A Day of Eating in New York for Less Than €50

New York has a reputation for being insanely expensive. $12 for a beer or $80 for breakfast for two were the prices I was told before I went there. Yikes. Fortunately, it can be a lot cheaper. I previously mapped out a plan explaining how you can eat wonderfully for less than €100 per day. Still too expensive? Now I’ll tell you how to stay under €50 with three meals and two snacks. You’re welcome.

Water with ice is on the table everywhere, so you don’t have to worry about that.

Breakfast: pancakes at Five Leaves

For convenience, let’s assume that you’re on vacation with someone else. That works out well, because portions in New York are often much, much too large. The fluffy ricotta pancakes with honeycomb butter at Five Leaves are the ultimate American breakfast on this budget day. For $16, you get three enormous pancakes, which the two of us couldn’t even finish. Add a coffee each and your day can begin.

Damage: $12 per person.

Snack: doughnut at The Doughnut Project

Going to New York without eating doughnuts is not an option. A good doughnut is light as air and nothing like the kind you’re used to in the Netherlands. If you only eat one during your stay, let it be the everything doughnut at The Doughnut Project. It’s based on the everything bagel and therefore topped with sesame and poppy seeds, but also garlic and salt. Huh? Sounds strange, but please order it. To be safe, you can always order another doughnut with coffee & salted caramel or blueberry & yuzu.

Damage: $3.75 per person. 

Lunch: tacos at Taqueria St Marks Place

A dark brown bar, matching chairs and sports jerseys everywhere: this place looks like a sports bar, and that’s exactly what it is. A sports bar that sells incredibly delicious tacos for $3.50 each. Fresh corn tortillas with all the usual suspects on top, including carnitas (pork) and chicken. Do yourself a favor and order the ones with cecina (dried and salted beef) and chorizo. What you put on that third one (a nice number to leave the place completely full), I’ll leave up to you.

Damage: $10.50 per person.

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Snack: dumplings at Fried Dumplings

You could even do New York for under €20 if you stayed in Chinatown all day. Since not everyone is as much of a China fanatic as I am, I’m only sending you there for a snack. There are several places where you can get five dumplings for $1.25, but my favorite is Fried Dumpling; if only because of the grumpy woman you buy them from.

On the menu, she distinguishes between fried dumplings and pork buns, but we really only see one kind of dumpling and don’t taste any difference between the ten pieces that ended up in our container. They’re all filled with juicy ground pork and then fried, because, well, fried dumplings. There’s a small bar with room for about three people. Fortunately, you’ll find a park a few meters farther on, where you can settle down very nicely to enjoy your snack.

Damage: $1.25 per person.

Dinner: pizza at Santa Panza

There’s no shortage of pizza in NYC, especially not in Brooklyn. Roberta’s may well be the most famous. The pizza is delicious, but there’s a chance you’ll have to wait in line for an hour or two first. Not in the mood? Then walk twenty minutes to Santa Panza, less hyped, just as tasty and, importantly, incredibly budget-friendly. You can choose a small pizza ($7 to $9) or a large one ($12 to $16). One small pizza per person and an appetizer to share beforehand was perfect for us. Add a beer and this culinary day is already over. Cheers!

Damage: approx. $20 (depending on your order)

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Tip

All prices exclude gratuity, and because of New York’s ridiculously low wages, it’s customary to tip 15 to 20 percent. With 20 percent, you’re at $57, which converts to €48. So you still have a few euros to spare in case the exchange rate changes or you decide you want to order some extra dumplings after all.