Russ & Daughters
Worth it if you're watching the budget and you only have one day.
Short answer
Is Russ & Daughters worth it?
Russ & Daughters deserves a place on most first itineraries.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
The century-old Lower East Side 'appetizing' shop famous for smoked fish, bagels, and lox — with a sit-down café nearby.
How to do it right
- 01
Weekday mornings; the café fills up at weekend brunch
- 02
Shop is counter-service; the café takes some reservations
- 03
Original shop is standing-counter; café has seating
- 04
A jewel-box counter of cured salmon and whitefish run by the same family since 1914, plus a retro café for a sit-down version.
Is it a fit?
Go if
What to order
The plates that decide it
- Bagel with hand-sliced Gaspé Nova and cream cheese — the classic, and the thing to get on a first visit
- A board of mixed smoked fish, whitefish salad, an egg cream — reliably excellent for sharing
- Expecting a hot, dinner-style meal — this is appetizing and brunch territory — order accordingly
Plan it well
- Cost
- $20–40 a head at the café; counter varies by order
- Timing
- Weekday mornings; the café fills up at weekend brunch
- Booking
- Shop is counter-service; the café takes some reservations
- Allow
- 45 min–1.5 hours
- Accessibility
- Original shop is standing-counter; café has seating
Consider instead
Central ParkChoose Central Park for a free, flexible break that can expand from one planned walk into half a day.The Metropolitan Museum of ArtChoose the Met for a major indoor visit with enough range to justify building an afternoon around it.A Broadway ShowChoose a Broadway show when one excellent evening matters more than fitting in another daytime sight.
Ready to plan it?
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Sources and method (2)
- Lower East Side 'appetizing' shop opened in 1914 by Joel Russ; renamed Russ & Daughters in 1933 after he made his three daughters partners. en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Now in its fourth generation, run since 2009 by cousins Josh Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman; known for hand-sliced smoked salmon. shop.russanddaughters.com ↗