Best Bagels in SoHo?

[jranen]

I am staying at the Mercer Hotel and wanted to know what is the best bagel shop in walking distance? Thanks!

[rifkind81]

There are no edible bagels in Soho.

You are fortunate enough to have access to an excellent baguette (Fancois Payard Bakery, Houston & Thompson), and an excellent croissant (CeciCela, Spring & Lafayette).

-----
Ceci-Cela
55 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Francois Payard Bakery
116 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

[Motosport]

It's an easy walk to Kossar's Bialys on Grand St which has excellent bialies and great bagels. I.M.H.O. the closest exceptional bagel can be had at Ess-A-Bagel on 1st Ave @ 21 St. Not close but a very nice walk on a nice day.

-----
Kossar's Bialys
367 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

Ess-a-Bagel
359 1st Ave, New York, NY 10010

[sugartoof]

You can go to Dean and Deluca on Broadway. They'll have bagels in the front coffee area, and another bread section. They typically bring in breads from reputable bakeries. I would guess they used H&H, but that's closed.

Gourmet Garage will have bagels, though not prepared with schmear or anything.

Right near your hotel is a little catering/sandwich shop that's been in Soho a long time, called Olive. They do have bagels and cream cheese, but the bagel isn't going to be anything special. It will still be a NY bagel.

You'll have Birdbath, Ceci Celi, Grandaisy,Falai, Payard, and Balthazar as some of the better bakers within very close walking distance - but bagels aren't their thing.

Kossars is the closest real bagel shop that bakes in house, but honestly, it's a hike for a tourist. Expect a 20-25 minute walk.

Russ & Daughters is a little closer, but not all of us have had good luck with whatever bagels they use. Their cream cheese and other toppings are what they're known for.

Another 20 minute or so hike further Downtown, and there's Zucker's on Chambers, which I think is closer to what you're looking for in a full service bagel shop.

My suggestion would be to try Dean and Deluca, and see what they have, but to take advantage of your proximity to other things.

-----
Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Kossar's Bialys
367 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

Ceci-Cela
55 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Balthazar
80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Grandaisy Bakery
73 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012

Caffe Falai
265 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

Olive's
120 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Zucker's
146 Chambers St, New York, NY 10013

Gourmet Garage
453 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

Birdbath
160 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Francois Payard Bakery
116 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

[jranen]

Thank you everyone. This is very helpful.

[Motosport]

"Kossars is the closest real bagel shop that bakes in house, but honestly, it's a hike for a tourist. Expect a 20-25 minute walk." ??????
What better way for a "tourist" to experience the real NYC?? They might walk by the Wei Mai bird garden, sidewalk seafood markets, soccer and Tai Chi in the park, Donut Plant a few dorrs down from Kossar's and on and on.
My suggestion to all tourists: "Get out and walk!!" The experience is so much more fullfilling than a drive by on the double decker bus.

[sugartoof]

Tourists should walk as much as they can and get lost, but this is about food.

When someone just wants a nearby bagel, giving them a 40 minute RT project, walking trip crosstown might not be how they planned to spend their day exploring. I thought it deserved a heads up. The OP wanted walking distance...the whole city is walking distance.

[Desidero]

I totally agree with sugartoof. The 40 minute R/T walk from the Mercer Hotel to Kossars is not an "easy walk," as Motosport claims, but a hike.

Another option closer to your hotel (10 minute walk) is Bagels on the Square on Carmine, near Sixth Ave.

-----
Bagels on the Square
7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

[michelleats]

Murray's Bagel on 6th Ave. between 12th and 13th St. is a pretty manageable walking distance away and the bagels are good, especially if you are able to catch them straight out of the oven. Some critics complain they are too large and too sweet these days (they used to be smaller), but honestly, it's a stylistic preference. (Murray's bagels are similar to Ess-a-Bagel bagels, which has both vehement lovers and haters.)

-----
Ess-a-Bagel
359 1st Ave, New York, NY 10010

Murray's Bagels
500 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011