Rachel Pelz

2026 is a milestone year for the holidays in New York State. This holiday season marks Macy’s 100th Thanksgiving Day Parade; the 80th anniversary of It’s a Wonderful Life, the beloved movie inspired by New York’s own Seneca Falls; the 90th anniversary of The Rink at Rockefeller Center and the 25th anniversary of the Winter Village at Bryant Park. And the numbers don’t stop there: from the world’s tallest menorah and the biggest New Year’s Eve ball ever dropped in NYC to Syracuse’s 600,000+ lights on the lake and the hundreds of Christmas tree farms dotting the state, we’ve got all the facts, stats and dates you need to learn about the holidays in New York State.   Whether you’re planning a trip to NYC or a cozy upstate getaway full of snowy fields, New York State is where new holiday traditions can be made every year. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s all putting up the numbers, you can plan your perfect holiday in New York State. (And you don’t even need to use your calculator!) Photograph: By Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman SpeyerThe Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree stands lit during the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony 1. 100: Feet of the tallest Rockefeller Center Christmas tree ever In 1999, this majestic Norway spruce made history. Because it was so large, it was tough to squeeze through the city streets, so we might never see one this tall again.  2. 295,200: The number of Christmas trees New York State produces

Every year, New York’s most extra bars and restaurants transform into holiday destinations so decorated that you can practically hear the reindeer’s hooves on the roof.  Whether you’re craving schnitzel beneath 15,000 ornaments, fondue in a festive “après-ski lodge” or a festive holiday cocktail in a mug you can take home and add to your collection, we’ve got the perfect place for you to celebrate the season. Some of these only pop up from November to January (although Rolf’s, the winner of the “Most Festive Restaurant in America,” leans into Christmas all year, so make your reservations early to score your “Sleigh-Saurus” or mulled wine before the new year.  RECOMMENDED: See the full guide to Christmas in New York

If you’re a New Yorker, your favorite ramen spot might be the one closest to your apartment. You simply can’t go wrong with a rich bowl of broth, a pile of noodles and smoky chashu that melts in your mouth. Still, we’ve slurped our way through NYC to find the best-of-the-best ramen in the city’s Japanese restaurants, from out-of-the-way neighborhood spots serving up big chunks of birria beef in takeout containers to classic 12-seaters where you’ll have to wait outside for a table. Whether you’re into nearly tonkotsu broth or thick miso that rearranges itself beneath your spoon, you’re sure to find the perfect bowl for you.  We’ve evaluated every bowl of ramen on five baseline components: broth, noodles, chashu (or the closest thing to it, as we’ve included plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians), egg and veg. With so many different ramen styles, this lets us put the bowls head-to-head. So pair your next sushi dinner with a deep bowl of noodles or find a new spot for cheap eats: these are the best ramen restaurants in NYC. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in NYC Updated September 2026: As the nights get chillier and winter starts to close in, this is the time to find your new favorite ramen shop. New spots and old favorites have found their way onto the list, so you can rank the newcomers against the old standbys. Whether you stay in and order delivery or brave the cold while you wait in line for a steaming bowl, these are the must-visit ramen spots in NYC right now.

Find your new favorite spot for a morning iced coffee or an afternoon matcha at these coffee shops, cafes and bakeries. They don’t just serve classic lattes and cappuccinos (although they do make some of the best in the city), they also serve incredible cocktails, breakfast sandwiches that rival the best bodega BEC, and coffee drinks made with inventive ingredients like sweet durian and boba. Carve a few minutes out on your morning commute or make a special trip to try the latest colorful drink that’s blowing up on the ‘gram—these are the best coffee shops in NYC right now. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in NYC to book right now October 2026: Much like all of the restaurants and drinks that we find in the city, coffee also serves as a playing ground for the most creative. Of course, a good strong cup of the strong stuff will never fall out of style. But a latte that stirs in plantain syrup? Matchas that wink with Earl Grey? Clearly, these aren't your average cups. In this update, we added Flatbush's Antilles Cafe and the concept store/coffee shop in Bed-Stuy, Apartment Ra'el. We removed Casasalvo as it closed, and we also removed Che, Ninth Street Espresso and Winner. 

Diners have a special place in New Yorkers’ hearts. Many of them have stood in their spots for years as regulars come and go with their cups of coffee and bags of donuts; others are brand-new, opened with the idea of reinventing diner food or recreating the vintage vibes of the diner’s heyday. Whether you’re looking for an updated take on the genre to cheap eats at a classic greasy spoon, NYC diners do it all. Check out some of the city’s most iconic burgers and sandwiches, taste an egg cream or ice box cake that’ll knock your socks off and join the long tradition of New Yorkers who have created community in the timeless draw of a diner. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC December 2025: New York is truly home to all manner of tried-and-true classics and fresh takes on the humble diner. For our update, we tried to strike a balance between both, adding in updated information for the West Village's beloved La Bonbonniere and Mike's Diner located in Clinton Hill. We also added Thai Diner and Kellogg's Diner to the list. We removed Cozy Soup 'n' Burger, Gena's Grill, Tom's and Waverly Restaurant. 

From pumpkin picking to the Oktoberfest events, there are plenty of ways to eat and drink your way through autumn in NYC. One of our favorites is to explore the city’s iconic food festivals, including Food Network’s NYC Food and Wine Festival and Little Italy’s Feast of San Gennaro. Taste your way through the world at fests celebrating the city’s best Korean food, the continuing return of oysters to New York Harbor and treats from the Latin and Caribbean diasporas. As the weather turns, you can warm up inside with a rare whisky presented by the experts or take in the fall foliage from a Red Hook warehouse as the sun sets over the Statue of Liberty. Get your tickets now to the best food and drink festivals in NYC, because these sell out fast. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do in the fall in New York

You don’t have to go all the way to Arthur Ashe Stadium to catch the action of the 2026 US Open, which runs from August 23 to September 13. Skip the tickets and head to one of the city’s watch parties instead, where you’ll find everything from a recreation of the iconic player tunnel for photo opps to your chance to try the US Open’s viral Honey Deuce cocktail.  All summer long, NYC’s best sports bars have been holding it down with huge screens and drink specials. As the season of sports is winding down, you can head back to your favorite watering hole to catch a few more games, or try one of these activations and US Open-themed watch parties. Whether you’re catching a match on a 30-foot outdoor screen or putting your own spin on a game of Red Ball tennis, these bars, restaurants and rooftop watch parties are more than the next-best thing to Arthur Ashe Stadium: they’re destinations themselves.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the U.S. Open in NYC

We love ice cream in any form—and every season. Though we’ll happily partake in a sweet cone even in the glacial New York winter, ice cream—like music festivals, park-set picnics and outdoor dining—is a joyful, delicious harbinger of warmer weather. Just try to be grumpy with a great big ice cream cone on a sunny day—it's physically impossible. New York City has an abundance of options for when you can’t catch the Mister Softee truck, from old-school scoops to newfangled soft serve. These are our favorite ice cream shops in NYC—including the classic, offbeat, unique and traditional frozen offerings this season. Updated July 2026: This summer, we added Albero Dei Gelati and L’Industrie, both serving up some of the city’s best gelato, the nostalgic newcomer Julia Jean’s and The Screen Door, whose “flurry sundaes” with a base of blended soft serve, marshmallow fluff and mix-ins put it over the top.  How we curate and review at Time Out.

There are nearly forty islands in New York City, making for a lot of waterside property. While it can be hard to remember when you’re stuck in gridlock midtown traffic or wandering among the high-rises of downtown Brooklyn, we’re lucky enough to be living in a city of islands. From waterfront restaurants to sunset boat tours, there are plenty of ways to celebrate New York City’s waterways. Our favorite? Tucking into some of the city’s best seafood, including raw bar seafood towers, East Coast oysters, luxurious tins of caviar and the currently trending (again!) shrimp cocktail. Whether you’re in the mood for the city’s best lobster roll or a bag-it-yourself experience at a bustling Astoria fish market, we’ve rounded up the 17 best seafood restaurants in NYC. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC Updated July 2026: This summer, we’ve added Carmellini’s latest venture Carne Mare, notable for its spicy lobster spaghetti and crowd-pleasing mozzarella sticks with caviar. Tommy Bahama’s midtown restaurant made the cut for its coconut-shrimp-scented power lunches, along with underground date-night destination Smithereens and the recently expanded aguachile emporium Mariscos el Submarino. How we curate and review at Time Out.

Middle Eastern favorites like spicy kebabs, creamy baba ganoush and classic falafel sandwiches can be found on the menus of some of NYC's best restaurants. From Astoria to Bay Ridge, Middle Eastern fare is just as satisfying at a fine-dining destination as at a late-night stop for cheap eats. Whether you’re craving kibbeh from Lebanon, stuffed Kurdish dumplings or a bubbling pan of shakshuka at brunch, you can find the best of NYC’s Middle Eastern dishes at these 16 restaurants.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC Updated July 2026: This summer, we’ve added Shifka, a brand-new NoHo lunch option with an under-the-radar tahini-vanilla soft serve, West Village rotisserie-chicken destination Cleo, plus the UES’s Dear Margo and the Eastern European-meets-Middle Eastern spot Gusi. Whether you’re looking for a falafel to eat on the street or a spot to linger over dips and drinks, these are the best newcomers and most beloved longtime Middle Eastern restaurants in NYC. How we curate and review at Time Out.

Whether you’re after amazing views of the New York skyline, an ocean breeze off the beach or a happy hour with your favorite co-workers that feels like a mini vacation, head to one of the best waterfront restaurants in NYC. You can go super nautical and have a drink on a boat bar or take a dinner cruise, or DIY it and grab some cheap eats to have a romantic picnic on a park bench along the shoreline. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in New York Our favorite way to celebrate summer in the city is to make a reservation at one of the city’s very best restaurants along the waterfront—whether it’s on the Hudson River, the East River or overlooking the Atlantic Ocean—and remind ourselves that New York is, believe it or not, surrounded by water. We’ve rounded up the best waterfront restaurants in NYC right now to eat, drink and enjoy the New York shoreline and skyline. Updated July 2026: This summer, we’ve added Six Coasts, a brand-new Pan-American restaurant from the Smorgasburg team; Lalaon, a Korean BBQ spot inspired by the dining culture along the Han River; The Yacht Club for a not-so-quiet-luxury experience; and Anable Basin for an easygoing hang with one of the best views in NYC.

Looking for a new spot to watch the big game? Our list of NYC’s best sports bars includes rowdy beer halls, low-key hangs with craft brews, some of NYC’s best dive bars and even a bar dedicated to all things Canadian. Whether you need a weekly place to root for your footie team or just want to drink a few great brews with friends, we’ve rounded up our favorite places to shout at a really big TV. RECOMMENDED: See all of the best bars in NYC Updated June 2026: It has never been a better time to be a sports fan. With the energy surrounding the Knicks and the FIFA World Cup upon us, plenty of New Yorkers are heading to their favorite bars or even taking to the streets to catch the action that's been projected onto buildings. As a result, we figured it was high time to update our sports bars list.  This go-around, we added a bi-level sports bar that's been in midtown for over 30 years: Mustang Harry's. We also updated our entry for the Clinton Hill sports bar Athena Keke's after a review.

This cozy spot is conveniently situated just steps from Central Park and the MoMA, which might also explain why there’s sometimes a line of sightseers waiting to warm up with a hot bowl of homemade broth topped with melty chashu or fat river shrimp, scallops and squid.  The vibe: Dark, warm and lit by lanterns, it feels like a hidden escape between the bustle of 6th and 7th Avenues. Since seating is limited, you might encounter a bit of a queue on a weekend; stick it out, since the line will move quickly.  The food: Go for the rich pork broth over the chicken, which ups the umami even further with chashu or seafood swimming at the top of the bowl. You can also get your bowl with a spicy, housemade paste that will warm you up from the inside out. Vegans can find a soy broth with a standout assortment of veggies including zucchini, pumpkin and mushroom, along with seared tofu for the protein you need to continue your shopping tour of Midtown.  The drink: Wind down with a “Meowjito” (rum, yuzu, lime, mint and bitters served in a cat mug), or wake up with a Ko Hip Poi made with cold brew and vodka and a Matcha Jo Dai with gin and the green stuff. Everything from the menu to the drinks is made to be photographed, especially the Kirei, made like a jello shot with sparkling jelly sake.  Time Out tip: Items on the menu are helpfully marked with levels of spice, so believe them when they say that two flames is satisfyingly spicy.

This izakaya-inspired restaurant serves up sushi, cocktails and wagyu ramen to Chelsea’s post-work, pre-date crowd. With windows made for people-watching and a long communal bench, it’s a good pick for a small group at happy hour or pre-gaming the club.  The food: Pork gyoza come in tight rolls, fried to perfection and sized to share. You could make a full meal out of the appetizers and yakitori, with crisp takoyaki, chicken karaage and shrimp tempura. If you’re hungry for more, opt for the wagyu ramen: paired with their 48-hour fermented noodles, the thinly sliced beef is every bit as sweet and savory as chashu, with a similar melt-in-your-mouth texture.  The drinks: The cocktail list features inventive takes like the Koge Margarita, made with gin, vodka, lime, and black salt, and the Tokyo Manhattan, made with Yamazaki 12-year whisky, shiitake-infused rye, and dashi. A few sweet but thoughtfully made mocktails round out the list for non-drinkers.  Time Out tip: KEI’s got a secret: TSUKI, a tiny tasting room hidden inside it, is open only on Thursdays at 6:30pm. 

More than 20 years later, Momofuku Noodle Bar has proved it has much more than staying power. Its constantly changing menu, perhaps best exemplified by the flip board on the wall displaying the day’s specials, belies the fact that not that much has changed. Despite Chang’s growth into a full-blown culinary celeb, Michelin star-holder, and general multi-hyphenate, Noodle Bar still hums along as frictionlessly as it always has. Meet up with friends or bring a book to sit by the kitchen with the other solo diners and watch the new set of East Village girls.  The food: A roster of crowd-pleasers, from pork, mushroom or shrimp steamed buns to a deep, salty smoked pork ramen, makes for a fast, easy dinner when you’re running around downtown. If you’re coming with a crowd, you can preorder the fried chicken dinner, which features two whole birds, done both American- and Korean-style, plus scallion biscuits and potatoes. The drink: A short menu of beer, wine, cocktails, and sake and soju is celebratory and easy to parse. Go for the Soju Bomb! (made with Japanese Orion beer and orange soju) or a sake flight to find your favorite among the different regions and techniques.  Time Out tip: Never skip dessert at Noodle Bar. Try the soft serve, the milk chocolate pie or (come on, live a little!) both.

The Astoria location of this Queens ramen institution is best known for its miso broth, which is fermented for over a month before making its way to your bowl. In warmer weather, go straight to the tsukemen section of the menu for a pile of cold, chewy noodles designed to be dipped.  The food: You can’t go wrong with anything on the ramen menu, although the thick, clouded miso broth is a standout. Along with your noodles of choice, order an okonomiyaki for the table. Their take on the cabbage-and-seafood pancake, served with mayo and a Worcestershire-based sauce rich with umami, is a neighborhood fave.  The drink: If things get a little too hot, cool yourself down with a non-alcoholic Sapporo or soda.  Time Out tip: On weekdays from noon–4pm, the already affordable bowls of ramen get even cheaper; for about $13, you’ll get so much lunch you might be able to make it dinner, too.

Stout first opened in 2005, and its locations in some of the city’s busiest hubs bring laid-back public house energy to nine-to-five New Yorkers and international tourists alike. They’ve moved their Stout Penn Station location to a new spot just two blocks from Macy’s Herald Square and Madison Square Garden, so you can join the throngs of sports fans and Swift-wedding-crawlers to soak up a pint or two before or after the action. They even open early for every Garden game and concert, so you’ll always have a place to escape the throng of Midtown.  Classic pub fare still reigns here, with prime beef burgers (made “Angry” with Buffalo hot sauce or Oklahoma-style with griddled onions) and house-cut French fries, fish and chips and chicken wings on the menu. The cheddarwurst sausage, which is also served rinkside to the ice skaters at Bryant Park, is available here year-round, dripping with honey-bourbon braised onions and earthy Düsseldorf mustard. On the weekends, you can stop by for breakfast burritos and bottomless brunch, where two hours of unlimited bloodies, rum punch, mimosas, screwdrivers and select draft beers will run you $25 when you purchase a brunch entrée.  Over 70 cans, bottles and drafts are on offer day and night, from crowd-pleasers like $7 Miller Lites and peach High Noons to harder-to-find suds like Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine and more cult-favorite IPAs. If you’d like to try a few from their extensive list, draft beers are available in half pints or flights; if

Having been around for about 100 years, Eddie’s Sweet Shop’s claim to fame is being New York City’s oldest ice cream parlor. Enter the time warp, order a sundae with cherry syrup and a huge dollop of homemade whipped cream and make sure to bring cash. What, you thought you could pay with your phone? The vibe: The soda fountain and fixtures add to the throwback vibe, as do the prices, which are significantly lower than those at some of the city’s more modern scoop shops. It’s frequently crowded, but don’t despair if you come to see a packed house. The tables move quickly, and the team is good at turning them over—after all, they’ve been doing this for quite a while.  The food: This is the ice cream of American youth. Thick scoops of childhood flavors like mint chip, cherry vanilla and orange sherbet take you back like Proust’s madeleine (if Proust’s madeleine came smothered in whipped cream, topped with nuts and sprinkles and finished with a maraschino cherry dipped in Red No. 40). Order your scoop as a sundae, drizzled with syrup or topped with crushed pineapple, hot fudge or caramel, or go for the Banana Royal, which comes with three scoops of ice cream and toppings to feed the whole T-ball team.  The drinks: Milkshakes, malteds, floats, freezes and frosteds (soda spun with ice cream) give you plenty to sip on while you sit at Eddie’s century-old counter. Mix and match any of their ice cream flavors with syrups like orange, cherry, root beer and lime.  Time Out tip: Seriousl

Along just a few blocks on Park Slope’s 5th Avenue, you’ll find the shops that make up ice cream row: Culture, the viral, so-tart-it-makes-you-pucker frozen yogurt; Van Leeuwen’s kooky flavors and Pentagram millennial-bait branding; and Albero Dei Gelati, a walk-up counter scooping up hand-churned, small-batch flavors with seasonal ingredients that align with its Slow Food ethos. It’s so small, you just might miss it—if it weren’t for the line that wraps around the corner on hot summer nights.  The vibe: The friendly scoopers are always happy to give you a taste; since the flavors can be savory and occasionally unusual (think lettuce and olive oil, zucchini or pale-blue spirulina), it’s always worth trying what’s on offer.  The food: Made with more milk and less cream than ice cream, gelato is, at its best, decidedly stretchy and pleasantly dense, with a lower temp and concentrated taste that lets its simple ingredients shine. Served piled on a cone or in a cup with a tiny spoon-like paddle, this gelato might just be the platonic ideal of the form. Chocolate and hazelnut, without a pile of chunks or toppings to contend with, have a depth of flavor that makes you feel like you might actually be walking down a piazza. But it’s the butter and salt, a sweet-and-savory favorite you’ll almost always find in the case, that helps Albero edge out its competition on ice cream row. It’s elegant, simple, surprising, a delight: absolutely everything you want in a cone. And, now that we th

This scoop shop near McGolrick Park is open March through November, with its annual reopening acting as a welcome reminder that spring is on its way to NYC. Its menu mixes old-school treats like chocolate egg creams and rainbow-sprinkle-topped cones with newfangled inventions like ice cream nachos (dippable waffle-cone pieces drizzled with hot fudge) and “flurry sundaes,” huge mounds of soft serve whipped with marshmallow fluff to create a sweet, airy base for mix-ins.   The vibe: A super-casual ice cream parlor that would be as much at home in the suburbs as it is on Greenpoint’s vibey Driggs Avenue; it doesn’t have the millennial-coded trappings of some of the other scoop shops in the neighborhood. And that’s what makes it special: owner Kate Covey, who lives down the block and grew up working in her family’s restaurant, has created a spot as much for locals as for those looking for the next sweet for their feed.  The food: Flurry sundaes make The Screen Door a destination, with their ooey-gooey whipped combination of soft serve and marshmallow topping. Get one mixed with Heath bars, pretzels and butterscotch syrup or cookie dough and blueberry sauce: they come piled with whipped cream and served in a giant bowl.  The drink: Freezes—soft serve vanilla ice cream blended with root beer, cola or orange soda—and the Bam Bam, a strawberry milkshake mixed with Fruity Pebbles, will cool you down on even the hottest days in the park. There are also slushies mixed with fruit sorbet,

This old-timey soda fountain on idyllic Henry Street calls to mind two Grease-style sweethearts, sipping out of a shared straw while they kick their legs beneath the counter. That’s not wrong, necessarily, with a menu that features chocolate and vanilla egg creams, cherry-lime rickeys and malted milkshakes. Luckily, the Sir Twix-a-Lot sundae, with chunks of shortbread, cold caramel and fleur de sel and the 99 Problems, with a brownie, chocolate ice cream, an entire vanilla milkshake and a dark chocolate shell, ground us firmly in the post-poodle-skirt present. Still, you can share a float with your sweetheart or order a Dubai sundae with two spoons.  The vibe: Inside an actual former apothecary, the charming tiled floors and glass domes of cakes to gawk at feel pleasantly old-fashioned. Rows of wooden apothecary drawers line the walls, and a vintage soda fountain holds pride of place; on a weekend night, it’s half local families and half swooning couples on a date to a sundae destination.  The food: Serving up scoops of Adirondack Creamery ice cream in simple flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, the magic comes alive when the ice cream arrives in their outrageous sundaes. Even though they’re served in classic silver dishes, everything—including their banana split—is a little different. The Bandana Split comes with vanilla, chocolate and coffee ice cream, a whole banana (natch), plus hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream and a cherry. If you’re finding it hard to choose

Built by fifth-generation fishmongers, this Greenpoint market and restaurant focuses on sustainability, from responsible fishing practices to celebrating the nutritious, oft-overlooked offcuts of fish. Their seafood can be found in kitchens all over the city and served up in their own charming dining space.  The vibe: Their half-market, half-restaurant model makes for a bustling meal that might make you forget you’re just blocks from the G train. Grab a seat indoors or out, order up impossibly fresh East Coast oysters from the raw bar or a lobster roll dripping with butter, and finish off the New England cosplay with a $6 can of Narragansett.  The food: Both lunch and dinner keep it casual, with lobster bisque and New England clam chowder, Cape Cod poutine doused with chowder and a list of sandwiches including lobster rolls, tuna burgers and a classic fried fish dressed with tartar sauce. Even their salads feature seafood, with herring dressing on a Caesar and octopus nestled in fennel.  The drinks: Go for the ‘gansett or one of the beers on tap; we’re also partial to the Clamato Michelada, made with Narragansett (naturally), briny Clamato and a dash of Tabasco and lime.  Time Out tip: Score East Coast oysters at $2 a pop during happy hour, which runs until 6pm every day.  

Two separate dining experiences await you at Gusi: downstairs is The Geese, and upstairs is the more intimate cocktail lounge The Swans. Both floors serve Eastern European-meets-Middle Eastern cuisine, with tender hand-folded pelmeni, creamy hummus and a list of Georgian wines.  The vibe: The whole place is overseen by a pair of titular porcelain geese who rule the moody, red-hued roost. Even if you’re unfamiliar with dishes like sour okroshka or “Herring Under a Fur Coat,” your server is more than happy to walk you through the menu.  The food: Start with spreads like hummus and tzatziki served with pita bread before moving on to the rest of the menu, which leans on old-world Eastern European delights like blini with deep pink caviar, golubtzi cabbage rolls and an assortment of pelmeni filled with beef, bison, duck, yak and more.  The drink: Their wine list focuses on bottles from the country of Georgia, which has been producing wines for over 8,000 years. With a tradition of making amber wine using qvevri, clay pots buried underground, along with plenty of full-bodied reds, chances are high you’ll find something you love.  Time Out tip: Okay, we’ll save you the Google: the “Herring Under a Fur Coat” salad is a throwback to the U.S.S.R., with layers of salted herring and veggies with a “coat” of vibrant beets.

New York City has never had a shortfall of good falafel spots. Shifka joins this storied tradition with their take, which is vibrant with zhoug and red cabbage, plus a yellow-green pickled pepper—the shifka—to top it all off.  The vibe: Bright blue on the outside and clay-colored on the inside, there’s enough space to chow down, but expect plenty of folks to take their falafel to go. A limited menu and quickly moving line at the counter make it easy to get in, get your food, get your picture of your food and get back to your day.    The food:  Choose from a classic falafel sandwich, a sabich sandwich (stuffed with eggplant, a soft egg and pickled green mango aioli), lamb kebab with grilled peppers and onions and other filling handheld meals. Every one of them comes with pickles, salad, tahini and that shifka; for another $3, you can turn it into a bowl with grains and a shuk salad. Time Out tip: Don’t be surprised if you see Shifka’s soft serve cross your feed in its green-and-blue cup. Their tahini-vanilla flavor is served drizzled with olive oil and then topped with sea salt for your eating (and all of TikTok’s viewing) pleasure.