Ess-a-Bagel

We tried multiple different types of bagels here. The place has limited seating, so it’s better suited for takeout if you’re planning a visit during busy hours. We ordered the whole wheat everything bagels with different cream cheese flavors—avocado garlic, vegetable & tofu, and garlic herb. All of them were good, but the avocado garlic was definitely my favorite—creamy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. Their latte coffee was also really good, making it a nice pairing with the bagels. The staff was friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. Overall, a great spot for bagel lovers and definitely worth visiting again!

The venue was in a great location right in the heart of the financial district! Lovely venue seems really new and modern. Overall, I thought the bagels were good. Extremely large and very filling, I could barley eat my entire one. A little dry Id recommend a drink, but thats just me personally. I would come back.

Congrats on the grand opening! I've been a loyal Ess-a-Bagel customer since I was in middle school and would go to the original location almost everyday after school! I'm really glad that they've been doing well and expanded over the years, especially in NY, since beloved businesses are always coming and going. I'm not usually a salmon or fish fan but their Nova is to die for! Not too salty and very fresh and not overly smokey. I love that their everything bagel is crunchy on the outside yet soft and chewy inside (a total NYC bagel)! They were doing a sampling when I went and their strawberry cream cheese is my new fave for when I'm craving something sweet! Love the sandwiches here and I can't wait to try more things 🤗 The staff were also very warm and welcoming and helpful! I also loved that they had accessible outlets in the seating area bc my phone was dying.

Ess-a-Bagel is a must-visit spot if you’re looking for authentic New York–style bagels. The bagels are perfectly baked, crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, and incredibly fresh. The portion sizes are generous, and the variety of bagels and spreads is impressive. Everything tastes high quality and made with care. Despite being a popular and busy place, the staff works efficiently and keeps the line moving. The atmosphere feels classic and welcoming, making the experience even better. Whether you’re a local or visiting New York, this is definitely a place worth stopping by. Highly recommended.

Tried the signature multigrain at Ess-a-Bagel and it was amazing. Perfectly chewy on the inside with a great crust, and super fresh. Definitely one of the best bagels I’ve had—will be back! Our server Randy was very helpful

After 40yds, bagels are still the huge, soft poofy and delicious bagels. These are the bagels you don’t get when you leave the ny/nj/ct regional. If you’re not a big eater many can make 1 a meal bargain. If you are, just make it a sandwich and you will be full.

This place is amazing! I tried the morning classic and it was pretty good, The bacon was well crispy! and the cheese was well melted.I also got a cinnamon raisin bagel Toasted!with apple cream cheese,I recommend trying that it was sooo delicious🤩would definitely come back again! One more thing everyone should try their iced coffee/Latte or any of their coffee drinks they were also GOOD!!! if i had an option to give this place a 10 star rating i would

Was absolutely thrilled when I first learned that there would be an Ess-a-Bagel coming to the neighborhood. I used to work by the one on 3rd Avenue and always found their bagels to be wonderful. Unfortunately, this location fails to meet that same expectation for me. The bagel itself seems completely different from that at their Midtown location (Reddit posts seem to say that they may source them from a different kitchen?) and doesn't taste fresh. In addition, they don't have a kitchen so I watched as they reheated my egg, cheese, and meat choice in a dish in the microwave. We did try a second and third time hoping that somehow the quality would improve, but nothing has changed since our first visit unless something has shifted more recently. Quite shocked by the high ratings considering all the other fantastic bagel shops now in the area.

This Ess-a-bagels recently opened at this location as of March 2025. Very clean and bright atmosphere and service was not too busy as it was super early when I walked in. Tried my usual LEO on a multigrain bagel lightly toasted. It's hard to deny bagels in the morning, it's my weak spot haha. They have pre packaged pastries and muffins as well. Overall it was decent although I didn't see an actual grill for food. Would recommend for quick bagel on the run with your favorite spread. Follow me and check out my other bagel spot reviews

Don't understand the hype. Bagels were extremely dense and rather small. The eggs/bacon/cheese on my BEC were microwaved to heat them up. There's definitely better options nearby so would not return.

Dry, mealy, lacking flavor, and over $5 for a bagel with plan cream cheese. I used to be a big fan of Ess-a-Bagel but it's gone down hill. Service and restaurant were well organized and pleasant, but the food is just not worth while. I have enjoyed bagels from food carts more than gbis

Was staying downtown this visit and was so happy to see Ess-a-Bagel opened up a store in the FID. My favorite Bagel in the city. Great service at the register....and at handoff. Congratulations on your Grand Opening!

Ordered a bagel sandwich online from Ess-a-Bagel to pick up for a flight. Onion bagel toasted with ham, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayonnaise, S&P. $11.92! Simple enough. Guess not? My flight was delayed an hour (while on the plane at the gate) so I pull out the sandwich & drop the tray. Take my first bite and...it's a cinnamon raisin bagel with all the other items within. Really? ANY OTHER BAGEL WORKS! Cinnamon raisin obviously doesn't...and wasn't on the order. The bagel was unremarkable and far below Ess a Bagel's standards. Airless & flat with very few raisins (and no onion!) I didn't expect a prank for $11.92. A nice young lady asked to "rate & review on Google", so I did. "Will not repeat" is my review. And I thought the flight delay was bad...don't mess with folks' food.

This is (and I don't say this lightly) the best bagel in NYC. I get a sesame bagel with plain cream cheese, nothing crazy. The bagel is massive and dense, with heaps of cream cheese. It's warm with the perfect amount of crunch when you bite in, and is filling enough to last. The staff is on it and was very helpful when I had a question about one of the cream cheeses. Location is small but quieter compared to other Ess-a-Bagels. There are a few stools and a small counter off to the side, so there's a chance there will be seating. Only downside is that they didn't have pickles at this location. Even with that, this is an NYC must eat.

4.5 stars -- it's not a perfect 5 as can't beat the Ess-a location on 3rd Ave. The coffee is better at this location, but so far I haven't had a piping hot bagel here. Don't get me wrong - the veggie tofu cream cheese still hits the spot and the Tuna Turner on pumpernickel is still delicious. They do still seem to be going through some kinks, but it is nice to have a good bagel spot in the area.

I wanted a Pumpkin Spice Bagel so went inside after an appointment. It wasn't crowded and I asked the server what they had. They had Pumpkin Spice cream cheese, so I chose a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel. He asked heated and I said yes. The place was spotless and shiny. I got my bagel and sat in the small area to eat. Perfection! Full sized and plenty of cream cheese. The bagel was just as I wanted. Very tasty! Plenty of napkins available as well. Comfortable place. I will go again!

Really wonderful bagel breakfast sandwich! No seating, more of a grab and go location near WTC, but the decor is darling.

Vacationing in NY and stroll through their soft opening at this location! Our first NY bagel and we did enjoyed it ! Fresh bagel with flavorful smear/salmon ! Will I stop by again probably not!

Hopefully this is not considered one of the best bagels in New York City. Leaves a lot to be desired. Asked for toasted bagel with scallion cream cheese, the cream cheese is pretty good but the toasted bagel is too hard--apart from being toasted. It almost seems like a day old. It's not as dense as most quality New York bagels. it's actually quite light which might be preferable for some people if it wasn't so hard. I don't know how long they've been sitting there I don't know how they make their bagels, but this is just an average bagel shop that's overpriced: this entire picture of a large water a large tea and a bagel with scallion cream cheese shouldn't cost $17. I will say that the employees are working their butts off and are very efficient. The problem is the workspace isn't, just look at the end of the counter where they're supposed to be packing large orders and there's literally no room for a person to do their work.

Best bagel in NYC! Wow--everything was perfect! I ordered a whole wheat bagel with plain cream cheese, loc and cucumber. The whole wheat flavor really came through and they gave me lots of lox with the perfect ratio of cream cheese to lox. Cucumbers super fresh as well. It was warm and toasted perfectly. The perfect amount of everything. Service was fairly quick--I'd say it took 10 minutes for me and there was a longer line that day too since it was the day of the Brooklyn Half Marathon. It's more of a grab and go place--not a sit down!

Yesterday I stopped in to get egg whites on a toasted multigrain bagel. Bagel was good but I was shocked to watch them make the eggs. The cook cracks eggs into a plastic takeout container, then microwaves it to cook the eggs. I'm trying to reduce this type of microplastic exposure I will not be going back to this place. If you're going to charge $8+ for a bagel and eggs, get a least a small portable stove to cook eggs.

NOT the Ess A Bagels I know and love! I have been going to the Stuytown location for years and was excited to have a new Essa location open up closer to home. The difference is night and day. While the bagels Essa is known for are large, fluffy and perfectly cooked, the ones that are sold here looked and tasted like they came from the back of a grocery store shelf. 2/3 of the size, dry and tough. This place needs an extreme quality control overhaul from management. Just because it's a touristy location, if you try to cut corners your customers will absolutely notice. PLEASE do not go to this location, such a disappointment

Possibly the worst bagel in NYC. Only tourists who've never had a real NYC bagel would think anything from here was okay. This was Panera-quality - I watched them microwave the eggs in front me. Go to Liberty Bagels (or even a bodega) instead.

Live nearby and stopped in this morning. Ordered 2 whole wheat bagels 1 sesame toasted with tomato c cheese 1 everything bagel toasted sandwich What I got when I opened at home 2 pumpernickel Neither sandwich toasted and the western was not bacon peppers and ham omelette it was a processed cream cheese. If I could give a zero I would. Only 5 customers and 6 employees and they got nothing g right. Good luck - never coming back

Ordered there this morning and they screwed up. I asked for sesame bagel toasted and a bacon egg and cheese on a plain toasted bagel. Nothing toasted and instead of sesame got plain. So they managed to screw both up. Few other people in the store when I was there so it's not like they gave me the wrong order. The staff did not seem confident that they knew what they were doing. Also, $10 for a BEC and you microwave the eggs? I do like their bagels, but not going to trust them with anything else for a while. And if they compete only on bagels, then Apollo is now nearby and frequently has a line out the door.

Even with so many options nearby, ess a bagel still has one of the best lox spreads in the city

Great location near all the tourist attractions. Excellent service!! Nice folks. As always, great bagels!

Most expensive bagel in the financial district. Smaller than most, they didn't even put a napkin in the bag. Go to Liberty or Williams St. bagel, the bagels are better and abt 20% cheaper

Knocking it out of the park! Stopped on our way out of NYC! Bingo, the bagels were fantastic! The atmosphere was lively and busy! The most amazing part was the function of the service machine............ AMAZING!!

tourist centered business with bagel-shaped white bread, flavorless everything, weird country music. do not recommend for real New Yorkers

worst bagel I ever had ordered a bacon, egg and cheese. They put the eggs and the bacon in microwave. The bacon wasn't even cooked all the way through the grill just a bunch of stainless steel microwaves.

TWICE I've asked them to toast/ heat up my bagel when I order online for pick-up... they did not do it. I don't understand how you can just disregard that customers put under their orders?? This is ridiculous. Now I have to eat a cold bland bagel on my way to work. And for the amount the bagels are I would at least expect them to look at basic customer notes.

Terrible spot for breakfast. Bagels were bland and the eggs and bacon are microwaved. A