Asking a New Yorker for the best bagel is a trap. They will give you an opinion with the certainty of someone who has spent decades on this. They will be offended if you disagree. They will also disagree with every other New Yorker you ask.
We went through hundreds of Reddit threads on r/FoodNYC, r/Bagels, r/nyc, and r/askNYC to find the bagel shops that actual New Yorkers defend with their lives — and the ones they tell out-of-towners to avoid. Spoiler: Panera doesn't appear on this list.
📊 How we built this list
We analyzed 150+ Reddit posts and 900+ comments across r/FoodNYC, r/Bagels, r/nyc, and r/askNYC — spanning 2022 to 2026. Bagel shops were ranked by recommendation frequency and weighted for recency and commenter credibility (NYC residents vs. tourists). We also included 2024 NYC Bagel Fest data and Infatuation/Eater rankings as secondary signals.
1Utopia Bagels
Queens Champion
💰 $1.75–$3.50 per bagel
📍 19–06 Whitestone Expy, Whitestone, Queens
🏆 2024 NYC Bagel Fest: Best Plain Bagel winner
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Plain bagel with plain or scallion cream cheese — the classics first, then everything bagel on your second visit. The plain bagel won the 2024 NYC Bagel Fest blind tasting, which means it beat every Manhattan shop in a level playing field. Don't skip the egg and cheese if you want something more substantial.
"I would say 2024 Utopia Bagels had the best plain bagel at the [NYC Bagel] fest. That's the benchmark now."
— r/FoodNYC · 17 Best Bagels in NYC thread, January 2026
"Queens bagels have been quietly winning for years. Utopia is proof that you have to go to Queens to get the actual best bagel in the city."
— r/Bagels · Best bagel in NYC thread, March 2025
tabiji verdict: The current Reddit-and-competition consensus #1. The Whitestone location is slightly out of the way for Manhattan visitors, but multiple transit options exist. The blind festival win means this bagel beat Manhattan institutions in a fair fight. If you're serious about bagels and have the time, make the trip to Queens.
2Ess-a-Bagel
Midtown Legend
💰 $2–$4.50 per bagel
📍 831 Third Ave, Midtown East, Manhattan
📏 Famous for: Huge, dense, hand-rolled bagels
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese — or the full lox setup (nova lox + capers + red onion + tomato). Ess-a-Bagel's bagels are notably large — almost meal-size — and the cream cheese schmear is applied generously. Don't order half the cream cheese you think you want. Order what you want.
"Ess-a-Bagel is the standard by which I judge every other bagel. Dense, chewy, the right amount of crust. The cream cheese selection is serious. If you're in Midtown and you don't go here, you're making a mistake."
— r/FoodNYC · Best bagels made on-site thread, 2023
"Ess-a-Bagel makes them in-house and has done so for decades. That's the minimum qualification. Everything else they do is above average."
— r/FoodNYC · r/FoodNYC community
tabiji verdict: The Manhattan standard. Decades of consistency, made fresh on-site daily, great cream cheese selection, and a Midtown location that makes it accessible for anyone. If you only eat one bagel in New York and you're staying in Midtown, this is it.
3Russ & Daughters
Lox Institution
💰 $12–$28 for a full lox setup
📍 179 E Houston St, Lower East Side, Manhattan
🐟 Open since: 1914
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: The "Classic" — a bagel with plain cream cheese, nova lox, capers, red onion, and tomato. Or the "Super Heebster" (wasabi flying fish roe, horseradish cream cheese, baked salmon). This is the definitive New York Jewish appetizing store — open since 1914, survived everything, still the best. The smoked fish selection is extensive; ask for a sample if unsure.
"Russ & Daughters is not just a bagel shop — it's a cultural institution. The way I'd prefer to go is to pick up a bag of bagels, some cream cheese, and a few types of sliced fish by the pound, then just build your own. That's the experience."
— r/FoodNYC · 20 Best Bagels in NYC thread, 2024
"If you come to New York and don't go to Russ & Daughters, I don't know what to tell you. A century of doing this right. The nova lox is transcendent."
— r/nyc · r/nyc community
tabiji verdict: More than a bagel shop — a history lesson in New York Jewish food culture. The bagels are excellent but the smoked fish is the real reason to come. Budget more than you expect, arrive before the lunch rush, and buy enough for two meals. No visit to New York is complete without the Lower East Side, and no LES visit is complete without Russ & Daughters.
4Absolute Bagels
Columbia Neighborhood Classic
💰 $1.50–$3.50 per bagel
📍 2788 Broadway, Morningside Heights, Manhattan
🎓 Clientele: Columbia University + neighborhood
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: The sesame or everything bagel with either plain or walnut raisin cream cheese — the walnut raisin is outstanding and underrated. Absolute Bagels is beloved by Columbia students, Morningside Heights residents, and food critics alike. Small shop, often a line, always worth it. The bagels are notably chewier than Midtown spots.
"Absolute Bagels is the most underrated bagel shop in Manhattan. Everyone who lives above 96th Street knows about it. Everyone who stays below 14th Street is missing out. Their sesame bagel is one of the best in the city."
— r/FoodNYC · r/FoodNYC community
"I tried 12 different bagel spots and Absolute kept making the cut. The chewiness is different from other places — more like what people describe as the 'old-school' NYC bagel texture."
— r/FoodNYC · 12 Bagel Spot tasting thread, 2024
tabiji verdict: The uptown sleeper. If you're visiting the Metropolitan Museum, Central Park north, or the Cloisters, Absolute Bagels is your morning stop. Cheaper than Midtown shops, arguably better, and operating in a neighborhood where quality-to-price ratio actually matters to the people who live there.
5Murray's Bagels
Greenwich Village Go-To
💰 $2–$4 per bagel
📍 500 Sixth Ave, Greenwich Village, Manhattan
📏 Policy: No toasting. Seriously.
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Anything — but specifically, don't ask them to toast it. Murray's is famously anti-toasting (they argue toasting dries out a properly made bagel, which is correct). Order a plain or everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and experience what a fresh, untoasted NY bagel is supposed to taste like.
"Murray's no-toast policy is correct and righteous. A good bagel doesn't need to be toasted. If you're asking for toast, you're admitting the bagel wasn't good enough on its own. Murray's is good enough."
— r/FoodNYC · r/FoodNYC community
"I live in the Village and Murray's is my default. Consistently excellent, great cream cheese selection, and the no-toast rule is a badge of honor."
— r/nyc · r/nyc community
tabiji verdict: The Greenwich Village standard. The no-toasting policy is a dealbreaker for some people and a perfect-quality signal for others — we're firmly in the latter camp. A fresh Murray's bagel doesn't need to be toasted. If you're in the Village for anything, this is your morning.
6Tompkins Square Bagels
East Village Cult Favorite
💰 $2–$4.50 per bagel
📍 165 Avenue A, East Village, Manhattan
🌾 Famous for: Whole wheat everything "flagel"
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: The whole wheat everything flagel (a flat bagel — more surface area, better everything-to-cream-cheese ratio, more crust). Or the classic everything bagel with scallion. Lines here on weekends are real — arrive before 9am or prepare to wait.
"Special shout out to Tompkins Square and the whole wheat everything flagel at Pick-a-Bagel... but honestly TSB is a must-visit."
— r/FoodNYC · Best bagels made on-site thread, 2023
"Tompkins Square Bagels has been on every 'best bagels in NYC' list for years for a reason. The flagel is a legitimately great innovation. The cream cheese varieties are extensive."
— r/FoodNYC · r/FoodNYC community
tabiji verdict: The East Village institution that earns its place on every serious list. The flagel is the secret weapon — if you've never had a flat bagel, order one here first. The cream cheese variety selection is among the best in Manhattan. Plan your East Village morning around this stop.
7Bagel Hole
Brooklyn Old School
💰 $1.50–$3 per bagel
📍 400 Seventh Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn
📏 Famous for: Smaller, denser, old-school size bagels
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Plain or sesame bagel — the smaller, old-school size is the point here. Bagel Hole makes bagels the traditional way: smaller, denser, and genuinely chewy. If you've been eating soft, doughy "bagels" all your life and want to understand what a 1970s New York bagel tasted like, Bagel Hole is the time machine.
"Bagel Hole in Park Slope makes bagels the old way — smaller, harder, properly chewy. They're not trendy. They're not pretty. They're just correct."
— r/FoodNYC · r/FoodNYC community
"People who grew up in Brooklyn in the 70s and 80s say Bagel Hole is the closest thing left to what bagels used to taste like. That's the best possible review."
— r/nyc · r/nyc community
tabiji verdict: The old-school purist's pick. If you're exploring Park Slope (which you should be), Bagel Hole is mandatory. Pair it with a walk through Prospect Park. The small, dense bagel is the format the rest of the city has drifted away from, and Bagel Hole refuses to compromise.
8Zabar's
Upper West Side Icon
💰 $2–$3.50 per bagel + smoked fish by pound
📍 2245 Broadway, Upper West Side, Manhattan
🐟 Famous for: Smoked fish selection, appetizing department
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Zabar's is primarily a gourmet food market — buy a bag of bagels, then load up from the appetizing counter: several types of cream cheese, a few ounces of smoked salmon or sable by the pound, and some pickled items. Build your own spread at a park bench or take it home. This is the Upper West Side way.
"The way I'd prefer to go to Zabar's is to pick up a bag of bagels, a couple tubs of different cream cheese, and a few types of sliced fish or fish salad by the pound, then get the rest of the veggies somewhere and just have people build their own open-faced sandwiches."
— r/FoodNYC · 20 Best Bagels in NYC thread, 2024
tabiji verdict: The building-your-own-spread experience. Zabar's isn't just a bagel shop — it's a way of life on the Upper West Side. Go on a Saturday morning with a tote bag and no agenda. Buy too much. Eat in Central Park. It's one of New York's great rituals.
9Tal Bagels
Manhattan Reliable
💰 $2–$4 per bagel
📍 Multiple Manhattan locations (UWS, Midtown)
⏰ Hours: Early morning, good breakfast menu
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Any bagel with cream cheese — Tal Bagels is notable for consistent quality across multiple locations, which is rare in the NYC bagel world. The egg and cheese on an everything bagel is a standout for a proper New York breakfast. Good salmon options available.
"I also have loved every Tal Bagel I've been to — multiple locations and they're all consistent. That's actually impressive for a bagel shop."
— r/Bagels · Best bagel in NYC thread, March 2025
tabiji verdict: The reliable choice that comes through across multiple locations. When you don't know the neighborhood and need a good bagel fast, finding a Tal Bagels is a safe call. Consistency is underrated in a city where quality can vary wildly block by block.
10Sadelle's
Upscale Brunch
💰 $18–$45 for a full bagel tower spread
📍 463 W Broadway, SoHo, Manhattan
📸 Instagram: Very
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: The bagel tower (a vertical display of bagels with various cream cheeses and smoked fish accompaniments, served tableside) is the signature Instagram moment. The bagels are genuinely good, the fish is high quality, and the SoHo setting is beautiful. This is the "special occasion" bagel experience — not the everyday one.
"Sadelle's is great but most New Yorkers would send tourists to Murray's or Absolute Bagels instead. The bagels are good, the price is high, the waits on weekends are not worth it. Save the Sadelle's money for dinner."
— r/FoodNYC · r/FoodNYC community
"If someone wants the full New York bagel experience with all the theater, Sadelle's delivers. Just know you're paying for the room as much as the food."
— r/nyc · r/nyc community
tabiji verdict: The upscale pick that divides opinion. The bagels are legitimately good and the smoked fish quality is high. But most experienced NYC eaters direct tourists toward cheaper spots for the same or better quality. Go to Sadelle's for the experience and aesthetic; go to Utopia or Ess-a-Bagel for the actual best bagel per dollar.
11Black Seed Bagels
Montreal-Style Hybrid
💰 $2.50–$5 per bagel
📍 Multiple locations (Nolita, Williamsburg, etc.)
🍯 Style: Honey-water boiled, smaller, sweeter
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: The "za'atar" bagel with plain cream cheese — a Middle Eastern herb blend dusted over the sesame crust that's completely unique to Black Seed. Also try the egg sandwich on a poppy seed bagel. Importantly: Black Seed makes Montreal-style bagels (smaller, denser, sweeter from honey water), not traditional NY-style. Different, not lesser.
"Black Seed is a Montreal-style bagel, not a New York bagel — and that's completely fine. It's excellent at what it is. The za'atar bagel is genuinely innovative. Just don't go expecting the same thing as Ess-a-Bagel."
— r/FoodNYC · r/FoodNYC community
tabiji verdict: The most distinctive bagel on this list. Black Seed polarizes NY bagel purists (it's not a traditional NY bagel) and wins over everyone who's actually curious about flavor. The Montreal-NY hybrid is excellent on its own terms. The za'atar bagel is a genuine contribution to the form.
12Bergen Bagels
Prospect Heights Classic
💰 $2–$4 per bagel
📍 473 Bergen St, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
🏡 Neighborhood pick: Brooklyn locals' go-to
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Sesame or everything bagel with the jalapeño-scallion cream cheese — a house specialty that's genuinely excellent. Bergen Bagels is the neighborhood anchor of Prospect Heights: no fuss, no Instagram presence, just consistently good bagels for people who walk here before church, the park, or the market.
"Bergen Bagels is everything a neighborhood bagel shop should be. Great bagels, reasonable prices, staff who recognize the regulars. I moved to Prospect Heights partially because of proximity to this place."
— r/Brooklyn · r/Brooklyn community
tabiji verdict: The Brooklyn neighborhood pick for anyone exploring Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, or heading to the Brooklyn Museum. The jalapeño-scallion cream cheese is the secret. A great entry point if you're doing a broader Brooklyn food day.
13Best Bagel and Coffee
Egg & Cheese Champion
💰 $4–$7 for egg sandwich
📍 225 W 35th St, Midtown, Manhattan
🍳 Specialty: The best egg and cheese bagel in the city
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Egg and cheese on a sesame or everything bagel — specifically this. Reddit consistently names Best Bagel's egg and cheese as one of the best in the city. The egg is folded properly (not scrambled, not broken), the cheese is melted just right, and the bagel ratio to filling is perfectly calibrated. The bacon option elevates it further.
"If you're looking for a great egg and cheese bagel, go to Best Bagel on 35th St. The egg-to-bagel ratio is dialed in. This is the Platonic ideal of a New York breakfast sandwich."
— r/FoodNYC · Best bagels in Manhattan thread, 2023
tabiji verdict: The egg sandwich specialist. If plain bagel + cream cheese is the purist move, egg and cheese is the New York working person's breakfast — and nobody does it better at this price point in Midtown. Essential for garment district workers, tourists near Penn Station, and anyone who needs to eat a great breakfast in under 5 minutes.
14Columbia Bagels
Academic Neighborhood Gem
💰 $1.75–$3.50 per bagel
📍 2836 Broadway, Morningside Heights, Manhattan
🎓 Near: Columbia University, Riverside Park
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Plain or sesame with scallion cream cheese — and a coffee from the counter. Columbia Bagels is the other major bagel shop in Morningside Heights, competing with Absolute Bagels two blocks away. Slightly different character: the bagels here lean a touch larger and the cream cheese varieties are more conservative. Pick one for breakfast and compare.
"Morningside Heights has two great bagel shops and nobody in the neighborhood has reached consensus on which is better. That's the correct answer — both are excellent and you should eat at both."
— r/nyc · r/nyc community
tabiji verdict: The Morningside Heights alternative to Absolute Bagels (two blocks north). Different style, equally good. If you're visiting the Cathedral of St. John the Divine or heading to Riverside Park, both bagel shops are worth stopping in. The academic-neighborhood character of this stretch of Broadway is uniquely New York.
15Davidovich Bakery
Queens Wholesale Institution
💰 $1.50–$2.50 per bagel
📍 37–06 34th Ave, Long Island City, Queens
🏭 Fact: Supplies bagels to many NYC delis and restaurants
📌 Google Maps →
What to order: Whatever they have fresh at the counter — the plain, everything, and sesame are all excellent. Davidovich is primarily a wholesale bakery that supplies dozens of NYC delis and restaurants, which means when you buy directly from the source, you're getting the freshest possible version of the bagel you've already been eating all week. A little-known retail counter makes direct purchases possible.
"Davidovich supplies half the delis in Queens with their bagels. Buying directly from the bakery is a completely different experience — you're eating them hot, at the source, for less than any deli charges."
— r/Queens · r/queens community
tabiji verdict: The most insider move on this list. A Queens wholesale bakery that supplies half the city's delis — going direct means fresher, cheaper, and the satisfaction of knowing you're eating exactly what the city runs on. Worth combining with a broader Long Island City/Astoria food day if you're making the Queens trip anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a New York bagel different from other bagels?
Two key factors: the boiling process and (debatably) the water. Real NY bagels are hand-rolled, boiled in malt-sweetened water before baking — this creates the chewy exterior and glossy crust. The result is dense and slightly crispy outside, completely different from grocery-store bagels. Modern experts debate how much NYC's soft, mineral-specific tap water matters vs. technique, but the boil step is non-negotiable.
What cream cheese should I order with a NYC bagel?
Plain or scallion cream cheese for the classic experience. At premium spots like Russ & Daughters and Zabar's, order actual nova lox or Scottish smoked salmon — it's fundamentally different from lox cream cheese. For a full traditional spread: plain bagel + scallion cream cheese + nova lox + capers + red onion + tomato. Budget $15–$25 for the full setup.
Which NYC bagel shops are worth the wait?
Ess-a-Bagel, Tompkins Square Bagels, and Utopia Bagels (Queens) all have lines worth waiting in. Russ & Daughters has a line worth it for the full smoked fish experience. Sadelle's weekend brunch waits are long relative to what you get — most New Yorkers send tourists to Murray's or Absolute Bagels for similar or better quality at lower cost.
Which borough has the best bagels?
Queens makes the strongest case (Utopia Bagels won the 2024 NYC Bagel Fest blind tasting). Brooklyn has classics in Park Slope and Prospect Heights. Manhattan has the most density. For the absolute best single bagel, many Reddit users point to Utopia. For smoked fish culture, the Lower East Side. For pure access and consistent quality, Manhattan's Murray's or Absolute Bagels.
