Because NYC has so many food options and we ate at so many good places, we’ve had to divide this into a couple of posts. Here’s the places around the East Village, Soho and Tribeca that we found, ate at and thought were good enough to recommend to you.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
Ever since we’d had ‘Momofuku inspired’ pork buns in KL, I’d been dying to try the real thing. This place has a massive waiting list every night. Even if you turn up when it opens like us, you’ll likely have to wait. The food was awesome though. We tried ramen, pork buns, chicken wings and finished off with soft-serve ice-cream. There’s so many awesome places though in this end of town, so if you don’t feel like waiting, don’t. Or try again tomorrow.
Ferns
We happened across this place on our way to Momofuku and were kind of glad that we could catch a drink here while we waited for our table across the way. This place is beautiful inside and out. The drinks were good and the curly fries tasty (perfect for first dinner). You kind of feel ridiculous drinking a Manhattan in Manhattan, so I left that to Mike and just had the photo.
Bua
While we didn’t order food in this East Village spot, we spotted it and chose it for our NYE. It’s chill and has a good atmosphere, so stop in for a drink. And no, we didn’t make it to midnight, our youth has gone.
Miss Lilly’s
Damn, this place is good. The Jerk chicken and the corn. wow. And we can’t say no to hot sauce. Could have eaten this meal for the next 7 days straight. Cool place with a funky vibe and good tunes. It’s not pretentious and stood out from other spots in the East Village. Did we mention the chicken?
Heavens Hot Bagel
Another good bagel joint and judging by the lack of crowds, quite underrated. They keep it simple and simple works. Why queue for an hour uptown when these are just as good?
Beauty and Essex
If you want a fancy dinner in NY, this will probably be it. A beautiful dining experience, hidden behind a Pawn shop on Essex Street. We ordered about 5 dishes to share and were pretty full after that. While the place is a little pretentious, you don’t need to be. 
Gotan
If you’re heading through Tribeca and need a wee sit down, stop off for a coffee in Gotan. It’s easy and roomy and they serve coffee and food.
Russ & Daughters
This place has been around for years and offers Jewish food and drinks. It was a different experience for us, with latkes and Beetroot soup, but we enjoyed it, liked the decor and left feeling very full.
Baz Bagel & Restaurant
Again, loved everything about this place. Set up like a retro diner, but modern in all the right ways, this place is the place to go for breakfast in Lower Manhattan. Mike got a bagel, I got delicious pancakes and a full stomach. Oh and order the Egg Cream (Chocolate syrup, milk and sparkling water). A new experience, but i liked it.
Bin No 220
A small and cozy wine bar serving up good mulled wine and drinks. We stopped off to rest our weary feet when we were exploring the depths of lower Manhattan. It’s a pleasant place for a stop.
Katz Deli
It’s on the list, because well, it has to be. We had to go and I guess you do too. It’s an NY institution. Our advice would be to go for breakfast to avoid the queues and order a Ruben Sandwich between two.
And that’s our NY food guide wrapped up, not so succinctly in three parts. If you missed the first two – Part 1 – A guide to eating in Midtown, and Part 2 – Where to eat in Chelsea. Happy eating folks.