There is nothing better than exploring the city with a top NYC food blogger. Alexa Mehraban, also known as EatingNYC, shares her 7 best food spots in New York City!
New York City is known as one of the best cities to explore the food scene!
So, our Founder, Fê Paronetto, interviewed one of the most renowned NYC food blogger that shared her 7 best food spots in New York City! They are the top restaurant tips for several different occasions, from a girl’s night out to an affordable group dining.
Alexa Mehraban is a born and raised New Yorker with a love for food that expands far beyond her food photography and witty captions. Alexa started EatingNYC in 2014 to share and track her dining adventures with friends and family.
Since then, Alexa has utilized her industry expertise and social media and marketing prowess at PR firm Bullfrog and Baum. Now, she’s the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications at Tacombi Restaurants.
Today, over 288,000 people look at EatingNYC to make their next dining decision and to learn about the hottest restaurants in New York.
Alexa was listed as one of the top 30 people in food by AdWeek in 2016. Plus, she’s also been featured by CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan and Zagat, amongst others.
Take a look at her 7 best food spots in New York City, for all occasions:
For Brunch: Sadelle’s
“Sadelle’s epitomizes everything that defines brunch in NYC. They’re doing Jewish appetizing in ways that the world has never seen before. If it’s your first time, go all out and get the smoked fish tower.”
We all know that bagels are one of New York City’s most traditional food.
There are countless places that sell them, but the best bagels are not so easy to find.
Sadelle’s is a bakery and a restaurant located at the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Their kitchen offers a daily selection of fresh hand-rolled bagels, pastries and breads, and at night, they completely transform into a cute brasserie serving candle light dinners.
In addition, their dinner is well known for the fish dishes, so do try it out.
Location: 463 West Broadway, Lower East Side
For a Special Occasion: L’Artusi
“L’Artusi has been one of the best Italian restaurants for a while now. It’s a charming, no-frills spot that really knows how to make great pasta. It’s also now my favorite restaurant because I just got engaged there.”
One of our favorite neighborhoods in Manhattan is the West Village.
It’s definitely one of the places with the biggest concentration of restaurants and bars, in the city.
There are so many, that choosing one is literally a hard feat. Plus, everything there is extremely charming and it has some of the best spots in the city, like L’Artusi.
The restaurant has a modern approach to the traditional Italian cuisine, with very creative and unique dishes.
Location: 228 West 10th Street, West Village
For Happy Hour: The Happiest Hour
“The Happiest Hour is the perfect post work spot. The specialty drinks are awesome (like the Pineapple Express), but I really come here for the happiest burger. Pretty self-explanatory!”
Yup, this is yet another place in the West Village.
We’ve written about this spot before and it’s surely one of the top hot spot, with a very high end and stylish crowd.
In no time, they became “the place to go”, hosting some of the hottest parties during the NYFW’s (New York Fashion Week).
The Happiest Hour is known for having gorgeous guests like Joan Smalls, Giovanna Battaglia, Poppy Delevingne, Karen Elson and Alexa Chung.
Location: 121 West 10th Street, West Village
For a Girl’s Night Out: La Sirena
“Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s newest restaurant, La Sirena, in the Maritime Hotel fits the bill for a girl’s night out. The Bucatini La Sirena with spicy octopus is a must order.”
Are you and your girls in the mood for a great night out?
La Sirena is a great option, located at Chelsea’s Maritime Hotel.
What to expect? Well, they have the option of simply hanging at the tapas bar area where you can order shared dishes and a great wine list and cocktails.
Plus, they have a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, with a more formal vibe.
Definitely a place you’ll have tons of fun with your girls.
Location: 88 9th Avenue, Chelsea
For an Affordable Group Dining: Tacombi
“Simply put, Tacombi serves the best, most authentic tacos in NYC. All of their tortillas are made fresh in-house daily and all proteins are sustainably sourced. The reasonable price point makes this one a no-brainer.”
The restaurant was “born on the balmy beaches of the Yucatan in 2005 serving tacos out of a VW bus.”
Cool, right? Well, they have one of the best Mexican foods in the City.
So, if you want some tacos, guacamole and tortillas, with some delicious house-made salsas, Tacombi is the place to go.
Plus, they have a Tacombi in Montauk too during the Summer!
Locations:
267 Elizabeth Street, Nolita
30 West 24th Street, Flatiron
255 Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village
752 Montauk Highway, Montauk
For Vegetarians: Nix
“Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser’s newest restaurant, Nix, is all about vegetables and he’s doing some great things with them. Favorites include the Yukon Potato Fry Bread and the Heirloom Tomato Salad, but make sure you go big on the dips here.”
This is surely one of our favorite Vegan restaurants. Their specialty are the vegetable dishes and they are amazingly tasty!
We always say the Chef John Fraser is a genius that is able to transform a simple vegetable, into one of the most delicious dishes.
We also talk about two other restaurants, perfect for the Vegetarians and Vegans.
Location: 72 University Place, Midtown South
For Late Night Eats: JG Melon
“JG Melon not only happens to have my favorite burger in NYC, but it also happens to be one of the best spots for a late night meal. Order the bacon cheeseburger and you’ll be very happy.”
This one of the greatest spots for the meat eaters and burger fans. The place is a haven for the foodies that really want to experience a New York burger-style dinner.
JG Melon is a famous American restaurant, launched back in 1972 by Jack O’Neill and George Mourges. Hence, J and G! It’s located in Greenwich Village, close by to some of the best food spots in Manhattan.
It is surely a hotspot if you’re in search of one of the best burger’s in New York City!
Location: 89 MacDougal Street, Greenwich Village
Here are a few fun questions we asked Alexa to wrap up this great interview:
What would you tell a first timer in NYC?
“Make sure you try a classic New York bagel and schmear. Nowhere does it better.”
What will a New Yorker never tell someone?
“A New Yorker will probably never admit how rude other New Yorker’s are.”
Do you have any funny/embarrassing moments in the city?
“When I first started standing on chairs while taking photos of food, it was a definitely little embarrassing!”
Lastly, take a look at few images of her gorgeous feed, just to activate you taste buds:
Thank you, Alexa, for sharing these fantastic, yummy food spots with us! We can’t wait to try them all!
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the venues, Nick Solares for NYEater, tiny.manila, the_ona_chronicles, Cheatdayeats and Alexa Mehraban
*Last Update on March/2020.*
