Best Dumplings in Manhattan
The 10 best dumplings in Manhattan, Chinatown soup dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, Shanghai xiao long bao, and the new openings driving the 2026 dumpling surge.
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- 1Chinatown · $$ · Canal St (6 J N Q R W Z) · 46 Bowery
Also No. 2 on Best of Chinatown → · No. 3 on Best Dumplings in NYC →
Map ↗verified 10w agoA Bowery Chinatown institution opened in 1995 and credited as the spot that introduced Manhattan to the Shanghai-style soup dumpling, communal tables, brusque service, and a soup-dumpling order written on every checked-off ticket.
Because Joe's Shanghai is the Manhattan soup dumpling default, the broth inside the wrapper is rich without being greasy, the pork-and-crab variant is still one of the best XLB upgrades in the borough, and the price has barely moved.
Order Crab and pork soup dumplings (eight per order), plus scallion pancake.
Order the crab-and-pork XLB rather than the plain pork, the crab roe lifts the broth in a way that the standard pork version does not, and the supplement is only a few dollars per order.
Photo: Alexis Lamster (amlamster), CC BY 2.0 Photo: Alexis Lamster (amlamster), CC BY 2.0 - 2East Village · $$ · East Broadway (F) · 15 St Marks Pl
The Manhattan branch of the legendary Flushing soup-dumpling specialist, opened on East Broadway and immediately shifted the Manhattan XLB conversation toward higher-pleat-count, lighter-broth dumplings made to order.
Because Nan Xiang's pleat count (eighteen versus the Joe's standard twelve) makes a measurable difference, the wrapper is thinner at the top, the broth volume per dumpling is larger, and the ginger-vinegar dip ratio is calibrated to that lighter style.
Order The classic pork XLB plus the seasonal truffle variant if available.
Order the truffle-and-pork XLB if it is on the seasonal board, Nan Xiang runs limited-edition flavors that sell out by the early dinner shift on weekends.
Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim, CC BY 2.0 Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim, CC BY 2.0 - 3Chinatown · $$ · Canal St (6 J N Q R W Z) · 100 Mott St
A late-night Mott Street Chinatown counter open until 1 a.m., Shanghai Cafe Deluxe is the go-to post-bar XLB landing, with a wider Shanghainese menu than Joe's and a slightly thicker wrapper that holds for takeout.
Because Shanghai Cafe Deluxe runs the most reliable late-night XLB in Chinatown, the kitchen keeps the steamers running past midnight, and the takeout containers are engineered to keep the broth from splitting on the cab ride home.
Order Pork XLB (eight pieces) plus the pan-fried sheng jian bao.
Order the dumplings to-go if you live nearby, the takeout dumplings hold their broth better than other Chinatown XLB shops because of the slightly thicker dough recipe.
- 4Lower East Side · $ · Grand St (B D) · 118 Eldridge St
Also No. 6 on Best Dumplings in NYC → · No. 7 on Best Cheap Eats in Manhattan →
Map ↗verified 10w agoA 1999 Eldridge Street counter on the Lower East Side, boiled pork-and-chive jiaozi at four-for-a-dollar territory, plus a sesame-pancake-with-meat sandwich that has been the LES post-bar staple for two decades.
Because Vanessa's defines the budget-dumpling tier, eight boiled jiaozi for under five dollars is unbeatable in Manhattan, and the sesame-pancake meat sandwich is one of the best $4 LES bites still in operation.
Order Boiled pork-and-chive jiaozi (eight pieces) and the sesame pancake with pork.
Add the sesame pancake stuffed with the boiled dumplings and roast pork, the staff will assemble it as a sandwich on request and it doubles as the most efficient meal-per-dollar in Chinatown.
@vanessasdumplinghouse ↗Vanessa's Dumpling House
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- 5Chinatown · $ · Canal St (6 J N Q R W Z) · 1 Doyers StMap ↗verified 10w ago
A Doyers Street Chinatown counter where the dough is hand-pulled to noodle length in front of guests, alongside the pulled noodles, a serious lineup of boiled and pan-fried dumplings comes off the same kitchen.
Because Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles is the rare Chinatown spot where you can watch the dough being pulled, and the pan-fried dumplings (potstickers) come out crisper than at the steam-only counters.
Order Pan-fried lamb dumplings and a small bowl of hand-pulled beef noodle soup.
Order the boiled and pan-fried dumplings together, splitting the order across two textures lets you compare the wrapper handling at the same kitchen station.
Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim (edenpictures), CC BY 2.0 Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim (edenpictures), CC BY 2.0 - 6
Shu Jiao Fu Zhou▲ buzzing
Chinatown · $ · Grand St (B D) · 295 Grand StAlso No. 4 on Best Dumplings in NYC →
Map ↗verified 10w agoA Fuzhounese-style Eldridge Street counter focused on hand-folded boiled dumplings, peanut noodles, and pork wontons in chili oil, counter seating, no-frills room, all-cash for most of its history.
Because Shu Jiao Fu Zhou is the cleanest example of Fuzhounese-style boiled dumplings in Manhattan, the wrapper texture is bouncier than the Shanghainese style and the chili-oil pork wontons are an LES benchmark.
Order Pork wontons in chili oil plus a side of cold peanut noodles.
Order the cold peanut noodles alongside the wontons, the peanut sauce at this counter is sweeter and looser than the version at most Chinatown spots and works as a counterpoint to the chili oil.
@shujiaofuzhou ↗Shu Jiao Fu Zhou
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- 7Chinatown · $$$ · Canal St (6 J N Q R W Z) · 42 E Broadway
Also No. 6 on Best of Chinatown → · No. 7 on Best Dumplings in NYC →
Map ↗verified 10w agoA 1967-era Szechuan icon revived in 2017 on East Broadway, Hwa Yuan re-opened with the original family's recipes and a serious dumpling section featuring Sichuan-style chili-oil wontons and boiled jiaozi.
Because Hwa Yuan brought serious Sichuan dumpling work back to Chinatown, the Chongqing-style chili-oil wontons here use a chili oil bloomed with ten different spices, and the result is the most layered chili-oil sauce in Manhattan.
Order Sichuan chili-oil pork wontons plus the cold sesame jelly noodles.
Sit at a banquette in the upstairs dining room rather than downstairs, the upstairs kitchen turns out the dumplings faster and the chili-oil temperature is more consistent at the table.
@hwa.yuan.nyc ↗Hwa Yuan Szechuan
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- 8Chinatown · $$ · Canal St (6 J N Q R W Z) · 69 Mott StMap ↗verified 10w ago
A Mott Street Shanghainese mid-tier room, 456 Shanghai Cuisine is the date-night Chinatown XLB option for guests who want a sit-down dining-room experience rather than the communal-table Joe's Shanghai format.
Because 456 is the more comfortable XLB room in Chinatown, the dining room is quieter, the service is faster, and the soup dumplings come out in well-presented bamboo steamers rather than disposable plates.
Order Crab-and-pork XLB plus the lion's-head meatball with bok choy.
Reserve a table for parties of four or more, the room turns over fast and walk-ins for groups bigger than three usually wait longer than at the bar-style counter spots nearby.
@456newshanghai ↗456 New Shanghai
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- 9West Village · $$$$ · 8 Av (A C E L) · 529 1/2 Hudson St
Also No. 9 on Best Dumplings in NYC →
Map ↗verified 10w agoA small Hudson Street West Village basement room from the RedFarm team, primarily a Peking duck destination, with a serious selection of dumpling-section appetizers including soup dumplings filled with Peking duck broth.
Because Decoy's Peking-duck-broth XLB is the most original soup dumpling in Manhattan, the broth uses a duck-bone reduction instead of pork stock, and the result is richer than any traditional XLB on this list.
Order The Peking duck dinner with the duck-broth soup dumpling course.
Reserve the Peking duck dinner package three weeks ahead, the duck portion is the entry point, and the dumpling courses are tied to the duck-shop schedule rather than the regular dinner menu.
- 10East Village · $$ · Astor Pl (6) · 13 Saint Marks PlMap ↗verified 10w ago
A Saint Marks Place East Village counter focused on Shanghainese dumplings and bao, a younger, smaller, more design-forward room than the Chinatown veterans, with a tighter menu and a faster pace.
Because The Bao runs the cleanest non-Chinatown XLB in Manhattan, the East Village location avoids the Chinatown-only stigma some uptown diners cite, and the dumpling kitchen is run by Shanghai-trained chefs.
Order Pork XLB (eight pieces) and the pan-fried pork bao.
Sit at the counter overlooking the dumpling station, the pleating happens in front of the seats and the wait between order and steamer is the shortest at that vantage.
@thebaony ↗The Bao
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Good to know
- What is the best dumpling in Manhattan?
- Our current #1 reflects a blend of editorial sourcing from Eater, The Infatuation, Time Out, and Grub Street, plus live community votes. The order shifts as votes come in — what is first today may not be first tomorrow.
- What are xiao long bao?
- Xiao long bao (XLB) are Shanghai-style soup dumplings — pleated thin-skin dumplings filled with hot pork broth and a meat ball that releases liquid into the wrapper during steaming. Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown is the most-cited Manhattan XLB; Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao opened a Manhattan branch with a higher pleat-count and lighter broth.
- How much do dumplings cost in Manhattan?
- A six-piece order of soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai or Shanghai Cafe is $9 to $14. Eight-piece boiled jiaozi at Vanessa's start at $4. Higher-end dumpling counters (Decoy Peking duck, Hwa Yuan Szechuan) sit at $14 to $22 per order. Most Chinatown dumpling tabs land under $25 per person.
- Where is the best soup dumpling in Manhattan?
- Joe's Shanghai on Pell Street has been the default Manhattan answer since 1995. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao's Manhattan location is the precision-pleat alternative. Shanghai Cafe Deluxe on Mott Street is the late-night go-to. The order on this page reflects votes plus editorial sourcing.
- Are there hand-pulled noodle dumplings in Manhattan?
- Yes — Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles on Doyers Street pulls noodles to order and serves several boiled and pan-fried dumpling varieties alongside the noodle soups. Several Eldridge Street shops also offer hand-folded jiaozi made on premise.