Russ & Daughters Cafe
New York City, NY
For more than a century, Russ & Daughters served its now-legendary “appetizing” foods—“anything that goes with bagels”—from its Lower East Side shop on Houston. In 2014, to celebrate the original deli's 100th anniversary, Russ & Daughters Café opened a few blocks away. The Jewish family-run, New York Times-approved foodie hub is where you can also buy the bagel.
The basics
Foodies exploring Manhattan won’t want to miss this local institution. Not only can you tuck into bagels with classic smoked salmon and cream cheese, but you can also sample a variety of traditional NYC-style Jewish delicacies, such as pickled herrings, caviar nosh, kasha varnishkas, and rugelach. Visit on a guided food-tasting tour of the Lower East Side, and you’ll skip the line and learn about the famous café and shop and visit other foodie favorites.
Things to know before you go
- Russ & Daughters has been featured on The Martha Stewart Show and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
- Russ & Daughters now has four locations around NYC: the shop and café on the Lower East Side, plus bagel shops on West 34th Street in Midtown and on Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn.
- The café has a full drinks menu, including wine, cocktails, coffee, and sodas.
- The café is accessible to people using wheelchairs and child-friendly.
How to get there
Russ & Daughters Café is located on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side, a 2-block walk from the original shop. To reach the café via public transportation, take the subway to Delancey St–Essex St, and walk two blocks.
When to get there
The café is generally open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch from 8:30am to 2:30pm from Monday through Thursday and 8:30am to 3:30pm from Friday through Sunday. There are no reservations and no takeout, so arrive early or be prepared to wait—orders can take up to an hour on weekends.
A foodie tour of the Lower East Side
The Lower East Side is one of NYC’s oldest immigrant neighborhoods, known for its eclectic cultural mix. This makes for an exciting foodie scene where you can tuck into Dominican cuisine (try El Castillo de Jagua), Indian (snag a table at Dhamaka), Turkish kebabs (head to Ankara #3), or a classic steak (Sammy's Roumanian has the best). Don’t miss Katz’s Delicatessen, famous for its pastrami on rye and that café scene from When Harry Met Sally.
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