Where to Eat: New York City

At the start of February I took my first trip to the United States for 7 nights in Manhattan. It was an amazing week and so hard to think of a highlight, but when people ask me "what was your one favourite thing" I have to say the food! I think I may have put on a stone in the process but dining in New York is awesome. All of the good stuff, too little time! Today I thought I'd share with you some of my eating highlights while I was there and some places I would recommend. I hope you're not too hungry...

Fast Food & Snacks
When I think of America I think of burgers and fast food; massive portions and McDonalds on every corner. I managed to avoid the McDonalds but definately got my burger fill.
First up, the best burger I have ever had:

SHAKE SHACK
We went to Grand Central for this one and queued for around 20 minutes. The original shop in Flatiron is currently getting done up but I think it'll be back open this summer. I still crave these burgers every day...

DUNKIN DONUTS
Although practically as common as McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts is a novelty to us Scots. These can be found everywhere and we had one on the corner of our street. We had to get the box of 6...

DOUGH
Talking about doughnuts, I'd highly recommend this little doughnut shop. More artisan than Dunkin' this place does lots of interesting flavoured doughnuts and in the shop we went to (there is a shop in both Flatiron District & Brooklyn) you could see the doughnuts being made in the back.

ZIEGFELD THEATER
Film and New York go hand in hand. As silly as it sounds, I actually felt weird there wasn't a soundtrack playing as I was walking around the streets. Anyway... back to food! When I think American movie theaters I think of those MASSIVE tubs of butter popcorn. We were so disappointed with the popcorn at a large AMC we had to leave it, but on the last night we discovered this place. Being one of the older cinemas in NY this place is beautiful. I could imagine Don Drapper catching a film here. And they also done massive tubs of butter popcorn! Possibly my favourite cinema, EVER.

Cafe
Coffee shops are everywhere in NYC, and they are always busy! Although I'm not a coffee drinker I can appreciate a nice cafe, and my boyfriend helped tell me how the coffee rated.

BIRCH COFFEE
This wee coffee shop was right next to our hotel and every day we would plan on popping in but there was never a table, until our last day when we managed to grab one! Boyfriend got a drip coffee and I got a tea. He enjoyed his and I loved mine (teabag was really cool and had been tied in a knot at the top).

BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE
Guess what, this place was also packed. This time it was filled with business men with fancy suits but we queued anyway. There was another drip coffee and I got a Cascara fizz which (I think) is tea and soda water with a lemon slice. It was delicious!

EATALY
This place is cool. I think the best way to describe it is as an Italian indoor marketplace. They have a lot of food stalls, some with cheeses, some with meats, some with deserts, as well as a restaurant. Also, there is a espresso bar and coffee shop area which we went to. You could eat every course in Eataly and has pretty much everything you want if you're craving Italian.

HARNEY & SONS TEA SHOP
After all the coffee shops it was nice to find somewhere that specialises in tea. And they have A LOT of tea.

Larger Meals 

COFFEE SHOP
I went here for my birthday breakfast and had an amazing pancake stack. One half of the cafe is a bar, while the other feels more like a Seinfeld diner. The portion sizes were great and the menu is full of delicious dishes for every course. They also have those jugs of refill coffee that make me feel like I'm in a TV show.

SHORTY'S
We went twice! This place specialises in Philly cheesesteaks (which are incredible) as well as being a sort of sports bar with TVs surrounding the walls and plenty of beer. The chips (fries) were also amazing. Drool!

BROOME STREET BAR
This is also a more casual bar/ restaurant but it has great portion sizes, delicious food and has a nice, relaxed atmosphere. This place reminded me of the type of bar/ restaurant you get in Scotland, with quick food and old characters sitting with their pints.

FLATIRON HALL
This place felt like the sort you'd go to for drinks after work if your job was in the creative sector. Or the place you'd grab food and a beer with friends before heading to a gig. Being a beer hall they do massive pretzels, cocktails and great burgers.

PAPATZUL
We stumbled on this little Mexican by accident but it was a good find. Compared with the average New York portion these Mexican plates are much more manageable, as well as giving a good Mexican kick of heat. They also do a happy hour and a pretty good sangria.