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Artie’s Delicatessen, 2290 Broadway (at 83rd), tel: 212.579.5959, Hours: Mon – Sun, 9am -11:00pm. Classic Jewish deli. Pastrami, matzoh ball soup, rice pudding, etc.
Good Enough To Eat, 483 Amsterdam Ave, at 83 Street, (212) 496-0163: Home-cooked American food in a charming space. Wonderful breakfasts. The lines for weekend brunch go way down the street, so best to go during the week.
Popover’s, , 551 Amsterdam Ave, 87 Street, 212-595-8555: Charming, relaxed, good soups, omelettes, salads, entrees, wine, and fresh-baked popovers with jam and butter.
Guests often ask where they can get a quick lunch or light meal, especially after a few days of overeating at NYC’s many excellent restaurants. Just around the corner at 80th Street and Amsterdam Avenue have recently opened: Hummus Kitchen, for hummus, felafel, and other Middle Eastern treats; Island Burgers and Shakes, for spicy chicken churrasco sandwiches as well as beefburgers and milkshakes; Luke’s Lobster for lobster rolls, chowder and other tasty favorites from the coast of Maine.
For a classic hamburger, fries, salads, and your favorite cocktail (mojito, margarita, etc.) try Fred’s, High Life, MacAleer’s, or NiceMatin, all on Amsterdam between 79th Street and 84th Street. All are “pretty good,” in my opinion, and each has a different price range and atmosphere. Nice Matin and Five Napkin Burger, at three locations (Hells Kitchen, 630 9th Ave @ 45th Street, Upper West Side, 2315 Broadway,@ 84th Street, and 35-01 36th Street, @ 35th Ave, Astoria, Queens) are a bit pricier than the other options, but have an attractive and more upscale environment. McAleer’s, at 80th St, has sports on TV, and outdoor seating in warm weather. Noisy at night & during games, but an old-fashioned bar, owned by the son of the family that opened it — the real thing. I have a soft spot in my heart for McAleer’s.
Bettola, 412 Amsterdam Ave, between 79 and 80 St, 212-787-1660
Italian. Good pastas, salads and individual pizza.
Gazala’s Place, Columbus Avenue at 78th Street, serves wonderful Middle Eastern “mezes” as well as full entrees in a pleasant airy space at affordable prices. Let Israeli Druze owner Gazala Halabi treat you to her traditional cuisine. BYOB or … they now have a beer/wine license.
Gennaro, 665 Amsterdam Ave, (between 92nd and 93rd st.), (212) 665-5348. Mediterranean Italian. The best Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side … and beyond. Cash only. No reservations. Gets crowded and noisy early so go when it opens. Worth it!!
Café Lalo, 201 West 83 Street, was featured in the hit movie, “You’ve Got Mail,” and features excellent cappuccino and AMAZING rich desserts! It can be very noisy and crowded at night, but it’s a great pace to rest in the afternoon after a day of sightseeing.
Santa Fe, 73 West 71 Street. As you can tell from my descriptions of other restaurants, I’m sensitive to noise and crowds! Santa Fe is where I go when I want a good Southwestern US meal and a margarita, in a comfortable setting, and I want to enjoy conversation with my companions. Santa Fe has been around a long time, and visitors may notice an older clientele — a plus, in my mind!! 
) Lately I’ve been sitting at the spacious, comfortable bar section. Aside from hearty dinner fare — I’m a fajitas “regular” — Sante Fe is a very food brunch destination. They take reservations, so visitors avoid the long brunch lines outside other West Side restaurants.
Indus Valley, 2636 Broadway at 100th Street, is an easy walk or bus ride from the b&b, and my favorite Indian restaurant. The owners and staff are warm and attentive, the ambience is so pleasant, and the food is terrific.
Pisticci, 125 LaSalle Street, just west of Broadway. Continue north to Columbia University and enjoy a wonderful meal at this Italian restaurant. A Columbia grad student and faculty hangout that takes no reservations so fills up fast. Arrive early or prepare to sit at the bar. Pisticci is also proud to be the first NYC restaurant to go green — 100% carbon neutral.
The West 79 Street Boat Basin Café , 212-496-5542: The food isn’t special, but it’s lovely to sit outside, overlooking the Hudson River. On weekends, there is a huge, crowded bar scene, but I like to go there for breakfast, lunch or other ‘quiet’ times. It’s not so easy to find; Follow 79th Street down into Riverside Park, and there is a small sidewalk on your right, with signs leading you down to the riverside.
Gray’s Papaya, at W 72nd St and Broadway, is a quintessential NYC experience. Buy two hot dogs with mustard & sauerkraut and a refreshing coconut-pineapple juice. Eat at the counter and watch the world go by.
Some Harlem recommendations: If you’d like to treat yourself to a special meal, while enjoying our favorite NYC pastime, people-watching, try Bistro Chez Lucienne, 308 Lenox Avenue between 125th and 126th Streets, 212-289-5555. Take the #2 or #3 train to 125th Street, or go at the end of your Harlem walking tour. The menu is French, with an African accent, and the atmosphere is lovely, especially when sitting outdoors on a summer evening. Recommended by Jane and Graham from Scotland (and by me.) Down the block is this summer’s hottest ticket, the Red Rooster, tel 212-792-9001, for “American comfort food.” Brunch and lunch served, as well as dinner. Dinner entrees for both restaurants are in the $20-30 range. (Scroll down for information on Harlem church services as well as additional restaurant recommendations.) Between The Parks guests have also recommended Sisters Caribbean Cuisine, at 124th Street off Madison Avenue. In East Harlem, where the flavor is more Spanish, I like El Paso, at Lexington and 104th Street. (The also own restaurants on 116th and 97th.)
Chinatown for dim sum: 88 Palace, 88 East Broadway, 2nd fl., nr. Forsythe St. , 212-941-8886. The best dim sum brunch! A huge, noisy place, and low prices. It’s located underneath the Manhattan Bridge entry, inside the 88 East Broadway shopping mall and up the stairs. My guest Kal from Israel and I ate until we were full for a total bill of $13 plus tip.
When you’re not eating or enjoying the outdoor café scene:
Lincoln Center – The Atrium, between West 62 and 63 Streets on Broadway. Want discounted tix for the New York Philharmonic? NYC Ballet? Jazz at Lincoln Center? Enjoy a quiet cup of coffee or hear free live music? The Box Office at the Rubenstein Atrium sells same-day tickets at half price, beginning at noon. It is very common to pick up excellent orchestra seats. In addition, there is a free music event every Thursday evening. And there’s a self-serve cafe and wi-fi. Check the website for exact hours and subscribe to their website in advance of your trip, so that you have an idea of what’s coming up.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, between 79th and 86th Streets.
Of course, you know about the Met Museum, but did you know that you can walk to it from our b&b through Central Park in 20 minutes? A lovely stroll, and I’m happy to lend you my membership card.
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, between 77th and 81st Streets. What can I say. It is simply wonderful, and it’s just down the street from our B&B. Open every day.
American Folk Art Museum, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street. Right in our background we have a gem of a museum, devoted to traditional fine arts and crafts created by self-taught artists from the 18th century to the present. Among its treasures is one of the finest collections of American quilts. In addition to viewing the collection and special exhibits on their own, visitors can take free tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1pm, and enjoy free musical events such as Guitar Afternoon Wednesdays at 2 pm and Free Music Fridays, live music each Friday, 5:30–7:30 pm.
US Post Office, 127 W 83rd St, is our local post office.
NY Public Library – St Agnes Branch, 82nd St and Amsterdam Ave. Our local branch library has computers available for your use. And it’s a lovely library, newly renovated.
The Town Shop, 81st St and Broadway, Ladies, the best experience you’ll ever have buying lingerie! Hosiery, sleepwear, swimwear & undies. Let a saleslady fit you for a bra or bathing suit. You’ll come out looking like a million bucks!
Harry’s Shoes, 83rd St and Broadway, Harry’s specializes in COMFORTABLE shoes, boots & sandals for men, women & kids. For women, especially corporate professionals, seeking an alternative to “killer” high heels, Harry’s is a lifesaver.
Zabar’s, 80th and Broadway: You’ve never experienced anything like it! Great coffee, bagels & pastries at corner cafe, the BEST place in NYC to buy food from all over the world, and the best selection and prices for housewares upstairs. Lox and bagels, home-baked rugelach, cheese, deli, chocolate, ambience! Visit on Sunday, when the store is jammed and you can eat your way up and down the aisles, as samples are given out throughout the store.
Going Uptown to Harlem?
Many guests ask about attending a Gospel service during their stay. Here are some of their suggestions. Please note that this has become a very popular tourist activity and a “mixed blessing” for the Harlem churches. Please be respectful.
Abyssinian Baptist Church, W 138th St between Powell and Malcolm X Boulevards.
If you are interested in visiting a Harlem church and hearing a gospel choir, and you don’t want to join the busloads of Sunday tourists, my guests Olivier and Aude recommend the “quieter” Wednesday 7pm service at perhaps the most famous African-American congregation. Visitors to all Harlem churches and New York houses of worship should download Abyssinian’s Tourist Policy and pay special attention to dress code and expectation that you stay for the entire service.
Bethel Gospel Assembly, at 120th Street of Fifth Avenue, is a more intimate alternative for a Sunday morning Gospel service. My guests Leanne and Geoff from Australia were welcomed warmly to the 11 am service, where they were part of a very small group of visitors. The entire service lasts three hours. Afterwards, my guests enjoyed lunch at Sisters Caribbean Cuisine, at 124th Street off Madison Avenue.
For additional suggestions, read this New York Magazine article. Recent b&b guests tell me that New Mt. Zion Baptist Church only allows 20 visitors to attend their Sunday morning service, so arrive early. The NY Daily News recently profiled several Harlem houses of worship.
Check out Harlem One Stop, for loads of information on walking tours, museums, restaurants and cultural events throughout Upper Manhattan. And there is a new visitors’ information kiosk in the lobby of the Studio Museum of Harlem, at 125th Street, near Lenox Av.
Fast food? There’s life beyond McDonald’s: When you’re out and about and want a quick lunch, Cosi, Au Bon Pain, Pret A Manger, and Le Pain Quotidien are “chain” restaurants that offer satisfying sandwiches, salads, and desserts at reasonable prices, with fast services. Eat in or take out and sit in a park and watch the world go by. (Try lunch in Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library.) The food carts that dot midtown and downtown Manhattan can also be great choices. I’m a fan of the “halal” carts that are rapidly replacing the venerable (but questionably fresh and sanitary) hot dog vendors. Read this article about the halal cart at 53rd and 6th Avenue — it’s my favorite when I’m in Midtown!
