I Tried the 16 Best Bagels in NYC

Published by John Polonis on October 7, 2025October 7, 2025

Best bagels in nyc; lox and cream cheese on an everything bagel

If there’s one food that defines New York City, it’s the bagel. This city has set the standard for what a bagel should be: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and best enjoyed with a generous smear of cream cheese. But with so much competition, determining which shops sell the best bagels in NYC is a tall task.

Nothing else quite compares to New York City bagels. The breadth and depth of bagel offerings are simply unmatched globally. Sorry, Montreal.

To find out who has the best bagels in NYC, I visited each of the 16 best shops listed by the New York Times. The list is a mix of old-school institutions and trendy newcomers. But there’s also a problem with the list.

It didn’t include my all time favorite bagel shop. So a big part of this journey became determining whether all of these bagel shops were actually better than my all time favorite, Ess-A-Bagel.

I ranked each bagel based on texture, chew, crust, and overall flavor/freshness — the factors that make a bagel unforgettable. Some were overhyped, others surprised me, and one rose above the rest as my pick for the best bagel in NYC.

Below is how they stacked up. Complete with Instagram Reels reviewing all of them.

And if you want a deeper dive into the history and culture of bagels in NYC, check out my newsletter (where we go deep on a weekly basis).

16. Bake Shop

Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn
Review: Cute vegan-friendly shop with good-looking treats, but poor execution on bagels. They messed up my order, the bagel was flat and hard (more like a flagel), with almost no fluffiness. It was an overall messy and disappointing experience.
Verdict: Shocked it made the NYT list. Weakest of all.
Score: 3/10

15. PopUp Bagels

Location: Greenwich Village, Manhattan (but it’s a Connecticut chain)
Review: Served hot and fresh, but no slicing or sandwiches—just “rip and dip.” Extremely doughy with minimal chewiness; more like dinner rolls than bagels.
Verdict: Tasty but let’s be honest here guys: these are NOT real bagels.
Score: 7/10

14. Utopia Bagels

Location: Murray Hill, Manhattan (also in Queens)
Review: Very classic NYC bagels. Hand-rolled and kettle-boiled. The shop has great seating. Solid chewiness and crunch, but lacking fluffiness/airiness.
Verdict: Strong, traditional bagel, but missing lightness.
Score: 8.2/10

13. Bo’s Bagels

Location: Harlem, Manhattan
Review: Love the inside of this shop with its inviting interior (and seating), not to mention a great bagel display. Solid crunch and chewiness. But can’t compete with the airiness and doughiness of the top spots.
Verdict: A fun, reliable shop that’s lacking some of the balanced qualities of the best NYC bagels.
Score: 8.3/10

12. Liberty Bagels

Location: Financial District, Manhattan
Review: Known for its rainbow bagel gimmick (they claim to have invented it). Serious and supersized bagels: very fluffy, good chew and crumb, but too fluffy for sandwiches (and too far on the roll side of the spectrum, but not as bad as PopUp).
Verdict: Solid bagels, bad interior seating (takeout only!)
Score: 8.5/10

11. Bergen Bagels

Location: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Review: Local vibe, fast service, good balance, solid chewiness. Weak on everything bagel seasoning. Outdoor seats a plus.
Verdict: Solid all-around shop, but not exceptional.
Score: 8.7/10

10. Bagel Oasis

Location: Fresh Meadows, Queens
Review: Only bagel shop on this list that’s open 24/7. Fluffy bagels with crispy exterior and great crumb structure. Passes the “eye test” better than most on this list.
Verdict: Excellent bagels and worth the trip, even if you aren’t deep in Queens.
Score: 9/10

9. Russ & Daughters

Location: Lower East Side, Manhattan (since 1914!)
Review: More than a bagel shop—this is a historic Jewish deli. Bagels are good, sandwiches are elite. Service boosts score (best service on this list).
Verdict: Good bagels, but they’re best with lox or whitefish salad (which makes the bagels truly elite.
Score: 9.05/10

8. Tal Bagels

Location: Gramercy Park, Manhattan
Review: Classic neighborhood shop. Very simple and reliable. Good balance: chewy, crunchy, doughy.
Verdict: Sets the baseline standard for elevated NYC bagels.
Score: 9.1/10

7. Tompkins Square Bagels

Location: East Village, Manhattan
Review: Famous for chipotle cream cheese & hearty sandwiches. Ordered “Weezer” with chorizo—fantastic. Very balanced bagel — chewy, crunchy, and fluffy.
Verdict: Among the best sandwich bagels.
Score: 9.1/10

6. Apollo Bagels

Location: East Village, Manhattan
Review: Loved the indie/hip-hop soundtrack inside the shop (perfect for the neighborhood). Bagels are fluffy, crunchy, doughy inside. Excellent balance.
Verdict: Distinctive crunch and chewiness. Close to perfection.
Score: 9.5/10

5. Baz Bagels

Location: Little Italy, Manhattan (closed June 2025)
Review: Gorgeous retro lunch counter. Bagels were fluffy, chewy, and perfect for a sandwich. Bacon, egg, and cheese was elite.
Verdict: A HUGE loss for NYC bagel culture.
Score: 9.8/10 before closing.

4. Terrace Bagels

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Review: Spacious, family-friendly shop. Bagels balanced in fluffiness, chewiness, and crunch. Slightly light on seasoning, but hardly detracts from insane quality and freshness of these bagels.
Verdict: Nearly perfect.
Score: 9.9/10

3. Shelsky’s

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Review: Under-the-radar gem. No seating but amazing bagels. Perfect crunch-chew-fluff balance. The best everything bagel seasoning too!
Verdict: A flawless bagel (don’t always listen to Google reviews).
Score: 10/10

2. Knickerbocker Bagel

Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn
Review: Quintessential shop with perfect decor + seating + bagels. Balanced and exceptional in every way.
Verdict: Standard setter for NYC bagels.
Score: 10/10

1. Best Bagel

Location: Midtown Manhattan
Review: Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, everything you want in a bagel. Perfect balance: fluffy, chewy, crunchy. Perfect sandwich. Perfect score.
Verdict: Appropriately named.
Score: 10/10

Bonus: Ess-a-Bagel (Not on NYT List)

Location: Financial District (multiple other Manhattan locations too!)
Review: Iconic neighborhood shop and my personal favorite. It deserves a spot on this list. Solid chewiness and crunch, though slightly unbalanced seasoning.
Verdict: Better than some in the 10–16 range.
Score: 8.8 / 10

What do you think are the best bagels in NYC?

Would love to hear your thoughts on this list and my personal ranking. Do you agree with the NYT list? Did they leave out your favorite local shop? Do you agree that it’s a travesty that Ess-A-Bagel was snubbed?

As I discuss in my full bagel movie, the best bagels in NYC are usually from your local shop. The reliable stop at the start of your day. The Sunday morning hangover cure. The neighborhood staple.

That’s one of the best parts of living or visiting New York City. It’s hard not to find a good bagel that will excite and delight. And if this list helped you find a new gem or sparked fresh understanding NYC bagel culture, then my mission was accomplished.