10 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in New York

Anthony & Son Panini Shoppe is a classic New York sandwich shop in Brooklyn that features vintage-inspired paninis and heroes. The shop offers signature heroes like Brooklyn Knights, a steak and smoked mozzarella hero, Buffalo Chicken, and the FDNY, a chicken cutlet with vodka sauce and mozzarella. You could also get salads, lettuce wraps, bowls, or breakfast foods like egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and bagels. Anthony & Son Panini Shoppe has a shop with merchandise and gifts to remember your trip.

Alice, formerly Gradisca, is a family-owned and operated Italian restaurant with fresh pasta and classic cuisine made with local ingredients. Located in a historic brownstone, Gradisca offers a casual, yet upscale, atmosphere for dates, dinner with friends, family nights out, or a quick bite in the afternoon. Some of the menu options include crostino Toscano, cavoletti, prosciutto e tigelle, carbonara, pappardelle, risotto, and polipo, Gradisca also has a full dessert and wine and cocktail menu to spend time socialising after dinner.

Scarr’s Pizza is a retro-style pizza joint with pizza pies, slices, and submarine sandwiches. One of the most unique features of Scarr’s Pizza that sets it apart from other pizza restaurants is that it mills its own grains, so you’ll get the freshest pizzas and subs around. They also use delicious, fresh ingredients and organic vegetables for sauce and toppings. Scarr’s Pizza also offers a beautiful old-style pizzeria atmosphere with stained-glass ceiling lamps and charming decor with intimate seating.

Lobster Joint is a New England-style seafood restaurant that serves fresh, local seafood for a casual surfside experience. The restaurant’s speciality is lobster rolls with unique ingredients like herb mayo served with a griddle bun, but you’ll have a lot of other seafood dishes to choose from. Lobster Joint has a raw bar with shrimp cocktail, clams, and oysters, traditional plates like fish and chips and fish tacos, and a range of soups and salads. There’s also a full dessert menu and a kids’ menu.

Feroce Ristorante is an Italian restaurant serving classic Italian dishes and modern fusion in an intimate indoor/outdoor setting. The atmosphere of Feroce Ristorante is inspired by the beauty of the Italian regions to make diners feel as though they’ve been transported to Italy when they dine. The recipes are simple but reflect the rich flavours and terroir. Dining is also an experience in itself, with wait staff displaying a rack of salumi to slice at the table and rolling a grappa cart with pastries and digestivi to sample.

Coppelia is a delicious Latin diner with Cuban food and drinks in a festive atmosphere. Favouring comfort food with Latin flair, Coppelia offers dine-in service in a cosy luncheonette setting or delivery. You’ll have a range of lunch and dinner options, starters, desserts, and sides to choose from, including nachos, guacamole, churrasco, ropa vieja, and oxtail empanada. Coppelia also offers cupcakes, cakes, and ice cream, as well as cafe con leche options like latte and macchiato for after-dinner relaxation.

Iguana is a thrilling Mexican restaurant with 3 floors of dining and dancing in an Old Mexico-style venue. One of the features of the restaurant is that it offers 29 flavours of mojitos and margaritas to complement dinner. Some of the menu options include coconut shrimp with honey chipotle, quesadillas, chicken taquitos, chilli con queso, and rock shrimp chalupitas. You’ll also find a full range of lunch options, desserts, pre- and post-dinner cocktails, and an extensive wine and beer list.

Teranga is a casual counter-service restaurant that serves pan-African cuisine in customisable formats. With an emphasis on traditional African cooking with native ingredients, Teranga is a cultural experience as much as a dining experience. The menu highlight is a Super Bowl, a delicious bowl filled with ingredients like sweet potato, palm fufu, grilled chicken, plantains, and Moroccan charmoula. You’ll also find vegan options, allergen-free foods, traditional West African drinks, wine, beer, and cocktails. Teranga serves breakfast drinks like lattes and cappuccino as well.

Vite Vinosteria is an authentic Italian restaurant and wine bar that serves unique dishes with excellent wine. A favourite of the after-work crowd, Vite Vinosteria offers creative dishes with great portions and fresh flavours with customer-focused staff. Some of the dishes include gamberi all’aglio, a wild red Adriatic shrimp dish with ciabatta, and baccala mantecato, a whipped cod dish with polenta. You’ll also find a range of pasta and pizza, as well as fine desserts. Vite Vinosteria serves brunch and dinner with cocktails and wine in the evening.

Chelsea Market is set in a repurposed factory, where the first Oreo cookie was ever made. Today, you’ll find corridors of stalls selling delicious food and artisanal products. They sell everything from cheese to fresh lobster to variations of fresh pasta. It’s not unusual to find local businessmen sipping on coffee next to tourists chomping down a taco. Los Tacos No. 1 offers some of the best tacos in the city in an understated, small setting. Don’t be frightened by the queue – it moves quickly.