Manhattan

Angelika Film Center

Just down the street from Film Forum, the Angelika plays new independent and foreign films, many of which are screened in no American city but New York. The cafe upstairs is something of a hotspot as well.

Bluestockings Radical Books

A fun radical feminist bookstore that also has a little cafe and a regular calendar of readings and other events.

Daily 11AM-11PM

Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company

Commanding a loyal following, this bagel place is noted for its huge, filling bagels with a heaping spread of cream cheese (or one of the many other spreads available).

Daily 7AM-10PM

Cafe Hong Kong

This restaurant was opened in 2013 by personnel from the defunct South China Garden, which used to be around the corner on Mott St. The portions are large and the food is delicious. This is in the estimation of many people the best Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown right now, and best to go to with at least a couple of friends and a big appetite, so that you can share a few dishes. If you like chicken, get the garlic fried chicken, which is one of their standout dishes.

11AM-11PM every day·Appetizers: $3-6; Soups: $3-9.95 (the $9.95 ones serve 4); Salads: $6-7 (except Lobster Salad: seasonal price); Sandwiches: $2-5; Mains: $7.50-28, plus some seasonal-priced ones, but clustering between $12 and $16 for mains not based on rice or noodles; Lunch specials: $6.95 (11AM - 4PM)

Cafe Mogador

Serves Moroccan, French, and Middle-Eastern cuisine, all dependably good. The cafe is especially popular for weekend brunch, but a very good breakfast/brunch is available every day of the week. More dishes are on the brunch menu on weekends, but you are likely to wait a half hour or more for weekend brunch during peak hours.

Café Fledermaus & Café Sabarsky

Café Sabarsky is in a beautiful room with wood furnishings on the ground floor, across from Central Park, and Café Fledermaus has tiled floors and is inspired by the Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna but is in the basement and has no view; however, the two cafes have the same lunch/dinner menus. These cafes are not cheap, and part of what you're paying for is the location and the decor/atmosphere, but you also get value, in the form of genuine Viennese cuisine and pastries. These cafes are a good option if you're visiting the Metropolitan Museum and prefer to eat something nearby that's better than the merely OK food at the Met's Snack Bar. You may have a significant wait for a table at peak hours, but it's worth a try.

Mon Wed 9AM-6PM, Thu-Sun 9AM-9PM, closed Tue·Breakfast (9-11AM): $3-20 for single dishes; $28 for a prix fixe menu, $38 with a glass of Sekt; Cold beverages: $5-13; Viennese coffee specialties: $6-8; Savory dishes (11AM to closing): $16-32 (less expensive ones are soups); Sausages: $14-20; Hot beverages: $8-12; Desserts: $7-13; Salads: $18-28; Sandwiches: $19

Café Grumpy

The coffee and attitude here are both fantastic, but the elongated shoebox shape and gigantic space-wasting counter area opposite those clumsy tiny tall-tables makes it feel like a hallway. If it were an actual hallway between two other random places, the big building around it might make it seem cozier, but since it stands alone, the sense of jostling bumping linear traffic may make you feel distracted after half a drink. This property makes it perfect for meeting people before a show at the Atlantic Theater one block west.

Conservatory Pond

Most well known as the Model Boat Pond, visitors can often see a racing regatta between members of the Model Yacht Club, or rent a model boat from a boathouse and cafe on the pond. Just to the north of the pond is the Alice in Wonderland sculpture depicting the Tea Party scene, and on the west side of the pond is the Hans Christian Andersen sculpture, which shows the writer seated on a bench reading a book to his Ugly Duckling character.

Halal Cart

Good chicken, veggies, lamb with rice combos for lunch. Coffee and bagels in the mornings.

McGee's Restaurant and Pub

This is an unpretentious pub in the middle of a pricey neighborhood. The pub also provides downright good food. Their dining room is upstairs. Service is pleasant and helpful.

Mon-Sat 11AM-4AM, Sun noon-4AM. Lunch 11AM-4PM; dinner 5PM-midnight; late night menu: 11PM-1AM·Cocktails $8-11, Happy Hour specials (M-F 5-9PM) $3-6, Beer of the Month $4 pints, pitchers of beer $18-20, House wine by the glass $6.50, coffee drinks (with alcohol) $8-8.50, appetizers $6-15, soups $5-6, salads $8-14, sandwiches $12-16, burgers $12-17, mains $14-20, desserts $6

McNally Jackson Books

Formerly McNally Robinson Booksellers, this independent bookstore features an extensive collection of magazines, fiction, and nonfiction. The store also features a cafe, as well as a number of ongoing events, signings, book clubs and discussion groups.

Mon-Sat 10AM-10PM, Sun 10AM-9PM

Mud

A real neighborhood hangout that offers terrific coffee and light meals.

9AM-midnight

Penelope

Cafe/restaurant/bakery with a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Homestyle food and casual but friendly service. Inexpensive. Wine and beer served. Long lines for weekend brunch.

Shanghai Cafe Deluxe

Can make the best Shanghainese food in Chinatown, but has some consistency problems. Many young Chinese-American couples have dates there. Do not be shocked if the check is delivered to you unbidden, but don't feel that it must be paid right away. It's easy to have a sizable meal here for around $15 and possible to eat here for less. "Temporarily closed for renovations" per their website as of June 2024.

The Boathouse

Held in the Loeb Boathouse on the Lake, the Boathouse includes a sit-down restaurant with tables overlooking the lake, a sit-down bar area outside, and an express cafe with counter service for quick takeout and eat-in food.

Cafe: daily 8AM–8PM (winter 8AM-4:30PM). Outdoor bar: April–November daily 11AM-11PM (weather permitting). Restaurant: lunch Mon-Fri noon-4PM; brunch Sat Sun 9:30AM-4PM; dinner April–November Mon-Fri 5:30PM-9:30PM, Sat Sun 6PM-9:30PM

The Hungarian Pastry Shop

Coffee and super-rich pastries in a "bohemian" setting. A Columbia University neighborhood fixture, the cafe has been in business since 1963. There is no WiFi, but that doesn't stop it from being perpetually crowded.

Uva Winebar

An Italian winebar that has excellent Italian food including house made pastas. The special wines are worth a try and the wait for the table. Also well worth going to for special Meatball Mondays and delicious, fresh pasta dishes on other days with all sorts of meats, noodles, sauces, and rich desserts.

Mon 4PM-1AM, Tue-Fri 4PM-2AM, Sat 11AM-2AM; Sun 11AM-1AM·Fairly cheap prices and decadent food. You can expect brunch and dinner items such as chicken, eggs, pancakes, and salad to be only $7 to $15, while entrees can get up to $27 with intricate pasta dishes. Dessert is also a comfortable $9 with $4 or $5 coffee

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Upper East Side branch of this increasingly large New York chain of ice cream shops, albeit pretty good ones that have vegan flavors as well as regular soft-serve. They also sell coffee.

Sun-Thu noon-midnight, Fri Sat noon-1AM·Fairly expensive compared to other ice cream shops

Zabar's

A very well-known store in New York, with an enormous selection of delicious (and often expensive) foods. Foodstuffs (cheeses, olives, smoked fish, prepared foods, breads, etc.) are sold on the first floor. The second floor is where you will find all sorts of devices related to cooking and food processing at price points ranging from inexpensive bargains to very expensive luxury items. As with Fairway, do not go the day before Thanksgiving, and think carefully before going on a busy weekend. They also have a small cafe at the corner of 80th St. that has quite decent offerings (for example, frozen yogurt and sandwiches with some of the good products sold in their store) and is not expensive.

Mon-Fri 8AM-7:30PM; Sat 8AM-8PM; Sun 9AM-6PM

iM Star Cafe

Small restaurant decorated with caricatures of Hong Kong celebrities on the walls. If you hit the morning stream of customers, you'll definitely have to wait for a seat since their breakfast is... to die for! Extremely cheap! This restaurant is the best restaurant to eat at if you're looking for something similar to the diners in Hong Kong. A mix of Chinese and American tastes. Definitely try their French toast, pan fried rice noodle, and iced milk tea!

Extremely cheap

Oren's

A local chain with good coffee and excellent teas.

Peacefood Cafe

Vegan food only

Peter Mcmanus Cafe

152 7th Ave

Mon-Sat 11AM-4AM, Sun noon-4AM

City Coffee & Bar

Café, sports bar, Latin American restaurant, and lounge.