NEW YORK’S BEST BAGELS ARE SHIPPING TO YOUR DOOR
If you’ve ever been to New York City, you know some foods are inseparable from the Big Apple—oversized pizza slices, hot pastrami piled high at Jewish delis, and mustard-slathered street dogs. But no NYC food experience is truly complete without a visit to a bagel shop. A freshly baked New York bagel, slathered with cream cheese and topped with lox or smoked salmon, is the gold standard of breakfast. And while that perfect bagel might feel worlds away if you don’t live nearby, the craving is universal.
Why Are New York Bagels Different From Other Bagels?
New York bagels are different because of how they’re made—and a tradition that’s been perfected for over a century. Brought to the city by Eastern European immigrants more than 100 years ago, classic NYC bagels are boiled in water with a touch of barley malt before baking. This process creates their signature texture: a shiny, chewy crust with a soft, fluffy interior.
Many locals swear that New York City’s water plays a role in the bagel’s unmatched flavor, but technique matters just as much. The result is a bagel that’s sturdy enough to hold generous schmears of cream cheese and toppings like lox, smoked whitefish salad, and other classic “appetizing” staples—foods traditionally served with bagels.
While bagels are now enjoyed nationwide (and sweeter Montreal-style bagels have their own devoted fans), nothing quite compares to a true New York bagel when it comes to texture, balance, and bite.
Read More: Lox, Smoked Salmon & Nova: What’s the Difference?
Who Makes the Best New York Bagels?
Russ & Daughters
A Houston Street staple since its 1914 founding, Russ & Daughters is today New York’s most legendary appetizing shop, selling a wide variety of smoked & cured salmon as well as harder-to-find bagel toppers including:
- Kippered salmon
- Delicate sturgeon
- Peppered mackerel
They all partner up perfectly with their chewy house-baked bagels.
Ess-a-Bagel
For more than 35 years, New Yorkers and tourists alike have lined up at Ess-a-Bagel for their signature chewy, crusty bagels, which are cut and rolled by hand. They sell their bagels by the dozen, with lox & cream cheese, and as part of a signature brunch kit for 6.
Utopia Bagels
A Queens landmark since 1980, Utopia Bagels individually hand-rolls its bagels, kettle-boils them, and bakes them in an oven that was originally built in 1947.
They’re slightly chewy, a little crusty on the outside, and soft on the inside, with a satisfying maltiness that just can’t be faked. They’re shipped by the baker’s dozen in a wide variety of flavors and alongside creative cream cheeses including:
- Walnut raisin
- Cinnamon apple
- Tofu Lox
Tompkins Square Bagels
A true neighborhood bagel shop, the East Village’s Tompkins Square Bagels is run by Christopher Pugliese, who started making bagels at age 16 and uses a recipe from the 1950s. His bagels are available by the dozen, and the shop is also renowned for its irresistible French toast bagels.
Zucker’s Bagels and Smoked Fish
Zucker’s makes their bagels the old-fashioned way, but doesn’t shy away from the new & creative, like skinnier Bagel Flatz and par-baked bagels that finish baking in your home oven. Their classic Bagels & Schmears are not to be missed, especially when complemented by lox that’s been everything- or pastrami-seasoned.
Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys
Since 1936, Kossar’s has been New York’s most iconic destination for bialys, the bagel’s flatter, chewier, onion-stuffed cousin. Their bagels are unsurprisingly just as spectacular, as are their babka and lox.
Read More: What is a Bialy?
Pick a Bagel
A daily go-to for countless New Yorkers, Pick a Bagel has several locations throughout the city and is famous for their big, chewy, handmade bagels and wide variety of cream cheeses. You also can’t go wrong with their bagel sandwiches, like a hot pastrami Reuben.
Orwashers Bakery
A New York institution since 1916, Orwashers is one of the city’s most legendary bakeries, famous for their:
- Babka
- Black & white cookies
- Artisanal breads
- Bagels
These bagels stand apart from the pack thanks to their use of sourdough, which gives them a slightly tangy flavor.
Sable’s Smoked Fish
As the name implies, the 30 year-old Sable’s Smoked Fish isn’t just famous for its bagels, which are made by renowned bakery H&H. The appetizing selection is also second-to-none, with standouts including:
- Scottish smoked salmon
- Whitefish salad
- Smoked sable
Discover all of America’s (and New York’s) best bagels, all shipping to your door!
