FNYC Standards14 places
Bagels, Bialys & Lox in NYC
Hand-picked by Gothamly and checked against each place’s own site. Nobody paid to be here.
- Since 1908
Barney Greengrass — Upper West Side
The Sturgeon King — eggs scrambled with lox and onions at formica untouched since the '50s
- Since 1914
Russ & Daughters — Lower East Side
The original appetizing shop at 179 E Houston — lox, whitefish & the Super Heebster; sit-down Cafe at 127 Orchard, plus Brooklyn Navy Yard & W 34th St
- Since 1934
Zabar’s — Upper West Side
2245 Broadway at 80th · hand-sliced smoked fish at the counter, bagels by the bag — then upstairs for the housewares
- Brooklyn
Shelsky’s of Brooklyn — Court Street
141 Court St · appetizing, smoked fish & hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels — a modern take on the old counter; bagel shop at 453 4th Ave
- Since 1936
Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys — Lower East Side
Brick-oven bialys and kettle-boiled bagels since Mirsky & Kossar opened on Ridge St — the bialy is the order; the original is on Grand St
- Since 1972
H&H Bagels — Upper West Side & around town
“NYC’s legendary bagels since 1972” — also UES, Kips Bay, Moynihan Train Hall & Penn Station for the train-bound
- Since 1976
Ess-a-Bagel — Midtown East
The big, overstuffed Midtown classic — now at 47th & Third (moved from 51st), plus a 32nd St shop
- Queens
Utopia Bagels — Whitestone
Made “the old-fashioned way… by hand” — the Queens pilgrimage, now also in Midtown, LIC & on Third Ave
- Since 2011
Tompkins Square Bagels — East Village
165 Avenue A · bold flavors and a long run of house-made cream cheeses — the new-school standard, with four more shops
- Nolita
Black Seed Bagels — Nolita
The original at 170 Elizabeth St · Montreal meets New York — now across Manhattan & Brooklyn
- Since 2018
Liberty Bagels — Flatiron
24 W 23rd St · hand-rolled, kettle-boiled — and yes, the rainbow bagel with birthday-cake cream cheese
- FiDi
Leo’s Bagels — Hanover Square
3 Hanover Sq · the Financial District’s bagel stop, steps from Stone Street
- Harlem
Bo’s Bagels — Harlem
“The first REAL NYC bagel shop in Harlem” — bagels and bialys baked fresh daily
- New school
Apollo Bagels
“A new-school bagel shop rooted in old-school technique” — slow-fermented, boiled, baked every morning
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