21 Best Restaurants in Lower East Side, New York City

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The Lower East Side is a hub of culinary innovation, with everything from molecular gastronomy to hipster Chinese cuisine. You can't walk a block without hitting a place that makes your stomach growl.

Clinton St. Baking Co.

$$ | Lower East Side Fodor's choice

At this casual retro-diner restaurant, weekend brunch brings a line down the street for what many believe to be the best blueberry pancakes in the city, if not the whole country. Lunch and dinner options include a variety of burgers, sandwiches, and salads—and you can get those pancakes at dinner, too, without as long a wait.

Dirt Candy

$$$$ | Lower East Side Fodor's choice

One of the most inspired vegetarian restaurants in the country, Dirt Candy shines thanks to chef Amanda Cohen, who knows how to coax every bit of flavor out of vegetables—which she has described as "candy from the earth"—so that they dazzle on the plate and the palate. There's just one five-course tasting menu every night, which might include signature dishes like the build-your-own Brussels sprouts tacos, the "Tower of Terroir" deconstructed salad, or the addictive and spicy Korean fried broccoli.

86 Allen St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
212-228–7732
Known For
  • Creative and fun vegetarian and vegan food
  • Interesting alcohol and nonalcohol cocktails
  • Rather nondescript space
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch, Reservations essential

Doughnut Plant

$ | Lower East Side Fodor's choice

The all-American junk-food staple is elevated to high art here, with fresh seasonal ingredients, real fruit, and imported chocolate mixed into the batter. Traditionalists croon over the vanilla-bean doughnut, but there are plenty of exotic flavors to tempt taste buds: the dense, fudgy Brooklyn Blackout is covered in crumb topping; carrot-cake doughnuts have a cream-cheese filling. Choosing is the difficult part: options include cake doughnuts and yeast doughnuts, as well as "doughseeds." There are other locations around the five boroughs.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Ivan Ramen

$$ | Lower East Side Fodor's choice

Ivan Orkin's improbable but true story is one of the many layers that make New York City's restaurant scene so exciting, authentic, and delicious: the self-described "Jewish kid from Long Island" moved to Tokyo and became a ramen-making master, achieving near legendary status in the Japanese capital. In 2014, he opened this Lower East Side temple to ramen, where highlights include the triple pork, triple garlic mazemen, a type of near-brothless ramen.

Katz's Delicatessen

$$ | Lower East Side Fodor's choice

Everything and nothing has changed at Katz's since it first opened in 1888, when the neighborhood was dominated by Jewish immigrants: lines still form for the giant, hand-carved corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, soul-warming soups, juicy hot dogs, and crisp half-sour pickles. You get a ticket when you walk in and then get it punched at the various stations where you pick up your food; don't lose it, or you'll have to pay the lost-ticket fee.

Mam

$$ | Lower East Side Fodor's choice

Mam is not your typical Stateside Vietnamese eatery. This diminutive spot, where guests sit on tiny plastic stools just like at restaurants in Vietnam, serves the large-format Hanoi dish bun dau mam tom: cold vermicelli noodles, fried tofu, herb leaves, pork belly, and sometimes blood sausage that all play a supporting role for the star of the show, the mam tom, or funky fermented shrimp sauce. A tray arrives at your table and you go to work, grabbing bunches of the supporting cast and dipping it in the mam tom. 

70 Forsyth St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
Known For
  • Menu changes to include pho and other dishes
  • Make a reservation via their Instagram account
  • Hours and days of operation change frequently
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.–Thurs. No dinner weekends. No lunch Mon. and Fri.

Beauty & Essex

$$ | Lower East Side
Enter through the pawnshop (it's real) in front, and you’ll find what feels like a grand event, where the clientele is dressed to the nines, the drinks are flowing, and the food—from lemon blackberry pancakes and eggs Benedict at brunch to salmon tartare, pastas, and a thick-cut fillet at dinner—is way better than you’d expect at a party. Dinner is served until late, a good indication that the party's still happening.
146 Essex St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
212-614–0146
Known For
  • Fun atmosphere
  • Excellent brunch
  • Extensive menu but standout classics
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays

Corner Bar

$$$ | Lower East Side

Chef Ignacio Mattos put himself in the pantheon of living New York chefs with his restaurant Estela and now he's adding to the legend with this classic Gallic-inspired bistro on the border where the Lower East Side and Chinatown meet. Mattos is a master at layering flavors and his menu here is no exception with smoky coal-grilled steak au poivre and a boudin blanc sausage wading in a shallow pool of juniper-spiked sauerkraut.

Dhamaka

$$$ | Lower East Side

The menu at Dhamaka, one of the most exciting restaurants in Manhattan, focuses on regional specialties not usually seen on standard Indian restaurant menus so be prepared to ask questions and be wowed. There are many unusual—and delicious—meat dishes but vegetarians and fish eaters will also have several choices.

119 Delancey St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
212-204--8616
Known For
  • Extremely hard to score a reservation
  • Let your server know if you want to avoid spicy food
  • Colorful dining room on the edge of Essex Market
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch

Dirty French

$$$ | Lower East Side
Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, the chefs who created a small empire of Italian-American restaurants (Parm, Carbone, ZZ's Clam Bar) go Gallic at this cool Lower East Side bistro in the Ludlow Hotel. The name says it all: although the fare is French, the team takes many of the dishes on a tour of places like North Africa and Louisiana before the food lands on your table. Porgy is dusted with Cajun spices, and duck à l'orange is spiked with Moroccan ras el hanout spice blend.

Ernesto's

$$$ | Lower East Side

On an out-of-the-way stretch of the Lower East Side, Ernesto's refined atmosphere and creative, daily-changing menu of satisfying Spanish and Basque delights transports diners to coastal Spain. This isn't the small plates, tapas-style Spanish restaurant that New Yorkers are familiar with, though sharing dishes like a tortilla española (egg and potato omelet) or creamy croquetas (ham-filled deep-fried fritters) and heartier fare like seared duck breast slathered in a port and foie gras sauce or baked salt cod in a garlicky green sauce is not frowned upon.

259 E. Broadway, New York, NY, 10002, USA
646-692--8300
Known For
  • Café open for coffee, breakfast pastries, and other daytime snacks
  • Instagrammable mountain of potato chips and ibérico ham
  • Interesting Spanish and French wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.

Fat Choy

$ | Lower East Side

Stop by this tiny counter-serve for impressive Asian-inspired vegan snacks like a take on the sloppy joe sandwich, made with mushrooms served on a sesame pancake, and perfectly chewy sticky rice dumplings that get a zing from chili oil. Although there's no actual seating, they do serve canned wine, beer, and sake.

250 Broome St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
347-778--5889
Known For
  • Fried cauliflower bites
  • No actual seating but a few makeshift street tables
  • One of the most talked about vegan restaurants in the city
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Golden Diner

$$ | Lower East Side

Decor-wise it’s what you might expect from a diner: a few simple tables plus some counter seating looking over the grill, and the menu seems familiar but most items have a global twist that reflects the neighborhood, like a club sandwich made with chicken katsu (Japanese-style fried chicken), a Cobb salad with a Thai twist, and lemongrass-accented avocado toast.

Gotham Burger Social Club

$ | Lower East Side

Mike Puma was a burger blogger with a dream: to open his own burger joint. That dream came true in early 2024 when this corner burger shop fired up its burners, grilling thin smash burgers with a nicely charred exterior. There are also fries, onion rings, hot dogs, fried pickles, and a surprisingly good chopped cheese taco, a riff on the sandwich that originated in East Harlem bodegas. The spot is ideally located for a quick bite during a Lower East Side bar crawl. 

131 Essex St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
Known For
  • In the heart of LES nightlife
  • Burgers with double and triple patties
  • Chopped cheese tacos

Partybus Bakeshop

$ | Lower East Side

When it comes to baked goods, the party is definitely happening at this delightful, tiny café where breakfast sandwiches are served all day (well, 'til 3 pm on weekends and 4 pm on weekdays when they close), and the lunch options include sandwiches and individual pizzas. The display case tempts with all sorts of delicious goodies, including brownies, cookies, and croissants—though if carbs are your thing, you can't go wrong snacking on a hunk of freshly baked baguette.

Russ & Daughters Cafe

$$ | Lower East Side

The sit-down location of the long-established (since 1914) family-owned Russ & Daughters “appetizing” shop on Houston Street offers the same smoked fish, caviar, bagels, and potato latkes as the original, along with egg dishes, salads, and cocktails in a bright, updated-deli atmosphere. The “boards” are individual (but shareable) platters of smoked fish, accompanied by your bagel, bialy, or bread of choice, so that you can assemble your own sandwich.

Sake No Hana

$$$ | Lower East Side

Instead of walking straight into the Moxy hotel, go to the large door to your right and head down the curved stairs to one of the most beautiful new restaurants in the city. Perfect for a fancier date night, Sake No Hana serves traditional and fusion Japanese food with a wide array of menu options. The wafu (a Japanese-style vinaigrette) carbonara is a must (they whip the poached egg yolk into the noodle dish right at your table), and the spicy tuna tartare with fresh crunch radishes is so stunning-looking that you might not want to eat it—just make sure you take a photo before you do. 

145 Bowery, New York, NY, 10002, USA
212-249--0315
Known For
  • Impressive decor
  • Maine lobster
  • Temaki and sushi
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations recommended

Scarr's Pizza

$$ | Lower East Side

In Summer 2023, uber-popular Scarr's moved across the street to a bigger, brighter location, making it easier to get a table for the excellent New York-style pizzas that has made the place so beloved. The pizza incorporates locally sourced tomatoes and dough made with flour milled on-site. The drink list is equally impressive: an all-natural wine list and potent cocktails. 

Sugar Sweet Sunshine

$ | Lower East Side

The cupcake craze isn't dead yet, and this old-school, cozy bakeshop—the brainchild of two former Magnolia Bakery employees—turns out delectable options. Try the chocolate-almond Gooey Gooey or the cream cheese frosting–topped pumpkin; flavors are intense but not too-too sweet. Some believe that the real showstopper is the swoon-inducing banana pudding, with crumbled Nilla wafers suspended in vanilla pudding.

126 Rivington St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
212-995–1960
Known For
  • Tiny space with a few seats
  • Banana pudding cupcake
  • Friendly service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations not accepted

The Meatball Shop

$$ | Lower East Side

New York's first full-service meatball restaurant has a pedigreed chef, a professional waitstaff, a wine list, and a hip crowd. And the meatballs, oh, the meatballs: choose beef, pork, chicken, veggie, or "special" ball options that range from chili cheese to Greek lamb to Buffalo chicken; then decide if you want them served in sliders or a hero, as a salad, or as a platter.

84 Stanton St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
212-982–8895
Known For
  • Top-quality ingredients
  • Ice-cream sandwiches for dessert
  • Multiple locations
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations not accepted

Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery

$ | Lower East Side

It doesn't get more old-school than this tiny café that's been serving fresh knishes—the hearty, hand-sized Eastern European pastry—since 1910. You can't go wrong with classic versions filled with potato or kasha (buckwheat) but there are also creative interpretations, with jalapeño and cheddar or garlic and onion, as well as sweet versions like blueberry and cheese.

137 E. Houston St., New York, NY, 10002, USA
212-477–2858
Known For
  • Perfect inexpensive snack on the go
  • Neighborhood institution
  • Tiny storefront

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