The Layover: New York

New York

Tony takes on his hometown of NYC. Having lived and explored the city for years, instead of the typical tourist traps, he visits some of the city's hidden gems while hanging with his chef friends, David Chang and Eddie Huang.

Travel Guide

Find restaurants, accommodations and activities from this episode.

Get the All-New Layover App

From 5 stars to dive bars, get travel tips from Tony --all in ...

00:60

Choice Words for NYC

A recap of Anthony Bourdain's one-liners from The Layover: NYC.

01:06

Tony's 24-Hour NYC Trip Tips

Tony shares the best places to eat and drink during a layover ...

04:27

Noodles for Thought on NYC

Patrons of NYC hot spot Noodletown offer insights into living ...

02:02

How to Deal With NYC Crazies

NYC locals share their best tips for staying safe in the city ...

02:06

Tony's Tips on Foursquare

Check out Anthony Bourdain's tips for places to visit in each city that he travels to in The Layover and follow our lists on Foursquare to replicate his trip.

Travel Guide

See MapClose Map
Legend Restaurants Activities Accommodations

Restaurant

The Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien

Tony traveled to Midtown Manhattan to grab lunch at The Burger Joint hidden inside Le Parker Meridien Hotel. Tony enjoyed a burger and fries.

119 West 56th St, New York, NY 10019

Restaurant

Tony Also Recommends: Birreria

“It’s an insane Italian beer garden and rustic-style eatery in the sky. The food’s great and most of the beer is hand-crafted artisanal stuff from people like the legendary Dogfish Head dudes.”

Restaurant

The Subway Inn

Tony stops by Subway Inn while heading south toward the Lower East Side. Tony enters Subway Inn for a drink and meets up with friend and chef David Chang.

143 East 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Restaurant

Tony Also Recommends: Shake Shack

“Hard to beat for price and for … well … quality. They are pretty much the benchmark. I suggest the double cheeseburger and a shake.”

4 Locations in New York

Restaurant

Crif Dogs

Tony and David Chang split a cab and head down to Crif Dogs to eat some hot dogs. Tony gets a Jon-Jon Deragon dog and the 2 enter the hidden entrance to Please Don’t Tell bar located next door for a few drinks and more hot dogs.

113 Saint Marks Place #2, New York, NY 10009

Restaurant

Takashi

“Personally, if I had only one night in New York … these days I’d probably come here. Date night at the Bourdains … here. Takashi on Hudson Street in the West Village is my favorite new restaurant in New York.”

456 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

Restaurant

M. Wells*

Tony has brunch at M. Wells diner in Queens to start out day number 2. Tony orders the bone marrow and foie gras, bacon and corn soup, with a biscuit and a summer shandy. *Closed August 2011

Restaurant

Baohaus

Tony heads to the Lower East Side and meets Pop chef Eddie Huang at this restaurant Baohaus. Tony and Eddie speak about their NYC experiences as they enjoy the Taiwanese-style steam bun sandwiches.

238 East 14th St, New York, NY 10003

Restaurant

Tony Also Recommends: Ess-a-Bagel

“The New York bagel is a classic, a must. Ess-a-Bagel would be an impeccable choice, either Midtown or downtown. Find a better bagel in your town? Not bloody likely.”

2 Locations in New York

Restaurant

Tammany Hall

Tony and Eddie head to Tammany Hall to get drinks.

152 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Restaurant

The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck

Tony takes the subway down to Union Square and grabs a quick icy snack from the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. Tony orders a Bea Arthur on a cone and signs a few autographs.

857 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

Restaurant

Great NY Noodletown

28 Bowery, New York, NY 10013

Restaurant

Papaya King

Tony wraps up his stay in NYC in the Upper East Side. Tony grabs a late-night hot dog and fresh-squeezed juice before calling it a night.

179 East 86th St New York, NY 10128

Restaurant

Tony Also Recommends: The Arepa Lady

“Located under the L on Roosevelt Avenue, Maria Piedad Cano makes sublime legendary Colombian-style arepas. Flat cornmeal cakes stuffed or topped with meat or cheese and fried to perfect goodness.”

Roosevelt Avenue and 79th Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372

Restaurant

Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel

Tony’s first stop was The Carlyle hotel’s Bemelmans Bar. Tony ordered a gin martini and talked about the old New York.

35 East 76th St, New York, NY 10021

Restaurant

Tony Also Recommends: Minetta Tavern

“The best, if priciest, burger in NYC is probably the black label burger at the Minetta Tavern. Getting in here, however, can be a challenge. Try early or late.”

113 MacDougal St, New York, NY

Activity

Kitchen Arts & Letters

Another Tony favorite, Kitchen Arts & Letters has one of the largest food- and drink-based book collections all in one shop. Tony buys a stack of new releases.

1435 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10128

Activity

Tony Also Recommends: Strand Books

“18 miles of books. You can get lost in here … happily.”

2 Locations in New York

Activity

Tony Also Recommends: St. Mark’s Bookstore

“For oddball, off-the-wall hipster obscure. Books you never thought you needed but now suddenly … you kinda do.”

31 3rd Ave, New York, NY

Activity

Chef Restaurant Supply

Tony makes a stop on his way through SoHo and browses through tons of items at the Chef Restaurant Supply. Tony buys some essential cooking instruments.

294 Bowery St, New York, NY 10012

Activity

The High Line

Tony takes a stroll on the High Line … the park in the sky.

529 West 20th St, Suite 8W, New York, NY 10011

Accommodation

Tony Also Recommends: The Jane Hotel

“If you’re not a big pimping oligarch and looking for more affordable accommodations, The Jane Hotel in the West Village might be more in your zone.”

113 Jane St, New York, NY

Accommodation

Tony Also Recommends: St. Regis Hotel

"If you're willing to spend some bucks, I love the St. Regis. If you're looking to live large, particularly around Christmas season with all the shop windows on 5th Avenue done up and stuff … it’s pretty cool."

Two East 55th Street, at 5th Avenue, New York, NY

Print

More From New York

Anthony Bourdain's Travel Tips for New York

Anthony Bourdain's tips for travelers in New York.

Learn More
Layover Guide

Tips to make your layover downtime more productive.

Best Layovers

A few of our favorite airports to get stuck in.

Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 2 - Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations

Want to Travel Like Tony?

Go where Bourdain goes with the help of the experts at Tripology.com.