Murray’s Bagels

Why Come Here? Top notch bagels and lox

Eastern Nova Scotia Salmon, Cream Cheese on a Whole Wheat Everything Bagel

New York is associated with many iconic dishes: pizza, cheesecake, fried chicken & waffles. But perhaps no food is more quintessentially New York than the bagel. Yet while few would dispute that New York is its King, finding a really good bagel here remains no easy task. Thankfully for those of us in the West Village / Chelsea area, there’s Murray’s.

Aesthetically, Murray’s looks like just about every other New York bagel shop / deli. A long counter with the big board of meats and cream cheeses behind it and in front a few tiny tables and chairs with no decor whatsoever. But what goes on behind that counter is pure food magic. They make the bagel that’s everything a bagel should be: crispy on the outside, chewy without being tough within. Toasting such a work or art is not only not necessary, it’s not an option. So please don’t embarrass yourself by asking.

Equally impressive are the sheer number of offerings. Murray’s has about 20 types of bagel, including my personal favorite: the elusive whole wheat everything. Then there’s the collection of smoked fish, another New York icon. Murray’s brings in the best from throughout the city and has a selection of over 10 styles of smoked salmon alone. While it’s fun to sample the different varieties from around the world (particularly when you order from here every weekend), my favorite for a bagel remains the standard mildly smoked Eastern Nova Scotia variety. The dill Scandinavian and peppery Pastrami serve as top change of pace options.

I’m not going to get too far into dish recommendations as everything is meant to customized and you won’t be disappointed with any of the bagels, cream cheeses or salmon. However, for those who like to be told what to do, my go to order is below:

Eastern Nova Scotia Lox w/ regular cream cheese, red onion and capers on a Whole Wheat Everything Bagel