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The Best of New York · Eat · Bagels

The best bagels in Brooklyn

Updated September 2026. 9 places.

Boiled and baked, a proper New York bagel is like the city itself. a bit tough on the outside, but it will invariably keep you coming back for more. Thankfully there’s no shortage of great bagels in Brooklyn to choose from. Whether you’re visiting NYC for the first time (or a tenured local), these are the joints I consider essential.

I can sit here and regale you with all the conspiracies theories I’ve heard over the years, but, simply put, I think it’s the water (and that’s the hill I’m ready to die on). The city’s water has low mineral content (like calcium and magnesium), making it “soft.” The soft water affects the gluten in the dough, creating a chewier bagel than elsewhere. The math checks out to me but hell, I’m not an expert, merely a hungry local.

Antonina PattizWriter and photographer · how I decide
Best of New York 2026, New York Dearest

Best bagels in Brooklyn, 2026

  1. Bagel PubBagel shop · BrooklynI’ve been coming here for years and the quality has never once dropped.
  2. Frankel’s DelicatessenDeli · GreenpointThe real star is Frankel’s house-cured salmon.
  3. Shelsky’s of BrooklynDeli · BrooklynTop it with a few slices of premium lox and you get the quintessential Brooklyn bagel experience.
  4. Bagel HoleBagel shop · Park SlopeCrowned with schmear, it’ll easily tide you over until lunch.
  5. H&L BagelsBagel shop · Bay RidgeAt H&L, bagels are half the story, it’s the great service that keeps locals coming back.
  6. Knickerbocker BagelBagel shop · Bushwick
  7. La Bagel DelightBagel shop · Park SlopeThe consistency is what keeps me coming back. you always know what you’re getting.
  8. Sam’s BagelsBagel shop · Bay RidgeOrder a bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel and you’ll see why locals consider these some of the best bagels in Brooklyn.
  9. Terrace BagelsBagel shop · BrooklynOpened in 1991, Terrace Bagels has been dishing out some of the best bagels in Brooklyn for more than three decades.

On the map

Where they are

5 neighborhoods, Brooklyn and Park Slope most of all.

Brooklyn

Bay Ridge

Park Slope

Bushwick

Greenpoint

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The full guide, with the ones that didn't make it and why: 12 Best Bagels in Brooklyn (The Local Foodie).