NEW YORK FOOD GUIDE 🇺🇸 | Ultimate Manhattan Food Tour

Manhattan, the beating heart of New York City and one of the most iconic places on earth. Home to over 1.6 million residents, it's an island where every neighborhood feels like its own world. Here you'll find some of the most expensive real estate on the planet, yet you can go for a dollar pizza to caviar without ever crossing the street. Today we're doing the ultimate New York food tour, eating our way from south to north Manhattan, all the way from lower Manhattan to Harlem. From New York favorite like bagels to pizza, Italian to Mexican, this food tour has it all. So what are you waiting for? Let the New York food tour begin. Let's get some bagels. Let's kick things off strong, starting all the way down in lower Manhattan at Cossar's Bagels. Whoa, whoa, whoa, look at those toppings, my goodness me. Bagels are a New York staple and a must-try when you're in the city, though more often than not you miss the mark. But with as many toppings, there's no way you can go wrong. Toppings galore. Here the bagels are called sandwiches and they've got everything from all-day breakfast bagels to pastrami, turkey club, BLTs and the highly recommended Cossar's Classic. It's an expensive breakfast. You cannot make that stuff up, guys. $18 for a bagel. That is extortionate. To be fair, food in New York tends to be on the pricey side, so despite the cost, I was eager to see if Cossar's was really worth it. We went with Cossar's Classic, a mix of salmon, capers, cream cheese and a red onion, as well as the salmon delight, a rich, creamy salmon creation. Okay, guys, look at that. Good? Expensive, but that is good. Let's give it a shot. That's delicious. Wow. Wow. Very soft, this lovely crispiness on the outside and extremely warm and fresh. So, so good. Cossar's Bagels, guys. Okay, so really, really interesting fact about Cossar's Bagels. This is actually one of the oldest bakeries in the whole of the United States. And guys, I rate it pretty highly. Yeah, it might bankrupt you, but it's good. Cossar's has been around since 1936, making it one of the oldest bagel spots in New York City. With bagels this good, it's easy to see how they've stood the test of time. All right, now we're heading up to Chinatown. No trip to New York is complete without stopping by one of the world's most famous Chinatowns for some dumplings. That brings us to Shujiao Fuzhou Cuisine, a real hidden gem serving authentic Chinese food. All right, we are at Shujiao Fuzhou Cuisine. I'm over here to try some food in Chinatown. This place is nothing fancy, just people who know good food coming to eat good food. On my list, the classic pork and chive dumplings, which I consider the litmus test for the rest of the menu. Okay, we found this little spot to eat the dumplings. A lot of crazies nearby, but let's see how we get on. Whoa, look at that, guys. Five dollars for eight dumplings. And you can see they're pretty big dumplings too, so I say that's good value for money. Oh my, it's fantastic. Pork, mint, big pieces of chive. That's absolutely delicious. Chinatown in general is a must visit and there are so many amazing food spots. If you're there, I also highly recommend trying Meilei Wa, Spicy Village, and Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. But don't be afraid to just pop into any place and give it a try. Prices are lower here and you might just end up having the best Chinese food of your life. I just belted out. It might be the most normal thing that anyone's seen in New York all day. I'm just not that green. New York. Next up, head over to Soho, one of my favorite neighborhoods with a super cool vibe for some alfresco drinks right on the street. My go-to is always Balthazar, a true New York classic. All right, we're sat at the side of the street in Soho and having a gorgeous glass of Bordeaux Blanc at Balthazar. Balthazar is quite an establishment here in New York and it's one of my favorite places to come for a glass of wine, especially when it's super hot and humid as it is right now in the summer. That's good. Balthazar is quintessentially New York. It's a cult classic favorite by fashion favorites like Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour and it represents a change in New York when downtown transformed into one of the city's trendiest and most popular destinations. All right guys, I don't know if it's because this is like summertime in New York and it's hot and it's humid or what, but guys this smell is disgusting. Like honestly, it's outrageously bad. New York, you got to do something about this. Fair warning, New York gets scorching in the summer, so dress appropriately and maybe bring a nose plug. Joking, but also not really. If there's one thing that Americans are probably known for worldwide, it's the hamburger. There's probably nothing more iconically American than a hamburger, which makes the name Hamburger America maybe a bit unoriginal, but definitely not wrong. Tucked away in Lolita, this is where we're headed for the classic. When you watch all those American movies of like a diner and people making burgers, this is, this is the place. Surprisingly, there were no lines to get in on this day, though I've heard it can be almost impossible to get a seat in this American style diner. So what makes Hamburger America so special? It starts with the buns, they're soft, buttery and perfectly fresh, followed by patties that are juicy, fatty and cooked to order. Add classic toppings and a side of crispy fries and you've got a true New York burger experience. Look at that. That's the best burger I've ever had. Good, no? Just a few minutes later, we stopped to hydrate at Hutch & Waldo. It's a cozy cafe, but what really stood out were the drinks, especially the iced tea, which Elliot, a self-proclaimed connoisseur, gave his stamp of approval. Iced tea is very nice. Rain, rain, rain! It's raining and I'm not even mad to get rained on right now. It feels so good. Oh my god. Okay, we're supposed to be going out for dinner and this is what we've just seen. Crazy, crazy storm, lightning, heavy rain. This is not ideal. Absolutely crazy. I did not expect this from New York. Thankfully, the rain didn't last long, so our dinner plans were safe. In Manhattan, two restaurants really stand out to me, Peasant down in Olita and Isu-D in the West Village. Let's start with Isu-D. My friend Lauren managed to snag us a reservation here, thanks Lauren, and besides being a favorite among celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner, this restaurant is most famous for its fried artichoke starcher and 21-layer lasagna. We tried both and they were definitely worth the hype. We also sampled a few other starchers, Ensalada de Pomodoro and Carpaccio di Zucchini, both absolutely fabulous. But the real stars of the show were the pastas, the spinach ravioli came in a beautiful butter and sage emulsion, the lamb ragu special was rich and decadent, and their famous lemon parpadelle was light, bright, and perfectly lemony. From the secondi menu, we went for the short rib, which is like an elevated version of your grandma's cooking, served with peas and a rich, flavorful gravy. And of course, I had to finish with the tiramisu, which was light, fluffy, and perfectly balanced with just the right amount of amaretto. As I mentioned, Peasant in Olita is another incredible dinner spot, maybe even better than the West Village thanks to its off-to-work vibe. Off to work in Soho and this is the vibe, it's so, so nice. People sit out on the street, grabbing drinks with friends, dining alfresco, and that's exactly where Peasant shines. Not only do they have a fantastic outdoor setup right on the street, but the inside is just as charming, it's cozy, intimate, and buzzing with energy. This is the ultimate place to come for an afterwards drink, great vibes, literally sitting on the street. The drinks were solid, the food was even better, and if you order just one thing, make sure it's the short rib pasta. It's cheesy, rich, absolutely delicious, and definitely living rent-free in my mind. When morning rolled around, it was bagel time again, so we headed downtown to another must-try spot, Pop-Up Bagels. This spot is actually right next door to legendary New York restaurant Carbone, famously one of the toughest reservations in the city, but don't worry, its neighbor is just as popular without the impossible guest list. We're trying something a little bit different today, basically you get the bagels and then you add on their special dips or special sauces, they call these schmears, and Elliot just bought an add-on of smoked salmon, we thought it was coming like in a bowl, and turns out he just has a packet, look at this. What am I supposed to do with this? What, what is the point of this? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty random, I think you need to go get some chocolate. While Elliot wrestled with his packet of salmon, I slipped inside to grab some cutlery for the bagels. Oh my god, that's so hot! Whoa! It's amazing. Is it? This is a scallion cream cheese dip, that is absolutely delicious, my goodness, that has to go down as the number one cream cheese I've ever had. It might be a little unorthodox, but it was super good, definitely one to add to your list. We're heading to Old Town Bar, come from another recommendation, a great place to get a drink, in what area is this? I had to include a bar on this tour and nothing feels more classic than Old Town Bar, it's one of the oldest in America with a fascinating history. During prohibition, it disguised itself as a restaurant while secretly operating as a speakeasy, and if that's enough, it's also famous for having the oldest and grandest urinals in New York City. Okay, so I don't know if I'm getting older or if they've just relaxed the laws, but guys, I have not been ID'd once. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. If there's one thing I love most, it's ice cream, and I'd heard so much hype about Caffe Panna, the Italian-inspired gelato spot near Gramercy Park. One thing you can always count on here is a line, they've earned quite the reputation, and luckily when I visited, the wait was only about 10 minutes. Caffe Panna is famous for a menu that can change daily, featuring creative and playful gelato flavours. On the day I stopped by, the special was raspberry lime cloud, creamy ice cream topped with raspberry compote, a dollop of lime marshmallow, and a sprinkling of graham crackers. That looks absolutely insane, have you seen this guys? Cream, raspberry frizzle, let's try this out. Whoa! That is insane, oh my god, the most insane ice cream I've ever had in my entire life, oh my god. No lie, it was honestly the best ice cream I've ever had. My only regret was not trying more flavours. Next we're heading to West Manhattan to Chelsea Market. While the market has plenty of great vendors, my personal favourite is Lobster Place, especially for their fresh seafood and oysters. Smells like fish. Lobster Place is a buzzing seafood bar and probably has the best oyster selection in New York. Fun fact, oysters are actually native to the city, so you can enjoy a fantastic local selection here. Alright, so one of the things that I love best about this place over here is that you can choose your oysters depending on the size and basically the taste of them. I'm a little bit scared of big oysters, I really like the small delicate ones, and so I basically look at this chart over here. The size chart is super helpful, it shows oysters ranging from small to large, salty to sweet, so you can find the ones perfect for you. I think that's definitely the smallest oyster I've ever seen in my life. It's like an earring. Thank you. Cheers! Without a doubt, some of the freshest and best oysters I've ever had. Now moving uptown, we're heading to a true New York classic, none other than Joe's Pizza, right in the heart of Times Square. Last time I was in Manhattan, this was the best pizza I've ever tried. From here, reputation still lives up to its name. Joe's Pizza has been around since 1975, making a true New York staple. It's become so iconic that the walls are covered with photos of all the celebrities who've stopped by for a slice. At $4 for a large cheese slice and $5 for a pepperoni, it's not only great value, it's absolutely delicious. Look at that wonderful slice of pizza. That is some fantastic pizza, guys. Another must-visit in the area is Los Tacos No. 1. They also have a location in Chelsea Market, along with several around the city, but it's simple. They make really good tacos, and my go-to order is a cold diet coke with a tostada. I love a crunchy shelf filled with great chicken, topped with extra chili, and plenty of fresh coriander. It's called Los Tacos No. 1. This is really No. 1. I got the tostada, chicken tostada. I bought for it very spicy, and I bought cheese as well. Crispy, flavorful, it's fantastic. Amidst all these amazing skyscrapers, I remember when I was thinking about New York before I ever came here, I always imagined it very much like these, all these beautiful towering skyscrapers. Love this. Midtown and Uptown are classic New York. The skyscrapers, the buzz, the energy, this is it. Some of my favorite things to do, check out Times Square and Grand Central. If you're like me and a huge Bossip Girl fan, the pinning scene of Bossip Girl was shot here, right to the top of a skyscraper. My personal favorite is Summit 1 Vanderbilt, where you can even play with the giant balls, and then there's the Jewelry and Watch District for a bit of window shopping, and of course a stroll throughout the famous Central Park. A walk through Central Park is a must when you're in New York. In my opinion, going to New York and not visiting Central Park is like going to Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower. Unthinkable. Ariana, Central Park. Central Park! Some of my favorite things to do in Central Park are climbing up Umpire Rock for its amazing city views, and walking around the Jackie Kennedy Reservoir, which has one of the most breathtaking panoramic views of Manhattan. It overlooks the most beautiful New York skyline. If I had a little bit longer, I'd definitely have my running shoes on and doing a lovely picnic around this. There are also plenty of weird and wonderful things to stumble upon in Central Park. One that caught our eye was a man selling wooden carvings and ornaments. Okay, we're in the middle of Central Park, and we've just passed this guy selling some wooden objects. As you can see behind me, he's over here chilling, and we've just bought a wooden fish. It was very expensive. This guy must have been raking it in. He was charging a pretty penny for each piece. I'm also fairly certain he wasn't exactly allowed to be doing that, but either way, his kid was adorable, and his story of a Jamaican carver making a life in the middle of New York City was actually really interesting. We ended up choosing a little fish and had it engraved on the spot. Just off the Upper East Side, you'll also find some of New York's most fascinating museums. There's the Guggenheim, right on the edge of Central Park, and of course, the Met, bordering the park as well. Both are amazing places to visit, the Met especially being iconic. So this is the Met, and as you may know, this is where the Met Gala happens every single year, arguably the most famous red carpet fashion event in the world. On top of that, if you're a fan of Gossip Girl, you'll know that this is where Serena Van Der Woodsen eats lunch every day. Super, super iconic location. Admittedly, I think it was probably a little bit less busy when they came here to eat their lunch. Don't miss the journey from Times Square up towards Central Park and exploring everything in between. You could easily spend an entire day here, and it's so worth it. That brings us up to the Upper West Side, where our next incredible stop is Mama's Two. Mama's Two is best known for its incredible pizza, but what a lot of people don't realize is that they also serve plenty of other Italian specialties. My personal favorite though is actually the Philly Cheese Steak. Okay, maybe it's not Italian, but definitely a Philly classic, and they do it really, really well here. Guys, look at the size of this. It's bigger than my head. Now I see why it's $20. Oh wow. Both Elliot and I agreed this was hands down one of the best Philly Cheese Steaks we've ever had. The only real competition in New York is probably Federoff's in Brooklyn, which is also a must visit. Mama's Two does it perfectly. Super cheesy, rich, and loaded with tender, thinly sliced beef. And honestly, my only criticism in that it's so big, it's actually hard to eat, but absolutely worth it. Whether you're looking for medicines, a drink, food, you name it, these bodegas have absolutely everything. Something I've never seen in any other city but New York is the bodega. These typically family-run little corner shops are open 24-7 every single day of the year. So the bodega is like a very interesting place, because it's actually a little bit like a community center too. You get loads of people going in over there, and late at night you'll even see people playing like dominoes, cards, drinking beers, and then equally someone behind the counter just selling like panadol, Tylenol, and a Corona. Okay, we are headed uptown to Harlem. Moving up from the Upper West Side, we head to a part of New York that not many tourists tend to explore, Harlem. I was especially excited to visit this neighborhood because I'm a huge fan of fried chicken, and Harlem is famous for it. Alright, so we are down in Harlem guys. I'm so excited to try this. This is Charles Chicken. Charles Pan Fried Chicken is widely known as Harlem's finest soul food. The restaurant was founded in 1979 by Charles Gabriel, who brought his family recipe to life, and it's become super famous ever since. People now come from all over New York just to taste the iconic fried chicken and the delicious sides. There's plenty to choose from, and we went with the okra side, which was fantastic. Okay, so I've got some classic American fried chicken over here, and we've got some okra over here with some sweet corn, and this like delicious tomato sauce. I just want to go ahead and bite it guys. Oh god, that is incredible. KFC got some competition. We went with one chicken breast and one leg, and even the breast was incredibly juicy and flavorful. Super, super crispy, crispy chicken, juicy on the inside, and a very, very sour, tangy, sweet hot sauce. With that, we've gone from nearly the tip of Manhattan on the Lower East Side, all the way up to Harlem in the North. And trust me, there are so many more restaurants and spots to explore in New York. Over 26,000 restaurants across the city, in fact. I've got so much more to show you, but until next time on my next New York food tour, make sure to like, share, and subscribe, and keep watching for more amazing adventures from all over the globe.