Eating late in New York: what is open after midnight

New York earns its reputation as a city that eats late. Shift workers head home at odd hours, theaters let out hungry crowds, flights land around the clock and bars close in the early morning, so there is almost always somewhere to eat. Your best bets after midnight are diners, Koreatown, halal carts, slice shops and the corner bodega.

Why is New York good for late-night food?

The city runs on every schedule at once. Restaurant workers finish their own shifts late, nurses and transit workers come and go through the night, and nightlife keeps going long after most cities have closed. That demand supports a whole layer of places that stay open late or around the clock, from sit-down diners to cooks at the grill in a bodega.

Where can you get a sit-down meal after midnight?

Diners. The New York diner, with its long menu, booths and counter, is the classic late-night sit-down meal. Expect eggs any style, burgers, sandwiches, soups and pie, at fair prices.

Koreatown. West 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, known as Korea Way, has a cluster of restaurants that stay open very late, with many running around the clock. Soups, stews, barbecue and fried chicken are all on offer long after midnight.

Chinatown and the East Village. Both neighborhoods have restaurants known for late hours. In the East Village, Veselka, a long-running Ukrainian restaurant known for pierogi, blintzes and latkes, has long been a late-night landmark.

Koreatown is especially reliable: roughly fifteen restaurants on that one block have run around the clock, which makes it the easiest place in Manhattan to sit down to a hot meal at 3 a.m.

Hours change, and places that were open all night before may have shortened their hours, so check before you go.

What is a chopped cheese?

The chopped cheese is the definitive late-night bodega sandwich. It is generally traced to a bodega in East Harlem, and it has spread across the city. The cook chops a hamburger patty on the griddle with onions and melts American cheese through it, then piles it onto a hero roll with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayonnaise. It is hot, cheap and made to order, which is exactly what you want at 2 a.m.

What else can you get from a bodega late at night?

Order	What it is
Chopped cheese	Chopped beef, onions and cheese on a hero roll
Bacon, egg and cheese	The classic breakfast sandwich, served at any hour
A hero	A long sandwich with cold cuts or hot fillings
Snacks and drinks	Chips, candy and cold drinks from the shelves

Bodegas are corner stores, and many of the ones with a grill keep cooking well into the night. The menu is often on a board above the counter; tell the cook what you want, then pay at the register.

Are halal carts and slice shops open late?

Many halal carts keep serving late into the night in busy areas, and a plate of chicken over rice with white and red sauce is a classic end to a night out. Slice shops in nightlife neighborhoods often stay open late too, especially on weekends, and a hot slice folded on the sidewalk is one of the city's great late-night meals.

Does the subway run all night for a late food run?

The New York subway runs 24 hours a day, but late at night trains come much less often, sometimes every 20 minutes or more, and routes can run differently. Check service before you set off and keep your phone handy for directions. Rideshare and yellow cabs are widely available if you would rather not wait.

What should you know about paying and tipping late at night?

At a diner or a sit-down restaurant, tip 18 to 20 percent of the check. At a bodega, cart or slice counter, tipping is optional. Some late-night places prefer cash or have a card minimum, so carry a little cash. New York City sales tax on restaurant food is 8.875 percent, added at the register.

What should you order at a diner late at night?

Diner menus are long, so go for what diners do well: eggs and hash browns, a burger or a grilled cheese, a bowl of soup, or a slice of pie with coffee. Breakfast is usually served at any hour, which is the point of a diner at 2 a.m. Portions are large and service is quick, and you pay your server or at the register by the door on the way out.

Which neighborhoods are best for late-night eating?

The East Village and the Lower East Side, where bars keep crowds out late; Koreatown, for round-the-clock Korean food; Chinatown, for noodles and dumplings; and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, for late slices and bar food. Almost every neighborhood has at least a bodega grill and a slice shop open late on weekends.

The late-night places you trust are worth remembering, because you will want them again when everything else is closed. On Mosey you can rate the places you eat and the dishes you order, with photos, keep a list of late-night spots, and follow friends to see where they ended up.

More guides to read next:

• Manhattan Chinatown food guide: dim sum, dumplings and bakeries
• Cheap eats and lunch in Midtown Manhattan: where locals actually go
• New York pizza styles and how to choose a slice shop

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.