lunch in New York like the New Yorkers: take out and parks in the city
New Yorkers do lunch. That much is certain. Actually, we Dutch just have a terrible lunch culture (read: not) and luckily even the hard (read: always) working Americans in New York do a lot better. Duration? That's certainly possible. And how. But it can also be done differently. Take outstyle and then visit one of the many parks in the city to enjoy the tastiest lunch there, outside, among the New Yorkers. At a table, on a rug, drink on the left, handy, colorful speaker on the right. Excuse me? But yes! There is music in New York and if you can't find it on the street, take it with you, thanks to the Sonos roam which is now available in three beautiful colors: Sunset (warm orange-red), Wave (soft gray-blue) and Olive (olive green). Put that speaker in your bag, get on your bike (long live the New York City Citibike) and off to that lunch.
Read more about the Sonos Roam. Spoiler alert: it is waterproof, the most beautiful, with the best sound, and also listens to your voice!
Upper West Side: Central Park is of course one no brainer. Find a spot around The Pool, near the top of the park, and pick up in advance Chick Chick (618 Amsterdam Ave) where you can get Nashville's famous hot chicken, but with an East Asian twist. One of the best lunches around.
Four blocks further you will find a Greek restaurant Elea.
Upper East Side: Arabic-Latin flavors in Central Park New York: we would order a bottle of wine to go! Bee Migrant Kitchen you can score a delicious Mexican-style sandwich served with a roasted meat seasoned with sumac and Oaxaca cheese. But also plump salads – a perfect quick option for the day.
A classic in Central Park and still incredibly fun after all these years (although it has become quite touristy). The Loeb Boathouse. Make a reservation and your Sonos Roam is not necessarily appreciated here.
To be honest, I personally think there is no nicer park for lunch than Bryant Park. A stone's throw from Times Square, an always pleasant oasis in the middle of the city where you will find plenty of chairs, where everything is perfectly maintained, where films are shown in the open air in the summer and where you can find something to pick up everywhere. . Although I would like to opt for a detour to MáLà Project, delicious Chinese to go.
Rockefeller Center hotspot Lodi (1 Rockefeller Plaza) is not cheap but it is incredibly good. The porchetta sandwich, a kale-and-egg tart and a Dune-style ribbed croissant ensure there's always a line. Not for nothing.
The newest food hall in Midtown is The Hugh and is open from 07.00 a.m. to 21.00 p.m. There's Mah Ze Dahr (best pastries in town, they say), Kazunori (sushi handrolls) and Greenpoint Fish & Lobster (an old Brooklyn favorite) and more.
Between 1820 and 1892, millions of immigrants arrived in the Land of the Free through Castle Garden, where today Battery Park is. This was the first immigration center in America and more than 100 million Americans can trace their ancestral roots back to it Castle Garden. The original Ellis Island, if you will. History, yes, but the park itself is also very beautiful. Park yourself on a bench and notice how peaceful New York can be.
The scenic waterfront is a great place for people watching, as Wall Street's famous towering skyscrapers loom in the background. You'll have great views of the Statue of Liberty and a handful of important memorials, such as the East Coast WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the American Merchant Mariner's Memorial.
Where Battery Park ends, begins Hudson river park and that extends all the way to 59th Street. This vibrant NYC park not only covers 550 acres, but it hugs the Hudson River and offers spectacular water views: 400 acres of Hudson River Park on piers that extend over the water.
We think this is a great place: Little Island, an island above the water in the heart of Manhattan. If you don't know it, you may have missed it, but it is an oasis in the city. Make sure you go to the Chelsea Market have been: a all year long market that borders the Meatpacking District and where you will find something to go for everyone and every taste.
Above the Chelsea district is the Hell's Kitchen district and that neighborhood is known for its take-out. This is not within walking distance of Little Island, but if you have a bike then it is worth a visit Three Roosters really a good idea. In a stretch of Hell's Kitchen known for its Thai food, Three Roosters has made a name for itself. The restaurant specializes in chicken and rice, served three ways: grilled and fatty with lemongrass, fried and covered with zab spices, and prepared in the style of Hainanese chicken. Be sure to opt for the fried chicken!
Also in the same we is Gotham West Market a very good food market.
The Highline, the long extensive park, is of course one no brainer when in New York but it is and remains a good one!
If you look all the way down the Highline to Midtown, Citizens is a fancy food hall where you will find acclaimed establishments such as Casa Dani, from renowned Spanish chef Dani García, and Katsuya, a celebrity favorite sushi spot, imported from Los Angeles. Angeles.
But we were in Meatpacking and let's be honest: the very best place here remains the Chelsea Market (and we already mentioned that above). And beyond that is the beer hall below it Whitney Museum a chill place for a greasy bite.
Immediately after (or: next to) Bryant Park a favorite in Manhattan because it is always (but really always) fun and always fun.
A few blocks from the park, there are some very nice to-go's such as the Momofuku Noodle Bar the best tip for, yes, tasty noodles and if you like chicken Korean style, this is a must Rowdy Rooster don't miss it. You are also close to it here Tomkins Square Park; also nice.
A favorite for years with a cheerful Jamaican twist Miss Lily's (they also have their own radio station – so nice). Please note the opening hours: they are only open during the day on weekends (and that also changes from time to time)
The stretch between the Flatiron Building and Union Square is a busy and pleasant stretch where everyone cycles together and where you will find numerous public terraces to sit down for a quick (or long) lunch. There is also a large shed for your Citibike bicycle: great!
A good idea to pick up from here Friend of a Farmer: it long time favorite brunch restaurant next door now also has take-out.
So do Fun is a newcomer but your very best tip for Chinese to go. Really, really, really tasty. We found the restaurant itself empty: a real to-go tip.
Tortaria is also your picture perfect Instagram picture. And completely fine for Mexican to go.
Most community gardens are, as the word suggests, for your own community, but there are a few where you can enjoy peace and quiet (note, your Sonos Roam is not necessarily appreciated here). Just look for the sculpture garden in the Nolita district and you'll be there! At the Elizabeth Street Garden.
Score some extra first The Butcher's Daughter (see below) or another long time favorite Café Gitane (although it is actually too much fun to stay there).
Would you prefer a little more choice? Mott Street Eatery, a food court in Chinatown, is a good one! Inside, a handful of vendors sling an amazing variety of stuffed rice noodle rolls, roasted meats, boba tea, dumplings and more.|
A little further but no less interesting is the Essex Street Market: once the oldest food hall in the city! It is no longer in the same location but across the street where there was more space. The iconic Shopsins are still part of the line-up, but there are also Thai, Scandinavian, Japanese and of course the award-winning Indian dishes (Dhamaka).
If you the Williamsburg bridge If you cycle across, go to the waterfront and pedal 'uphill' towards Greenpoint, you will come across a number of very nice parks, all of which have a fantastic view of Manhattan (understatement). Besides, you're – hello! – in Williamsburg and Greenpoint either: take out heaven. Actually it's good pretty quickly but OK, a few favs nearby:
NYC Transmitter Park, at the beginning of Greenpoint is an absolute favorite and a photo at the 'END' sign (with Manhattan as a backdrop) is a recurring must. Drive down Greenpoint Avenue (a small street) and you can't miss it. Pizza is available on weekends or later in the day Paulie Gee's a MUST and there is also a branch of it maman in nearby (see also below). Go out of the street again, cross the road and stop Oxomoco – a great Mexican. It's a nice (and very hip) place to sit in the garden (reservation is required), but it's also a very good place for take away. You can also get your coffee and sweets (and okay, a plant and a magazine) around the corner at Homecoming
Other top favorite:
That crazy iconic, unmissable view of Manhattan? So that's from Brooklyn Bridge Park and is, indeed, not to be missed. Not for a quick pit stop: no, plan an evening of extensive picnic around this.
A good idea to visit here for the inner person:
Dekalb Market Hall: This food hall has been in downtown Brooklyn since June 2017 and from day 1 it has been unmissable thanks to an impressive list of exhibitors, including Katz's, Arepa Lady and Ample Hills. The offer varies, but it remains a top address.
Industry City: This one is a little further away, but it is also a nice food hall and food halls are great for any picnic. Industry City made Sunset Park a true dining destination. There are nearly two dozen food vendors in the expansive space. There is also an all-avocado bar: Avocaderia. Japan Village also has good options ranging from ramen to sushi.
Below are a few other great lunch addresses. To stay or to go. Have fun!
Aussies on tour hooves, when in New York, not home sick to be thanks to Banters NYC in the always beautiful Greenwich (downtown, under Meatpacking, next to SoHo). Decent coffee as they can almost only make in Australia and a brunch that is worth a visit in an attractive, super light and sunny (again: it's just Melbourne here) local. Nice atmosphere, genuinely friendly staff and, above all, incredibly delicious food.
Tacombi is a household name in New York (the one in Nolita is always a great base when shopping) and since there always seems to be a new stronghold of the location popping up somewhere, and since Mexican seems to be the theme of this list, the newest locations of the NYC taco joints are also included. Always completely fine here, nothing more to do.
Uhm, well, I hope you like Mexican, otherwise you'll end up looking pretty shitty based on this list. Apologies. Hahaha there is also one of those (so you can say yesjaja, you don't have to say Plantas Mexicana, Jajaja Mexicana is also allowed) and you will find the place not far from the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge (although even closer to the Manhattan Bridge, but there you can cycle you usually don't get over it). Nice exit when you cruise from Manhattan to the nicest part of Brooklyn (or the other way around of course). Furthermore, I found the street, next to Jajaja, remarkably devoid of must-go addresses (which I hope will make it in booming NYC: you don't pass Jajaja by chance). The menu is nice and compact (clear - nice) so take some time and just eat everything as Jajaja is surprisingly affordable. What we did? The nachos, what else, a 'cocktail' with cucumber and basil (why is it so much better to drink non-alcoholic in NYC than anywhere else in the Netherlands?), the fish tacos (so so so good) and the raspberry cheesecake. Also great: Jajaja has a relatively extensive selection of vegan food!
Do you remember the fantastic, you can't not go there, The Butcher's Daughter in the Nolita district yet? Around the corner from all the fun of the Lower East Side and a stone's throw from Soho (I think Nolita is one of the nicest NYC neighborhoods anyway), Well: still go there, do it. But if that doesn't suit you, you can now also go to the newest branch of The Butchers Daughter Meatpacking District On. Admittedly, I didn't like it as much here as the one on Kenmare Street, but still: it's not a party if you haven't been to The Butchers Daughter.
ps. Around the corner (okay, kind of around the corner, but it's not really far). Calliope, an amazing interior and gift shop that you didn't see coming and heat regularly from the clock pop-ups are held. Also pop in.
A classic of a favorite, Sullivan Street Bakery. This gem was founded in 1994 with baked goods based on Italian cuisine. In 2000, Sullivan moved to Hell's Kitchen and is now an indispensable place, although there are five locations in New York. For Italian bread, divine pizzas and… Cake.
You will find many vintage shops in the middle of Soho, around the corner maman. An uber-cute coffee shop and bakery with a combination of American and French cuisine. Walk through the narrow hall to the back, where you can enjoy your cup of coffee and lunch among all the hardworking locals. The sweet rolls here sell as uuuh, sweet rolls.
Smith has four locations in New York, one of which is in the middle of the NoMad district. A large, open space that is of course packed during the weekend. It's worth waiting for a spot because you'll only find goodies on the menu here. And there are almost more staff walking around than there are people eating, so luckily you don't have to wait long for your food.
Of all the pizzerias in New York, this has to be the best. Can be found in NoMad and Astor Place, where they collaborate with local artists (such as for making this photo, much more on their Instagram here) and musicians to show the uniqueness of the neighborhood. As you walk from left to right along the counter, your pizza is prepared on the spot. Choose the ingredients you want, toppings and the sauce. Five minutes in the oven and voilà; it can hardly be fresher.
No bells and whistles, just a very nice place where you can eat Mexican-style fish dishes. The restaurant is on a corner and when the weather is nice you can spend hours outside with one Rosarito Margarita in hand. Rolling home!
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