With all due respect to San Francisco, Chicago, LA, Austin, and Seattle, the culinary epicenter of the U.S. is still New York City.
When it comes to fine dining, New York boasts three of the Top 50 Restaurants in the World! The rest of the U.S. has three combined (1 in Chicago and 2 in Northern California).
In addition to high-end cuisine, New York is home to some of the most delicious comfort food restaurants. You’ll find some of the best pizza, burger, BBQ, hot dog, and burrito eateries in the country.
The Plan
The “Eat Your Way Thru NYC Like a Boss” plan spans lunch & dinner for 7 straight days. Five of the seven days are in Manhattan and two are in Brooklyn.
Breakfast is up to you, but we suggest keeping your breakfast light to save room for all the deliciousness you’re going to have the rest of the time.
Day 1
We’re starting off strong with pizza for lunch and one of the best restaurants in the world for dinner!
Lunch: Motorino (349 E. 12th Street)
Motorino is a quaint little place in the East Village known for their delicious Neapolitan style pizzas. We recommend their Soppressata Picante and their Brussels Sprouts & Smoked Pancetta Pizzas. They have a great lunch special that includes a whole pizza and a salad for only $12.
Dinner: Eleven Madison Park (11 Madison Ave)
This restaurant is ranked #5 in the entire world and the highest ranked restaurant in the U.S. What more could be said? Although the food is out of the world, the atmosphere is fun and playful as well. Their tasting menu focuses on New York’s agricultural bounty and adapted specifically for guests.
Day 2
On the second day, you’ll make you way over to Brooklyn for lunch and dinner.
Lunch: Peter Luger Steakhouse (178 Broadway, Brooklyn)
Although Peter Luger is known for steak, we recommend getting their signature Luger burger for lunch made with half a pound of dry-aged beef and served with house-made steak sauce. Tip: They only take cash, so be sure to hit the ATM beforehand.
Dinner: Paulie Gee’s (60 Greenpoint Ave)
They have over 40 wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas on their menu including Hellboy with Sopressata Piccante & Spicy Honey and the Greenpoint Benedict with spinach & Hollandaise. Just plan on waiting awhile for a table or getting there very early, since they don’t take reservations.
Day 3
It’s back to Manhattan for day 3 where you’ll be doing BBQ for lunch and another culinary masterpiece for dinner.
Lunch: Mighty Quinn’s BBQ (3 locations - East Village, West Village, Financial District)
If possible, get there early - they open at 11:30am for lunch. Otherwise, you could end up in line for quite awhile. Their brisket and ribs are phenomenally off-the-charts delicious, and their baked beans & sweet potato casserole are fantastic sides.
Dinner: Per Se (10 Columbus Circle)
World-renown restaurateur Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame opened Per Se in 2004, and it’s been ranked as one of the top restaurants in the world ever since. This 3 Michelin star restaurant offers a daily nine-course tasting menu that will blow you away. And if you love wine, their cellars boast over 2000 bottles.
Day 4
This day will take a break from high end restaurants and keep it casual with burgers for lunch and pizza for dinner.
Lunch: Brindle Room (277 E. 10th St)
Their Steakhouse Burger is amazingly juicy and delicious. They combine 21-day dry-aged beef with the fat from a ribeye steak and sear it in a cast iron pan to lock in all the fatty juices. You may also want to get their healthy and abundant Kale Salad to give yourself some vegetables after all the decadence.
Dinner: Don Antonio (309 W. 50th St)
Their specialty is the Starita, which is lightly fried pizza dough, topped with signature Starita tomato sauce, imported smoked Buffalo mozzarella, basil, finished in their wood fire oven. We told you you'd need the Kale salad at lunch!
Tip: Don Antonio is in the Theatre District, so you may want to try to catch a show before dinner.
Day 5
This day will start with some burritos eaten outside and end up at one of the finest seafood restaurants in the world.
Lunch: Dos Toros (137 4th Ave + 6 other Manhattan locations)
This tasty burrito spot has 7 different locations in Manhattan, so you can pick whichever one is most convenient for you. Most of the locations are small, so your best bet is to take out and eat in a park. The Carne Asada burrito gets really high marks (you can also get it as a plate) as well as their fresh guacamole and pico de gallo.
Dinner: Le Bernadin (155 W. 51st St)
OK, after 3 straight meals of comfort foods, it’s time to get back to some serious cuisine at Le Bernadin. Over the past 20 years, legendary head chef Eric Ripert has honed this restaurant into one of the best seafood restaurants in the world. It rose in the Top 50 list from #21 in 2014 to #15 in 2015, so they’re doing something right!
Day 6
We’re going back to Brooklyn for hot dogs and BBQ. You’ll probably want to do a lot of walking this day to burn off those calories!
Lunch: Bark Hot Dogs (474 Bergen St)
This New York favorite is known for using the highest quality sources for every single ingredient from the sausage and buns to the cabbage for the sauerkraut. The most popular dogs are the Bark Dog (with red onion, sweet pepper relish, and mustard) and the NYC Dog (with grilled onions and mustard). You can wash them down with either a delicious milkshake or an ice cold beer.
(UPDATE: Bark Hot Dogs has closed down. Try Crif Dogs, also in Brooklyn, instead.)
Dinner: Fette Sau (345 Metropolitan Ave)
For dinner, it’s time to hobnob with the hipsters in Williamsburg. Fette Sau literally means “Fat Pig” in German, so you know it must be good BBQ! They emphasize their dry rub and thorough smoking practices. Definitely get their ribs and fatty brisket, which will melt in your mouth.
Day 7
We're in the home stretch - on Day 7 you’ll do one last pizza joint and end up with another of the top restaurants in the city (and world).
Lunch: Kesté Pizza & Vino (271 Bleecker St)
We’ll get started in the West Village at Keste Pizza & Vino, a very authentic Neapolitan pizza joint. They have over 50 different pizzas on their menu including Red, White, and Gluten Free varieties. Some of the best choices on the menu are the Margarita, Four Cheese, and Capricciosa.
Dinner: Daniel (60 E. 65th St)
Daniel was in the Top 50 Restaurants in 2014 at #40, but for some reason, it slipped to #80 in 2015. That shouldn’t dissuade you from including this on your NYC culinary adventure. Owner Daniel Boulud opened his eponymous restaurant in 1993 with a focus on modern French cuisine while showcasing American ingredients.
Additional Tips
Getting reservations for the four top restaurants won’t be easy. The good news is that all four are on OpenTable, so we highly recommend booking online well in advance. If you don’t get your desired day / time, keep trying as there are always cancellations. And be flexible - you may have to go with a very early or late reservation, but it’ll be worth it!
The “Eat Your Way thru NYC Like a Boss” plan will pack on the calories big time, so spend your time between meals walking around the city. The more you walk the more you’ll build up your appetite for that next great meal!
If you can’t get to every place on this list (or your stomach or pocketbook won't let you), you can always mix and match or try other options. Maybe one night you want to veer off and get sushi or Thai, or maybe you pass by an interesting Mediterranean spot for lunch - go for it!
The beauty of NY is that there’s never a lack of amazing dining choices. Enjoy yourself and worry about the calories when you get home!