The 10 best tourist-trap restaurants in NYC

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 offerings are nonpareil. Start with a crisp-skinned, all-beef hot dog for just $3.95. Then flag down a meat cutter and order a legendary sandwich. The brisket sings with horseradish, and the thick-cut pastrami stacked high between slices of rye is the stuff of dreams. Everything tastes better with a glass of the hoppy house lager; if you’re on the wagon, make it a Dr. Brown’s.

Although a slew of Luger copycats have prospered in the last several years, none have captured the elusive charm of this stucco walled, beer-hall style eatery, with well-worn wooden floors and tables, and waiters in waist coats and bow ties. Excess is the thing, be it the reasonably health- conscious tomato salad (thick slices of tomato and onion with an odd addition of steak sauce), the famous porterhouse for two, 44 ounces of sliced prime beef, or the decent apple strudel, which comes with a bowl full of schlag. Go for it all—it’s a singular New York experience that’s worth having.

Danny Meyer’s wildly popular Madison Square Park concession stand is mobbed with hour-long lines during the summer; in chilly weather, heat lamps provide all the warmth you need. Sirloin and brisket are ground daily for excellent patties, and franks are served Chicago-style on poppy seed buns with a “salad” of toppings and a dash of celery salt. Frozen-custard shakes hit the spot, and there’s beer and wine to boot. It’s worth waiting in line for, if you ask us, but if you’re in a rush, the Upper West Side’s wait rarely exceeds 20 minutes.

This massive food and drink complex, from Joe and Lidia Bastianich is the largest Italian market in the world. The New York flagship takes inspiration from Oscar Farinetti's Eataly Torino Italy, which opened back in 2007, with a sprawling 48,000-square-feet maze of awe-inspiring stands filled with hard-to-find, high-quality produce, cafés and restaurants. It's a chance for New Yorkers to educate their tastebuds on the nuances of Italy's 20 regions.

Dominique Ansel honed his skills as executive pastry chef at Daniel for six years before opening this American and French patisserie. There are Ansel's Cronut creations, of course, but there are also caramelized croissants, miniature pastel meringues and madeleines selections available at the counter. The café also serves savory offerings, like roasted butternut squash soup and a pork club sandwich with pickled eggs, tomatoes and spicy mayo on sourdough.

The coal-fired brick oven at this reliably shabby old-timer, open since 1929, turns out a standard-bearing Margherita pie, thin of crust and light of sauce, with gooey grated mozzarella clinging to every nook and cranny. With good-natured, Old World gruff, the servers will inform you that it’s only pies here, no slices—a great excuse to inhale an entire one all by yourself. John’s is both a local landmark and a major stop on the New York pizza-tourist circuit, and you don’t gain that kind of rep for nothin’.

Not only is the iconic Balthazar still trendy, but the kitchen rarely makes a false step. At dinner, the place is perennially packed with rail-thin lookers dressed to the nines. But the bread is great, the food is good, and the service is surprisingly friendly. The three-tiered seafood platter casts the most impressive shadow of any dish in town. The frisée aux lardons is exemplary. The skate with brown butter and capers and a standard-bearing roasted chicken on mashed potatoes for two are both délicieux. Don’t hate the patrons because they’re beautiful; just join them.

The former home of the National Biscuit Company is a hot spot for foodies-in-training. The bustling marketplace and food court features acclaimed vendors like Los. Tacos No 1, Mokbar and Corkbuzz.

The signature offering is a burger that invites comparisons to the revered Corner Bistro’s. Melon’s is pricier, at $11.25 for the very basic model, but it’s arguably just as tasty. Served austerely with a few slices of red onion and pickle, these handfuls must be eaten quickly, before the juice soaks through the bottom of the bun. Several of the genial bartenders, hosts and servers (in genteel ties and sweater vests) have been greeting patrons by their first names since the pub opened in 1972.

This Flushing mainstay is famed for its soup dumplings; each purse-shaped morsel contains a meatball surrounded by broth. An order of eight crab or pork dumplings is a steal at $5.