Delicious Delis of NYC

Sun's out, picnic buns out! Swing by one of New York’s delectable delicatessens for the perfect summer-ready picnic haul. From Manhattan to Brooklyn to the Bronx, here are the most delicious delis to be found in NYC.

Think ‘New York deli’ and Katz is invariably the first name that springs to mind. America’s most famous sandwich spot served as a backdrop to Meg Ryan’s hot and heavy performance in When Harry Met Sally, which has made it wildly popular with tourists, but it’s the sky-high piles of pastrami that has made it justifiably popular with Gothamites. ‘Have what she’s having’ and order the signature Reuben, with corned beef, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and sauerkraut, paired with a can of Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda – connoisseurs say it nicely offsets the salty meat.

Although rave-busy Russ & Daughters has a few branches across town, to enjoy the real-deal deli experience make for the original century-old family-run shop in the Lower East Side (there’s a stylish sit-down cafe around the corner). Expect to queue for their famed fresh-baked bagels and lox, as well as traditional kosher comfort food like potato latkes, home-pickled herring, halvah and choc-coated pretzels for pud.

Taking its name from the Montreal neighbourhood where owner Joel Tietolman grew up, Mile End Deli brings Joel’s grandma’s time-honoured Jewish recipes to Brooklyn. The emphasis here is on locavore deli fare, with everything cooked, pickled and smoked from scratch. The hand-sliced smoked Creekstone Farms brisket is sublime; Montreal bagels are smaller and typically sesame seed-coated so don’t be afraid to order two.

Blazing onto the sandwich scene in 2016, Frankel's Delicatessen throws out the Kosher rule book, mixing meat, dairy and fish to deliver tasty morsels including a yum whitefish salad, and substantial pastrami, egg and cheese roll. Musician owners Zach and Alex Frankel (of Holy Ghost! fame) make this a celeb honeypot and general kool-kid hangout. Take your goodies to nearby McCarren Park.

Opened in 1908, little has changed since at this beloved Upper West Side mainstay, featuring a bounty of preserved fish and infamous as the "Sturgeon King". For over a hundred year, multiple generations of New Yorkers and tourists alike come to order sturgeon at Barney Greengrass, as well as whitefish, salmon, lox, sable and gravlox. Most folks dine outside, but you can enjoy your take out, including the most fluffy scrambled eggs with smoked fish, pastrami-cured salmon on a bagel, and pastrami, tongue, turkey, salami, and chopped liver sandwiches. Geschmack!

Katz’s Delicatessen / 205 E Houston St / Lower East Side / +1 212 254 2246 / 8am-10:45pm Mon-Fri, 8am-11pm Sat-Sun / katzsdelicatessen.com
Russ & Daughters / 179 E Houston St / Lower East Side / +1 212 475 4880 / 8am-4:30pm daily / russanddaughters.com
Mile End Deli / 97 Hoyt St / Boerum Hill / Brooklyn / +1 718 852 7510 / 8am-9pm Mon-Fri, 9am-9pm Sat-Sun / mileenddeli.com
Frankel’s / 631 Manhattan Ave / Greenpoint / Brooklyn / +1 718 389 2302 / 9am-3pm Wed-Sun / frankelsdelicatessen.com
Barney Greengrass / 541 Amsterdam Ave / Upper West Side / +1 212 724 4707 / 8am-4pm Tues-Fri, 8:30am-5pm Sat-Sun / barneygreengrass.com/