My search for the best bagels in New York continues….
A while back when tourists asked me where to get a good bagel near their hotel in Times Square, I struggled a bit. They could walk to the east side to Ess-a-Bagel or further down to Chelsea to Murray’s. But back in the day, a good bagel in the heart of Midtown was hard to come by.
Thankfully, that is not the case anymore. In fact, a few of Manhattan’s best bagel shops are in between Penn Station and Times Square. There’s Best Bagel & Coffee and a newer Ess-a-Bagel location. And now I’ve recently discovered Liberty Bagels.
Liberty hasn’t been there quite as long, but have built up quite a fan base and a second location in Jackson Heights, Queens. That is kind of the opposite of Midtown Manhattan.
After a few attempts to find a not so busy morning, I finally put an order in at Liberty. The owner (or someone) happily greets you when you walk inside. And then I asked the cashier which bagels were hot out of the oven. I was told “Cinnamon Walnut” which sounded intriguing. Turns out it was Cinnamon Raisin and I think the cashier accidentally verbally added nuts.
Well at least she got the hot part right. The bagel was so hot that the glob of cream cheese had almost liquified from the heat.
The bagel was very nice and crisp with a good texture and flavor. I do think it was missing a hint of salt or something but the subtle cinnamon and raisins came through.
Like many of the Midtown bagel shops, this bagel is much bigger and the cream cheese a lot thicker than they need to be (perhaps that has changed since the great cream cheese shortage of 2021). I don’t always agree bigger is better.
Regardless, the bagel was good. This is another solid choice for a classic handmade hot bagel in Midtown. Tourists, I have so many bagel answers for you now!
Does Liberty Bagels have the best bagels in NY? It might be a bit bigger than necessary but they produce a solid chewy bagel that has the potential to be hot out of the oven. They get a worthy 8 out of10.
| LIBERTY BAGELS |
| 260 West 35th Street (between Seventh and Eight Avenue), Midtown West (212) 279-1124 |
| 82-10 Roosevelt Avenue (between 82nd and 83rd Street), Jackson Heights, Queens (929) 296-0202 |
| libertybagelsny.com |
Agreed, this is a great option. I stopped in there earlier this year, and got a very solid bagel with lox. And the owner(?) greeting people when they enter is a nice touch.