Counter Culture: New York City's Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes
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A tribute to thirty Manhattan dining spots that will likely infuriate a few people who don't want their neighborhood joint spoiled by being discovered by outsiders. Handsomely photographed and enriched by thoughtful profiles of each establishment's history, this is a slice of daily life in the borough.
Photographers James T and Karla L Murray, who are also responsible for Great Bars of New York City, offer a survey that sweeps from Pearl Street in the Financial District all the way uptown to 112th Street in Morningside Heights, the location of Tom's Restaurant, the exterior of which was frequently used in Seinfeld.
Tom's isn't the only nationally famous diner: Veselka is here, along with Barney Greengrass and Russ & Daughters Cafe. We're happy to see Lexington Candy Shop, which long ago evolved into a lunch counter and is just ten blocks away from Kitchen Arts.
But the Murrays' photos and Emma Orlow's written descriptions pique our interest in places like Square Diner in Tribeca—perhaps the oldest place still in its original location—Chelsea Square, with its collection of autographed photos of aspiring actor patrons who made good, and El Castillo de Jagua, serving Dominican food on Rivington Street.
Very Manhattan.
Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.
Published on September 15, 2026
