Best Bagels on the Upper East Side in NYC (2026)
The neighborhood's best classic bagels, sourdough rounds, bialys, smoked-fish sandwiches and hot rip-and-dip bags.
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Ask five Upper East Siders for the neighborhood's best bagel and you'll probably get five answers, followed by an argument about which shop has gone downhill, which counter moves too slowly and whether PopUp Bagels counts as a bagel shop at all.
Here's our answer: The Bagel Shop on Third Avenue is the best all-around bagel shop on the Upper East Side. It has a crisp exterior, a proper chew and enough size to hold a serious schmear without turning into a bread bomb. Bagelworks is the strongest old-school alternative below 70th Street. Orwashers makes the neighborhood's most distinctive bagel. Kossar's is the move when bialys and whitefish salad are part of the plan. PopUp makes the bagel you should eat hot, standing outside, before the steam escapes.
The Upper East Side is big enough that freshness should factor in too. A hot sesame bagel from the Tal around the corner can beat a supposedly better bagel you've carried 25 blocks home. Use this guide to find the right shop for the bagel you want, not just the one with the most hype.
The best Upper East Side bagels at a glance
| Bagel shop | Best for | What to order | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bagel Shop | Best overall | Everything or poppy with scallion cream cheese | Third Ave, East 90s |
| Bagelworks | Best classic neighborhood bagel | Everything with scallion cream cheese | First Ave, East 60s |
| Orwashers | Best sourdough bagel | The New York Breakfast | East 78th St |
| Kossar's Bagels & Bialys | Best bialys and appetizing | Everything with whitefish salad, plus an onion bialy | York Ave, East 70s |
| PopUp Bagels | Best hot bagel | Three-pack with scallion cream cheese | Third Ave, East 80s |
| Tompkins Square Bagels | Best cream cheese selection and seating | Everything with cucumber-dill cream cheese | Third Ave, East 60s |
| Bagels & Co. | Best kosher bagel | Poppy with scallion or olive cream cheese | York Ave, East 70s |
| Tal Bagels | Best hot batches and smoked fish | Fresh sesame with scallion cream cheese or nova | Lexington Ave and East 86th St |
| Bagel Bob's | Best pumpernickel bagel | Pumpernickel with scallion cream cheese or whitefish salad | York Ave, East 80s |
| B&B Bagels | Best big breakfast | Everything with scallion cream cheese | First Ave, East 70s; Second Ave, East 60s |
| Modern Bread & Bagel | Best gluten-free bagel | Everything with chive cream cheese | Third Ave, East 80s |
| Gourmet Bagel | Best near Hunter College | Everything with scallion cream cheese | Lexington Ave, East 60s |
| Sable's | Best smoked fish to go | Smoked salmon, sable and whitefish salad | Third Ave, East 70s |
The Upper East Side bagel shops worth the walk
The Bagel Shop
1659 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10128, USA
If we were sending someone to one Upper East Side bagel shop, this would be it. The Bagel Shop gets the fundamentals right: a browned exterior with some bite, a chewy center that doesn't get exhausting halfway through and enough heft for cream cheese, eggs or smoked fish. The spreads case can get creative, but keep the first order simple so you can judge the bagel before the toppings take over. The weekend line is the main drawback, so go before 9 a.m., visit on a weekday or order ahead. Order this: Everything or poppy bagel with scallion cream cheese.
Bagelworks
1229 1st Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
This is what many people picture when they imagine a New York bagel shop: narrow, busy and focused on getting the next order across the counter. There's no concept to learn and no ordering system to figure out. The exterior tends to have more crunch than the average Upper East Side bagel, while the inside stays chewy without going dense or gummy. It's especially useful in the East 60s if you don't want to walk north for The Bagel Shop. Order this: Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.
Orwashers
308 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075, USA
Orwashers doesn't make the oversized deli bagel. Its bagels are smaller, darker and more intensely baked, with a sourdough base and a snappier crust. They're steamed rather than boiled, which puts the texture closer to an artisan bakery's take on a New York bagel. That character holds up with little more than butter, but it also works with smoked fish. The signature New York Breakfast layers a double-dipped everything bagel with dill cream cheese, lox, onion, chives and lemon zest. The bakery dates to 1916 and the room is tiny, so plan on takeout. Order this: The New York Breakfast. For a simpler test, get a sesame or everything bagel with dill cream cheese.
Kossar's Bagels & Bialys
1409 York Ave, New York, NY 10021, USA
Kossar's makes a very good bagel, but skipping the bialy here misses the point. The onion bialy has a thin, chewy base, a flour-dusted exterior and a savory center that's especially good warm with butter. For the bagel, choose everything, sesame or pumpernickel and pair it with scallion cream cheese, whitefish salad or hand-sliced nova. There's also challah, babka, flagels and a deeper appetizing selection than most neighborhood counters. The weekend rush can move slower than it looks, so come early or order ahead. Order this: Everything bagel with whitefish salad, plus a warm onion bialy with butter.
PopUp Bagels
1457 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA
Treat PopUp as a different genre. You won't find a towering bacon, egg and cheese or a case of 20 cream cheeses here. Compact, deeply browned bagels come hot and whole, sold in packs of three with a tub of cream cheese or butter for tearing and dipping. Freshness is the entire appeal. Break one open while it's still steaming and the contrast between the burnished crust and airy interior makes sense. Let the same bagel sit around the apartment for two hours and much of the magic disappears. Order this: A three-pack of everything, salt and sesame with scallion cream cheese. Bring someone to share it.
Tompkins Square Bagels
1159 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
This is the answer when the group can't agree on breakfast. The bagels are hand-rolled and kettle-boiled, and the menu runs well past a basic schmear, with loaded egg sandwiches, smoked fish, tofu spreads and more than 30 cream cheese flavors. The bagels lean softer and fluffier than the ones at Bagelworks or Orwashers, which suits bigger sandwiches and flavored spreads. There's also far more room than at most neighborhood counters, including a rear patio. Order this: Everything bagel with cucumber-dill cream cheese. For something richer, go with jalapeño-cheddar.
Bagels & Co.
1428 York Ave, New York, NY 10021, USA
Bagels & Co. sits practically across York Avenue from Kossar's, making this one of the easiest bagel comparisons in Manhattan. Kossar's wins on bialys and the appetizing counter. Bagels & Co. is the choice when you want a kosher bagel or you're stopping by later in the day, since it runs until about 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. It closes early on Fridays and all day Saturday. The bagels are round and well browned, with a tight crumb and a firm chew. They aren't particularly sweet, so they work well with scallion or olive cream cheese, egg salad or smoked fish. Get a flagel when you want more seasoned crust and less dough. Order this: Poppy bagel with scallion or olive cream cheese.
Tal Bagels
1228 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA
Tal has three Upper East Side shops: 1228 Lexington Avenue, 1324 Lexington Avenue and 333 East 86th Street. The best one is whichever has a hot batch coming out when you arrive. Tal bakes throughout the day, and a warm sesame or everything bagel can have a crackly crust and an ideal chew, so ask what came out most recently before you settle on a flavor. The other draw is the fish. Nova, sable, sturgeon and baked salmon go well beyond what most everyday bagel shops carry, which makes Tal a strong choice for a classic salmon sandwich or a bigger breakfast spread. Order this: Ask what's warm, then get a sesame bagel with scallion cream cheese or nova.
Bagel Bob's
1641 York Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA
Bagel Bob's is a proper neighborhood regular with no interest in being a social media destination. The bagels are hand-rolled and baked on the premises throughout the day, and the lineup stays old-school. The pumpernickel is the reason to choose it over nearby competitors. It has more character than a standard plain or everything bagel and pairs especially well with scallion cream cheese, whitefish salad or smoked salmon. Order this: Pumpernickel bagel with scallion cream cheese or whitefish salad.
B&B Bagels
1370 1st Ave, New York, NY 10021, USA
B&B has two shops: 1370 First Avenue at East 73rd Street and 1201 Second Avenue at East 63rd Street. The bagels are plumper and softer than the ones at Bagelworks or Orwashers, with a generous schmear and an extensive breakfast menu. It's not our first choice for an unadorned bagel, but it's one of the neighborhood's better options when you want a full breakfast. Order this: Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, or turn it into an egg-and-cheese.
Modern Bread & Bagel
1427 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA
Modern earns its spot on the bagel alone. It's hand-rolled, kettle-boiled and baked fresh, with enough chew and structure to compete with conventional bagels. The shop is kosher, and the kitchen is dedicated gluten-free, which the bakery describes as celiac-safe. The salmon options and breakfast sandwiches are strong too, although the toppings can hide how impressive the bagel is. Plan on takeout at this location. Order this: Everything bagel with chive cream cheese.
Gourmet Bagel
874 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
Gourmet Bagel is less of a destination than the shops at the top of this guide, but it's a solid local answer around Hunter College. Service is quick, and the menu covers bagels, spreads, egg sandwiches, salads and deli staples without turning breakfast into a project. Order this: Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.
Sable's
1330 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10075, USA
Sable's isn't where we'd go for the neighborhood's best bagel. It's where we'd go for what goes on the bagel. For a serious weekend spread, pick up fresh bagels from Orwashers and walk over for sliced smoked salmon, sable, whitefish salad and cream cheese. You'll end up with a better table than if you settled for one shop that sells a respectable bagel and respectable fish. Order this: Sliced smoked salmon, sable and whitefish salad to go with bagels from Orwashers.
How to order
A fresh bagel should be tasted before it's toasted. If it just came out of the oven, toasting can dry out the interior and erase the contrast between the crust and the warm center. Ask what's fresh, particularly at Tal, Bagelworks and Bagel Bob's.
For a first visit, keep it simple. Everything, sesame and poppy reveal more about the dough than rainbow or cinnamon-raisin, and plain or scallion cream cheese is the most useful test.
The exception is a breakfast sandwich. Toasting helps the bagel hold eggs, cheese and other fillings. There are no purity points for struggling through a sandwich that would've been better toasted.
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Frequently asked questions
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