New York, undoubtedly, is home to an outstanding volume of bagels. Some say it is the “hard water”, but its probably because of the deep bagel culture.
You can’t travel within a block without hitting at least one dedicated place to grab a stunning whole-wheat everything bagel.
But when it comes to the warmest, tastiest, softest bagels with the most mouth-watering spread in New York, things get more serious.
So we’ve created a handy guide for where to get the best bagels NYC has to offer. Start your bagel journey now!
1. Ess-a-bagel
Ess-a-bagel is a classic New York bagel shop, which has been the local’s favorite since 1976. So, if you want a bagel with as much puff as it has history, head to Ess-a-bagel. This is a must-visit bagel spot in New York!
Start your own adventure with a doughy, fluffy everything, pumpernickel, or cinnamon raisin bagel, and schmear it with all manner of decadent cream cheese options. Especially the Cinnamon Raisin Bagels are extremely soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, with a delicious taste you can’t resist!
You choose the Jalapeno Cream Cheese, a spicy and savory take on regular cream cheese – just a touch of heat to make it perky, to spread on. Or go for a sandwich from their curated menu of NYC faves, any of them!
What to order: Half Dozen Bagels, Strawberry Cream Cheese, Jalapeno Cream Cheese
Address: 831 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022
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2. Bagel Hole
Having been serving the best bagels in New York for over 30 years, the family-run Bagel Hole is the place you need to go if you’re in search of delicious bagels, fresh vegetable salads, and a large selection of mouth-watering fish and cheese products!
Everything about Bagel Hole is plain and simple with 11 flavors of bagels since it first opened until now. Don’t hesitate to make a try with Everything With Cream Cheese with a golden brown shell, soft white center, and crunchy edges that give you a satisfying cracking sound with every bite!
Scramble Eggs On Bagel or Jalapeno Cheddar & Bacon On Bagel is no less delicious! They also have some top-notch sandwiches, wraps, and soups that satisfy the most discerning tastes and preferences. You’ll love it!
What to order: Scramble Eggs On Bagel, Jalapeno Cheddar & Bacon On Bagel, Plain Cream Cheese On Bagel, Everything With Cream Cheese
Address: 400 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
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3. Absolute Bagels
Absolute Bagels has long been the hidden gem of the locals for serving freshly boiled bagels in their perfect form for years. If you come here by lunchtime, prepare to wait for at least 30 minutes to try their tasty and budget-priced bagels. But trust us, it’s all worth it!
The bright orange Egg Bagel is their crowd-pleaser with a classic malty and sweet taste. And so is Everything Bagel, spread them with the salty and smoky whitefish salad, or scallion cream cheese for an explosion of flavor!
There is still a respectable array of toppings and flavors to choose from, highlights include bacon-cheddar cream cheese, walnut raisin, strawberry cream cheese, and sun-dried tomato. Absolute Bagels also makes fantastic Thai iced tea, so don’t forget to grab one!
What to order: Bagel With Scallion Cream Cheese, Bagel With Bacon Cheddar Cream Cheese, Egg Bagel, Thai Iced Tea
Address: 2788 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
4. Russ & Daughters
Russ & Daughters has been offering top-notch bagels and bialys since 1914. Until now, people still keep coming back for more of their soft and chewy bagels filled with mouth-watering cream cheese, smoked fish, or pastrami-cured salmon!
The Russ & Daughters bagel experience should not exist without smoked fish, so hesitate no more, order a bagel with any choice of fish toppings! You can either choose Smoked Salmon or Lox to start with, they are both surprisingly tasty and you’re going to be their repeat customer because of them!
For sweeter ones, go for Cinnamon Bagel and Salted Caramel Bagel. While the Cinnamone bagel has complex flavors and nuanced sweetness from the raisins, balanced out with the warming spice of cinnamon, the Salted Caramel has a perfectly smooth seasoning with deep caramel flavor and just the right amount of savory!
What to order: Cinnamon Bagel, Horseradish-dill Cream Cheese Bagel, Salted Caramel Bagel, Smoked Salmon Bagel
Address:
– 141 Flushing Ave Building 77, Brooklyn, NY 11205
– 179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002, United States
– 127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002, United States
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5. David’s Bagels
If bagels and coffee for early breakfast sound perfect to you, then David’s Bagels is your next go-to place! Come by and enjoy your soft, buttery, fluffy bagels on a peaceful morning at David’s Bagels!
Must-try is the Pumpernickel Bagel with an earthy and slightly sweet taste. You can choose to top them with smoked salmon and cream cheese. But honestly, they taste delicious with just plain butter and jam!
Other standard flavors are poppy, sesame, pumpernickel, onion, rye whole wheat, salt, everything, egg, and raisin. Though you can’t find many unique flavors but trust us, those classic bagels have a reason to be famous. You can also consider some sandwich options like Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, or Hot Egg Sandwiches, which are mouth-watering as well!
What to order: Walnut Raisin Cream Cheese On Bagels, Pumpernickel Bagels, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Hot Egg Sandwiches
Address: 273 1st Ave., New York, NY 10003
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6. Apollo Bagels
Apollo Bagels is a wandering bagel shop, it sounds strange, we know, but that’s how Apollo works! If you want to try their simple yet scrumptious bagels, you have to continuously check where the bagels will be next on their Instagram. And most importantly, they only serve until 2 pm, so you’d better hurry up!
Since the owner of Apollo Bagels is one of the owners of Williamsburg pizzeria, who has taken his sourdough skills from pizza to bagels, you can say their bagels definitely have a light, chewy interior that feels nothing different from perfection.
Must-try includes Sourdough Bagel with Smoked Salmon, cream cheese, red onion, dill, and capers; and Sourdough Bagel with Cream Cheese. Once try out their bagels, you’ll know for sure all the waitings are worth it!
What to order: Sourdough Bagel with Smoked Salmon, Sourdough Bagel with Cream Cheese
Address: 123 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
7. Best Bagel & Coffee
Specializing in hand-rolled bagels baked daily with all-natural flavors, Best Bagel & Coffee stays true to its name when delivering a simple yet wonderful menu with only the freshest bagels in town, along with some more stunning sandwiches, and coffee in a cozy, friendly ambiance.
You can’t go wrong with their Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Bagel filled with sweet and spiced cream cheese, and dotted with nuts and raisins; the Blueberry Bagel has a shiny brown crust and bright purple interior with a sweet, lightly sour, buttery taste. Yummy!
For a savory one, try looking out for a Corned Beef Sandwich that comes up with salt-cured beef, melty mozzarella cheese, crunchy pickle chips, and spicy horseradish mayo. You can’t resist this tasty, packed-with-flavor goody!
What to order: Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Bagel, Blueberry Bagel, Corned Beef Sandwich, Chicken Parmesan
Address: 225 W 35th St A, New York, NY 10001
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8. Black Seed Bagels
Black Seed has widely been loved for its hand-rolled, poached, and wood-fired oven bagels since 2014. Their bagels are somewhere between Montreal style and New York style, meaning they are a little chewier yet smaller and less dense. Drop by and feast on your palate with their amazing bagels!
Their bagels tend to emphasize seeds like sesame and poppy. So, grab one of them and pair it with their house-made spreads like scallion cream cheese and smoked mackerel. You’d never regret having them!
Another crowd-pleaser is the Smoked Salmon Bagel, an open-face bagel toasted with smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato, and onions. You will be amazed by how the flavors explode on your palate!
What to order: Smoked Salmon Bagel, Sunflower Herb Cream Cheese Bagel, Salmon Classic Sandwich, Sesame Bagel
Address:
– 170 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012
– 1188 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
– 176 1st Ave., New York, NY 10009
– 200 Vesey St, New York, NY 10080
– 214 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
– 379 Suydam St, Brooklyn, NY 11237
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9. Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish
Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish is a kosher-style deli with around a dozen varieties of hand-rolled bagels, smoked fish, corned beef, and coffee. This vintage, lovely spot has always been the most popular hang-out spot in New York, as you might expect, the store can get really busy during breakfast and lunch!
At Zucker’s Bagels, you can mix and match a bunch of bagel varieties with schmears, salads, and smoked fish, or turn them into egg sandwiches. Whatever you get, don’t miss their Sun-dried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Bagels! The garlicky, rich taste is gonna get you!
The Hummus Bagel is one of their most famous ones as well with a creamy texture with a buttery flavor that is slightly nutty with just a hint of tartness. This will soon be on your to-try list!
What to order: Sesame Bagel, Sun-dried Tomato with Roasted Garlic Bagel, Hummus Bagel
Address:
– 40 E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010
– 370 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017
– 146 Chambers St, New York, NY 10007
– 1065 6th Ave, New York, NY 10018
– 273 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023
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10. Baz Bagel and Restaurant
While most great New York bagels are purchased over the counter, Baz Habel and Restaurant is where you can have your time checking the menu at a table without having to wait in line. Here at Baz, you can find all sorts of bagels from classic to modern ones, along with some good eggs, latkes, and salads if you’re looking to expand beyond bagels.
Even if you’re not a pumpernickel person, we still suggest you try the Pumpernickel Everything Bagel which comes in gorgeous color and rich flavor, sweetened with molasses. You can also try the Salty Honey Butter Bagel, which you can probably spot the buttery texture and sweet taste with a hint of umami since hearing that name!
If you’d rather have a full meal, then order the Baz Sandwich with nova salmon, scallion, and onions, or any of the Baz Original sandwiches can do you good. And end it right with the Lemon-scented Cheese Blintzes.
What to order: Salty Honey Butter Bagel, The Baz Sandwich, Cream Cheese Bagel Sandwich
Address: 181 Grand St, New York, NY 10013
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11. Sadelle’s
Whether you want a toasted everything bagel with seasoning, or an untoasted plain that still comes fresh out of the oven blistery and hot, Sadelle’s is a perfect place to stop by. While waiting for your favorite one to come out, you can enjoy people making bagels in the kitchen, which is pretty catching!
Settle down with their most famous Bagel Sandwich that packs all kinds of heat. You’ll be surprised by the overall complexion: spongy inside, crisp shell, and an ideal level of bread moisture. Then grab some of their Everything 2.0 bagel, especially the Roasted Garlic Bagel, you can’t resist the aroma!
One more special thing about this place is the Sadelle’s Tower, which comes with unlimited bagels that come out hot, along with spread and salad. And end it right with French Toast, who doesn’t love to have an eggy, sweet, soft treat that melts in your mouth immediately?
What to order: Bagel Sandwich, Sadelle’s Tower, French Toast, Cream Cheese Bagel
Address: 463 W Broadway, New York, NY 10012
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12. Bagel Pub
Bagel Pub is where you gonna find all the best hand-rolled, kettle-cooked bagels in varieties like cinnamon raisin, pumpernickel, and garlic in New York. Walk into Bagel Pub on the weekends and you’ll feel overwhelmed by the bustling ambiance along with the signature aroma of bagels being made in the back of the kitchen. And even though it sometimes gets busy at Bagel Pub, the bagels always come out piping hot.
Start with some classics like Cream Cheese Bagel with mixed berry and guacamole flavors, smoked fish, bacon, egg, and cheese. They are all tasty and worth every penny! If you’re in the mood for sandwiches, thank God, Bagel Pub has some really good deals here!
Grab that Grilled Chicken & Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich, the chicken is juicy, and tender, and tastes flawless with sundried tomatoes, melted mozzarella cheese, and balsamic glaze. For a lighter taste, go for the Apple & Cranberry Tuna Sandwich, you won’t regret it!
What to order: Grilled Chicken & Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich, Cream Cheese Bagel, Apple & Cranberry Tuna Sandwich
Address:
– 775 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
– 287 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
– 57 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
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We can never get enough of those soft, chewy, sipping hot bagels even when it’s served plain or with cream cheese. Hope that you’ve found your bagel dream place with our suggestion above! Keep your food journey going with these best restaurants in New York here.
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