What do city people do at night if New York City never sleeps? Many NYC residents are indulging in the pleasures of a late-night meal in addition to drinking, dancing, and karaoke. Whether it is an after-hours meal, a post-drink snack, or a spur-of-the-moment midnight feast, the delight of dining late is immeasurable.
Everyone with children has gone home already, the day’s distractions can wait until the next day, and the main focus is delicious food and good company. The possibilities are endless, especially in New York. Pizza shops, sushi eateries, and even white-tableclothed brasseries are operating late and waiting for you to dine in, whether you are tapping out of the club or just meandering around with the munchies on your mind. Here are some of the best places to eat late at night in New York City.
Drunken Munkey
If you want to make merry and also enjoy delicious food, you can visit the Drunken Munkey. This place is an upscale Indian restaurant and craft cocktail bar with a colonial-era vibe that got inspiration from the legendary ambiance and flavors of “Old Bombay’s” famous cafes, bistros, music, and supper clubs from the 1910s–40s, while also highlighting touch of the old Raj. Classic and traditional meals are prepared in the semi-open kitchen.
The Drunken Munkey provides Anglo-Indian delicacies that are distinctive to Colonial-era foods, as well as “old favorites.” Their chili cheese bread is to die for and so is their palak paneer. If you can not go out and crave something cheesy, you can make cheese bread at home.
They also offer classic handmade cocktails containing fresh juices, tinctures, bitters, and other ingredients. On weekdays, they are open from 04:00 PM to 12:00 AM and on weekends they are open from 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM
S’MAC
S’MAC is an acronym for Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese. If you are craving to have some delectable filling dishes, you can head over to S’MAC and have some fantastic mac and cheese, such as Napoletana and Mediterranean. All of the dishes beautifully highlight a variety of cheeses, meats, and veggies in them.
This restaurant also offers different serving sizes of dishes to pick from, depending on the size of your group: Nosh, Major Munch, Mongo, and Partay. You won’t be able to pick a favorite mac and cheese dish since all of the cheesy noodles are delicious. Their opening hours are 11 AM till 11 PM.
Guantanamera
Guantanamera is probably the only restaurant in New York that gives away complimentary hand-rolled cigars (on Fridays and Saturdays). This is where Midtowners can enjoy superb Cuban food, such as calamari in a thick garlic sauce that is so rich that it can be mistaken for cream. On weekdays, the kitchen is open until midnight, and on weekends, it is open until 1 a.m.
Taco Mix
Some of the city’s most phenomenal al pastor tacos are served by Taco Mix. The mouthwatering tacos are filled with crispy pork that has been shaved off from the gyrating trompo with salsa and roasted pineapples as toppings. Their humble space stays open till 4 AM on most nights.
Empanada Mama
Empanada Mama is the one restaurant in New York City that never sleeps. After cutting back on hours during the unfortunate pandemic, the Hell’s Kitchen favorite is now open 24 hours a day, providing healthy Colombian meals.
A typical South American breakfast of beans and rice with eggs, surprisingly hot arepas, chicken soup with cilantro and rice, frozen margaritas, and outstanding corn empanadas are among the highlights (try the ones filled with shellfish or beef). Their dishes are perfect drunk food and they are ideal for treating hangovers as well.
Baekjeong NYC
This New York branch of this popular Korean chain is certainly one of the top tabletop grill spots in the city. Baekjeong occupies a strong middle ground, delivering exceptionally delicious brisket, short rib, and rib-eye platters until 1 a.m. on weekends. So, if you are craving to have some satisfying Korean BBQ and meat, this is the place to go.
Peppa’s Jerk Chicken
This barebones takeaway joint is without a doubt one of the best jerk joints in Brooklyn, and it is usually open late. Expect lightly smokey, extremely salty, and allspice-scented charred bits of hacked-up chicken. Add a splash of sweet-hot barbeque sauce for a more nuanced taste that harkens back to Dr Pepper’s flavor. A decent dinner here will set you back less than ten dollars.
Vanessa’s Dumplings House
The Chinatown location of Vanessa’s Dumplings House always has a huge queue, and for a legit reason. Vanessa’s handcrafted noodle soups, dumplings and sesame pancake sandwiches are incredibly scrumptious (and are super cheap). The sesame pancake sandwich comes in a variety of filling options like various veggies, kimchi, ham and egg, roasted pork, and other ingredients.
Rosa’s Pizza
When you are out late in the city of New York, eating a generous slice of pizza at a humble joint is a rite of passage. You should definitely try out Rosa’s Pizza and give this classic comfort food a try.
It is a classic, cozy spot that delivers good pizza at a reasonable price. When you bite into any slice, the cheese becomes incredibly stretchy and stringy, which is the mark of a flawless slice. The pasta meals are all delicious, but the penne with vodka sauce and the linguine with clam sauce are crowd favorites.
Insomnia Cookies
Warm cookies and milk don’t get much better than this, especially when they are from Insomnia Cookies. Peanut butter chip, snickerdoodle, chocolate chunk, and more types of delectable gooey cookies are available in their store. The best part is that Insomnia Cookies can deliver their decadent baked goods straight to your door, which means no more late-night takeaway excursions!
Final Words
Eating out in New York City late at night is a unique experience. Indulging in such delicious foods is a great way to refuel yourself and conquer the day. If you are traveling to NYC for the first time, make sure you get to try out at least one of these amazing eateries.
Alex is a computer geek, programmer, who loves traveling. Not the usual mix, but Alex is always with his laptop – no matter how high the mountain he’s hiking on. On every peak he reaches, he writes a story that captures it all.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
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Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram