Best Grocerants in New York City

Being able to eat in a grocery store is not a new tradition. Deli counters or hot and cold food buffets have been in operation since the early 20^th century. Think of an Italian import store where, while waiting for a sandwich, you can purchase olive oil, or a Jewish deli that offers bagels while also allowing you to shop for gefilte fish, or the local Punjab where you can eat a snack while waiting for your order from the butcher. There is a certain kind of nostalgia involved in the grocery store restaurant — it combines food preparation with actually eating your favorite foods. As a young child you may have accompanied a parent or grandparent to one of these. The smells of food, the anticipation of cooking later, all of these come together at these microscopic versions of open-air markets.

Another advantage of the grocery store restaurant or “grocerant” is the affordability and convenience. It seems millennials are eating here more often because it is almost 50 percent cheaper to grab a meal at a grocerant than it is to eat at a casual eat-in restaurant. The number of these places has increased 30 percent in the last 10 years and is on the rise for a few reasons, but particularly because people favor the convenience of prepared foods now more than ever. New York is the capital city for these sorts of restaurants and also one of the birthplaces of innovative entrepreneurship when it comes to food. The following are three different takes on the grocerant concept.

A market that now has a food hall which creates a unique culinary experience is City Acres. With locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, this market allows you to find the freshest and widest selection of foods in the city while also maintaining a food hall where shoppers can dine on select items.

A place that offers no surprises in this area is Whole Foods. It is a typical grocery store that offers hot and cold food with a dining area, but rarely disappoints when you need a meal on the go.

While a more upscale turn is a grocery store turned into a restaurant in Park Slope, Krupa Grocery.