Lately, many of the buzziest healthy-foodie staples taking over your Instagram feed (hello, unicorn latte) are coming from one place: New York.
Yep, the city that never sleeps doesn’t skip a meal—and a dizzying number of them are superfood-boosted, turmeric-infused, or served with an energizing ginger shot (gotta keep it moving on the sidewalk).
The only question is: How do you get the most out of every day in this epicenter of culinary cool? Yes, you can be that girl who starts the day with golden milk chia pudding , has business meetings at the hottest vegan spot in the city, and kale waffles on the weekend—but you have to know where to go.
Rounded up here are the spots you need to know about right now—whether you’re making a ressie, or just want to know what people are biting into in the Big Apple.
From newly opened health-forward restaurants to insider favorites with revamped menus, consider this your guide for where to eat healthy in New York all spring and summer.
When you want an iced latte loaded with benefits: The Good Sort
Located on a small street in Chinatown is a healthy hidden treasure that serves lattes as colorful as gemstones. Think: golden milk, blue algae, pink beet, and green matcha. And this summer, The Good Sort is combining their good-for-you ingredients into one super drink: a rainbow iced latte. (Swoon!) Co-founders Eddy Buckingham and Jeff Lam are going to rock your superfood world.
The Good Sort, 5 Doyers St., New York, NY 10013, (646) 895-9301, thegoodsortnyc.com
When you’re brunching with the girls: While We Were Young
This sunny West Village restaurant is making kale cocktails the new mimosas. Also worth trying from the drink menu: text from last night (pink peppercorn-infused mezcal) and sleeping with strangers (rum, passionfruit, lime, ginger, and an allspice tincture). Pair your cocktail with some avocado toast or the roasted squash (with house-made ricotta, roasted almonds, and honey). Wear you good leggings—this spot is a step up.
While We Were Young, 183 W. 10th St., New York, NY 10014, (917) 675-6272, whilewewereyoungnyc.com
When you want next-level avocado toast…and a dragon bowl: De Maria
Downtown culinary goddess Camille Becerra’s dragon bowls were the dish to order at Cafe Henrie, and now she has a new home at Nolita cafe, De Maria. From bowls to avocado toast, your brunch favorites all make an appearance—but with a twist. Think toppings like lavender-cured salmon or honey eggs, and gut-friendly bone broth to wash it all down.
De Maria, 19 Kenmare St., New York, NY 10012, (212) 966-3058, demarianyc.com
When you can’t nab a table at Cafe Clover: Clover Grocery
This newly opened West Village market, just a few doors down from high-end-and-healthy Cafe Clover, is the only place in NYC where you can order a coffee blended with medicinal mushrooms, coconut oil, molasses, and house-made nut milk. Not a coffee drinker? Go for a collagen matcha. Although the food from the pedigreed team (The Lamb’s Club) is highly portable—think salads, soups, and snacks (hello, sweet potato guacamole)—there are four counter seats up for grabs.
Clover Grocery, 259 Sixth Ave., New York, NY 10014, clovergrocery.com
When you’re stuck in Midtown and need lunch: Two Forks
Below 14th Street you’ll find everything from By Chloe to Dimes Deli, but when you’re in Midtown, healthy grab-and-go food is surprisingly harder to find. Filling that void is Two Forks, a new fast-casual dining spot with a menu full of various slow-roasted meats and veggies. Order the squash goals (pulled spaghetti squash, tzatziki sauce, butternut squash, carrot, apple, cranberry, and goat cheese slaw)—you won’t be disappointed.
Two Forks, 119 W. 40th St., New York, NY, 10018, (646) 755-8191, twoforksnyc.com
When you love avocados…like, a lot: Avocaderia
Amsterdam may have dibs on the world’s first avocado restaurant, but Brooklyn is now home to the world’s first avocado bar, located in Sunset Park. Literally everything on the menu is centered around the favored healthy fat, from smoothies and toasts to poké bowls and desserts. And you better believe the chefs have got the finicky avocado rosedown.
Avocaderia, Industry City Food Hall, 254 36th St., Brooklyn, NY 11232, avocaderia.com
When you want to eat to eat your way to clear skin: Inday
Inday is known for serving up healthy Indian food with its veggie-first dishes packed with inflammation-fighting spices. But the grab-and-go spot continues to outdo itself with its food-as-function mission. New for summer is their beauty bowl, coming this June. Think: seasonal veggies, cooling spices like mint, cardamom, and coriander, and lots of (skin-boosting) coconut.
Inday, 1133 Broadway, New York, NY, 10010, (917) 521-5012, indaynyc.com
When you’re planning a power lunch: abcV
You’ll be hard up to find a chicer veggie-focused restaurant than Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s newest outpost, abcV. The third restaurant in the ABC empire opened for breakfast and lunch earlier this spring and is now open for dinner. A sampling of the menu: avocado lettuce cups with toasted cumin, serrano, lime, and pepitas; honeynut squash soup with apple; and fresh spinach spaghetti with broccoli, kale, and lemon.
abcV, 38 E. 19th St., New York, NY 10003, (212) 475-5829, abchome.com/eat/abcv
When you want seafood…paired with an anti-inflammatory elixir: Blake Lane
Blake Lane is already known for it’s swoon-worthy brunch menu—beet tahini toast with blackberries and basil FTW—but the Upper East Side spot’s dinner menu is pretty outstanding. Whatever time of day you stop in, definitely try one of the anti-inflammatory tonics, or the golden milk from Cafe Integral.
Blake Lane, 1429 Third Ave., New York, NY 10028, (212) 988-4700, blacklanenyc.com
When you want a guac burger…but you’re in Brooklyn: the new By Chloe
By Chloe is the new Shake Shack—only plant-powered. And now, you don’t have to be in Manhattan to get your guac burger and sweet potato fries fix: The vegan chain opened its first outer-borough location this spring in Williamsburg. The new location has all the standout faves, with the same please-Instagram-me vibes.
By Chloe Brooklyn, 171 N. 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11211, (347) 770-9051, eatbychloe.com
When you actually have time to sit down for lunch: Nix
Nix has perfected vegetarian brunch and dinner cuisine, and now the vegetarian hotspot has a new lunch menu starring seasonal produce from their personal garden. That includes cauliflower tempura, steamed buns and house pickles, and a juicy beet burger.
Nix, 72 University Place, New York, NY 10003, (212) 498-9393, nixny.com
When you need a 2 p.m. pick-me-up: Nish Nush
Nish Nush already has bragging rights when it comes to its hummus. But now, the vegetarian Mediterranean eatery has added nourishing smoothies and desserts to their menu—and a new Financial District location. When it comes to the smoothies, choose from the kale and tell (kale, banana, and honey tahini), pink kaleada (pineapple, kale, spinach, dates, and coconut water), or turmeric kick (mango, banana, pecans, turmeric root, and honey tahini). Dessert features of-the-moment halva—if you haven’t had it before, you’ll definitely want to give it a go.
Nish Nush, 41 John St., New York, NY 10038, (212) 577-6474, nishnushnyc.com
When you want to enjoy some farm-to-table food al fresco: Friend of a Farmer
What’s better than enjoying ethically sourced organic food straight from an upstate New York farm? Enjoying it at a two-story townhouse complete with an outdoor terrace. Friend of a Farmer’s second location, in Brooklyn Heights, has ambiance in spades, and a new spring menu. If you’re overwhelmed by the seasonal offerings, go for the salmon with pearl barley, squash, and fresh herb sauce.
Friend of a Farmer, 76 Montague St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, (718) 643-6600, friendofafarmer.com
When you want a beet latte, but also need a manicure: Chillhouse
Step into Chillhouse, NYC’s first cafe/spa, and you’ll see a mix of bloggers, magazine editors, and downtown it-girls. The newly opened spot is the place to recharge—quite literally, since the cafe menu includes nitro coffee, matcha lattes, and what they’ve dubbed a macatte, a maca-infused hot chocolate. (Yup, you can order it iced—phew!) The drinks come quickly, but if you want a spa service you’ll definitely want to book it a few days in advance.
Chillhouse, 149 Essex St., New York, NY, 10002, (646) 678-3501, facebook.com/chillhousenyc
When you want Mediterranean: The Smile
Down the street from boutique wellness hotspots Box+Flow and Lululemon Lab is celebrity-favorite haunt, The Smile. The cozy cafe has a brand-new menu for spring, serving stand-out entrees with veggies and fruit (super refreshing) including shaved fennel, grapefruit, radicchio herbs, olives, and a citrus dressing.
The Smile, 26 Bond St., New York, NY 10012, (646) 329-5836, thesmilenyc.com
When you want Mexican: Citrico
Between the margaritas, carb-heavy tortillas, and queso, going out for Mexican can derail your healthy habits in one go. Prospect Heights’ Citrico offers all the traditional fare you crave, while also serving plant-based options and veggie-forward dishes loaded with avocado and yellow squash. And bonus: They have a vegan queso, too.
Citrico, 681 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11238, (347) 955-4519, citricobrooklyn.com
When you want Thai: Pinto Garden
Everything at Pinto Garden is sustainable and locally sourced—and as if that didn’t already make this West Village favorite a cut above the countless other Thai spots in the city, the menu theme right now is the oh-so-spring-y “rebirth.” Start with the banana blossom salad, made with roasted banana blossoms served right in their shell and topped with coconut cream, lemongrass, kaffir lime, mint, and spicy chili jam. For a main course, the standout is the num prik pasta, a play on Italian fare, made with cavatelli pasta, spicy-sour muck bean curry sauce, fresh chili paste, peanuts, and coconut flakes.
Pinto Garden, 117 W. 10th St., New York, NY 10011, (212) 366-5455, pintogarden.com
When you have a date (Brooklyn edition): Metta
Metta, a new restaurant in Fort Greene, is the perfect place to go with someone when you want to heat things up—after all, the menu was inspired by South American fire-cooking techniques, and the dishes—like freekeh risotto with mushrooms and charred beets with creme fraiche and rye berries—are truly warming. But it’s the cocktails that elevate Metta to a whole other level with drinks made with mezcal, jasmine honey syrup, and even ashwagandha.
Metta, 197 Adelphi St., Brooklyn, NY 11205, (718) 233-9134, mettabk.com
When you have a date (Manhattan edition): Hanoi House
Warm lighting, inspired ambiance, so many delicious Vietnamese dishes to choose from that you just have to share…. New East Village resto Hanoi House really sets the stage for a great date. Everything on the menu is shareable, which is perfect since deciding between the family-style feasts loaded with roasted meats and fruits—like papaya and pineapple—will be impossible.
Hanoi House, 119 St. Marks Place, New York, NY 10009, (212) 995-5010, hanoihousenyc.com
When you’re craving pasta, but you’re gluten-free: 99 Bank
Everything at this new West Village restaurant is gluten-free, so you can avoid the back-and-forth questioning with your server all together. Pizza, pasta, and burgers all make the menu, so you can order whatever your heart desires without worrying about the wheat content.
99 Bank, 99 Bank St., New York, NY 10014, (212) 524-0030, 99banknyc.com
When you’re hunting for the next unicorn latte: The End Brooklyn
You can thank (blame?) The End for your Instagram feed being inundated with beautiful, blue algae unicorn lattes—the Brooklyn cafe kicked off the entire trend (yes, pre-Starbucks). And the magic isn’t stopping anytime soon: The high-vibe locale just launched a purple amethyst latte, made with maqui berry, goji berry, lucuma, tocos, and a drop of lavender-infused honey and a hot-pink superfood Merbabe Latte.
The End, 522 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211, (347) 987-3954, thendbrooklyn.com
When you want to eat out (and really need to buy groceries, too): Orchard Grocer
Jackfruit sandwiches (on gluten-free bread, natch) aren’t the only thing you can get at this new, all-vegan Lower East Side deli. The MooShoes founders are back, doling out tofu and turmeric sandwiches and vegan grilled cheese alongside hard-to-find pantry items, like speciality nut cheeses and vegan Korean ribs to heat up at home. Who says you shouldn’t grocery shop when you’re hungry?
Orchard Grocer, 78 Orchard St., New York, NY 10002, (646) 757-9910, orchardgrocer.com
When you’re craving chocolate: Cocoa V
Mindfully eating doesn’t mean giving up chocolate—it’s all about going for a high cacao percentage over that Twix bar. Cocoa V is the place to go to treat yourself; the truffles are made without gluten and dairy, but they still deliver on taste. A sampling of flavors: lavender vanilla, raspberry ginger, and pistachio apple. Not in the mood for truffles? The shop has gluten- and dairy-free cake, cookies, and cupcakes, too.
Cocoa V, 174 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10011, (646) 998-3130, cocoav.com
NYC is full of healthy options, but here’s what to eat if you’re stuck at the airport—or anywhere near a Panera Bread.
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