This classic Jewish deli serves up stellar smoked fish sandwiches and fresh bagels, hailed as some of the best in NYC, with a standout iced coffee.
"Modernist bagel shop Shelsky’s has all the plainish classics in small dense form, but it sports a few spicy outliers, like its numbing Sichuan peppercorn bagel and chili crisp cream cheese. Indicative of the appetizing shop’s willingness to get creative, the preparation of the bagels here shows extra care: A sourdough starter is employed in the kitchen, actual egg goes into the the egg bagels, and chopped cheese and Taylor ham sandwiches come served on a bagel or a bialy." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff
"At both locations of Shelsky’s, customers can find traditional potato latkes sold alongside gluten-free, sweet potato, and celery root versions of the dish. You can get larger catered orders, or, also, place smaller individual orders online." - Eater Staff
"In 2011, someone with experience at places like Kossar’s, Zabar’s, and Eleven Madison Park opened an appetizing shop with a seafood expert who used to work at a market called Fish Tales. That’s the story of Shelsky’s, and it partly explains the time-tested technique behind these airy, caramelized bagels and their fixings. If you want to keep things simple and fishy, get the classic “Member Of The Tribe,” which comes with nova and plain or scallion cream cheese (you want scallion). We also love their pastrami-smoked salmon. " - bryan kim, will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah
"A modern appetizing shop with a focus on bagels and fish, known for unique bagel flavors like cracked peppercorn and salt."
"If we were mayor, we would require every neighborhood to have a good bagel shop. Thankfully, Cobble Hill already adheres to the rule. Shelsky’s is an appetizing store and deli on Court Street, and it’s where you should go for a chewy bagel with smoked fish or a pastrami and egg sandwich on rye. We like to keep it classic with the “Member of the Tribe”—a bagel with your choice of plain or scallion cream cheese, plus a thick layer of buttery nova. Perfect for a Saturday morning stroll, or a Sunday brunch, after a particularly harrowing experience at the Trader Joe’s across the street. " - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman
