Where To Eat Near The American Museum of Natural History in NYC

Stories
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Stories January 01, 2020 Where To Eat Near The American Museum of Natural History in NYC

Looking for restaurants near the American Museum of Natural History? We get it — our tours need fuel.

You’re probably either already near the museum and your stomach’s growling, or you’re planning a trip and want the lowdown on the best restaurants near the natural history museum. Maybe you’re doing team building in NYC and want to grab a bite afterward.

Either way, we’ve got you covered. Below is our current shortlist for amazing food spots near the American Museum of Natural History.

Restaurants Near the American Museum of Natural History

On this page you’ll find restaurants near the museum of natural history categorized as quick eats, bang for your buck, delicious sit-down, brunch & coffee, vegan & juice, drinks, and splurge. Your tastebuds will thank you.

Here’s our current shortlist for favorite food spots near the American Museum of Natural History:

Quick Eats

Gray’s Papaya — The quintessential New York hot dog. Grab one (or two) to go with any combination of sauerkraut, relish, cheese, mustard and ketchup on your way to the natural history museum.

Barney Greengrass — Universally loved and touted as an NYC staple. One Yelper calls it “the epitome of a fast-pace, high energy, NYC deli experience.” You can be in and out in no time with fresh, doughy bagels topped with sturgeon (their speciality), lox, nova, or anything you’d like.

Andy’s Deli — If you’re in a pinch for time, Andy’s Deli will save the day. You place an order, look at your phone for a second, and BAM! Your egg and cheese is right in your face, neatly wrapped and ready to go. This restaurant near the natural history museum might be the fastest deli in NYC, and they don’t compromise on quality either.

Bang For Your Buck

Flor De Mayo — A Peruvian/Chinese fusion with a huge menu and unique offerings from both cultures. The lunch specials are an incredible value and the portion sizes are very generous. Only about a five minute walk from the museum of natural history.

Shake Shack — Pros: delicious burgers, great prices, casual atmosphere. Cons: often crowded, takes a while to get your food, and you might have to wait a bit to find an empty table. Recommended if you have some time before heading to the museum.

Levain Bakery — Ok, so this is a bakery, not a traditional meal per se… but it’s literally rated the #1 NYC restaurant on TripAdvisor. The cookies are INSANE. Levain also has over 5,000 Yelp reviews, most of them agreeing this is the best cookie in existence. We agree.

Delicious Sit-Down

Calle Ocho — This Cuban restaurant near the museum of natural history has amazing paella, ceviche, and offers unlimited sangria (!) with brunch. You’ll want to make a reservation — Calle Ocho is super popular. But it’s worth it.

Patsy’s Pizzeria — Patsy’s is basically an NYC landmark at this point. Some of the best pizza in town, super fresh ingredients, and very family friendly if you’ve got the kids in tow. Highly recommended if you want to experience real New York pizza.

Brunch & Coffee

Irving Farm Coffee Roasters — The best coffee near the museum of natural history, and the baristas are super friendly. In a rare NYC twist, this place is huge and has tons of seating if you want to camp out near the museum or have some time to kill.

Good Enough To Eat — This is the place for brunch. Unfortunately, a lot of people already know that, so it gets really busy. No reservations, so you might have to wait. But if you do, you won’t be disappointed.

Nice Matin — A classy, upscale French restaurant with gluten-free options. The atmosphere/ambiance here is pretty special, almost makes you feel like you’re in another world. It’s a good date spot too.

Vegan & Juice

Spring Natural Kitchen — One Yelper describes it as “a high-end, very cozy diner for health conscious people.” Lots of options for vegans/vegetarians/gluten-free folk, but also has plenty to satisfy the ravenous carnivores among us.

Peacefood Cafe — Cozy, healthy spot near the natural history museum that caters largely to vegans and has a large, eclectic menu. Reasonable prices considering the quality and location. The chickpea fries are bomb.

Juice Press — These juices aren’t cheap, but they’re top notch. Place is small so this more like a grab’n’go than a hang’n’chill.

Drinks

Fred’s — Divey bar/restaurant named after a seeing eye dog. There’s also a good brunch special, and the mac and cheese is out of this world.

The Dead Poet — A one-of-a–kind literary themed bar with drinks named after Dorothy Parker, Pablo Neruda, and Ernest Hemingway. This place speaks for itself more than any kind of description could do it justice.

George Keeley — Pub/sports bar. Gets loud at night but a good chill spot during the day/early evening to get drinks after a long day at the museum.

Splurge

Gari of Columbus — Possibly one of the top five sushi bars in NYC and definitely near the museum, and the price reflects it. Everything is super fresh, and they actually add toppings to their sushi as well.

Dovetail — If you’re going to splurge on food near the natural history museum, consider Dovetail. Probably one of the most upscale places in New York, though the portions aren’t so large. They have a large vegetarian menu as well.

Salumera Rosi — Fresh, upscale Italian fare within walking distance of museum. Comfortable, quiet, welcoming.

More Restaurants Near the Natural History Museum

Well, that’s our list of places to eat near the natural history museum! But hey, we’ve got another helpful list for you. Check out our list of restaurants near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is located super close just on the other side of Central Park.

Did you find a great restaurant nearby? Let us know in the comments below.

written with 💖 by Jesse Sussman

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