The Lower East Side, NYC is a prime shopping, drinking and dining neighborhood, but these are the spots that stick out
Written by Jennifer Picht & Time Out New York contributors
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The Lower East Side, NYC is one of Manhattan’s most fashionable neighborhoods. The former Bargain District meets your late-night comedy, pastrami-on-rye and tattoo needs as it’s home to some of the best comedy clubs, one of the best New York delis and great tattoo shops. Culturally, the Tenement Museum keeps the area's history alive in a series of restored apartments visited via themed guided tours, but most of the area’s cultural draws are contemporary including the numerous art galleries on the LES. RECOMMENDED: Full guide of Manhattan, NY
Things to do on the Lower East Side
Restaurants
The best Lower East Side restaurantsJust like the neighborhood itself—where Jewish tenements buddies up next to Hispanic pride, where Little Italy seamlessly melts into Chinatown—the culinary...
Bars
The best bars on the Lower East SideThe Lower East Side is a bar hopper’s paradise, thanks to the sheer volume and diversity of bars in the downtown neighborhood. European suds connoisseurs can...
Things to do
How to spend the perfect day in the Lower East Side, NYCThings to do
The three spots you must visit in the Lower East SideHotels
The best hotels near the BoweryArt
The best Lower East Side art galleriesBy entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
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Restaurants in the Lower East Side, NYC
Restaurants
Wildair4 out of 5 stars
The 45-seat restaurant is a sister to chef Jeremiah Stone and pastry chef Fabian von Hauske’s avant-garde tasting-menu den, Contra, two doors down.
Restaurants
Katz’s Delicatessenprice 2 of 4
This cavernous cafeteria is a repository of New York history—glossies of celebs spanning the past century crowd the walls, and the classic Jewish deli...
Restaurants
Dirty French3 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4
This Ludlow Hotel bistro blockbuster, from Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick, is serving some of the cleanest French fare in town.
Restaurants
Dirt Candy3 out of 5 stars
price 2 of 4
Chef Amanda Cohen is one of the most prominent champions of vegetarian cuisine, well before vegetable-forward was the gastro buzzword on every menu.
More amazing grub in the Lower East Side
Bars in the Lower East Side, NYC
Bars
Attaboy4 out of 5 stars
price 2 of 4
Not all spin-offs are created equal: The best retain what you loved most about the original, with enough new material to keep things fresh, while others...
Bars
Bar Goto5 out of 5 stars
price 2 of 4
Take a seat at Kenta Goto’s glimmering black-and-gold boîte, lodged away from the Houston Street bedlam, and you’ll findits noisy hype...
Bars
Nitecap4 out of 5 stars
price 1 of 4
The entrance is hard to find and you’ll have to wrestle an unwieldy velvet curtain the second you step inside. But the effort is well worth it.
Bars
The Flower Shop4 out of 5 stars
price 2 of 4
Other bars may have the look of a 1970s house party, but the Flower Shop actually seems like one.
More spots to grab drinks in the Lower East Side, NYC
Hotels in the Lower East Side, NYC
Hotels
The Ludlow4 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4
The Ludlow classes up the joint by offering ridiculously luxurious studios, terraces, lofts, and penthouses to those aiming for fancy vibe for their NYC...
Hotels
Orchard Street Hotelprice 2 of 4
Few hotels can capture the vibe of pre-2000s Lower East Side, but Orchard Street Hotel certainly comes close.
Hotels
Hotel on Rivington4 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4
You can’t miss this enormous glass highrise jutting out in the LES skyline. This hotel offers what a lot of spots downtown cannot: space.
Hotels
SIXTY LES4 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4
Floor-to-ceiling windows, lightbox headboards, and an 180-degree view of Manhattan is why you stay in Sixty, but the spa and pool is why you’ll never...
Nightlife in the Lower East Side, NYC
Bars
Arlene’s Groceryprice 1 of 4
Arlene’s Grocery was one of the earliest rock-music venues south of East Houston, and it remains a hallowed hall of head-banging.
Music
Bowery Ballroomprice 1 of 4
This is probably the best venue in the city for seeing indie bands, either those on their way up or the ones holding their own.
Buy ticket
Nightlife
Slipper Roomprice 1 of 4
This cabaret-style venue commits itself curtain and soul to the nouveau burlesque scene, so if you stumble across a pile of pasties and glitter on the Lower...
Nightlife
Mercury Loungeprice 1 of 4
The unassuming, boxy Mercury Lounge is both an old standby and pretty much the number-one indie-rock club in town.
More places to rage in the Lower East Side
Shops in the Lower East Side
Shopping
Inside the hip-hop–inspired shop, expect to find items from her current fashion line, plus racks of rare vintage finds that have been on ice for the past...
Shopping
Frankieprice 2 of 4
We were bummed to see local fave Pixie Market (trendy clothes! übercheap prices!) close up shop. But before we could settle into a deep depression, the...
Shopping
Grit N Gloryprice 3 of 4
Fed up with the dearth of stores that matched their aesthetic, 24-year-old founders Emily Conley and Veronica Cano set up their own boutique with a real...
Shopping
Bluestockingsprice 2 of 4
This self-proclaimed “radical” bookstore and cafe hosts readings and discussions on health, race, class and sexuality, featuring stellar writers...
More shopping in the Lower East Side, NYC
