Books & bites: five NYC bookstores and what to eat nearby

I’m going back to New York this week with my best friend, who’s obsessed with books. My husband grew up in this city, so I know it in that particular way you know a place through someone else’s memories: the smell of subway heat, the stoops where he played as a kid, the diners he still swears make the best pancakes in the world. And yet, New York always finds a way to surprise you.Even when you’ve walked its streets a hundred times, there’s another layer waiting, a new story, a new bite, a new bookshop you didn’t know existed.

So here it is: my literary (and edible) tour of New York City.Five bookstores, five bites from the Upper East Side to Chinatown, from French philosophy to pastrami on rye.

1. Albertine Books + J.G. Melon

   
   

972 Fifth Avenue – Upper East Side

Inside the French Cultural Services mansion on Fifth Avenue, Albertine feels like a piece of Paris quietly tucked into Manhattan. The ceiling glows midnight blue, constellations shimmer overhead, and rows of French and Francophone titles line the shelves like old friends.

When you’ve had your fill of poetry and philosophy, walk a few blocks west to J.G. Melon, an unpretentious burger bar that’s been flipping patties since 1972. It’s all green walls, clinking glasses, and perfect medium-rare burgers , the kind of New York classic that never tries too hard.

🧭 Book → Bite walk: 7 minutes  🍔 Order: The classic cheeseburger and a cold beer.

2. Sweet Pickle Books + Katz’s Delicatessen

47 Orchard Street – Lower East Side

Only in New York could a bookstore sell pickles with paperbacks. At Sweet Pickle Books, you can trade a jar of homemade pickles for used novels, browse the quirky shelves under a disco ball, and chat with locals about everything from feminism to fermentation. It’s pure Lower East Side energy : creative, chaotic, full of heart.

When you’re done, walk down Houston Street to Katz’s Delicatessen, the holy temple of pastrami. You’ll queue, you’ll wait, you’ll shout your order at the counter and then you’ll bite into a sandwich so monumental it might as well have its own ZIP code.

🥪 Book → Bite walk: 5 minutes  ⭐ Order: Pastrami on rye with mustard. No pickles needed — you’ve already got those.

3. Yu & Me Books + Nom Wah Tea Parlor
   

44 Mulberry Street – Chinatown

Yu & Me Books is the kind of place that feels like it grew out of a story. Founded by Lucy Yu, it’s the first bookstore in NYC owned by a woman of Asian descent: part bookshop, part café, part community anchor. After a fire nearly destroyed it, the neighborhood helped rebuild it. The energy is quiet, resilient, and real.

A few blocks away, Nom Wah Tea Parlor has been serving dim sum since 1920 : shrimp dumplings, scallion pancakes, and egg rolls in a narrow, curved alley that once defined Chinatown. The best way to read here? One hand on your teacup, one on your book.

🥢 Book → Bite walk: 4 minutes  🥮 Order: Shrimp dumplings and a pot of jasmine tea.

4. The Mysterious Bookshop + Bubby’s Tribeca
   

58 Warren Street – Tribeca

Step into The Mysterious Bookshop and the world shifts into sepia. Founded in 1979, it’s the oldest bookstore in the world devoted entirely to crime and mystery. Wooden shelves tower over you, first editions whisper from the walls, and there’s a hush that feels like the start of a detective novel.

Just around the corner, Bubby’s Tribeca offers something equally comforting and towering stacks of pancakes, flaky pies, and fried chicken that tastes like Sunday morning. It’s cozy, nostalgic, and perfect for solving (or eating) mysteries.

🥧 Book → Bite walk: 3 minutes  ☕ Order: Pancakes and coffee. Or bourbon pecan pie if you’re feeling noir.

5. Rizzoli Bookstore + Joe’s Pizza
   

1133 Broadway – NoMad / Flatiron

There’s nowhere quite like Rizzoli. he marble floors, the high ceilings, the careful curation of art, design, and literature.Iit’s the kind of place that makes you stand a little straighter and whisper a little softer. The staff still wrap books in crisp paper bags, because beauty deserves ceremony.

But when you step outside, don’t overthink it. Walk ten minutes downtown and grab a slice at Joe’s Pizza, the city’s most beloved slice joint since 1975. Greasy, hot, foldable,  it’s the democratic opposite of Rizzoli’s elegance, and somehow, the perfect pairing.

🍕 Book → Bite walk: 10 minutes  🔥 Order: Classic cheese slice, no toppings. Just New York, pure and simple.

The final page

You can read New York in many ways, in novels and poems, in graffiti and menus. But walking it, one bookstore and one bite at a time, might be the most delicious version of all.Because in this city, words and flavors live side by side, both meant to be shared, both impossible to forget.