The Best Places to Eat Alone in NYC
The food options in New York City are endless. You can find cuisines from all around the world, as well as everything ranging from cafes to fine-dining. Must-try items include foods that NYC is famous for, such as pizza and bagels. Food halls and markets are also in abundance in New York City, where you can find a large selection of options under one roof.
The amount of restaurants in New York City can be overwhelming, especially if you’re also looking for a place to dine solo. Keep reading below to see some of the best places to eat by yourself in NYC.
Nish Nush
This Mediterranean restaurant offers one of the best falafels in New York City. The flavors absolutely shine through with every bite. Try their Falafel Trio Platter, which comes with three different types of falafels, along with a refreshing tomato cucumber salad, red cabbage, tahini and hummus. The restaurant’s interior offers casual seating in a bright atmosphere, with large windows and high wooden ceilings.
Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company
A classic staple to try in New York City are the bagels! At Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company, choose from various types of bagels including pumpernickel, everything, and blueberry. The tasty bagels are hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, and then baked in the oven.
In addition to the standard plain cream cheese, they also offer several other unique flavors such as jalapeño asiago, and honey bacon sriracha. Perhaps you’d prefer a loaded sandwich, such as the hot-egg breakfast sandwich or smoked salmon sandwich. Bagels are easy to take along with you, making them an excellent item to eat alone at the park or waterfront.
Dekalb Market Hall
Heading over to Brooklyn, you’ll find the Dekalb Market Hall located not too far from Downtown Brooklyn. This vibrant food hall showcases over 35 food vendors offering cuisines from around the world. The seating is communal-style, with plenty of tables around. This is a great stop for solo traveler foodies interested in a wide selection of global cuisines. It’s also a good opportunity to head over to Brooklyn if you haven’t had the chance to yet.
The food hall is situated in the lower level of a shopping mall, and their vast selection includes burgers, dumplings, buffalo wings, poke bowls, deli sandwiches, noodles, doner kebabs, jerk chicken, and pierogies.
Joe’s Pizza
Of course a solo trip to NYC isn’t quite complete without grabbing a slice of New York-style pizza. While I got to try many different pizza shops, Joe’s Pizza certainly holds up to its reputation as one of the top pizza joints in the city.
Operating since 1975, this counter-serve pizza shop is a great place to get a tasty bite to eat during your busy day of exploring. Just pop-in and grab a hot slice of pizza. In addition to traditional flavors like cheese and pepperoni, they also offer other choices such as caprese, sicilian, supreme, and fresh mozzarella.
Beyond Sushi
This restaurant showcases their innovation by reconstructing traditional sushi into creative plant-based dishes with a unique blend of ingredients. The presentation of the dishes are lovely, displaying eye-catching colors and beautiful plating skills.
You can find sushi rolls with tasty ingredients such as shiitake & enoki mushrooms, black rice, mango, and sweet potato. The shiitake truffle dumplings are delicious, combining braised shiitake mushrooms, spinach, porcini mushrooms, and arugula in a spicy bean sauce. This is a terrific solo dining spot for those interested in an innovative vegan twist on traditional sushi.
Chelsea Market
Located in the Meatpacking District, Chelsea Market is an iconic food hall. Amongst the chic interior, you’ll find well-curated retail shops, fresh seafood, baked goods, and endless eateries. Just browsing the eclectic shops and food items is an enjoyable experience in itself. Try a walking tour of the market if you’re interested in a guided tasting experience.
It might be difficult to choose just one place to eat at! My personal favorite is Los Tacos No.1. This buzzing taqueria serves tacos that are just bursting with flavor. The grilled chicken tacos are divine; they’re wrapped in your choice of corn or flour tortilla, and topped with onion, cilantro, salsa and guacamole. The shop often does have a bit of a line-up, but it seems to move at a good pace.
Schmackary’s
This delectable cookie shop located in Hell’s Kitchen is an ideal stop for solo travelers looking to grab a quick treat. As you walk into the store, you’ll immediately sense the aroma of freshly baked cookies. There’s a huge selection of cookies to ponder over.
The cookie flavors do change throughout the season, and include: classic chocolate chunk, oatmeal scotchie, peanut butter cup, matcha, cookies & cream, cookie butter bliss, and red velvet. As I often have a long list of other desserts l would like to try in New York City, I appreciate being able to order just one (or occasionally two) cookies for myself!
If you’d like to explore other cool eateries in the area, check out the Hell’s Kitchen Walking Food Tour.
Solo Dining in NYC
Ultimately, New York City is filled with a variety of places to eat. Of all the cities I’ve visited, it certainly tops the list for having the most diverse options.
When choosing where to eat in New York City, it’s a good idea to factor in the location of the restaurant in proximity to the attractions and activities that you plan to do that day. However, the metro system in NYC is quite efficient, making it convenient to travel across Manhattan.
For those that may feel hesitant at the idea of dining by yourself, New York City is a great city to eat alone in. NYC is such a large bustling metropolis, there’s always plenty of people out and about by themselves.
Dining alone in NYC can be a fun experience, where you get to make your way around all the eateries that interest you. Although, if you appreciate a handpicked selection of foods and eateries, check out the food tours in NYC.
If you’re planning a trip to this vibrant city, see our Solo Travel Guide to NYC. We share insights on the top things to do and the best places to stay in New York City as a single traveler.
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