Best dim sum in New York, 2026.

Nom Wah has been open since 1920 on Doyers Street, which makes it the oldest dim sum parlor in the city. Let that sink in. This place has been serving dumplings since before your grandparents were born.

The space is small and retro, with those classic red booths and a counter that looks like it hasn’t changed since the Eisenhower administration. They don’t do cart service here. You order off a checklist menu, which honestly makes it easier for first-timers.

Order the OG egg roll. It’s the original recipe and it’s crispy and porky and perfect. The turnip cake is excellent, pan-fried until the outside is golden. And the shrimp rice rolls (cheung fun) are silky and delicate. Most plates are $5-7. Two people can eat extremely well for $35-45 total.

The downside. It’s become very popular with tourists, so weekend waits can hit 30-45 minutes. Go on a weekday or get there before 11am on Saturday.

If you want the full chaotic cart-service dim sum experience in Manhattan, Golden Unicorn at 18 East Broadway is where you go. It’s a massive banquet hall on the third floor, and on weekends it’s absolutely packed with families who’ve been coming here for decades.

Here’s how cart service works if you’ve never done it. Women push metal carts through the dining room loaded with bamboo steamers and plates. They stop at your table, open a steamer, and show you what’s inside. You nod yes or no. They stamp your ticket. That’s it. No menus, no deliberating, just point and eat.

Get there by 11am on weekends or you’ll wait 30+ minutes. The har gow (shrimp dumplings) are excellent. The siu mai (pork dumplings) are classic. And the chicken feet, if you’re feeling adventurous, are genuinely good. I was skeptical for years and now I order them every time.

Most plates run $4-6. A full dim sum meal for two will cost about $30-40 before tip.

Oriental Garden at 14 Elizabeth Street is where Chinatown locals go for Cantonese seafood dim sum. It doesn’t have the Instagram fame of Nom Wah or the spectacle of Golden Unicorn, and that’s exactly why I love it.

The seafood here is noticeably fresher than most dim sum spots. The shrimp in the har gow actually tastes like shrimp, not like a vaguely seafood-flavored paste. The steamed fish dumplings are outstanding. And their congee is the kind of thing that makes you question why you ever eat oatmeal for breakfast.

It’s also slightly less hectic than the big banquet halls, which means you can actually hear yourself think. Plates $4-7, budget $25-35 per person.

Dim Sum Go Go at 5 East Broadway takes a more modern approach, and it works surprisingly well. The snow pea leaf dumplings are something you won’t find at traditional spots, and they’re genuinely great. The chive and shrimp dumplings have a brightness that the heavy hitters sometimes lack.

This is a good spot if you’re bringing someone who’s dim sum-curious but might be overwhelmed by the full cart chaos at Golden Unicorn. The menu is in English, the ordering is straightforward, and the food is excellent. Plates $5-8.

I need to be honest about Jing Fong. The original location on Elizabeth Street was massive. Like, 800-seat banquet hall massive. It was the most classic dim sum experience in Manhattan and it closed during the pandemic in a way that genuinely hurt.

They’ve reopened in a smaller space, and it’s still good. The food quality is solid and the vibe is still lively. But if someone told you about the “old Jing Fong” and you’re expecting that, you’ll be slightly disappointed. It’s a very good dim sum restaurant now instead of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Spoiler alert. The siu mai and har gow are still excellent. That counts for a lot.