The New York Dining Guide

New York is a city famous for so many things, which is the reason why it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

One of these reasons is undoubtedly the food, which, some say, is the best in the world.

As well as being famous, New York is also big, meaning there are many, many options for food.

There are high priced restaurants offering luxury and a chance to celebrity spot as well as cheap and cheerful cafes and, of course, the well loved hot dog stand, all available on the same street.

However, there are some that are simply better than the rest and are certainly worth a visit.

Big Budget

For those on a big budget, the ’21′ Club offers delicious traditional American cuisine inside a prohibition-era speakeasy.

This midtown restaurant is certainly not for the casual diner and the dress code strictly states no jeans or sneakers.

However, it’s definitely worth it for a visit to a restaurant that was once a favourite of Richard Nixon’s and still remains popular with the rich and famous of New York.

Another exclusive taste of the city is offered in Asiate, which is located on the thirty fifth floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The restaurant provides a fantastic view across the city served with delicious fusion food, with some of the best seafood the city has to offer.

Smaller Budget

Don’t worry if you’re on a small budget, because there are some fantastic restaurants at the other end of the price range, including the wonderfully bizarre Earl’s Beer and Cheese.

The name of the place is only a small hint of the restaurant’s madness, serving dishes such as Foie Gras on Eggo waffles and English muffin with dill pickles, Miso mayonnaise and Kettle chips.

Both these dishes sound like a disaster but are actually delicious, incredibly cheap and totally unique, making it the perfect place to eat.

For a more conventional cheap eat, Inoteca provides delicious Italian food including antipasti and traditional Panini’s, which are deliciously filling.

Also, the restaurant gives an excellent view of the busy Rivington street, making it the perfect place to people watch whilst taking a break.

Family Friendly 

One other concern for many travelers is not just the price, but also whether the restaurant is family friendly, particularly whether it is suitable for children or not.

In a big cosmopolitan city, this can be difficult but New York amply provides for little visitors.

One child friendly venue is 63 Bites, which offers a number of foods featuring ‘hidden vegetables’ that make it easy for parents to ensure that kids get their five a day without a fuss.

For adults, there are a number of delicious dishes including their famous scones and food that has been inspired by local landmarks.

Of course after a long day with children, you need to recharge and one excellent child friendly café is the 71 Irving Place Coffee and Tea bar. This cosy cafe offers several unique blends of coffee as well as delicious sandwiches and cakes.

For something that the kids will truly enjoy, 16 handles offers an incredible range of ice cream flavours with over thirty toppings to choose from.

The restaurant also offers a system whereby the ice cream is paid for by the ounce, meaning you can control how much you have and are not limited to a particular flavor, ideal for the adventurous.

The Essential New York Dining Experience – Hot Dog

An absolutely essential New York dining experience is, of course, the humble hotdog.

Whether it’s covered in mustard, ketchup, heaped with fried onions or even chilli, it’s bound to satisfy even the hungriest visitor.

For an up market version of the classic, Crif Dogs in East Village offers a variety of deep fried hot dogs, as well as the chef’s special all beef frankfurter.

These hotdogs are also available at night in the bar annex, providing an ideal counterpart to a cocktail.

A cheaper option is Bark Hot Dogs, which offers delicious lard grilled Austrian Frankfurters topped with oak smoked sauerkraut. It also offers a chilli cheese dog with locally sourced ingredients, which ensures that it is the freshest frankfurter in town.

Of course for a quick option, there are also vendors across the city offering cheap hotdogs which, although may not be the best quality, will certainly slake momentary hunger.

International

New York, as well as being famous for its hot dogs, is also famous for its huge range of international food, including African, Korean and eastern European food.

This is not surprising with so many cultures standing side by side in the massive city, but one of the most popular international food types is Chinese and with its own China town, there is certainly a lot of choice.

One of the best Chinese restaurants is the tiny A-Wah restaurant, which as well as being excellent value for money, offers over three hundred dishes including curious specialty dishes such as deep fried minnows.

It is also well known for rice dishes cooked in clay pots, which come in a rich soy sauce with either meat or vegetables. If you have a larger budget, the Chinese fusion restaurant Lair is a good choice.

The restaurant serves delicious modern cuisine in a relaxed and stylish setting.

Vegetarian

Although many of these restaurants will offer vegetarian options, there are also a number of exclusively vegetarian restaurants in the city that are good enough even for meat eaters.

One of the best is Chennai Garden, which offers a colourful array of Indian cuisine.

At lunch time, the restaurant has a reasonably priced buffet meaning you can sample everything as many times as you like.

Another excellent vegetarian restaurant is Dirt Candy, which certainly dispels any notion that vegetarian food is boring and bland.

The menu offers delicious treats such as grits with pickled shiitakes and tempura poached egg, as well as tantalizing desserts such as popcorn pudding. With such a wide range of culinary delights, these are just a range from thousands of brilliant restaurants on offer in the city.

The majority of these restaurants are based in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but one of the best ways to discover brilliant food is simply to explore the hidden places and venture off the tourist track.

What are your favorite restaurants in New York?

Brought to you by the travelsupermarket New York team.

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