Whether you like Greek dishes, French bistro classics, authentic German fare, or something else, there are great lunch spots on the Upper East Side that you can go to.
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood with a lot of things to do, and while exploring it, it’s great to get some delicious food for lunch. You can get all kinds of dishes at the places in the neighborhood, such as burgers, bagel sandwiches, pasta dishes, pitas, bowls, and much more.
I made this list of incredible restaurants you can visit for lunch on the Upper East Side to help you decide where to get food!
Best Lunch Spots on the Upper East Side
Heidelberg Restaurant
Why you should go here: You can get delicious authentic German food at this place, such as the “Apfel Omelet”, which is an apple pancake that’s served with vanilla ice cream, and the “Schnitzel Reuben Sandwich”
Heidelberg Restaurant is one of America’s oldest family-run restaurants, and you can find this place on 2nd Avenue on the Upper East Side. This place is more than 100 years old, and Heidelberg Restaurant’s interior is the same as when it was founded
You can enjoy delicious authentic Old-World German food for lunch at this place.
The lunch menu of this place includes a variety of delicious entrees.
For example, you can get the “Schnitzel Reuben Sandwich”. This sandwich is made with rye bread, chicken or pork schnitzel, 1000 Island dressing, sauerkraut, and melted Swiss cheese.
You can also get the “Apfel Omelet”, which is a German apple pancake that is served with vanilla ice cream.
Another delicious item on the lunch menu is the “Eggs Bismarck”. This is a potato pancake that comes with fried egg, smoked salmon, and hollandaise sauce.
The “Sausage” is great to get as well. This is a dish that consists of one sausage, sauerkraut, and potato salad.
This is also one of the best restaurants on the Upper East Side.
Address: 1648 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028
Tony Dragon’s Grille
Why you’ll love Tony Dragon’s Grille: This is a food truck where you can get great Greek and Mediterranean dishes for lunch, including sandwiches and pitas
Tony Dragon’s Grille is a food truck that you can find at the intersection of 62nd Street and Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. At this food truck, you can get delicious Greek and Mediterranean food for lunch.
Tony Dragon’s Grille’s menu features all kinds of bowls, sandwiches, pitas, hot dogs, burgers, salads, and other types of dishes.
One of the best sandwiches is the “Chicken + Portobello Mushroom”. This is a sandwich that is made with fresh mozzarella, tomato, arugula, and a balsamic glaze.
You can also get the “Mediterranean Veggie Pita”, which comes with feta, romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, and vinaigrette.
There are 4 types of burgers to choose from. One of these is the “Tony Burger”, which is made with American cheese, tomato, romaine lettuce, onion, mayo, and ketchup.
There are many types of bowls to choose from. These are all served with rice pilaf and a choice of a “Garden Salad” or “Arugula Salad”. An example of a great bowl is the “Pork Souvlaki”.
Sea Salt
Must-try: The “Grilled Octopus in Pita”, which comes with hummus, bell peppers, and more
Sea Salt is one of the best lunch spots on the Upper East Side where you can enjoy delicious, authentic Greek and Mediterranean dishes made with high-quality and fresh ingredients.
There is a lunch prix fix menu and there is an à la carte menu.
For lunch, one of the best dishes to get is the “Creamy Chicken Pasta”, which is made with fettuccine, spinach, chicken, and mushroom.
The “Saltburger” is a great dish too. It is made with tomatoes, caramelized onions, and arugula, and it is served with fries.
You can also get the “Kofte Plate”, which comes with char-grilled minced beef and lamb that is seasoned with Turkish spices, and Fontana and Kashari cheese. This place is served with fries.
The “Grilled Octopus in Pita” is also a great option to get for lunch. This pita comes with shallots, bell peppers, hummus, shallots, and capers.
Sea Salt is also one of the best brunch spots on the Upper East Side.
Address: 1123 1st Ave., New York, NY 10065
JG Melon
Highlights: You can get incredible burgers at JG Melon and there’s a great outdoor area where you can enjoy your food
JG Melon is a restaurant that is known for its burgers and its iconic exterior design on the Upper East Side. The restaurant’s outside features the colors white and green, and you can see these colors inside the restaurant too.
The restaurant has both an indoor and outdoor seating area where you can enjoy your lunch.
JG Melon’s menu features several different types of burgers. You can choose between a hamburger, a baconburger, a cheeseburger, a turkey burger, and a bacon cheeseburger.
In addition to that, you can get all kinds of sandwiches as well. For example, you can get a “Grilled Cheese, Tomato & Bacon” sandwich.
The menu also includes an omelet, which is made with a choice of two fillings. You can choose between mushrooms, spinach, cheese, ham, bacon, tomato, red pepper, and onion.
There are also various salads, entrees, and desserts.
One of the best entrees is the “Broiled Fish of the Day”. It is served with rice and salad.
Two of the best desserts to get at JG Melon are the “Chocolate Chip Cake” and the “Key Lime Pie”.
Going to JG Melon is also one of the best date ideas on the Upper East Side.
Address: 1291 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021
EJ’s Luncheonette
Highlights: You can get great comfort food for lunch at this place and the restaurant was designed to look like the 30s and 40s
EJ’s Luncheonette, which was established in 1992, is a place where you can get delicious comfort food for lunch. The restaurant has a lovely design which was designed to look like the 30s and 40s.
The luncheonette features all kinds of pancakes, omelets, waffles, sandwiches, and other types of dishes.
One of the best dishes to get is “EJ’s Famous Crunchy French Toast”, which is challah bread with egg, crunchy cornflakes, and toasted almonds.
You can also get the “Greek Omelette”, which is an omelet with tomato, spinach, and feta.
There are many different types of sandwiches and wraps to choose from. These are all served with cole slaw and picked. An example of a great option is the “Blackened Salmon Sandwich”. This is a brioche roll with tomato, lettuce, and basil mayo.
You can also get a burger, such as the “Cheeseburger Deluxe”. This burger comes with a choice of cheese, and you can choose between cheddar, mozzarella, American, blue, and Swiss cheese.
The “Vegetable Quesadilla” is a whole wheat tortilla with peppers, sauteed onions, mushrooms, a three-cheese blend, spinach, salsa, and guacamole.
Address: 1271 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021
Tal Bagels
Why you need to go here: At Tal Bagels, you can get amazing bagels that are made in-house
Tal Bagels is a bagel shop with three locations throughout Manhattan. Two of these locations are situated on the Upper East Side.
You can get all kinds of bagels for lunch at Tal Bagels which are made in-house with high-quality ingredients.
You can choose from a lot of different types of toppings, including different types of cheese, fish, meat, and spreads.
One of the best bagels to get is one with pepper-smoked turkey.
Some other toppings you can choose from include pepper jack cheese, grilled chicken, baked salmon, lox spread, and cream cheese.
Tal Bagel also serves different types of homemade hot soups. For example, you can get a delicious lentil soup.
There are also lunch specials. For example, you can get the “Turkey and Cheese Panini Lunch Special”, which is a flatbread with turkey breast, tomato, and Swiss cheese.
Tal Bagels is also a great place for breakfast on the Upper East Side.
Address: 1228 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10028
Yia Yia’s
Why you will love this place: Yia Yia’s serves delicious Greek food, such as the “Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich” and the “Greek-Style Burger”
Yia Yia’s is a restaurant where you can have delicious homemade, authentic Greek food for lunch on the Upper East Side.
The menu of Yia Yia’s features many types of starters, soups, salads, souvlaki sandwiches, gyro plates, burgers, and other dishes.
One of the best souvlaki sandwiches is the “Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich”. This is a wrapped pita with chicken, onion, tomato, tzatziki, and lettuce.
There are different salads to choose from that are great, such as the “Roasted Beet Salad”, which is made with red and golden roasted beets, tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, onion, and olives.
The “Greek-Style Burger” is a delicious option on the menu as well. This is a Greek-flavored beef patty that is served on a pita with American cheese or feta. The burger is served with fries.
Address: 404 E 69th St, New York, NY 10021
Jacques Brasserie
Why you should go to this place: At Jacques Brasserie, you can get classic French food for lunch, such as the “Croque Monsieur”
Jacques Brasserie is a French restaurant where you can have all kinds of classic French dishes for lunch. The restaurant, which is located on East 85th Street on the Lower East Side, has a cozy dining room and you can have lunch at this place from Monday through Friday.
The lunch menu of Jacques Brasserie features various starters, cheese plates, sandwiches, and lots of other types of dishes.
A great, classic dish is the “Croque Monsieur”, which is a sandwich with Madrange ham and Swiss cheese.
The “Pappardelle” is another great dish to get. This is a wide flat pasta dish that is made with truffle oil, parmesan, and wild mushroom cream sauce.
Another classic dish that is delicious is the “11 oz Steak Frites”. This dish comes with either an Au Poivre sauce or a Bernaise sauce on the side.
The lunch menu features various types of “Moules Frites”. This dish is made with 1.25 pounds of Prince Edwards Island Mussels. For example, you can get the “Provencale”, which comes with garlic, tomato, and basil.
Address: 206 E 85th St, New York, NY 10028
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Lunch on the Upper East Side Tips
If you want to have food at a lunch spot on the Upper East Side, you can explore some of the sights of the neighborhood before or after that. I recommend finding out if one of the restaurants is near a sight you want to visit and to make this easier, you can use the map that I added to the article.
For example, you can get delicious food at Tony Dragon’s Grille and see animals at the Central Park Zoo, which is one of the best things to do on the Upper East Side, afterward. The zoo is only a 5-minute walk from Tony Dragon’s Grille.
Upper East Side Lunch Spots Map
Thanks for reading my guide. I hope you liked these lunch spots on the Upper East Side!