Nothing screams New York like an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. Whether you’re recovering from a hangover on the couch or exploring the city, be sure to start your day at one of these bagel shops.
Bagel Bob’s
Bagel Bob’s has two locations: one on University Place in Greenwich Village and one on York Avenue in the Upper East Side. The Greenwich Village outpost is pretty small and they don’t have a grill, which means that the baconeggandcheese fans will have to convert to the scallion cream cheese on an everything bagel side for a day. To make up for it, they do have a pretty wide selection of cream cheeses, including some interesting flavors like peanut butter, olive and Nutella. Also of note is that Bagel Bob’s is cash only.
51 University Pl., Greenwich Village | 1641 York Ave., Upper East Side
Bagel Boss
Bagel Boss is becoming somewhat of a small empire: They have three locations in the city, one in New Jersey, and 12 on Long Island (and most of them are kosher). They were out of American and cheddar cheese when I visited (I guess the Sunday of Halloweekend is a popular day for hungover BECs), so I ordered mine with pepper jack. It was surprisingly delicious and also had one of the best cheese pulls I’ve ever had on a BEC. Aside from the typical breakfast orders, they also offer breakfast burritos, omelettes, and signature deli sandwiches.
263 1st Ave., East Village | 544 3rd Ave., Murray Hill | 55 E Houston St., Nolita
Bagels and More
Bagels and More is a no-frills, deli-vibe bagel shop, making it great for when you want to get in, get your breakfast, and get out. As the name suggests, they make more than just bagels. There are also a lot of great deli sandwiches like the Southwest — with chicken cutlet, cheddar, lettuce, avocado, and chipotle mayo — and the NYPD — with grilled chicken, Swiss, bacon, lettuce, and tomato.
365 W 34th St., Midtown West
Best Bagel and Coffee
If you don’t feel like waiting in line at Liberty Bagels, Best Bagels and Coffee is right across the street and a good second option. Despite the name, I wouldn’t say it’s the best bagel I’ve ever had but you’re in New York so you really can’t go wrong anywhere. Would highly recommend a bacon egg and cheese with hot sauce on an everything bagel.
225 W 35th St., Midtown West
Black Seed Bagels
Black Seed Bagels opened its first location in 2014 and now has nearly 10 locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. While bagels at any NYC establishment is almost guaranteed to be good, Black Seed is is led by a James Beard-nominated executive chef and head baker, giving them a leg up on the competition. Unlike some other notable bagel shops in the city, there’s not a crazy long line (especially if you sleep late and don’t eat breakfast until 1 p.m. on weekends).
200 Vesey St., Battery Park City | 379 Suydam St., Bushwick | 75 9th Ave., Chelsea | 176 First Ave., East Village | 170 Elizabeth St., Nolita | 1188 Broadway, Nomad | 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rockefeller Center | 214 Berry St., Williamsburg
Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company
Featured on Food Network as the “Best Bagel in NYC,” Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company has locations throughout Manhattan and Queens. Their bagels ARE excellent, as are their hashbrowns, which I like to get on an everything bagel with egg and cheese. They also have crazy cream cheese flavors like pimento olive, cannoli, and honey bacon sriracha.
63 E 8th St., Greenwich Village | 286 8th Ave., Chelsea | 35-09 Ditmars Blvd., Long Island City | 3505 Broadway, Astoria | 36-14 30th Ave., Astoria
Daily Bagel
A massive storefront on the Upper East Side, Daily Bagel is great for having a sit-down breakfast. Daily Bagel is a 180 compared to all of the tiny bagel places with no seating where you have to fight through the crowd just to get to the counter. If you Google Daily Bagel, it’s described as an “unfussy” counter-serve shop, and I could not have picked a better word. In addition to serving bagels, it is also a full deli so you can get specialty deli sandwiches and wraps.
1111 1st Ave., Upper East Side
Davidovich Bakery
If you’re in the East Village/Lower East Side, you’re sure to come across one of their locations. They don’t serve regular bacon, but their turkey bacon is a good substitution for a BEC. They also have baked goods, salads, and sandwiches.
36 Avenue A, East Village | 195 Bleecker St., Lower East Side | 79 Clinton St., Lower East Side | 88 Essex St. (inside Essex Market), Lower East Side
Ess-A-Bagel
Ess-A-Bagel is easily one of the most popular bagel spots in New York. There are a few locations now due to its popularity, but the flagship is in Midtown East. Come hungry, but be prepared to wait in a line that’s out the door. These bagels are hands down the doughiest I’ve ever had. Whatever’s in the water in New York that makes bagels so good, their bagels have extra. However, I would definitely stick to one of their many cream cheese flavors; I didn’t think their eggs were that good/fresh.
831 3rd Ave., Midtown East | 108 W 32nd St., Midtown | 324 First Ave., Gramercy
Liberty Bagels
Home of the rainbow bagel, Liberty Bagels in Midtown offers a breakfast that looks good and tastes even better. Their bagels are soft and doughy and everything you want your morning carbs to be. This spot is definitely worth multiple visits so you can work your way through the menu. While Liberty Bagels is well-known, it doesn’t have as long of a wait as bagel hot spots like Ess-A-Bagel and Tompkins Square Bagels.
260 W 35th St., Midtown West
Popup Bagels
Popup Bagels’ slogan is “not famous, but known,” but the line outside the store says otherwise. Their bagels are made fresh to order and come piping hot. The schmears are so unbelievably creamy, and they have a hot honey butter that I might have liked even better than the cream cheese. They don’t put the butter/cream cheese on the bagel, so it’s more of a tear-and-dip situation. It’s a feral, yet fun way to eat breakfast.
177 Thompson St., Greenwich Village
Russ & Daughters
Open since 1914, Russ & Daughters is a New York City institution. They do deli-style ordering where you take a number and wait for them to call it. Even when it’s super crowded, it’s pretty quiet inside because everyone is listening for their number. On the opposite side of the deli is their bakery where you can get sweets like assorted chocolates, black and white cookies, and babka bread. There’s even a line at 1:30 p.m. on weekends, which definitely isn’t as long as it would be during the breakfast rush, but this is another spot where you want to get there early to avoid waiting.
179 E Houston St., Lower East Side
Tompkins Square Bagels
Tompkins Square Bagels has two locations in the East Village, but the one on Avenue A, which is right across the street from Tompkins Square Park, is the OG. Any good bagel shop in the city is going to have a line on the weekends, and this is definitely one of them. They at least speed up the process by taking your order while in line. My go-to is an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, partly because it’s delicious and partly because it’s quick and will be ready by the time I get to the counter (anything that has to be made in the kitchen takes longer). Get there early or carve out an extra 30 minutes of waiting time.
165 Avenue A, East Village | 184 2nd Ave., East Village
Coffee and Countries 