Best Latkes in NYC (2026)
From classic deli potato pancakes to smoked-fish brunches, loaded latkes and take-home favorites.
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A good latke should make you pause before reaching for the sour cream. There should be something worth eating underneath it: browned potato, enough onion, a proper crust and a center that hasn't turned to paste.
New York gives you plenty of ways to find one. There are old-school appetizing shops where latkes sit beside smoked fish, lunch counters that serve them with soup and challah, and newer restaurants that top them with trout roe or tuck them into breakfast sandwiches. You don't have to wait for Hanukkah, either. Nearly everything here is on the menu all year.
Our picks cover Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. Where you eat a hot plate tonight isn't always where you should buy a dozen for the holiday table, so the table below shows which is which.
Planning for Hanukkah? In 2026, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12.
Best Latkes in NYC at a Glance
| Place | Neighborhood | Type | What to order | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russ & Daughters Café | Lower East Side | Sit-down | Latkes with applesauce and sour cream, or salmon roe | $16–$22 |
| Clinton St. Baking Co. | Lower East Side | Sit-down | Latke Eggs Benedict | $15–$24 |
| Katz's Delicatessen | Lower East Side | Sit-down | Three latkes to share with your pastrami | $17.45 |
| Veselka | East Village | Sit-down, late night | Potato pancakes, then pierogi | $8 each, $22 plate |
| B&H Dairy | East Village | Counter | Potato pancakes and soup | – |
| Barney Greengrass | Upper West Side | Sit-down, take-home | Off-menu latkes; ask for them | Six to take home, $21 |
| Zabar's | Upper West Side | Take-home | Handmade potato pancakes and smoked fish | $11.99 for 6–8 |
| Murray's Sturgeon Shop | Upper West Side | Take-home | Three ready-to-heat pancakes | $8.99 |
| Modern Bread & Bagel | Upper West Side | Counter | Gluten-free latke tots | $6.95 |
| Friedman's West End | Upper West Side | Sit-down | Gluten-free latkes with applesauce | $9 |
| PJ Bernstein | Upper East Side | Sit-down | Three latkes, or the Lucky Latke | $19.65 |
| 2nd Ave Deli | Midtown East, Upper East Side | Sit-down | Potato pancakes, or the Instant Heart Attack | $22.95 |
| Sarge's Delicatessen & Diner | Murray Hill | Sit-down | Sarge's Favorite, with brisket and gravy | $19.45 for three pancakes |
| S&P Lunch | Flatiron | Counter | Latkes and a tuna melt | $14 |
| Mama Mezze | Flatiron | Sit-down | Latkes with apple sour cream | $12 |
| Shelsky's of Brooklyn | Cobble Hill | Take-home | Potato latkes with a smoked-fish order | – |
| Mile End Delicatessen | Boerum Hill | Sit-down | Latke, Egg & Cheese, or three latkes | $12–$15 |
| Edith's Sandwich Counter | Williamsburg, West Village, Tribeca | Counter | Totkes or the BEC&L | From $8 |
| Gertie | Prospect Heights | Counter, daytime | Latke bar | From $11 |
| Gertrude's | Prospect Heights | Sit-down, dinner | Latkes with celery crème fraîche and trout roe | $21 |
| Miriam | Park Slope | Brunch | Latkes Benedict | $27 |
| Liebman's Deli | Riverdale, Bronx | Sit-down | Latkes with spiced applesauce | $12 |
| Ben's Kosher Delicatessen | Bayside, Queens | Sit-down | Three potato pancakes | $17.49 |
Best Latkes on the Lower East Side and in the East Village
This is where to go for latkes with history, from smoked fish on Orchard Street to lunch counters on Second Avenue.
Russ & Daughters Café
127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002, USA
Order the latkes alongside smoked fish, not instead of the bagel. Hot potato against cool fish is the whole idea, and it's about as New York as a morning gets. They come with applesauce and sour cream, or with wild salmon roe and crème fraîche if you're treating yourself. Details: 127 Orchard Street. $16 or $22. Walk-in, sit-down only, no takeout. For latkes to bring home, go to a Russ & Daughters shop, including the original at 179 East Houston Street, where they're $3.75 each, five for $18 or a dozen for $40.
Clinton St. Baking Co.
4 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002, USA
Clinton Street's brunch is famous for its pancakes, but the potato kind deserves your attention too. The Latke Eggs Benedict stacks poached eggs, house-smoked salmon, hollandaise and trout roe over crispy potato pancakes. If you want them plain, they come with caramelized applesauce and sour cream. Details: 4 Clinton Street. Latke Eggs Benedict $24, Crispy Potato Pancakes $15.
Veselka
144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003, USA
Veselka comes at potato pancakes from the Ukrainian side of the family, with a plate big enough to turn into dinner. Keep the first order simple, then add pierogi or a bowl of borscht if you're staying. It's also the best latke option in the city after midnight on a weekend. Details: 144 Second Avenue. $8 each, $22 for a plate with sour cream and applesauce. Open until midnight Monday through Thursday, overnight Friday and Saturday, and until 11 p.m. Sunday. There's also a Williamsburg location at 646 Lorimer Street, with earlier hours.
B&H Dairy
127 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003, USA
B&H is the antidote to an elaborate brunch. Sit at the counter with potato pancakes, a bowl of soup and a slice of the house challah, and let that be enough. If you're here for breakfast, get the latke, egg and cheese on challah, which started as a regular's off-menu order and earned a permanent spot. Details: 127 Second Avenue. Kosher dairy. Very small, so expect to sit at the counter.
Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002, USA
Latkes at Katz's work best as part of the bigger meal. Get the pastrami you came for, then share an order of latkes instead of defaulting to fries. It's a good fit for a group where one person wants potato pancakes and everyone else wants the full Katz's experience. Details: 205 East Houston Street. Three latkes with sour cream and applesauce, $17.45. The mini latkes Katz's ships nationwide are a separate product.
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Best Latkes on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side
Uptown is the best place to shop for a holiday table, with appetizing counters on the West Side and a dependable deli on the East Side.
Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024, USA
You won't find latkes on the menu here, so ask. They've been a worthwhile off-menu order for years, thick with a soft center, and they go with a table of smoked fish, eggs and bagels. Your server may well bring them up first. Details: 541 Amsterdam Avenue. Applesauce and sour cream. Packs of six to take home, $21. Restaurant open Tuesday through Friday until 4 p.m. and weekends until 5 p.m. Usually closed Monday.
Zabar's
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024, USA
Zabar's is the pick when the meal is happening in your apartment. The handmade potato pancakes stick to potatoes and onions, so build the rest of your shop around them: smoked fish, applesauce and whatever else belongs on your table. It's a big help when you're feeding several people and don't want a catered dinner. Details: 2245 Broadway. Potato latkes $11.99 for 6–8 at the store. Sweet potato and zucchini versions are $12.99. Shipped orders are priced separately.
Murray's Sturgeon Shop
2429 Broadway, New York, NY 10024, USA
Come here when you want a few latkes instead of a party tray. Murray's sells three potato pancakes ready to heat, so you can add some smoked fish and do the final crisping in your own oven. It makes for a very low-effort dinner. Details: 2429 Broadway. Three for $8.99, with applesauce, sour cream or both.
Modern Bread & Bagel
472 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10024, USA
These aren't traditional potato pancakes. They're bite-size latke tots with Parmesan, chives and truffle aioli, and they're a great extra order with breakfast. Everything here is gluten-free, which makes it the easiest stop on this list for anyone with celiac disease. Details: 472 Columbus Avenue. $6.95. Kosher. Contains dairy. Closed Friday night and Saturday. No tables during the day, only bench seating, so treat it as a counter stop.
Friedman's West End
35 West End Ave, New York, NY 10023, USA
Friedman's is the conventional latke option for a gluten-free table. It's a full sit-down restaurant, so everyone can order what they like, and the crispy latkes come with applesauce. Tell your server about any allergy when you order. Details: 35 West End Avenue. Potato latkes $9.
PJ Bernstein
1215 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021, USA
PJ Bernstein is the Upper East Side's easy choice when you want a table and a long deli menu. The latkes are made with freshly grated potatoes and onions. Have them with soup for a straightforward lunch, or get the Lucky Latke, with brisket or pastrami between two hot latkes, which is less a side dish than an argument against making any other plans. Details: 1215 Third Avenue. Three latkes with applesauce or sour cream, $19.65. Lucky Latke $25.99.
Best Latkes in Midtown and the Flatiron
These are the easy lunch and dinner stops, from kosher deli plates to a Mediterranean take on the classic.
2nd Ave Deli
162 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016, USA
Despite the name, neither restaurant is on Second Avenue. Both serve potato pancakes as a side, as a full plate with applesauce, or as the Instant Heart Attack, a sandwich with two large potato pancakes standing in for bread around your choice of corned beef, pastrami, turkey or salami. Start with the plate. The sandwich is for people who already know what they're doing. Details: 162 East 33rd Street, open until 8 p.m., and 1442 First Avenue, open until 9 p.m. Kosher. Plate $22.95, side $8.50, Instant Heart Attack $40.95.
Sarge's Delicatessen & Diner
548 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
Get the Sarge's Favorite: hot brisket over a potato pancake with gravy and applesauce. It won't stay crisp, and that isn't the point. It's a big, comforting deli dinner. Plain pancakes come individually or as a plate of three if you'd like to keep the toppings on the side. Details: 548 Third Avenue. Plate of three $19.45. Open until about 11 p.m., so it's a late dinner, not an all-night stop.
S&P Lunch
174 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010, USA
S&P is a great solo lunch. The latkes come plainly with sour cream and applesauce, and they share the counter happily with a tuna melt and an egg cream. Split them before a sandwich, or just make them the meal. Details: 174 Fifth Avenue. $14.
Mama Mezze
1123 Broadway, New York, NY 10010, USA
Mama Mezze settles the applesauce-versus-sour-cream debate by combining them. The crispy latkes come with apple sour cream, and they're on the lunch, dinner and brunch menus all year. Order them with hummus and warm laffa, and let the meal go in a Mediterranean direction instead of a deli one. Details: 1123 Broadway. $12.
Best Latkes in Brooklyn
Brooklyn is where latkes get the most creative, with square ones, a latke bar and a full Benedict.
Shelsky's of Brooklyn
141 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Shelsky's is the Brooklyn counterpart to the Upper West Side shops, and the place to call when latkes are part of a bigger appetizing order. Pair classic potato latkes with smoked salmon and herring, and keep the toppings on the side. Call ahead for latkes, especially for a larger order. Details: 141 Court Street.
Mile End Delicatessen
97 Hoyt St, Brooklyn, NY 11217, USA
Mile End's Montreal-style deli gives latkes more to do than sit beside applesauce. The Latke, Egg & Cheese puts a potato pancake, a sunny egg and American cheese on a brioche roll, and breakfast runs all day. The Classic Breakfast adds two latkes to eggs, rye toast and maple bacon or salami. If you're here for the latkes alone, three come with apple sauce and sour cream. Details: 97 Hoyt Street. Latke, Egg & Cheese $12, Classic Breakfast $20, Potato Latkes $15.
Edith's Sandwich Counter
495 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA
Edith's is for anyone who's had the standard plate and wants to see what else a latke can do. The potato pancakes here are square, and the totkes turn the same idea into bite-size tots. For breakfast, the BEC&L puts a crispy latke on a bagel with a Japanese-style omelette, bacon and Cooper Sharp. It's Jewish comfort food, but it isn't kosher. Details: 495 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg; 64 Charles Street, West Village; 135 West Broadway, Tribeca. Totkes about $8, BEC&L about $14.
Gertie
602 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
The latke bar makes the pancakes the main event here. Each order is three latkes with your choice of topping. Start with apple butter and sour cream if you want something close to the classic, go with lox when you need it to count as breakfast, and treat yourself to the smoked trout roe. There's also a pastrami Reuben-style version. Gertie's sister restaurant, Gertrude's, is just around the corner. Details: 602 Vanderbilt Avenue. Apple butter $11, lox $14, trout roe $18, pastrami $18. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; no dinner.
Gertrude's
605 Carlton Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
Come to Gertrude's when you want latkes to start the evening. The dinner version comes with celery crème fraîche and trout roe, cool and briny against the hot potato. Order it with a drink, then decide how ambitious you're feeling. Weekend brunch has its own latke bar. Choose Gertie for a casual daytime stop and Gertrude's for a sit-down dinner. Details: 605 Carlton Avenue. Three latkes, $21. Dinner nightly from 5 p.m., brunch Saturday and Sunday.
Miriam
79 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, USA
Miriam's Latkes Benedict is a whole brunch, not a side to add to a crowded table. It comes with poached eggs, smoked salmon, harissa hollandaise, za'atar-labneh and chopped salad. The harissa gets you well past sour cream and applesauce without burying the latke. Details: 79 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope. $27. Brunch only.
Best Latkes in the Bronx and Queens
Both of these are traditional kosher delis, and both are worth building a full sit-down meal around.
Liebman's Deli
552 W 235th St, Bronx, NY 10463, USA
Not every good latke lives below 96th Street. Liebman's is a kosher Riverdale deli that keeps its potato pancakes traditional, with spiced applesauce on the side. Come for the full lunch: latkes, a pastrami or corned beef sandwich, and soup if you're sharing. Details: 552 West 235th Street, Riverdale. $12. Open Saturdays.
Ben's Kosher Delicatessen
211-37 26th Ave, Bay Terrace, NY 11360, USA
Ben's is the sit-down deli for northeast Queens, with no need to cross into Manhattan. The potato pancakes are grated in-house and come with applesauce. Share the plate of three, or get one as the side with an omelette. Details: 211-37 26th Avenue, Bayside. Three for $17.49. Kosher, non-glatt.
Hanukkah-Only Latkes in NYC
A few of the city's best latkes only show up around the holiday. These are the ones worth planning for, so check for this year's menu before you go.
- Breads Bakery: Better known for its babka, Breads makes traditional potato latkes with sour cream and homemade applesauce for the holiday.
- 12 Chairs Café: Holiday latkes come with sour cream and applesauce, often with labneh and smoked salmon too. There are locations in Soho and Williamsburg.
- Shalom Japan: This Williamsburg restaurant brings latkes back for Hanukkah and keeps them through New Year's.
- Miriam: Alongside the Latkes Benedict, Miriam has served gluten-free chickpea-flour latkes for the holiday.
How to Buy Latkes for a Hanukkah Party
- Pick the right shop. Zabar's, Murray's, Russ & Daughters' shops and Barney Greengrass are all built for take-home orders. For a big order, call first and ask how many come in a pack and whether they're hot, chilled or frozen.
- Crisp them last. A batch you reheat right before serving beats anything you try to keep warm on the way home. Leave space between the latkes in the oven, and follow the shop's instructions.
- Keep toppings simple. One sweet and one creamy option is enough. Add smoked fish or roe only if that's the meal you want.
For dessert, our NYC holiday bakeries guide has the rest of the table covered.
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