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A Caesar salad with generous amounts of cheese and anchovy.
A Caesar salad from Corner Bar.
Kristen Kornbluth

12 Outstanding Caesar Salads in NYC

Crisp romaine, umami anchovy, crunchy croutons, and creamy Parmesan

by Kristen Kornbluth
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A Caesar salad from Corner Bar.
| Kristen Kornbluth
by Kristen Kornbluth

The Caesar salad is ubiquitous: Most commonly attributed to Tijuana’s Italian restaurateur, Caesar Cardini, it was historically prepared tableside but has many different iterations in the modern interpretation. What’s key is the combination of cold, crunchy romaine, sharp Parmesan, and anchovy topped with a crisp bread element working together to create the perfect balance. Here are some exemplary offerings of the ever-present salad.

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Jacob's Pickles

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Jacob’s Pickles goes the Southern route with this buttermilk fried chicken Caesar ($21) with Parmesan and biscuit croutons.

509 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
(212) 470-5566
(212) 470-5566

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Cucina 8 1/2

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This tableside version is an elegant starter for $18 per person. Cucina 8 1/2 features a sweeping red-carpeted staircase in the ground level of this Midtown Solow building (marked by a giant number 9 out front), a vast dining room, and plenty of options for private dining.

9 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019
(212) 829-0812
(212) 829-0812
A serving of whole-leaf Caesar salad.
A serving of Caesar salad at Cucina 8 1/2.
Melissa McCart/Eater NY

B'Artusi

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The kale Caesar ($17) at B’Artusi, sibling restaurant to fancier L’Artusi, boasts a nice crunch from the toasted walnuts and garlic croutons. Adding chicken for $7 is a pro move for the diner who wants to really fill up on this nicely Parmesan’d salad.

520 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

Rubirosa

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Rubirosa gets really busy — a server said sometimes the waitlist gets cut off early because it has extended to four or five hours. After an hour-and-a-half wait on a Wednesday, we tried the excellent Caesar ($17): generously dressed, very peppery, and had a nice amount of Parmesan croutons hidden throughout the lettuce. The vibe was enhanced by the patron hitting their Elf Bar surreptitiously at the table nearby.

235 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
(212) 965-0500
(212) 965-0500
Rubirosa’s Caesar salad.
Rubirosa’s Caesar salad.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

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Bernie’s

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This salad ($19.95) is huge and comes with little tongs for serving. The leaves come whole and the salad itself seems almost airy in its presentation. The dressing is nice and garlicky — a complement to the crunchy lettuce.

332 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(347) 529-6400
(347) 529-6400
The Caesar salad at Bernie’s, served with tongs.
Bernie’s Caesar salad, tongs and all.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

The Odeon

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A kale Caesar ($19) comes with creamy garlic dressing and shaved Parmesan croutons at one of New York’s most classic restaurants.

145 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013
(212) 233-0507
(212) 233-0507

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Mo's General

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This salad comes absolutely draped in grated Parmesan, which is always a plus. The croutons, of which there are plenty, are crunchy on the outside but have a nice chewy interior. And the dressing is peppery and anchovy-forward, good news for Caesar fans ($15) who like their salads a bit on the fishy side.

620 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Corner Bar

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This salad is zippy, salty, a little fishy, and deeply savory. Pieces of anchovy are scattered around the salad, enhancing the umami effect. At $24, it’s a splurge, but worth it.

60 Canal St, New York, NY 10002
(646) 869-9310
(646) 869-9310
A Caesar salad with generous amounts of cheese and anchovy.
The anchovy-laden Caesar at Corner Bar.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

Also featured in:

The Commodore

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The Commodore serves food until 2 a.m. and that includes its kale Caesar salad ($12) with anchovies. It feels virtuous to soak up all that booze with leafy greens, and they don’t skimp on the croutons.

366 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 218-7632
(718) 218-7632

Also featured in:

Rolo’s

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Rolo’s in Ridgewood is generally known for its meats, but offers a unique take on the Caesar salad ($16). It’s made with radicchio, plenty of grated cheese, and a pop of mint. It’s pretty garlicky and the dressing is nicely tangy.

853 Onderdonk Ave, Queens, NY 11385
(718) 417-6567
(718) 417-6567
Rolo’s caesar salad.
Rolo’s caesar salad.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

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Carmenta’s

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Bushwick sandwich and pasta joint Carmenta’s offers a pretty solid Caesar salad for $10. The dressing is lemony and the salad boasts a generous amount of croutons and Pecorino.

50 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY 11221
(718) 676-5003
(718) 676-5003

Also featured in:

The Fly

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This might be the most classic example of a Caesar salad ($16) on this list. The Fly, known for its chicken dinner, also offers an excellent Caesar. It’s crunchy romaine hearts, and a bit salty but boasts an overall balanced flavor. Not too fishy, not too cheesy, it’s topped with breadcrumbs and serves as  a great counterpart to the fries.

549 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
(347) 405-5300
(347) 405-5300
The caesar salad at Brooklyn’s The Fly.
The caesar salad at Brooklyn’s The Fly.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

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Jacob's Pickles

509 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

Jacob’s Pickles goes the Southern route with this buttermilk fried chicken Caesar ($21) with Parmesan and biscuit croutons.

509 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
(212) 470-5566
(212) 470-5566

Cucina 8 1/2

9 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

This tableside version is an elegant starter for $18 per person. Cucina 8 1/2 features a sweeping red-carpeted staircase in the ground level of this Midtown Solow building (marked by a giant number 9 out front), a vast dining room, and plenty of options for private dining.

9 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019
(212) 829-0812
(212) 829-0812
A serving of whole-leaf Caesar salad.
A serving of Caesar salad at Cucina 8 1/2.
Melissa McCart/Eater NY

B'Artusi

520 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

The kale Caesar ($17) at B’Artusi, sibling restaurant to fancier L’Artusi, boasts a nice crunch from the toasted walnuts and garlic croutons. Adding chicken for $7 is a pro move for the diner who wants to really fill up on this nicely Parmesan’d salad.

520 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

Rubirosa

235 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012

Rubirosa gets really busy — a server said sometimes the waitlist gets cut off early because it has extended to four or five hours. After an hour-and-a-half wait on a Wednesday, we tried the excellent Caesar ($17): generously dressed, very peppery, and had a nice amount of Parmesan croutons hidden throughout the lettuce. The vibe was enhanced by the patron hitting their Elf Bar surreptitiously at the table nearby.

235 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
(212) 965-0500
(212) 965-0500
Rubirosa’s Caesar salad.
Rubirosa’s Caesar salad.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

Bernie’s

332 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222

This salad ($19.95) is huge and comes with little tongs for serving. The leaves come whole and the salad itself seems almost airy in its presentation. The dressing is nice and garlicky — a complement to the crunchy lettuce.

332 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(347) 529-6400
(347) 529-6400
The Caesar salad at Bernie’s, served with tongs.
Bernie’s Caesar salad, tongs and all.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

The Odeon

145 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

A kale Caesar ($19) comes with creamy garlic dressing and shaved Parmesan croutons at one of New York’s most classic restaurants.

145 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013
(212) 233-0507
(212) 233-0507

Mo's General

620 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

This salad comes absolutely draped in grated Parmesan, which is always a plus. The croutons, of which there are plenty, are crunchy on the outside but have a nice chewy interior. And the dressing is peppery and anchovy-forward, good news for Caesar fans ($15) who like their salads a bit on the fishy side.

620 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Corner Bar

60 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

This salad is zippy, salty, a little fishy, and deeply savory. Pieces of anchovy are scattered around the salad, enhancing the umami effect. At $24, it’s a splurge, but worth it.

60 Canal St, New York, NY 10002
(646) 869-9310
(646) 869-9310
A Caesar salad with generous amounts of cheese and anchovy.
The anchovy-laden Caesar at Corner Bar.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

The Commodore

366 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

The Commodore serves food until 2 a.m. and that includes its kale Caesar salad ($12) with anchovies. It feels virtuous to soak up all that booze with leafy greens, and they don’t skimp on the croutons.

366 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 218-7632
(718) 218-7632

Rolo’s

853 Onderdonk Ave, Queens, NY 11385

Rolo’s in Ridgewood is generally known for its meats, but offers a unique take on the Caesar salad ($16). It’s made with radicchio, plenty of grated cheese, and a pop of mint. It’s pretty garlicky and the dressing is nicely tangy.

853 Onderdonk Ave, Queens, NY 11385
(718) 417-6567
(718) 417-6567
Rolo’s caesar salad.
Rolo’s caesar salad.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

Carmenta’s

50 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Bushwick sandwich and pasta joint Carmenta’s offers a pretty solid Caesar salad for $10. The dressing is lemony and the salad boasts a generous amount of croutons and Pecorino.

50 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY 11221
(718) 676-5003
(718) 676-5003

The Fly

549 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

This might be the most classic example of a Caesar salad ($16) on this list. The Fly, known for its chicken dinner, also offers an excellent Caesar. It’s crunchy romaine hearts, and a bit salty but boasts an overall balanced flavor. Not too fishy, not too cheesy, it’s topped with breadcrumbs and serves as  a great counterpart to the fries.

549 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
(347) 405-5300
(347) 405-5300
The caesar salad at Brooklyn’s The Fly.
The caesar salad at Brooklyn’s The Fly.
Kristen Kornbluth/Eater NY

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