As a born and raised New Yorker, my love for this city knows no bounds. It is as much a part of me as my green eyes and sassy-sweet personality 😉
Over the years, I’ve amassed a solid list of some of my favorite NYC spots, some healthy in the traditional sense of the word, and some purely healthy for the soul. Know that all of these have a special place in my heart, and I hope to keep growing this list as I discover more places that I adore.
In the meantime, please leave me a comment or send me an email if you end up trying any of these, and tell me some of your favorites that aren’t on this list. I’m always exploring new spots 🙂
I made sure to include my go-to orders for the spots I’ve been to more than once, but of course, take what works for you and leave the rest!
Coffee
La Colombe (cold brew with oat milk // draft latte)
For Five Coffee (cold brew with oat milk)
Hungry Ghost Coffee (iced matcha latte)
Gimme Coffee (iced almond milk latte)
Birch Coffee (iced coffee // iced latte)
Variety Coffee Roasters (iced almond milk latte // iced oat latte)
Absolute Coffee (espresso-based drinks)
Devocìon (oat milk iced latte // gorgeous decor)
Stone Fruit Espresso + Kitchen (espresso-based drinks // vegan baked goods // PLANTS)
The Elk (amazing coffee // healthy and delicious breakfast & lunch bites // cute decor)
Old Country Coffee (coffee // light bites // really cute homey decor)
Ralph’s Coffee (delicious coffee // beautiful elegant decor)
Partners Coffee Roasters (amazing coffee & food // great for working)
Boris and Horton (amazing specialty lattes // healthy bites // doggy-friendly)
Laughing Man Coffee (iced oat latte // iced cinnamon vanilla latte)
Dreamers (iced honey oat latte // homemade palmiers)
Gotan (iced mocha // delicious breakfast & lunch // tons of space)
Yanni’s Coffee (espresso-based drinks to go // homemade cookies)
Seven Grams Caffe (iced oat latte // homemade baked goods) – Flatiron
Intelligentsia (espresso-based drinks // tons of indoor and outdoor seating) – Chelsea
Black Press Coffee (iced honey oat cinnamon latte)
Brunch
Banter (great coffee // golden folded eggs)
Two Hands (amazing cold brew // acai bowl // banana bread with espresso mascarpone)
Bluestone Lane (great coffee // best avocado toast ever)
Dudley’s (Australian brunch)
Sunday in Brooklyn (cheddar scramble plate)
Citizens of Chelsea (awesome Australian brunch // beautiful decor)
Maman (delicious bowls // nutty chocolate chip cookie // pistachio loaf // lovely French-themed decor)
The Butcher’s Daughter (vegetarian brunch options)
Little Collins (amazing banana bread // great coffee)
Black Seed Bagels (best bagel egg sandwiches with healthy options)
Russ and Daughters (best bagels and lox in NYC hands-down // everything bagel with goat cream cheese and lox)
Sonnyboy (delish Australian brunch)
Clinton St. Baking Company (best pancakes in NYC – get the banana walnut – MUST HAVE RESERVATION)
Alice’s Tea Cup (iconic Alice in Wonderland afternoon tea)
Chez Ma Tante (Montreal-French spot with delish shareable plates // MUST-TRY pancakes, falafel, potato wedges)
Dessert
Levain Bakery (BEST COOKIES IN NYC; oh and they’re giant!)
Jacques Torres (Mexican hot chocolate // incredible chocolate chip cookies)
Junior’s Cheesecake (BEST cheesecake I’ve ever had // classic or strawberry)
Grom (incredible thick hot chocolate w/ homemade whipped cream // delicious gelato)
Ample Hills (super unique flavors and the most creamy ice cream)
Van Leeuwen (MY FAVORITE ICE CREAM IN NYC; vegan options also amazing)
Morgenstern’s Ice Cream (delicious super unique flavors)
Blue Sky Bakery (BEST MUFFINS // pumpkin apple walnut // chocolate chip banana)
Ovenly (BEST peanut butter cookie)
Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit (delicious soft serve made out of frozen fruit)
Petee’s Pie Company (BEST PIE IN NYC; bonus points for going late at night and getting a scoop of homemade ice cream on top)
Breads Bakery (MUST-HAVE chocolate babka // cinnamon roll // challah bread // pretty much all baked goods)
Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery (fudge brownie // brioche donut // croissants)
Martha’s Country Bakery (carrot cake // Mississippi mud pie // tiramisu) – Williamsburg
Balthazar Bakery (all baked goods)
The Meadow (super unique tiny artisanal chocolate shop)
Magnolia Bakery (skip the cupcakes, MUST-GET the banana pudding)
Lunch & Dinner
Minca (BEST RAMEN IN NYC)
By Chloe (BEST FAST-CASUAL VEGAN FOOD IN NYC // guac burger // air-baked sweet potato fries // quinoa taco salad)
John’s Pizzeria of Bleecker (MY FAVORITE NYC PIZZA)
Locanda Verde (incredible higher-end Italian restaurant; great date spot // get any pasta dish)
Westville (delicious healthy fast-casual eats // amazing sweet potato fries // tofu)
Hu Kitchen (fast-casual healthy eats // the best chocolate)
Dig Inn (fast-casual healthy eats // build-you-own plate or bowl)
Mulberry & Vine (fast-casual healthy eats // build-you-own plate or bowl)
Sweetgreen (BEST SALADS)
The Little Beet (fast-casual healthy eats // build-you-own plate or bowl)
The Grey Dog (MY PERSONAL FAVORITE; casual, healthy, delicious neighborhood spot // zoodles with pesto // kale salad // sweet potato fries)
Freeman’s (rustic, lodgey restaurant tucked away on the cutest alley)
The Meatball Shop (delicious casual meatball-based eats)
Springbone (delicious bone broth // immunity broth for anytime your immune system needs a boost)
Bareburger (delicious quality burgers with ethically sourced ingredients // my go-to is the build-your-own with the collard green wrap and the sweet potato wild rice burger)
Zarutto Ramen & Gyoza Bar (some of the BEST Japanese food I’d ever had + super-quick and attentive service)
Bars
1803 (lively New Orleans-themed restaurant and jazz bar)
Gallow Green (gorgeous plant-filled fairytale rooftop bar and restaurant)
Lillie’s Victorian Establishment (beautiful old-timey and ornate bar and restaurant)
Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs (absolutely adorable bar and yes, it’s tiny)
The Up and Up Cocktail Bar (upscale cocktail bar for when you have an occasion to celebrate or just want to feel fancy AF)
Workouts
Physique57 (super fun fast-paced barre-dance hybrid workout)
SLT (the HARDEST AB WORKOUT I EVER DID EVER; pilates reformer class on steroids)
PureBarre (always a reliably enjoyable and great workout; not too sweaty but gets your body burning)
For Getting Lost In
Elizabeth St. Gardens (amazing spot to rest on a bench and maybe read a book)
Financial District (wander and get lost in the criss-crossing streets and meandering alleys; Stone Street is a MUST; get coffee from the Coffee list or a bone broth from Springbone!)
Greenwich Village (Grove St, Grove Court, Friends building, Christopher St. (see the famous Stonewall Inn!), Washington Square Park, Cornelia St. (make sure to listen to Taylor Swift as you walk through!), MacDougal Alley and Washington Mews; wander and get lost in the grid-less neighborhood; fuel up with the many coffee spots from the Coffee list that are located here or a cone from Van Leeuwen)
Elevated Acre (small secret park in the Financial District on top of a building)
Secret Garden at St. Luke in the Fields (gorgeous secret garden in Greenwich Village)
Union Square Farmer’s Market (head straight to the maple stand and get yourself a large bag of maple candy)
Central Park (wander for hours and see it morph from a city park to a wilderness retreat // ice skating in the winter)
Flatiron (one of my favorite neighborhoods to wander – contains Harry Potter store, Madison Square Park, Rizzoli bookstore, tons of amazing coffee including Variety Coffee, Seven Grams Caffe, and Devocion, ABC Home)
Soho (wander the streets // window shopping // retail therapy)
Brooklyn Bridge (start in Dumbo and end in Tribeca for gorgeous views of the city or do the reverse and enjoy a day exploring this fun hip part of Brooklyn)
Bookstores
Strand Bookstore (fantastic bookstore that has everything you might possibly want or need; go to the upper-most floor which looks like a wealthy professor’s office)
Housing Works Bookstore + Cafe (awesome bookstore and cafe with an important mission // great hang-out spot)
Rizzoli’s (MY FAVORITE NYC BOOKSTORE)
Albertine (all-French secret bookstore housed in the French embassy; go to the upper-most floor and look at the ceiling for a truly breathtaking sight)
Corner Bookstore (beautiful bookstore located literally on a corner)
Three Lives & Company (tiny cute iconic bookstore in Greenwich Village)
McNally Jackson (huge selection; I personally prefer the Brooklyn location, but the Manhattan one has a great notebook and pen store right by it that’s owned by them too)
New York Public Library (not technically a bookstore, but the main location in Bryant Park is a book-lover’s haven and absolutely GORGEOUS)
