5 eateries you must visit in New York

Forget Hard Rock Café in Times Square and the super-chain that is Starbucks. Eat like a local and discover the hidden gems that aren’t a million miles from the tourist traps.

Broadway Bagel, 100^th and Broadway.

The best bagels in New York. Choose from a range of fillings on a bagel of your choice and get the napkins ready- these bagels are well-filled. The staff are friendly and helpful and one bagel from here will keep you going for the whole day. (I recommend the chicken salad on whole wheat!)

Photo: Stephanie Bolton

Peacefoods Café, 82^nd and Amsterdam Avenue

Vegan has never tasted so good! Peacefoods offer a lunch and dinner menu and delicious homemade desserts, all of it fresh, tasty and incredibly healthy. Their chickpea fries are well-deserving of their title as the best fries in New York (as voted by New York Time Out magazine) and the pan-seared dumplings and accompanying sauce are definitely worth going out of your way for!

Pink Berry, all over Manhattan, including Broadway between 111^th and 112^th

Lighter and marginally healthier than ice-cream, frozen yogurt it’s the dessert of choice in New York. There are several Pink Berry’s in Manhattan – Chelsea, Broadway and Greenwich are just three – all offering a small, and somewhat alternative, selection of flavours including pomegranate and mango, to be topped with a huge variety of toppings, from fresh fruit to cookie and brownie pieces, from cereal and sprinkles to chocolate chips, and you can have as many as will fit in your cup. The top tip here is to ask to sample one or more of the flavours- they staff are very accommodating and serve bigger than the average-sized samples.

Metro Diner, 101^th and Broadway

Metro Diner is the first place I ever ate in New York when I arrived late at night in 2009, and I was glad to find that it’s still a thriving business. A typical American diner with red, leather booths and a vast and varied menu, Metro Diner is especially great for brunches and dinners. Get there early for brunch at the weekend to avoid the queue.

Photo: Ed Yourdon (via Flickr)

Grays Papaya, 8^th Avenue, 5^th Avenue and 72^nd and Broadway

Their Recession Buster – two frankfurter hotdogs and a drink – is not only incredibly cheap at $4.95 including tax, but it’s perfect on-the-move food. Drinks aren’t your usual sodas either- choose from coconut champagne, banana daiquiri and piña colada (all non-alcoholic). There’s no seating, but ledges to stand at and eat while you admire the quirky decorations and sayings adorning the walls.