Remember when the New York Times sparked outrage claiming California had the best bagels?! Yeah…New Yorkers weren’t having it. And now, travel site Fodor’s has officially set the record straight: in its new ranking of the 15 best bagel shops in America, NYC came out on top with four legendary spots—more than any other city.
From rainbow-colored creations to oversized, chewy rounds, New York’s bagels are pure proof there really is something in the water. Here are the four NYC shops (in alphabetical order) that crushed the national list—and yes, one is even a celebrity favorite:
From classic chewy rounds to overstuffed sandwiches, these bagels are pure proof that there really is something special in NYC’s water (and that paying a bagel tax is actually worth it).
According to Fodor’s, NYC bagel shops among the best in America include (in alphabetical order):
🥯 Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company
The irony? Despite the name, there’s not a single Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company location in Brooklyn. Still, this shop is a national standout thanks to its perfectly chewy bagels and a wild lineup of “crazy cream cheeses” like honey bacon sriracha, cannoli, and pimento olive.
📍 Various locations
🥯 Ess-a-Bagel
A true NYC classic. Ask any local for their top three bagel spots and Ess-a-Bagel almost always makes the cut. With five locations (including Newark Airport), these oversized bagels stay soft for hours and make any morning exponentially better.
📍 Various locations
🥯 Liberty Bagels
Home of the famous rainbow bagel that floods Instagram feeds, Liberty is much more than a viral gimmick. Expect nearly 20 daily bagel flavors, creative cream cheese combos, and epic breakfast sandwiches stacked with everything from pastrami to hash browns.
Liberty Bagels and Ess-a-Bagel both also made it onto Yelp’s ranking of the best bagel shops in New York.
📍 Various locations
🥯 Tompkins Square Bagels
This East Village favorite has the celebrity seal of approval—Timothée Chalamet himself has called it his go-to. Known for both quirky cream cheese flavors (think birthday cake and wasabi) and consistently perfect classics, Tompkins tops nearly every “best of” NYC list.
📍 Various locations
New York City might have dominated, but other cities also scored spots on Fodor’s list, including Cambridge (MA), University Heights (OH), Portland (OR), Washington, D.C., Los Angeles (CA), Columbus (OH), Berea (KY), Lincolnwood (IL), Pittsburgh (PA), Biddeford (ME), and Teaneck (NJ).
👉 See Fodor’s full ranking of the best bagel shops in America here.
