Late-night dining is part of New York City’s DNA. In a city where people live on every conceivable schedule, appetites don’t follow conventional hours. Shift workers head home at odd times, shows let out late with hungry audiences, flights land around the clock and revelers party into the wee hours.
The late-night food scene in NYC is gloriously alive, and we’ve outlined 15 eateries that don’t close until at least 1am or are open 24 hours.
Courtesy, Take 31
If the Curtain Just Dropped
When shows, Broadway or otherwise, end around 10pm or 11pm and you spill into the streets with dinner on your mind, the last thing you want to do is get on the subway. These late-night options are within walking distance of some of the City’s most vibrant performance venues.
Empanada Mama
765 Ninth Ave., Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan
Hours: Open 24 hours
What to order: Traditional Brazilian-style empanadas with ground beef, olives, onions and potato
Empanada Mama has multiple locations across the City, but this one is steps from the Theatre District. Post-Broadway bon vivants can enjoy a multitude of international flavors wrapped in dough—they’re regularly ranked as the best empanadas in the City. A sample of the spread: Buffalo chicken, curried chicken with chickpeas and eggplant Parmesan empanadas, plus sides including fried yucca and tostones.
Mamoun’s Falafel
119 MacDougal St., Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Hours: Monday to Wednesday 11am to 2am, Thursday, 11am to 3am, Friday and Saturday 11am to 4am; Sunday 11am to 1am
What to order: Falafel sandwich
Feeding night owls—particularly hordes of NYU students—its exceptional, reasonably priced falafel sandwiches since 1971, this family-owned institution is near The Public Theater, Comedy Cellar, Village Vanguard and Village Underground. Mamoun’s on MacDougal Street is the original store, one of the oldest falafel shops in NYC and arguably the most beloved of the minichain’s locations.
Take 31
15 E. 31st St., Koreatown, Manhattan
Hours: Thursday to Saturday 5pm to 3am (last call 2am)
What to order: Made-to-order tteokbokki, which includes rice cakes simmered with fish cakes, noodles, fried dumplings and veggies
After an event at Madison Square Garden, stroll over to this Koreatown gastropub for fried chicken or a tofu hot pot. It recently introduced the Midnight Diner menu from Thursday to Saturday from 10pm to 3am. And if you’re not quite ready to call it a night, this area is alive 24-7 with sweet treats, nightclubs and karaoke bars. Afterward, the nearby Herald Square and Penn Station subway stations can put you on track to roll right into bed.
Courtesy, HighLife Burger
If the Night Is Still Young
Were you barhopping through Brooklyn or crawling between East Village grogshops? Eventually, you’ll need something substantial in your stomach. And if you happen to find that sustenance in a diner where you and the whole crew can debrief, all the better.
Court Square Diner
45-30 23rd St., Long Island City, Queens
Hours: Open 24 hours
What to order: The usual, whatever that means to you
Near Dutch Kills and The Gutter LIC (and just off the E train if you’re on public transport from LaGuardia Airport), this is a diner’s diner, complete with the quintessential six-page menu filled with all-day breakfast, wings, mozzarella sticks, Greek specialties, Reubens, BLTs, Boston cream pie, toasted corn muffins and even roast turkey with stuffing if you feel like feasting at 3am. One of Queens’ few remaining 24-hour diners, it has the features—chrome interior, dessert cases and loyal neighborhood crowd—that give it a classic New York vibe.
HighLife Burger
135 First Ave., East Village, Manhattan
Hours: Sunday to Thursday noon to 1am, Friday and Saturday noon to 3am
What to order: Double HighLife burger
This simple burger slinger sits just north of The Bowery Electric, Death & Co, McSorley’s Old Ale House and countless other cheap(ish) dives, trendy cocktail bars and beloved East Village venues. The menu has only two burgers, plus two hot dogs and fries topped with pickle queso and jalapeños. Expect thin patties—weighted, never smashed.
Kellogg’s Diner
518 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Hours: Open 24 hours
What to order: Honey butter chicken biscuit
This silver-and-blue titan of French toast at the corner of Metropolitan and Union Avenues has fed those who aren’t ready to call it quits for decades. This greasy spoon is right off the Lorimer Street L stop so getting to and from Manhattan couldn’t be easier. It’s a bit fancier since its 2024 overhaul, but you can still get a great patty melt, now adorned with pimento cheese—a Tex-Mex touch from the new owner.
Courtesy, L’Express
If Your Body Clock Is Confused
Maybe you landed at JFK at midnight and now need dinner. Perhaps you’re still working through days-old jet lag, your confused circadian rhythm demanding a real meal. Or maybe you have just been just hit with an off-hour craving. Your body doesn’t care what the clock says, and neither do these places.
The Commodore
366 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Hours: Daily 11am to 4am (kitchen closes at 2am)
What to order: Hot fried chicken breast topped with coleslaw and pickles
Casual, Southern-ish eats like fried chicken and tropical cocktails (the eponymous Commodore is a piña colada with an amaretto float) hide behind a nondescript facade not far fromThe Hoxton, Williamsburg. But don’t let the setting fool you: this place gets packed. Order a sandwich for one-handed eating; if you score a table, get the fried chicken plate (three thighs and biscuits). It may look like a dive, but it’s got some serious chef cred.
Coppelia
207 W. 14th St., Chelsea, Manhattan
Hours: Open 24 hours
What to order: Cuban sandwich with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles
Near Gansevoort Meatpacking hotel on the west side, this Latin fusion diner has Cuban roots and an energetic atmosphere. Order the ropa vieja (slow-braised beef) in the wee hours, then head back in the morning for the huevos rancheros or steak and eggs. Who’s gonna stop you?
L’Express
249 Park Ave. S., Gramercy, Manhattan
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 2am, Friday and Saturday 9am to 4am
What to order: Steak frites
This French bistro is conveniently located smack in the belly of Manhattan, within an easy cab ride from the airports, and is one of the City’s most stalwart kitchens. Drop your bags at nearby Arlo NoMad, then head over and slide into a booth. The late-night menu is impressively deep; think short rib bourguignon and cassoulet. If you happen to have an escargot craving at 1am, you’ll be well pleased.
Katz's Delicatessen. Photo: Julienne Schaer
If You’re Craving Classic New York
To experience the New York that exists in movies, the NYC that undoubtedly squats in your imagination, you have to go to the source: the delis and neighborhood joints that have remained much the same for decades, beloved by locals and out-of-towners alike.
698 Cafe
39-07 Prince St., Flushing, Queens
Hours: Daily 11am to 3am
What to order: Sliced beef chow fun
Head here with a large group. Fill up one of the large round tables and then order as many Cantonese and Sichuan dishes as you can manage. Flushing is one NYC’s primary Chinatowns—even bigger than the one in Manhattan—and the authentic, no-frills atmosphere offers a real neighborhood flavor.
Katz’s Delicatessen
205 E. Houston St., Lower East Side, Manhattan
Hours: Open 24 hours on weekends
What to order: Pastrami sandwich (juicy, rye, mustard)
Katz’s is a rite of passage for both visitors and locals. Well positioned near Pianos, Bowery Ballroom and the classic LES bar scene—and immortalized in When Harry Met Sally—the deli has been the gold standard since 1888. Take your ticket, get in one of the eight lines, tip your cutter and watch as they hand-slice succulent meat.
Roll n Roaster
2901 Emmons Ave., Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11am to 1am, Friday and Saturday 11am to 2am
What to order: Roast beef sandwich with gravy
Founded in 1964 and beloved by generations of Brooklynites, this roast beef sandwich institution is a bit of a time warp where you can still get “cheez” on any sandwich. It’s huge and loud, and the milkshakes hit. Order at the counter and don’t worry if you don’t like roast beef—get the pizza and fries-n-cheez and find a seat.
Courtesy, Sake Bar Decibel
If Romance Is in the Air
You’ve had a few drinks, the conversation flows and nobody’s checked their phone in a few hours. Then your stomach growls. You need a restaurant that’s impressive but not trying too hard, somewhere you can have a few snacks (and more cocktails) without the weight of a full dinner.
JG Melon
1291 Third Ave., Upper East Side, Manhattan
Hours: Monday to Saturday 11:30am to 3am (kitchen closes at 2:30am), Sunday 11:30am to 1am (kitchen closes at 12:40am)
What to order: Cheeseburger and cottage fried potatoes
Here’s what you do: Plan a date where you walk around Central Park. Maybe get a drink at the Boathouse. Since you’re already in the neighborhood, pop by Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle for a martini amid the famed murals. Then snag a bar seat at JG Melon, a timeless, cash-only Upper East Side saloon that’s served politicians and artists for generations. Order a Bloody Mary and a burger and admire the melon design motif while you wait. The space is tight, and it can get noisy, but that means you’ll have to lean in closer to hear each other.
Mother’s Ruin
18 Spring St., Nolita, Manhattan
Hours: Daily 11am to 4am
What to order: Slushy du jour, Old Bay waffle fries
With dim lighting and lots of bar seating, this neighborhood cocktail bar east of Mulberry Street, Little Italy’s main thoroughfare, can be as intimate as you need it to be. Start with the rotating slushy cocktail, then pair it with interesting plates like kohlrabi chicken Caesar salad or Thai brussels sprouts. Or just get a burger.
Sake Bar Decibel
240 E. 9th St., East Village, Manhattan
Hours: Thursday 6pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday 6pm to 2am
What to order: Okonomiyaki, a type of savory pancake, with mayo and bonito flakes
An NYC classic since 1993, this subterranean, graffiti-scribbled sake bar (NYC’s first!) is one of the few true izakayas in the City. The menu is highly edited, and the prices are surprisingly affordable for late-night snacks that feel special, like braised and marinated pork belly and shrimp dumplings.
