Best Jewish Delis in NYC
The 10 best Jewish delis in NYC, checked against official sites, James Beard records, and MICHELIN listings, from Katz's to a Bronx original.
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- 1Lower East Side · $$$ · 2 Av (F) · 205 E Houston St
Also No. 1 on Best Sandwiches in Manhattan → · No. 1 on Best Late-Night Eats in NYC →
Cafeteria-style pastrami-and-corned-beef deli running continuously since 1888, famous for its ticket system, hand-carved meat counter, and the 'When Harry Met Sally' table.
Because it holds a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in The MICHELIN Guide New York 2025, a harder-earned mark than simply being famous.
Order Hand-carved pastrami on rye with a Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda.
Hold onto the paper ticket they hand you at the door and tip the counter man cash while he carves your sandwich, or you will pay a search fee trying to leave without it.
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 - 2Lower East Side · $$$ · 2 Av (F) · 179 E Houston St
Also No. 1 on Best Bagels in Manhattan → · No. 2 on Best of the Lower East Side →
Fourth-generation family 'appetizing' shop since 1914, hand-sliced smoked salmon, sturgeon, herring, and caviar sold from the original storefront counter.
Because the same family has run it from the same Houston Street storefront since 1914, four generations running.
Order Classic Nova smoked salmon on a hand-sliced bagel.
Go on a weekday morning if you want to skip the weekend line, and ask for the salmon sliced thin the old way.
Photo: Kidfly182, CC BY-SA 4.0 - 3Upper West Side · $$ · 86 St (1) · 541 Amsterdam Avenue
"The Sturgeon King," an appetizing counter and sit-down restaurant since 1908, known for sturgeon, sable, and scrambled eggs with lox and onions.
Because it won a James Beard Foundation America's Classics award in 2006 and still operates from the same Amsterdam Avenue address.
Order Scrambled eggs with sturgeon, lox, and onions.
Go for weekend breakfast and order the eggs with sturgeon rather than lox, it's the dish the place is actually named for.
@barneygreengrassnyc ↗Barney Greengrass
From @barneygreengrassnyc on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 4Midtown East · $$$ · 33 St (6) · 162 E 33rd St
Also No. 4 on Best Sandwiches in Manhattan →
Classic kosher-style deli since 1954, matzo ball soup, chopped liver, pastrami, corned beef, and tongue, now at two Manhattan locations.
Because it won a James Beard Foundation America's Classics award in 1998, one of the earlier delis to be recognized that way.
Order The pastrami and corned beef combo on rye.
Start with a bowl of matzo ball soup and split a pastrami-and-corned-beef combo, the portions run large enough for two people.
@2ndavedeli ↗2nd Ave Deli
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From @2ndavedeli on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 5Lower East Side · $$ · Delancey St-Essex St (F J M Z) · 127 Orchard Street
Sit-down offshoot of Russ & Daughters, opened 2014 on the shop's 100th anniversary, serving the same appetizing menu restaurant-style with cocktails and egg creams.
Because it has held a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand for ten straight years as of the 2025 Guide, longer than most restaurants stay open at all.
Order A classic egg cream alongside the whitefish salad platter.
Go for breakfast on a weekday, last seating is 2:30pm Monday through Thursday and the wait is much shorter than at dinner.
@russanddaughters ↗Russ & Daughters Cafe
From @russanddaughters on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 6Upper West Side · $$ · 79 St (1) · 2245 Broadway
Legendary appetizing counter and specialty-food store since 1934, smoked fish, bagels, caviar, and deli salads under one roof.
Because it has operated from the same Broadway address since 1934, more than 90 years at this point.
Order Sable and cream cheese on a fresh-baked bagel.
Skip the small upstairs cafe and work the ground-floor counter for smoked fish by the pound instead, it's cheaper and it's what regulars do.
@zabars ↗Zabar's
From @zabars on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 7Murray Hill · $$ · 548 Third Avenue
Old-school deli-diner hybrid since 1964, towering pastrami sandwiches, matzo ball soup, and full diner menu in one dining room.
Because despite its old reputation as a 24-hour spot, it now posts dine-in hours of 10am to 10pm daily, so check before planning a late-night run.
Order A classic pastrami and tongue combo on rye.
Ask for the sandwich cut lean if you don't want a half-pound of meat between two slices of rye, the standard cut is enormous.
@sargesdelinyc ↗Sarge's Delicatessen & Diner
From @sargesdelinyc on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 8Upper East Side · $$ · 77 St (6) · 1125 Lexington Avenue
Kosher pastrami deli tracing its lineage to 1956 (as Pastrami King in Williamsburg, then Kew Gardens), renamed Pastrami Queen and relocated to the Upper East Side in 1998.
Because its pastrami lineage traces back to 1956, even though today it runs as a single Upper East Side counter rather than the multi-location footprint sometimes claimed for it.
Order Hand-carved pastrami on rye, hot off the steamer.
The Lexington Avenue counter also ships nationally, so if you're not in the city, the sandwich can still find you.
@therealpastramiqueen ↗Pastrami Queen
From @therealpastramiqueen on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 9Riverdale · $$ · 238 St (1) · 552 West 235th Street, Bronx, NY 10463
The last standing Jewish deli in the Bronx, serving pastrami, corned beef, and kosher-style deli classics since 1953.
Because it is the last Jewish deli still standing in the Bronx, a status NYT Cooking's own reporting on the borough confirms.
Order Pastrami on rye, the sandwich NYT Cooking came here to film.
It's a counter-and-tables operation, not fine dining, so order at the register and grab your own seat once the food is up.
- 10Mill Basin · $$ · 5823 Avenue T, Brooklyn, NY 11234
Kosher deli and informal art gallery since 1974, serving pastrami, matzo ball soup, and deli classics beneath original works attributed to Chagall and Erte.
Because the walls are hung with works attributed to Chagall and Erte, likely making it the only deli in the city doubling as an art gallery.
Order Matzo ball soup followed by a pastrami sandwich, eaten under the art.
It's closed Mondays, so call ahead before making the trip out to deep Brooklyn.
@mill_basin_kosher_deli ↗Mill Basin Kosher Delicatessen
From @mill_basin_kosher_deli on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
Good to know
- What is the best Jewish deli in NYC?
- Katz's Delicatessen on the Lower East Side tops the list. It has run continuously since 1888 as a cafeteria-style pastrami and corned beef deli, famous for its ticket system and hand-carved meat counter, and it holds a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in The MICHELIN Guide New York 2025.
- What should I order at Katz's, and how does the ticket system work?
- The hand-carved pastrami on rye with a Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda is the order. Hold onto the paper ticket handed to you at the door and tip the counter man cash while he carves your sandwich, since leaving without the ticket means paying a search fee.
- Which of these delis have won James Beard awards?
- Barney Greengrass on Amsterdam Avenue won a James Beard Foundation America's Classics award in 2006, and 2nd Ave Deli won the same award in 1998.
- Is there a Jewish deli in the Bronx or Brooklyn worth a trip?
- Liebman's Kosher Delicatessen on West 235th Street is the last Jewish deli still standing in the Bronx, a status NYT Cooking's own reporting confirms. Mill Basin Kosher Delicatessen in Brooklyn has served pastrami and matzo ball soup since 1974 beneath works attributed to Chagall and Erte. It is closed Mondays.