How Many Restaurants in NYC

How Many Restaurants in NYC
By The Cooking World, Editorial Staff
July 22, 2020

New York City is a Foodie Paradise

New York was always recognized as one of the world's best food paradises. You can't walk a city block without passing a restaurant. Pizzeria chains sit next to mom and pop Ethiopian spots which sit next to Michelin Star establishment mainstays. It’s a foodie dream to try it all! But the question is how many restaurants are in NYC?

Just to give you an idea of the number of restaurants in NYC it would take you approximately 74 years to try them all. You can eat at a different spot once a day for 74 years and never go to the same place twice.

how many restaurants in nyc

Humble Origins

New York, like America, is the story of immigrants arriving in the city from around the world. Thanks to the diversity of immigrants, New York has one of the most exciting food cultures in the world. Its dining scene is world-famous for good reason—and no matter the circumstances, restaurants, bars, and cafes always find a way to serve the five boroughs.

With every new wave of immigration, a new food scene inevitably follows. Now neighborhoods such as Coney Island, Corona, Flushing, Jackson Heights, and Sunset Park are being revitalized the same way with new foods from Ethiopia to Malaysia.

Despite New York City's food culture has humble origins many of these foods have become everyday staples for NYC residents.

How Many Restaurants are in NYC

According to data from Statista, there are more than twenty-seven thousand restaurants in New York. This number may seem like an exaggeration, but you simply need to walk through the streets of the city to realize the endless number of restaurants that exist.

With so many options to choose from it could be difficult to find the right places to eat. To help you find the best restaurant in the city, we put together a list of our favorite places.

Some of the Best Places to Eat

1. Liebman’s Deli

Jewish deli in its most nostalgic form can be found at Liebman’s in Riverdale, a small and diner-like institution that’s been serving up kosher pastrami, corned beef, and hot dogs made in-house since 1958. It doesn’t look like the dining room or clientele has changed since then, with a retro feel from faded sea-green booths and gruff but pleasant servers. Any of the overstuffed sandwiches makes an ideal meal, preferably preceded by matzo ball soup and accompanied by the chip-like fries and gravy.

2. Le Bernardin

Eric Ripert’s three-Michelin-starred temple to French seafood remains one of our favorites and one of the city’s top restaurants. Sustainably minded fish, from langoustines to Dover sole, makes up the bulk of the prix fixe dinner menus, though meat and vegetarian options are available too. A quick bit of tableside saucing completes each dish, be it sea urchin sauce américaine for lobster, Thai shellfish broth for skate, or kimchi emulsion for red snapper.

3. Superiority Burger

Located in East Village, this tiny cafe is so much than a veggie burger spot — it's one of the best restaurants in Lower Manhattan — because he’s shopping for the finest ingredients and offering the same vegetables served at a fine-dining spot for a far more affordable price (most dishes are under $6). In addition to the must-get burger, go Mondays for the fried tofu and Fridays for the focaccia. Do not miss the spectacular gelato and sorbet. There’s not much seating; the pro move is to bring food to nearby dive bar Doc Holliday’s and accompany a burger with cheap beer.

4. Katz's Delicatessen

In more than 125 years, little has changed at Katz's. It remains one of New York's — and the country's — essential Jewish delicatessens. Every inch of the massive Lower East Side space smells intensely of pastrami and rye loaves. The sandwiches are massive, so they are best when shared. Order at the counter, and don't forget to tip the slicer. Get a hot dog while you wait, and don’t lose your ticket.

5. Peter Luger Steak House

Peter Luger was founded in 1887 when Williamsburg was a city onto itself, and some say Luger is the greatest steakhouse in the world. Even if that’s an overstatement, the steaks are damn good, especially the signature dry-aged prime porterhouse, which flies from the kitchen sizzling and already sliced. Don’t miss the bacon appetizer or lunch-only hamburger either, in these bare-bones and endearingly antique premises.

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