Packed with must-see sights and tasty food stops, my New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies is the ultimate guide to eating and exploring the best of NYC, here’s everything I did and tasted on my recent traveladventure. This is the ultimate New York City Travel Itinerary for foodies and includes how to spend 5 days in New York City with the best food spots, restaurants and things to do.
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First up where to stay in New York City for foodies? Wherever you choose you will have the best food spots and restaurants on your doorstep and it’s so easy to get around New York City either on foot or on the Subway.
If you only have one day in New York City
Steal my ultimate New York City one day travel itinerary if you’re in a hurry.
- Where to stay: high end hotel – The Wallace Hotel / unique New York City hotel – Hotel Alameda, Highline / budget hotel – Pod 51
- Lunch: L’industrie Pizza or Los Tacos No.1
- Activities: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt unique viewpoint experience and Sunset yacht cruise
- Dinner: Monkey Bar
- Sights to see: Times Square and Central Park
New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies – 5 days Travel itinerary
You can tailor this New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies based on the length of your New York trip from 1 day and up to 5 days. This is the actual itinerary we followed, to a tee. Be sure to check out all my New York City food recommendations as I live for exploring the food scene in every city I visit. Have your smart watch at the ready as your step count is about to go up!
For getting around New York City I recommend purchasing an OMNY 7-day travel pass which is $34 for unlimited travel on the subway. Along with travelling on foot, this is the best value mode of transport to explore New York City.
Day 1 – New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies
Day 1 in New York City summary
- Arriving in New York City and checking into your hotel
- Lunch at Los Tacos No.1
- Explore Times Square and Central Park
- Dinner at Bungalow Indian restaurant
Arriving in New York City
You’ll probably spend some of your first day in New York City travelling. We flew from London, Heathrow airport to New York JFK airport and arrived in New York around lunchtime. Make sure to factor in sometime for airport arrival as, unless you have local pre-clearance, you’ll need to pass America visa and customs checks and collect your baggage before making your way to Manhattan.
How to get from the airport to New York City
I’ve seen lots of recommendations to take public transport from JFK airport to New York City or you can get an uber/yellow cab. The yellow cabs tend to have a standard $100 flat fee. I booked an airport transfer through my hotel booking provider and this worked out at half the price, I almost thought it was too good to be true! Of course you must add tips on top of this as tipping is expected in New York for all services. So I would recommend booking an airport transfer to New York as they will see your flight arrival time and it is the most efficient and in our case, best priced option.
Now is the time to check into your New York City hotel before heading out to dive head first into the New York food scene. We stayed near Times Square in New York which is a great, central location but can be a bit intense! My New York City hotel guide has more information on the best places to stay in New York for foodies.
Lunch at Los Tacos No.1
Your first food stop is going to be Los Tacos No. 1, there are a couple of these restaurants near Times Square. They are a great, fast food option and a reasonable price for New York City. The tacos are incredibly flavourful, we tried the pork taco and the chicken tacos and they made the perfect snack to tide us over until dinner.
Sightseeing
After that spend some time exploring Times Square. You might even see a red carpet Broadway event with celebrities like we did! You honestly never know what you’ll stumble across in New York. Then wander up to Central Park for a quick look. You can see cute red squirrels, cherry blossoms in Spring and of course do some people watching.
Dinner at Bungalow Indian Restaurant
Time for dinner! Please don’t visit New York without making your dinner reservations ahead of time, some of the best restaurants reservations get snapped up in minutes. If you like Indian food I highly recommend booking a table at Bungalow, a stunning East Village Indian restaurant from celebrity chef Vikas Khanna. You might even get to meet the Masterchef India judge himself like we did! If you arrive early they have a beautiful lounge serving unique Indian inspired cocktails. I highly recommend trying the famous yogurt kebabs and spiced pineapple curry at this New York Indian restaurant.
Day 2 – New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies
Day 2 in New York City summary
- Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo
- Shopping at Brooklyn
- Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
- Lunch at L’Industrie Pizzeria
- Grand Central Station
- SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
- Dinner at Mark’s off Madison
Brooklyn Bridge morning walk
You’ll probably be suffering from jet lag so make the most of it and wake up early to get out and explore New York City. Take the subway downtown to do the sunrise walk over Brooklyn Bridge and make sure to check the sunrise time. It was cloudy on our visit but the city looked so moody and beautiful in the morning light I didn’t even miss the sunrise. This is a must-do and free New York activity so take your time walking over, with lots of photo-stops the Brooklyn Bridge walk can take up to an hour. Lots of people prefer to walk toward the city but walking from Manhattan toward Brooklyn is my preference. We found a beautiful cafe just the other side of Brooklyn Bridge called Arabica so I recommend grabbing a coffee from there before your next stop.
Breakfast in Brooklyn
There are so many beautiful brunch spots in New York City, especially in the Brooklyn area which is why lots of foodies choose to stay in Brooklyn. I recommend grabbing breakfast in Brooklyn’s TimeOut food market which has lots of options. We had breakfast at Ess-a-bagel because I needed a New York bagel asap. This wasn’t the best bagel of the trip but you really can’t go wrong with a BEC (bacon, egg and cheese) to start your day in New York.
Exploring Dumbo
You simply cannot miss the iconic Dumbo photo spot. If you do the early morning Brooklyn Bridge walk you’re likely to arrive at Dumbo before the crowds do, meaning you can capture some beautiful photos without hundreds of people in the background. After that walk around park and visit pebble beach to just take those beautiful views in.
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is a serene escape from the city. If you’re visiting New York in Spring it’s worth buying a $22 ticket to enter Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and see their huge cherry blossoms. They also have a lovely Japanese garden and many beautiful plants and if you’re there at the right point in spring, you can enjoy cherry blossom views. You can check out their collection of bonsai trees in the indoor conservatory and grab a drink at their cosy cafe.
Shopping in Brooklyn
Your first shopping stop of the trip is at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn. Some of the New York stores that need to be on your shopping list are of course Trader Joe’s (to pick up the tote bag and everything but the bagel seasoning), Target and Sephora. All of which you can find at the City Points mall which is a much more enjoyable shopping experience than visiting the same shops in Times Square.
Lunch at L’industrie Pizza
Known as one of the best pizzerias in the world you have to try L’Industrie Pizzeria in New York City. The original pizza store is in Brooklyn but we visited their West Village location. Please expect to wait in line, but this pizza is worth waiting for. I highly recommend their fig jam and bacon pizza slice, in fact I’m still dreaming about it. You can order pizza by the slice or a full pizza pie and enjoy it in the most aesthetic bar next door.
Grand Central Station
Gossip Girl fan or not, you need to visit Grand Central Station. It’s just such a beautiful train station. There’s also a hidden speakeasy which featured in the Gossip Girl tv series and serves some of the best cocktails around. Search for the Campbell bar, you might need to ask someone to find it, like we did and you can enjoy your drinks standing at the bar without a reservation.
SUMMIT ONE Vanderbilt
New York has plenty of amazing viewpoints to choose from, I recommend to book SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for a unique and fun viewpoint. You must have a pre-booked ticket to avoid lengthy wait times and sunset tickets are pricier. What I love about SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is not only the epic New York City skyline views including the Empire State Building but the interactive rooms you work through as part of the experience. There’s a room filled with silver balloons and you can even stand on a glass ledge which is not for the faint hearted. There are endless photo opportunities here, we spent about an hour working through the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt experience.
Dinner at Mark’s off Madison
Tonight’s dinner reservation is at iconic New York restaurant Mark’s off Madison. I came here for one thing, and one thing only – the famous Mark’s off Madison lasagna. Obviously arrive with an appetite, this fresh pasta lasagne with pork, beef and veal in a creamy tomato sauce and finished with pesto sauce is absoutely huge. You also can’t miss their Belgian fries served with three dips.
Day 3 – New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies
Day 3 in New York City summary
- The Edge observation deck
- Hudson Yards shopping mall and The Vessel
- Lunch at the Dead Rabbit Irish pub
- Magnolia Bakery Banana pudding
- Explore Central Park
- Dinner at Semma Indian restaurant
Edge Observation Deck
For the best view of New York City you have to book entry to the Edge observation deck. This is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere and the views are so beautiful at sunset. Mastercard holders can book early access through the Edge priceless experiences which is what we did. I recommend this for a more intimate experience and chance to have the Edge all to yourself.
Hudson Yards shopping mall and the Vessel
Entry to The Edge is actually located inside the Hudson Yards shopping mall so this is a perfect opportunity to squeeze in some shopping. Hudson Yards shopping mall has everything from high end designer to popular athleisure wear. I enjoyed looking around Alo Yoga in this mall. Step outside Hudson Yards shopping mall and you will be greeted by the huge Vessel which is a great visual experience even from the outside.
The Dead Rabbit Irish Pub
Next we’re headed downtown to the financial district for the one and only Dead Rabbit Irish Pub. Once named the best bar in the world this bar simply has to be on your list. Not only do they do a fantastic Guinness, Irish coffee and their twist on an espresso martini, but the Irish food is exceptional. Don’t miss their Kerrygold butter drenched popcorn and bar snacks. I loved the shepherds pie and my husband enjoyed an excellent fish and chips.
Magnolia Bakery
A viral sweet treat that can’t be missed in New York, everyone has to try Magnolia Bakery. If you have a sweet tooth after lunch I recommend their banana pudding. This dessert comes in different sizes so you can have a small treat and it is refreshingly light.
Dinner at Semma Indian restaurant
Now, you will need to be on your strongest reservation game to get a table at New York’s only Michelin Star Indian restaurant! We were lucky enough to get a 9pm sitting as apparently even New Yorkers struggle to get a table here. If you love Indian food this restaurant has to be on every New York City travel itinerary for foodies. Semma is a South Indian restaurant serving unique and incredibly flavoursome dishes like their signature gunpowder dosa. I can also vouch for the delicious lobster moilee which was tasted just as perfect as it looked.
Day 4 – New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies
Day 4 in New York City summary
- Mary O’s Irish soda bread scones
- Breakfast at Carragher’s sports bar
- World Trade Centre Memorial
- Irish Hunger Memorial
- Shopping in the West Village
- Coffee at Hungry Llama
- Try Levain Bakery cookies
- Dinner at Latina Pastificio e Vino in Brooklyn
- Comedy Cellar
Mary O’s Irish soda bread scones
We’re up bright and early and headed to Mary O’s Irish soda bread scones which opens at 7am Thursday – Sunday. It won’t be long until a queue starts to form as this viral Irish food usually sells out by 2.30pm. Here you can buy a unique and incredibly tasty Irish soda bread scone served with a slab of Irish butter and homemade blackberry jam. A must-try for every foodie visiting New York.
Breakfast at Carragher’s sports bar
You might be in luck and if Liverpool are playing you can watch the football with breakfast or brunch at Carragher’s Sports Bar in the financial district, the bar has all the big football games across numerous screens. This Irish American pub has a great sporting atmosphere with the walls decorated with memorabilia’s and do some fab breakfasts with proper Irish pork sausages.
World Trade Centre Memorial
After the game you can walk through the impressive Oculus shopping centre and pay your respects at the World Trade Centre memorial. It’s hard to describe the feeling of standing there where the two towers once stood and seeing all of the names on the stone and it wouldn’t feel right to visit New York without paying your respects. If you like there’s a Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial Tour & Museum you can visit. There is another New York City viewpoint you can visit at the One World Observatory.
Irish Hunger Memorial
As an Irish person I had to visit the Irish Hunger Memorial which highlights the Great Irish famine. It’s really impressive that they have built this tribute with stones from each of the counties in Ireland and it features a famine-era stone cottage along with lots of statistics and phrases from the famine time.
Shopping and coffee in the West Village
If you’re on the hunt for a unique coffee experience in New York City head to Hungry Llama in the West Village. Here I tried their super cute and fluffy whipped honey latte. With your coffee in hand there are plenty of cute shops to explore in the area like Big e
Dinner at Larina Pastificio e Vino in Brooklyn
Larina pastificio e Vino in Brooklyn makes a lovely restaurant break from the high-paced, early reservation restaurants in Manhattan. We had a nice stroll through the area before arriving for an early dinner and I loved the bright, spacious restaurant. They have some unique pasta specialties on the menu here and a delightful tiramisu.
Comedy Cellar
Don’t pass up the chance to see a comedy show at New York’s famous comedy cellar. This is actually a budget-friendly New York City activity as the tickets are less than $20 (except Friday/Saturday). You might even see a celebrity comedian. It’s actually quite the experience arriving for this comedy show as they make you line up outside and lock away your phone for the duration. We arrived early and were seated right at the front of the stage, only do this if you have a thick skin! If you can’t get tickets to this venue there are lots of other New York comedy clubs to book.
Day 5 – New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies
Day 5 in New York City summary
- Liberty bagels
- The High Line
- Coffee at foreigner
- Shopping
- Lunch at Joe’s Pizza
- Sunset Yacht cruise
- Dinner at Monkey Bar
Breakfast at Liberty Bagels
You can’t leave New York City without trying the most popular bagel spot Liberty bagels. There might be a queue but it goes pretty quickly. Your bigger problem will be trying to decide which type of bagel and filling to order. My recommendation is a BEC (bacon, egg and cheese) on an everything bagel.
Walk the High Line
Walking Chelsea’s High Line is a nice and light morning activity in New York. This is an elevated public park/walkway on an old disused railway line. It starts from the Vessel, so you have time to look around Hudson Yard’s Shopping mall if you missed it yesterday, and you can walk all the way down to Chelsea Market. They have lots of interesting art and sculpture displays on the way along with beautiful plants and florals. I enjoyed the city views from the High Line too.
Coffee and shopping
For a coffee you won’t forget in a hurry I recommend the Crème Brulatte at Foreigner. This is an iced latte topped with a fluffy cream top and torched sugar crust. At first I was a bit indifferent but by the time I got to the bottom of the coffee cup I was well and truly addicted to those little sugar crisps in my coffee. This is a good chance to pop into some more shops around the area. We had a look in On Cloud, Kith and the Strand Bookstore.
Lunch at Joe’s Pizza
Time for a New York City pizza slice? Joe’s Pizza is another iconic New York City food stop you can’t miss on your New York trip. Their $4 cheese slice is really the cream of the crop. This is a quick service spot where every pizza slice is guaranteed perfection.
Sunset Yacht cruise
It’s your last night in New York City so why not go all out and book a luxury Yacht cruise on the Hudson River. This is a fabulous 1.5 hour New York sightseeing experience on a luxury yacht. It’s quite intimate with only a handful of other groups on-board so you each get your own window view table and includes a cocktail. They also have a bar on board and serve nibbles. I can’t believe how close we got to the Statue of Liberty. What a beautiful end to our New York trip.
Dinner at Monkey Bar
Monkey Bar is what you think of when it comes to New York dining. This is a sleek New York brasserie with a focus on steak and a luxury feel. I loved this restaurant! I came here mainly to try the French Dip and ended up also loving the crab rangoons and whitefish Caesar salad. This is a perfect last supper in New York City.
FAQs about visiting New York?
How do I get around New York? Do I need to buy a travel pass?
The easiest way to get around New York City is on foot. It’s a very walkable and easy to explore city. Subway travel is also recommended and you can buy a one week OMNY Subway card with unlimited travel for $34.
Do I need to book New York City attraction tickets in advance?
Yes, in order to avoid disappointment I recommend booking your New York City attraction tickets in advance.
Do I need to make restaurant reservations for New York?
The most popular New York City reservations get booked out in minutes so absolutely, book your New York City restaurants as soon as you know which ones you want to visit.
Which area should I stay at in New York?
I have a blog post about the best places for foodies to stay in New York City with all the details.
Thank you for reading my Ultimate New York City Travel Itinerary for Foodies, I hope it inspires your New York City travels. Don’t forget to follow my @BoopFoodie social media accounts for more New York City food and travel recommendations.
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