We went to New York in February and the plan from the start was basically to eat our way around Manhattan. My partner had been before for work but never really eaten properly. I'd never been at all. Four nights, no real agenda beyond a list of places I'd been saving for about two years.
We stayed in Chelsea which turned out to be a brilliant base for food. Quieter than Midtown, walkable to most of Lower Manhattan, and Citizens of Chelsea was about a three minute walk from our hotel which meant we ended up there twice. It's an Australian-style all day cafe, does a proper breakfast with fried eggs that genuinely sorted us out both mornings. Sit at the bar by the window if you can get it. You're basically just watching Chelsea go past which after a seven hour flight and two strong flat whites is exactly what you need.
The Sleeping Cat on 7th Avenue was a find. Small bakery, wooden seating, homemade everything. We went in for coffee and ended up staying an hour because of the strawberry shortcake. Vanilla cream, fresh strawberries, the kind of thing that feels too simple until you eat it. Don't skip it.
Momofuku Noodle Bar was the meal of the trip. We queued about 25 minutes on a Tuesday evening which tells you everything. The pork buns are what everyone says to get and everyone is right. Two bites each, gone immediately, we ordered more. The ramen broth is rich in a way that catches you off guard. Budget around $60 for two with drinks, which for New York felt like getting away with something.
Katz's Deli on the Lower East Side is every bit as chaotic as you've heard. You get a ticket when you walk in, join a queue, someone shouts at you, and you end up with a pastrami sandwich the size of your head for about $25. It's loud and the staff are brusque and the whole thing is brilliant. Go hungry and go early. By midday on a Saturday the queue is out the door.
L'industrie Pizzeria in the West Village was the only place we went to twice in one trip, which I think says it all. Two dollars a slice, standing at the counter. Get the burrata slice.
Cost a fortune but I would do it again a million times over.