Six Of The Best: Food Markets In New York
Sharing my six favourite food markets in New York!
Well, it’s about bloody time I started blogging about this month long trip to New York isn’t it?! It is NOT an exaggeration when I say I have SO much content to share! From neighbourhood guides, to advice on budgeting and spending costs if you’re looking to visit for a week or longer, to the best photo spots in the city and places to shop – it just took me a while to work out exactly how I was going to split up the content, but alas I think I have cracked it – YAY!
I thought I’d get started with a foodie post, as well as people seem to do here in NYC is eat and I am HERE FOR IT! There is honestly so many incredible food spots, from markets to swanky restaurants, food stalls and quick bites – there really is something for everyone here!
I wanted to kick off with my six favourite food markets in NYC as I bloody LOVE me a food market, they’re a much cheaper way to eat too rather than a sit down meal in New York, I find once they add on the tax & tip, It’s not always cheap to eat out, and if you’re looking to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner out then it really can add up!
Food markets are also great for grabbing a quick bite if you’re on the go and having a day of exploring – if it’s a slice of pizza, some Thai noodles or a Meixcan feast, these six markets have it all!
Three of them are in Manhattan and the other three in Brooklyn, all six are lush and well worth visiting if you get time! - If not, save it on your to-do list for next time as it’s *always great to have a reason to come back to NYC ;)
1: Chelsea Food Market
I had to start off with the Chelsea food market as it’s my favourite of the six and probably the first food market I visited in NYC a few years back! The Chelsea market has such an INCREDIBLE array of vendors – everything I’ve ever tried from here has been delicious, from pizza to Thai, and the dessert too! There really is something for everyone here, plus you’ll find cute shops which are great for a wander round too!
Once you’ve eaten I’d highly recommend exploring Chelsea and the Meatpacking district – two of my favourite areas in NYC, the area has so much charm and I adore the low rise buildings, it weirdly feels like New York, but it also doesn’t at the same time!
2: Canal Street Market
Kat and I discovered the Canal Street market a few years back as we were in search of bubble tea and someone had told us to go to Boba Guys – and oh my god we’ve never looked back! Boba Guys has to be my favourite bubble tea in NYC so if you’re a fan then this is definitely a stop off for you!!
The Canal Street Market is split into two sections, one section is selling clothes, gifts, flowers, art work etc from local designers (well worth checking out as they always have such cool stuff!), and the other is food and drink, there’s a good selection but it’s not massive. It’s great if you’re looking for a quick bite to eat (*cough some bubble tea!), would recommend checking this out if you’re in the Soho area!
3: Essex Market
I stopped by the Essex Market one day after a few of you guys recommended it and loved it! I was exploring the Lower East Side and decided to stop by! If you’re staying in an Airbnb / somewhere that has kitchen facilities then I’d definitely recommend checking out the Essex Market as there was lots of stalls selling delicious fresh produce which would be perfect for some home cooking!
That being said they still have plenty of stalls serving food – I stopped off for a burrito and it was delicious! I stopped by on a weekend and there was a pop up market going on with local artists selling paintings, jewellery and gifts – it was such a laid back vibe and one to check out if you’re in the area!
4: Time Out Market, Dumbo Brooklyn
If you’re planning to walk the Brooklyn Bridge then I would *highly recommend stopping off at the Time Out Market, I only recently discovered this market the other with Ben and I was SO happy we stumbled across it! There was so many great food stalls, we stopped off for some ramen and Gyoza’s which were delicious! We passed through the market on a Sunday and there was such a great vibe and wasn’t overly packed!
5: North 3rdStreet Market, Brooklyn
The North 3rdstreet market is a much smaller market, but actually still one of my favourites! I spent a lot of time working from here during my trip! I’d head there in the morning and grab an Acai bowl from Tap (VERY delicious!!), and then grab an iced latte from Champion (great coffee) and sit and do some work / read a book! There’s lot of seating here and people just chilling / reading / working from laptops.
I loved the vibe here, the people were so lovely! If you’re looking for a spot to work from or chill out and grab some food then this is the spot for you!! I only stopped by for breakfast but they had plenty more food stands – you can check the full list HERE!
6: Smorgasburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
I spent my whole month in New York living in Williamsburg and loved every second of it - there was such a cool vibe, from the brunch spots to outdoor markets and vintage shops - it felt like New York, but it also felt like it was a world away from New York (in the best way possible) at the same time!
Smorgasburg is the largest weekly open air food market in America (how cool!), attracting 20,000-30,000 people to Brooklyn each weekend to eat with 100 local vendors!
I didn't actually get the chance to eat at Smorgasburg as the one time I visited I'd literally just eaten lunch (bad move!), but all of the stalls looked & smelt incredible - even if you just want to have a wander and grabbing a beer it's well worth checking out!
Eeeek, that’s my first NYC post live (stay tuned for 2899277253 more haha!). I really hope you find my posts helpful if you’re planning a trip to the Big Apple – I wanted to uncover some of the lesser known places and help steer you away from the tourist traps to help give you a feel of a more authentic New York!
Have you been to any of these food markets before? Will you be putting any of these on your bucket list for your next trip?
