We are in the final planning stages of our trip next month and are looking for some places to eat. Not looking really for sit down but more diners, bagel places, etc.

We are north of the FlatIron for day one and south on day 2, which quick trips over the manhattan bridge and back across Brooklyn Bridge.

Please recommend some little places we might enjoy. (also intersections would be helpful as we have never been before)

Also, on sitcoms like Seinfield and Friends etc they go to these diners, coffee shops etc do any of them really exist that we can go do or they just on studio lots.

Thank you so much for any info!!!

NYC is filled with coffee shops - not of the Starbucks type - but of the type you see on Seinfled and which in many places would be diners. They typically have a diner menu -with many dozens of items - but are not recommended for eating much except basic diner food - burgers, sandwiches, omelets etc. They do serve all sorts of real meals - but the pices aren;t low - and for $16.95/$18.95 an entree you can go to a real neighborhood restaurant - not just a short order cook.

Youwill find them everywhere in the city.

Try lookin on menupages.com - which lets you search by area and type of fodd - and gives diner reviews and actual menus.

The Seinfeld diner actually exists. It's on the upper west side just south of Columbia University, Amersterdam Avenue and 86th or so. We had a tuna sandwich and fries there and it was actually very good diner food.

Hey i lived in the city this summer for an internship and I love Lexington Ave for great diners/indian food/italian anything..but i found a lot of my favorite spots through travelskoot.

They have maps of specific restaurant types that users make. I used this map for fast cheap food but you can search anything.

http://www.travelskoot.com/skoots/vi...ck-food-in-nyc

Tom's Diner (which is the diner they show on Seinfeld) is located at 112th and Broadway and the food is pretty lousy. Don't waste your time trekking all the way up there when you're going to have a lot of really good choices around you.

Kim, "north of the Flatiron..." can be almost anywhere in the city. Do you mean directly north of there or what?

On the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn bridge, there's Bubby's (a deli type place). There's Grimaldi's, famous for their pizza. There's a pastry place called Almondine and there are some smaller restaurants like Five Front.

menupages.com is the best place to get an idea of what's around.

the food is pretty lousy

The french fries were great! (We didn't trek up there for the diner - we were visiting Columbia)

dmlove, were you really at Tom's or at Barney Greengrass --which is at 86th Amsterdam? Their food is great!

Agree that Tom's is nowhere 86th St - these are completely different neighborhoods. I can vouch for Barney Greengrass - as well as the Popover Cafe next door.

Haven;t a clue about Toms - wouldn't go so far uptown for a tuna sandwich.

Look around for the New York Times Magazine - the cover story is all about Eating Cheap in NYC - think it just came out.

I was at Tom's - I'm sure I just was mistaken as to the street. We were near Columbia.

I think sheri means New York Magazine, not the NY times:
http://nymag.com/restaurants/cheapeats/2008/

On 23rd Street (near the flatiron bldg). is the Comfort Diner - 23rd between 5th and 6th Avenue.

Mclaurie - have you been to the brroklyn Bubby's? It's actually quite upscale. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge a few weeks ago, had a nice diner at Five Front, and then walked down to the water. Bubby's was closed for a wedding/private party - it was GORGEOUS!!! And huge - both levels were decked out in white flowers and place settings - it was impressive . . . I recommended it to my sister in law for her upcoming big deal nuptials. Who knew?

Have not been to the one in Brooklyn but did see photos on their website. Were you able to go inside?

Thanks mp! You're right that's what I was referring to!

Thank you all for the great info!!!!

mclaurie: By north of I mean we are starting our day at Strawberry Fields in Central Park and making our way down to the Flatiron on day 1. Mostly just site seeing, buildings etc.

So is the Seinfield restaurant in my day 1 area?

Thank you

mclaurie - no we didn't go in, but the windows are floor to ceiling on 2 sides, very open and big - it is so radically different from the Bubby's in Tribeca, I was stunned! Really lovely . . .

Coffee Shop
29 Union Square

Le Pain Quotidien
38 East 19th Street

French Roast
78 West 11th St. at 6th Ave.

Daisy May's BBQ -- cafeteria style
http://www.daisymaysbbq.com/

Pastis - meatpacking -- not a diner but casual bistro seating inside/outside and great food
http://www.pastisny.com/

The Seinfeld diner is too far north for your itinerary, but there are tons that you could go to.

www.nymetro.com is a good source for restaurant suggestions (it is New York magazine's site)

I have to strongly advise again French Roast. It is a chain and the food is awful!

Le Pain Quotidien is also a chain that seems to have multiplied considerably recently, but the food is good.

My husband swears by the burgers in the lobby area of le Parker Meridien (midtown). It's very basic, but he begs me to go with him all the time. There's a variety of decent restaurants on 56th street if you end up needing lunch before you get further south. Midtown is tough for good food.

The Oyster Bar in Grand Central is a fun option too.

There are several diners on the upper west side near strawberry field in Central Park if you want to have breakfast at a diner (diners are definitely best for breakfast or lunch).

And there are a ton of interesting choices in the flat iron area.

PS the Burger Joint at le Parker Meridien is not fancy and should fit the bill for what you are looking for. Plus, it is sort of hidden and very unexpected given the location.

You can eat at the bar at Oyster Bar instead of having a sit down meal.

The Burger Joint has the greatest burgers ever!