New York City is a showcase for world cuisine and a true gourmand’s paradise. Hungry Columbians will find that just about any craving can be satisfied within 30 minutes of campus.
While members of the Columbia community will surely find a favorite go-to spot in the Morningside area, those up for traveling further afield and taking the subway will be rewarded for their efforts. Here are 10 restaurants to try along the 1 train—no transfers necessary.
Dyckman Street: Cachapas y Mas (107 Dyckman Street)
Up near the tip of Manhattan, three stops before the train crosses into the Bronx, arepa lovers will find some of the city’s best, alongside this spot’s star of the show—Venezuelan cachapas. For visitors to the Met Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park looking for a tasty and affordable meal, Cachapas y Mas is a winning alternative to the pricey museum café. A sweet and refreshing treat to round out your meal is the chicha—a creamy Venezuelan rice drink topped with cinnamon that’s similar to Mexico’s horchata.
181st Street: Jalao NYC (2420 Amsterdam Avenue, inside the Radio Hotel)
The neighborhoods directly north of Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus are home to a glorious array of Latin American and Caribbean cuisines. A large historic Dominican population throughout Washington Heights means that every few steps will offer another delight from Santo Domingo.
A few blocks from the 181st Street 1 station and a short walk from the gorgeous vaulted ceilings of the National Register of Historic Places–designated 181st Street A station, Jalao NYC allows visitors to “eat surrounded by the vibrant ambience of Taíno, African, and Spanish influences that blend together in a flavorful splash of Dominican culture.” Named after the traditional honey-coconut candy, Jalao offers “Dominican classics such as mini Mofongos, Picadera, and Yaniqueques.” But don’t show a Nuyorican the description of mofongo as a “Dominican classic,” or you may be in for a taste test of Puerto Rico’s version too!
145th Street: Cocina Consuelo (130 Hamilton Place)
Mexican food is available in every corner of the city, but the cuisine is much more than the fast-casual fare with which it’s become synonymous. A newcomer to The New York Times’s “100 Best Restaurants in New York City” list for 2025, Cocina Consuelo features Mexican gastronomy beyond guac and chips. Diners especially love the photogenic brunch favorite Masa Pancake. Guacamole is available on the dinner menu (with homemade tostadas), but more curious eaters may want to avoid filling up on appetizers and go straight for the Birria Bone Marrow or Mole Negro (served with confit duck leg). Despite making a splash in the Times and elsewhere, Cocina Consuelo takes walk-ins only, so plan accordingly.
103rd Street: Sushi W (2673 Broadway)
Columbia students who want an incredible omakase experience on a budget can leave the immediate vicinity of campus and head south to Sushi W. If you find yourself with an extended lunch break, make a reservation for the reasonably-priced lunch omakase, which is the chef’s selection of 10 pieces of nigiri sushi and two hand rolls, subject to change based on seasonality and availability. Sushi lovers know that the price of fresh fish and omakase-style service doesn’t usually come cheap in the city.
96th Street: Carmine’s (2450 Broadway)
Southern Italian food is practically synonymous with New Yawk City: restaurants that smell like warm garlic bread, whose generous servings include fresh pasta slathered in red sauce and massive plates of surf and turf. Carmine’s is a perfect example of a New York institution—despite being in operation for a relatively short 35 years—whose belly-filling Italian-nonna-style cooking will have you ordering a cup of cawfee with a piece of tiramisu to help you digest.
86th Street: Jacob’s Pickles (509 Amsterdam Avenue)
Jacob’s Pickles is one of the Upper West Side’s hottest brunch spots, with a dedicated fan base of Columbia students. Its popularity is warranted, as any lover of hearty southern cooking can attest. In between bites of buttermilk fried chicken, biscuit sandwiches, and omelettes, diners can sample one or more of the eight varieties of pickles available on the menu—or try those fried, too, with a starter of Fried Pickles served with Spicy Red Mayo. Reservations are highly recommended for weekend brunch diners.
79th Street: Chama Mama (373 Amsterdam Avenue)
Chama Mama is a delightful introduction to the tastes of Tbilisi. Those enjoying Georgian food—from the country of Georgia, that is, not the American South—for the first time might notice some similarities with the perhaps-better-known cuisine of Turkey (also a part of the Caucasus region) and with other Eastern European cuisines. The Adjuaruli Khachapuri—an egg yolk and cheese melted into a boat made of bread from which you break off pieces to scoop up the molten liquid—is a must-try and might just bring you back for more.
79th Street: Saravanaa Bhavan (413 Amsterdam Avenue)
A global vegetarian phenomenon with roots in Tamil Nadu, Saravanaa Bhavan is a trusted purveyor of dosas and other Indian dishes. Though the restaurant specializes in South Indian food, its New York menus also include popular northern specialties and Indo-Chinese fusion. We recommend you stick to the store’s specialties and order a Thali plate or dosa (a thin crepe made of rice and lentils and often stuffed with potato and other ingredients).
66th Street–Lincoln Center: Le Botaniste (156 Columbus Avenue)
Le Botaniste is a vegan dream. The “first organic, plant-based, and carbon-neutral restaurant in New York City” (according to its website), it got its start in Ghent, Belgium, before expanding to New York’s Upper East Side. It now has two locations in Belgium and five in New York and caters to culinarily curious and health-conscious eaters alike. With dishes like Tibetan Mama, Spicy Chili Sin Carne, and Moroccan Veggies, plant-based diners don’t need to make any sacrifices to experience global flavors.
50th Street: Wondee Siam (782 Ninth Avenue)
Even amid the plethora of Thai food in New York City, Wondee Siam is a stand-out. Until just a few years ago, the restaurant was truly a hole in the wall—with six tables and a restroom that you had to walk through the kitchen to get to. Now, in its newly expanded space, the warm hospitality of Wondee’s servers and its authentic Thai dishes are available to many more patrons. Try a whole fried fish dressed with fresh mango slices or the Kor Moo Yang (grilled pork) for an exceptional treat. Or anything you want—with a menu this good, you really can’t lose!
