The Best Bagel Spots in Midtown, New York

When a New Yorker is willing to wait 30-plus minutes for a bagel, you know it’s good. Along with legendary lines, Ess-a-Bagel boasts giant, perfectly plump bagels brimming with fillings such as Oreo cream cheese, Nova lox, and BLT fixings. Trust the more than 2,500 Yelp reviewers, and choose this spot to quench your next carb craving.

Don’t let the name confuse you: while Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company doesn’t have a Brooklyn store, its kooky creations undeniably (and deliciously) fuhgeddabout tired bagel basics. Serving Chelsea and Astoria for more than 15 years, this local chain continues to earn foodie fans with doughy, hand-rolled bagels packed with creative cream cheese flavors, such as red velvet, honey bacon Sriracha, and chipotle.

Old meets new at Bagel Express III, a Gramercy grub hub serving traditional bagels with experimental schmears. Here, bagels are hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, and baked on-site the old-fashioned way before being filled with signature cream cheeses, such as banana nut, mango, and avocado-cilantro. Tip: Trade in your tired bodega BEC for the spot’s breakfast bagel sandwich, featuring eggs, cheese, and hash browns.

In a sea of rainbow bagels, Pick A Bagel stands out for keeping things classic. At this dependable chain’s Midtown West location, traditional cream cheeses such as walnut-raisin and veggie pair well with bagel mainstays, including egg, everything, and garlic.

A chain so good that even New Yorkers can’t resist it, Tal Bagels brings you the best of Old New York in a convenient (and delicious) bagel form. The freshly sliced Nova, pickled herring, scallion schmear, and lox spread that your grandparents enjoyed are all on offer here, where chewy New York bagels come in the classic flavors you love—and not a rainbow swirl in sight.

The mammoth meals at Best Bagel and Coffee are worth braving the crowds at Penn Station—really. At this bustling spot, bagels come hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, baked fresh, and in staggering sizes. The menu of classic flavors is sure to please, a good guarantee considering you’ll likely have to save half for later.

A New York noshery if ever there was one, Chelsea’s Murray’s Bagels specializes in Big Apple-approved bites. Here, traditional New York City-style bagels come in classic flavors, such as pumpernickel and salt, and filled with local favorites, including smoked Nova lox, scallion schmear, whitefish salad, and pastrami.