Day-by-day eating plans for New York City. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

NYC Jewish deli and appetizing day ★ 4.6

Deli and bagel enthusiast, one day1 day

The Lower East Side and Yiddish-roots Manhattan still anchor the Jewish-deli tradition that wrote the city's culinary identity. This single-day plan covers the pastrami at Katz's, the appetizing platter at Russ & Daughters, the bagel at Kossar's bialy ovens and the cheesecake closer at Junior's.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: bialys, bagel, pastrami, cheesecake

    Morning
    Open at Kossar's Bagels & Bialys on Grand Street from 06:00 for a fresh bialy and a coffee. Walk to Russ & Daughters on Houston for a Gaspe Nova-lox-and-bagel platter and the appetizing experience that defined the city.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Katz's Delicatessen on Houston for the hand-cut pastrami on rye, the dill pickle and the Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray. Walk Lower East Side and stop at Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A for the second bagel of the day.
    Evening
    Dinner at Russ & Daughters Cafe on Orchard for the smoked-fish sit-down menu. Close at Ess-a-Bagel on First for a third bagel to take home and at the Junior's Cheesecake counter at Grand Central for the canonical New York cheesecake.

NYC coffee and bakery day ★ 4.5

Coffee and bakery enthusiast, one day1 day

New York's specialty coffee scene runs from Stumptown's Ace Hotel cafe through Joe Coffee, Sey, Parlor and Variety to the Manhattan and Brooklyn flat-white culture. This single-day plan strings the best roasters with the city's deepest bakeries, from Levain to Balthazar to Breads.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: bagels, coffee, croissant, late espresso

    Morning
    Open at Ess-a-Bagel on First Avenue from 06:00 for a hand-rolled everything bagel with scallion shmear. Walk to Joe Coffee on East 13th from 07:30 for a flat white and a Brooklyn-roasted pour-over.
    Afternoon
    Breakfast at Balthazar Bakery in SoHo at 09:00 for a butter croissant and a second espresso. Lunch at Russ & Daughters Cafe on Orchard for an appetizing platter; the dressed-up sister of the original. Walk Soho and stop at Levain on Wooster for the chocolate chip walnut cookie.
    Evening
    Late espresso at Parlor Coffee in Crown Heights and a slice of Black Seed sourdough bagel for the road; close at Variety Coffee on Graham Avenue for the third roaster of the day.

NYC weekend: the classics, done right ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend built around the dishes New York invented, the counters that wrote the playbook, and one across-the-bridge stop. Slice, bagel, pastrami, dumpling and a steakhouse closer.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: bagels, slices, Chinatown, and a steakhouse

  2. Day 2: Sunday: deli morning, Brooklyn lunch, fine-dining dinner

Queens borough crawl: the global eat ★ 4.8

Second visit, one full day1 day

A single Queens day mapped to the 7 train: Tibetan momos in Jackson Heights, Sichuan in Flushing, Greek in Astoria, all under $50 a head total food cost.

  1. Day 1: Sunday: Tibetan, Sichuan, Greek by 7 train

Brooklyn pizza and natural-wine day ★ 4.5

Pizza enthusiast, one full day1 day

A Brooklyn day for foldable-slice fans and wine drinkers: L'Industrie in the morning, Lucali by candlelight, The Four Horsemen for natural wine in between. Built for two people on the L and G trains.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: L'Industrie, Carroll Gardens, natural-wine dinner

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