Best delis in New York, 2026.

205 East Houston Street, Lower East Side. Open since 1888. You’ve seen it in “When Harry Met Sally.” You’ve seen it on every food show ever filmed. And yes, the pastrami sandwich ($28) is worth the hype. It’s hand-carved, piled absurdly high on rye bread with spicy brown mustard, and it’s one of the most famous foods in America.

Here’s what you need to know before you go. When you walk in, they hand you a ticket. Do not lose this ticket. I’m serious. If you lose it, there’s a $50 charge. Take the ticket, get in the carving line (not the table-service side unless you want to pay more and wait longer), and order at the counter.

The cutter will give you a sample slice while they make your sandwich. This is when you tip. A dollar or two on the counter. The sample is partially a taste test and partially a social contract. Tip the cutter and you’ll notice your sandwich gets a little more generous. That’s just how Katz’s works.

Is $28 a lot for a sandwich? Yes. Is the sandwich big enough for two people to split? Also yes. Should you go at least once? Absolutely. Should you go every time you’re on the Lower East Side? That depends on how you feel about spending $28 on a sandwich, but I’m not going to judge you either way.

1442 First Avenue (at 75th Street), Upper East Side. The original 2nd Ave Deli was on Second Avenue in the East Village (hence the name) before it moved uptown after a rent dispute. Some purists are still upset about this. The pastrami didn’t change addresses with any less flavor, so I’ve moved on.

The pastrami here ($29) is probably as good as Katz’s, just different. It’s a little leaner, a little more peppery, and the rye bread is excellent. But where 2nd Ave Deli really shines is everything else. The matzo ball soup ($10 cup / $16 bowl) is the best in the city. I’m not starting a fight about this, I’m just stating a fact. The matzo ball is fluffy, the broth is golden and deeply savory.

It’s also a much calmer experience than Katz’s. No ticket system, no chaos, just a regular restaurant where you sit down, order, and eat. If you want the deli experience without the tourist gauntlet, this is the move.

179 East Houston Street, Lower East Side. Russ and Daughters has been selling smoked fish since 1914, and it’s not technically a deli in the pastrami sense. It’s an appetizing store, which is the traditional Jewish term for a shop that sells fish, cream cheese, and bagels (as opposed to a deli, which sells meat). Yes, there’s a distinction, and yes, it matters to people.

The Classic board ($42 for two) is the thing to get. It comes with Nova Scotia smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes, onions, and bagels. Every component is perfect. The salmon is silky. The cream cheese is house-made. The bagels are from Shelsky’s and they’re excellent.

They also have a sit-down cafe around the corner at 127 Orchard Street (Russ and Daughters Cafe) if you want table service. Same food, more comfortable, slightly higher prices. Either way, you’re eating some of the best smoked fish in the world. This is not an overstatement.

541 Amsterdam Avenue (at 86th Street), Upper West Side. Barney Greengrass has been calling itself the Sturgeon King since 1908, and nobody has challenged the title because the sturgeon is, in fact, incredible. This is another appetizing store, like Russ and Daughters, focused on smoked fish, bagels, and eggs.

The scrambled eggs with Nova ($24) are legendary. Fluffy scrambled eggs with silky smoked salmon mixed in, served with a bagel on the side. The sturgeon (sold by the quarter pound, around $18) is rich, buttery, and unlike any other smoked fish you’ve had.

The restaurant side is cash only (yes, still, in 2026) and the vibe is old-school in the best way. Formica tables, fluorescent lights, waiters who’ve been there for decades. If you’re looking for the best bagels on the Upper West Side, starting here is not a bad plan.

548 Third Avenue (between 36th and 37th), Murray Hill. Sarge’s is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the sandwiches are enormous. The pastrami on rye ($26) is a full pound of meat. I weighed it once because I didn’t believe the menu. The menu was not lying.

This is the deli for 2 AM. For when you’ve been out too late and you need something massive and comforting. The matzo ball soup is solid. The corned beef is good. The cheesecake ($11 a slice) is dense and creamy and exactly what a New York cheesecake should be.

It’s not the fanciest deli on this list. The lighting is harsh and the tables are a bit cramped. But at 3 AM when you need a pastrami sandwich, Sarge’s is there for you, and that counts for something.

97A Hoyt Street, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Mile End does Montreal-style smoked meat, which is different from New York pastrami. It’s leaner, more heavily spiced, and sliced thinner. The smoked meat sandwich ($19) on rye with mustard is excellent and a little less overwhelming than the New York deli portions.

They also do poutine ($14), which is hard to find done well in New York. The fries are crispy, the cheese curds squeak, the gravy is rich. If you’ve never had real poutine, this is a safe introduction. Mile End is a smaller, quieter deli experience and a nice change of pace from the big Manhattan institutions.

552 West 235th Street, Riverdale, the Bronx. Nobody puts Liebman’s on these lists, which is exactly why I’m putting it here. It’s been open since 1953, it’s in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, and it’s one of the last old-school Jewish delis in the city that hasn’t become a tourist attraction.

The pastrami ($22) is hand-carved and legitimately excellent. The prices are lower than the Manhattan delis. The vibe is neighborhood restaurant, not Instagram destination. Getting there requires the 1 train to 238th Street, which is a hike from Midtown, but if you’re already in the Bronx or you want a deli experience without the crowds, Liebman’s is the real deal.

No address because the address is everywhere. I’d feel wrong writing a guide to NYC delis without mentioning the bodega deli counter, because for most New Yorkers, this is the deli. Every bodega (corner store) in the city has a deli counter in the back, and they all make sandwiches, usually for $8 to $12.

The thing to order is the chopped cheese. It’s ground beef, chopped and mixed with melted cheese on a griddle, served on a hero roll with lettuce, tomato, and ketchup or mayo. It was born in Harlem and the Bronx, and the best ones are at bodegas above 96th Street on the East Side or anywhere in the Bronx.

Is a chopped cheese fine dining? No. Is it a cultural institution as important as anything on this list? Absolutely. It’s $7, it’s delicious, and it’s the sandwich that actual New Yorkers eat most often. You can get fancy pastrami at Katz’s when your parents visit. The chopped cheese is for every other day.

Also get a bacon egg and cheese on a roll from any bodega before 10 AM. Ask for it on a roll, salt pepper ketchup. It’ll cost $5 and it’s the unofficial breakfast of New York City. Every New Yorker has a bodega they swear makes the best one. They’re all right.

For more NYC food guides, check out where to eat near Central Park. And if you’re doing the Lower East Side, pair Katz’s with a walk through Essex Market. You won’t regret it.