It may look like an ultra-modern museum but Bisous Ciao is really a bakery selling macarons and nothing but macarons.
101 Stanton, near Ludlow
(212) 260-3463
- Hours: Tues – Thurs: 12:00 pm – 8:30 pm; Fri – Sat: 12:00 pm – 9:30 pm; Sun: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Web site
The Lower East Side Girls Club’s “girl’s made and fair trade” social venture bakery, offering cupcakes, cookies, brownies and granola.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
212-982-1633, ext. 108
Hours Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm
Web site
The high-end store in the Essex Street Market offers an interesting selection of cheeses, oils and other specialty food items.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
212-982-8200
Hours: 10am-7pm
Web site
Homemade spinach pie, baklava and other Greek specialties are offered at this tiny stall in the Essex Street market.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
718.344.4202
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm
Web site
This bakery, juice bar and fish market in the Essex Street Market offers some of everything. The $4 fish sandwiches are tasty and a great deal. There are a few tables right across from the bakery, if you wish to consume your purchases on the spot.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
212-982-8585
Hours: 8am-6pm, closed Mondays
Web site

New Star Fish Market offers a good selection of seafood at reasonable prices. The selection is not as wide as you might expect a few blocks to the west in Chinatown, but the family-owned business emphasizes friendly customer service. Shrimp, clams and mussels are usually a good bet. If you ask, they’ll give you honest guidance on the best bets on any given day.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
212-475-8365
Hours: 8am-6pm
Web site
 Luis Meat Market, Essex Street Market.
Luis Rodriguez sells a wide variety of meats in his butcher shop at the Essex Street Market, including inexpensive everyday cuts of beef, pork and poultry as well as more unusual offerings such as rabbit, goat and oxtail.
120 Essex Street
212-673-8380
Hours 8am-6pm
Web site
Established in 1982, this small Hester Street candy shop feels like the old Lower East Side. Their motto: “anything can be dipped in chocolate.”
63 Hester, at Ludlow
212-598-0092
Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-6:30pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-6pm
Web site
At the Streit’s Matzo factory on Rivington Street, a small retail store offers a full line of products, including matzo, matzo ball soup mix, gefilte fish, etc. As an extra bonus, you can catch a glimpse of the matzo bakers next door.
148-154 Rivington, at Suffolk
212-475-7000
Hours Mon-Thu, 9am-4:30pm; Fri-Sun, closed
Web site
Anne Saxelby’s tiny stall at the Essex Street Market celebrates cheese and other dairy products from the region. Always ready with a suggestion for every taste an occasion, she also stocks eggs, milk, a line of handmade tortillas and freshly baked bread. Also, Saxelby and company will be happy to make you a cheese sandwich on the spot.
120 Essex Street
212-228-8204
Hours 9am-7pm
Web site
Perhaps the Lower East Side’s most revered food institution, appetizing store Russ & Daughters has been in business since 1914. Today a new generation of the Russ family sells a wide variety of smoked salmon, sturgeon, herring, sable, etc. There’s also an extensive caviar selection, dried fruits and nuts and coffees. The artisans behind the counter will probably give you a little taste of lox as they’re carving away.
179 East Houston, near Orchard
212-475-4880
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-8pm; Saturday 9am-7pm; Sunday 8am-53opm; Free delivery 9am-4pm
Web site
Chocolate covered bacon! Need we say more? Roni Sue Kave creates a wide range of interesting chocolate-based morsels in her shop at the Essex Street Market.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
212-260-0421
Hours 11am-7pm
Web site
Mark Bello says he can teach anyone how to make perfect pizzas at home, from scratch. Individuals can attend regularly scheduled pizza workshops or you can book a private event for a group (of up to 16 people). The Grand Street shop also stocks a full line of pizza making tools and accessories.
371 Grand Street, near Norfolk
212-209-3370
Weekly workshops: Thursdays: 6:30pm to 10:30pm; Saturdays: 12:00 pm to 4:00pm; Sundays: 12:00 pm to 4:00pm. Store hours: Wednesday-Sunday noon-5pm.
Web site
The only kosher pickle store in the former “pickle district,” Alan Kaufman’s small shop has it all: new pickles, sour, half sour — plus picked tomatoes, olives, peppers, mushrooms, etc. You can pick up a snack to much on your way down Essex Street or order a variety of platters for large gatherings.
49 Essex, near Grand
212-656-9739
Hours Sun-Thu, 9am-6pm; Fri, 9am-4pm; Sat, closed
Web site
Kossar’s is the oldest bialy bakery in this country — in business since 1934. Closed for Shabbas, the shop opens after sunset on Saturdays to catch up — and keeps the ovens running late into the night. No charge for the surely service.
367 Grand, near Essex
212-473-4810
Hours Sun-Thu, 6am-8pm; Fri, 6am-3pm; Sat. closed until after sunset
Web site
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