New York is home to some of the best food on the globe. Chefs come from all corners of the world to bring the best dining to our neighborhoods. If you’re not able to come to New York or are dying to learn how to make your favorite recipe at home, many NYC restaurants have cookbooks where they share their insider recipes and even the journey to becoming a restaurant. We’re sharing 13 NYC restaurant cookbooks you’ll want to add to your shelf.
1. Balthazar
Opened in 1997, Balthazar has been a French sensation not only in New York but around the globe. The team behind the restaurant, owner Keith McNalley and co-chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson join voices to share famed recipes like onion soup, duck a L’Orange, coq au vin, bouillabaisse, and Tarte Tatin. They also share the background of building the legendary restaurant and offer their behind-the-scenes perspectives. Purchase here.
2. Momofuku
David Chang revolutionized ramen in New York City with impeccably prepared noodles at his Momofuku restaurants. In fact, these noodle bars have become the standard for many diners. This cookbook is a wonderful tribute to Asian cuisine, where you can learn recipes, techniques, and food-handling tips from an award-winning New York chef. Purchase here.
3. Buvette
Tucked in a quiet, tree-lined street in West Village, Buvette is a quiet and unassuming French restaurant known for its simple but tasty dishes, prepared with common ingredients and lots of fresh produce. That’s exactly what you can find in this cookbook which is all about quick and unfussy cooking without compromising sophisticated flavors. The book is organized by time of day (mornings, coffee and tea, afternoons, aperitifs, etc.) with many notes on entertaining. Some recipes include carrot spoon bread, scallops with caper brown butter, ratatouille, and chocolate on a spoon. Purchase here.
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4. Jack’s Wife Freda
Jack’s Wife Freda is a staple on the New York restaurant list. Created by husband and wife duo, Maya and Dean Jankelowitz, this charming cafe serves up a delicious menu of Jewish food with South African influences. They don’t hold back in their cookbook and share every single recipe on their menu, drinks included! Try your hand at their rosewater waffles, green shakshuka, matzoh ball Soup, zucchini chips, peri-peri chicken, and nana’s tea. Purchase here.
5. Magnolia Bakery
This is definitely an essential in the NYC restaurant cookbooks list! Made famous by its appearance in Sex and the City, Magnolia Bakery has captured the hearts (and stomachs) of New Yorkers with it’s cakes, pies, cupcakes, and of course, their most famous dessert, banana pudding. In this cookbook, Bobbie Lloyd, CEO and Chief Baking Officer, shares over 150 recipes from the bakery’s collection. Note that the first edition doesn’t have a recipe for banana pudding, but the 2020 version does! Purchase here.
6. Via Carota
It’s obvious by the ever-present line around the block that Via Carota is one of the most popular Italian restaurants in New York. The recipes are prepared with seasons in mind, highlighting ingredients that are most fresh and flavorful. The result is simple, rustic Italian recipes packed with flavor. The book contains over 140 recipes, including the famous Insalata Verde, Tuscan onion soup, smoked ricotta tortellini, roasted carrots with spiced yogurt and pistachios, and sweet ricotta cake. Purchase here.
7. Veselka
Veselka has brought Ukrainian culture to the East Village for over 75 years! Locals have grown to love Ukrainian classics like pierogi, borscht, and stuffed cabbage. In this cookbook, you can learn about the history of the restaurant’s establishment in the neighborhood, pick up some Ukrainian recipes, and get an insight into Ukrainian tradition and hospitality (like the Ukrainian Christmas Eve feast). Purchase here.
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8. Boqueria
Boqueria has been bringing flavors of Barcelona to New York City for over a decade. This tapas place is not just about good food but also about gathering and sharing. The cookbook teaches how to make Spanish classics like croquettes, paella, and flan but more importantly, it celebrates the opportunity we have to come around with the people we love to enjoy food together. Plus it shares the fascinating journey of the restaurant’s establishment in SoHo. Purchase here.
9. Dominique Ansel
Of course, we need to mention Boqueria’s neighbor, Dominique Ansel. The mastermind behind the famous cronut, Ansel, shares secret his recipes for any chef looking to master the art of pastries. The book is cleverly broken down into levels of experience so any baker can approach it confidently. Some recipes include madeleines, cannelé, cronuts, and frozen s’mores. Purchase here.
10. Clinton St. Baking Company
Clinton St. Baking Company is arguably the go-to spot for pancakes. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to get a table here without waiting several hours. Crowds flock here for the light and fluffy pancakes, but the menu includes equally tasty omelets, biscuits, muffins, sandwiches, and desserts. Owners Ded Lahman and Neil Kleinberg dish over 100 recipes and techniques to help readers perfect the art of brunch at home. Purchase here.
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11. Eleven Madison Park
Add a Michelin-starred restaurant cookbook to your collection! Eleven Madison Park’s cookbook reflects the elegance and timelessness of the restaurant. In the cookbook, you’ll find over 80 recipes from the restaurant’s current menu as well as stories of how the restaurant came to be. Even if you don’t attempt the recipes (which are surprisingly doable), it’s a beautiful book to flip through with stunning watercolor paintings throughout. Purchase here.
12. Emily
Emily comes from Matt and Emily Hyland, the husband and wife duo who brought EMILY and Emmy Squared to New York. Known originally for the wood-fired pizza, their menu quickly expanded to include small bites, salads, desserts, and a burger that many would consider the best in all of NYC. The recipes in this cookbook are adapted to skip the complicated tools and techniques and make the iconic Detroit pan pizza and EMMY burger accessible to all. Purchase here.
13. The Gramercy Tavern
Master classic American cooking through The Gramercy Tavern cookbook. In these recipes, Michael Anthony, the restaurant’s executive chef/partner, seeks to translate the grand experience of visiting the restaurant into a more intimate and personal experience that home chefs can bring to their kitchens. The classic recipes include tastes like fresh spinach fettuccine, duck confit, and roasted almond Panna Cotta. Purchase here.
That concludes our list of 13 NYC restaurant cookbooks. Do you own any? Which ones would you add to your collection?
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