recommend
Gaia Italian Cafè
226 East 3rd Street
57 locals recommend
EXCELLENT (but quirky) Italian cafe with delicious sandwiches, homemade bread, and daily pasta specials. Might be the best sandwich around.
Small French brasserie around the corner that's been a cool place to have a quiet (or not so quiet) dinner for years.
101 locals recommend
Lucien
14 1st Ave.
101 locals recommend
Small French brasserie around the corner that's been a cool place to have a quiet (or not so quiet) dinner for years.
Ramen. Very good ramen in a tiny shop. One of the best ramen shops in the city.
103 locals recommend
Minca
536 E 5th St
103 locals recommend
Ramen. Very good ramen in a tiny shop. One of the best ramen shops in the city.
Great spot for delicious fusion South Asian paratha tacos. Inventive, light, and flavorful fillings.
16 locals recommend
goa taco
79 Delancey Street
16 locals recommend
Great spot for delicious fusion South Asian paratha tacos. Inventive, light, and flavorful fillings.
Amazing doughnuts (the best) and good coffee, too!
313 locals recommend
Doughnut Plant
379 Grand St
313 locals recommend
Amazing doughnuts (the best) and good coffee, too!
Good spot for coffee. Perhaps the best in the neighborhood?
104 locals recommend
Café Grumpy - Lower East Side
13 Essex St
104 locals recommend
Good spot for coffee. Perhaps the best in the neighborhood?

Shopping

Very trendy fashion boutique
13 locals recommend
Maryam Nassir Zadeh
123 Norfolk St
13 locals recommend
Very trendy fashion boutique
A great second-hand bookstore for hard-to-find art books and first editions. Great place to browse!
30 locals recommend
Mast Books
72 Avenue A
30 locals recommend
A great second-hand bookstore for hard-to-find art books and first editions. Great place to browse!
Super cool spot for design and art objects, curated with an expert and knowing eye.
32 locals recommend
Coming Soon
53 Canal St
32 locals recommend
Super cool spot for design and art objects, curated with an expert and knowing eye.

Essentials

Great indoor marketplace with many different vendors -- from bodegas to fancy produce
341 locals recommend
Essex Market
88 Essex St
341 locals recommend
Great indoor marketplace with many different vendors -- from bodegas to fancy produce
Great grocery store with an emphasis on organic and local
522 locals recommend
Union Market
240 E Houston St
522 locals recommend
Great grocery store with an emphasis on organic and local
Nothing beats Whole Foods.
1895 locals recommend
Whole Foods Market
95 E Houston St
1895 locals recommend
Nothing beats Whole Foods.
Traditional Jewish Deli -- best smoke salmon in NYC, since 1917
251 locals recommend
Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St
251 locals recommend
Traditional Jewish Deli -- best smoke salmon in NYC, since 1917

Arts & Culture

Great arthouse cinema
246 locals recommend
Sunshine Cinema
246 locals recommend
Great arthouse cinema
Great gallery one block over from the apt.
Rachel Uffner
170 Suffolk St
Great gallery one block over from the apt.
Great building, great museum focused on contemporary art.
629 locals recommend
New Museum of Contemporary Art
235 Bowery
629 locals recommend
Great building, great museum focused on contemporary art.

Sightseeing

Fantastic museum about life in the Lower East Side 100 years ago. They also organize walking tours of the neighborhood.
603 locals recommend
Tenement Museum
103 Orchard St
603 locals recommend
Fantastic museum about life in the Lower East Side 100 years ago. They also organize walking tours of the neighborhood.

Drinks & Nightlife

Small sake bar that knows how to serve sake. Huge range, with beautiful presentation. They also have pretty good food!
15 locals recommend
Azasu
49 Clinton Street
15 locals recommend
Small sake bar that knows how to serve sake. Huge range, with beautiful presentation. They also have pretty good food!
Great spot for checking out the downtown views, and only a block or so from my apt.
136 locals recommend
Mr. Purple
180 Orchard St
136 locals recommend
Great spot for checking out the downtown views, and only a block or so from my apt.
Hip spot that's got some great drinks and a pretty lively scene.
93 locals recommend
Mr. Fong's
40 Market St
93 locals recommend
Hip spot that's got some great drinks and a pretty lively scene.
Great spot for fancy cocktails.
46 locals recommend
Sel Rrose
1 Delancey St
46 locals recommend
Great spot for fancy cocktails.
An iconic music venue for indie bands coming to town. Been a mainstay of the downtown scene for a while...
135 locals recommend
The Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St
135 locals recommend
An iconic music venue for indie bands coming to town. Been a mainstay of the downtown scene for a while...
Like the Bowery Ballroom in that it's been a mainstay of the downtown indie scene for a while. However, the Mercury Lounge is a little smaller and skews toward local bands.
95 locals recommend
Mercury Lounge
217 E Houston St
95 locals recommend
Like the Bowery Ballroom in that it's been a mainstay of the downtown indie scene for a while. However, the Mercury Lounge is a little smaller and skews toward local bands.

Entertainment & Activities

Best downtown yoga spot! Beautiful space with light-filled studio and great instructors.
10 locals recommend
SKY TING YOGA - Chinatown
17 Allen St
10 locals recommend
Best downtown yoga spot! Beautiful space with light-filled studio and great instructors.
Great movie theater that just opened with old and independent films in a beautiful building. Also, cool restaurant and lounge attached.
131 locals recommend
Metrograph
7 Ludlow St
131 locals recommend
Great movie theater that just opened with old and independent films in a beautiful building. Also, cool restaurant and lounge attached.