THE BEST OF NYC
Congratulations to all our 2026 Finalists, chosen by our Amsterdam News readers. And congratulations to all the 2026 nominees! Finalists represent categories where at least three businesses were nominated. Winners will be announced at the invitation only Amsterdam News 117th Anniversary | Best of NYC Reception at our historic Harlem headquarters. We are already looking forward to the 2027 Amsterdam News Readers Choice! Congratulations again to all the businesses that our readers nominated and voted for! Thank you for your service to our readers, the largest Black and Brown community in the nation.
- Publisher Elinor Tatum
BEST COMMUNITY EVENT/FESTIVAL
Afropunk HARLEM WEEK
Soapbox Presents Stoop Sessions
Taste Harlem Food and Cultural Tours
BEST COMMUNITY LEADER / BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST
Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.
Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center
Courtland Hankins
The New York Community Trust
BEST CUSTOM CAKE DESIGNER / BEST BAKERY
Make My Cake
The Original Cake Man Raven
Sugar Hill Cremery
BEST DANCE STUDIO
Harlem School of the Arts Dance Theatre of Harlem
Inspirational Dance
Yamulee Dance School
BEST DENTIST
Dr. Terrance D. Stradford, DDS., Forest Avenue, Staten Island, NY, USA
LaRoche Dental
Harlem Dental AssociatesBest Dance Studio
BEST FAMILY DOCTOR
Dr. Marilyn Jackson
Vanguard Medical Group
ArchCare at Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center
BEST FAMILY OUTING SPOT
Brooklyn Children's Museum
Morningside Park
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
BEST FAMILY OUTING SPOT
Children's Museum Of Manhattan
Queens Public Library Langston Hughes
Prospect Park
Marcus Garvey Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
Yankee Stadium
BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Wells Fargo Hearts & Science East West Bank
BEST FINE DINING EXPERIENCE
Carmine's - Upper West Side Clay PLANTA New York
BADABOOM
BEST FISH FRY
Lighthouse Fish Market
Bed-Stuy Fish Fry
Famous Fish Market
Make My Fish
BEST FRIED CHICKEN
Amy Ruth's
Kennedy Fried Chicken
Peaches HotHouse
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Sylvia's Restaurant
Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
BEST FUNERAL HOME
Benta's Funeral Home Inc
George H Weldon Funeral Home
Stradford Funeral Home
BEST HAPPY HOUR
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
ALPHAVILLE
Rialto Grande
Abe's Pagoda Bar
BEST HIDDEN GEM
Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery, Amboy Road, Staten Island, NY
Kings Plaza Shopping Center
The Billie Holiday Theatre
WHCR 90.3 FM/ Phil and Friends BEST HOME DECOR/FURNITURE STORE
Bob's Discount Furniture and Mattress Store
Macy's
Harlem Furniture
BEST HOSPITAL
Harlem Hospital Center Emergency Room
Lenox Hill Hospital
Maimonides Medical Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York - Main Hospital
Mount Sinai Morningside
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
BEST HOUSE OF WORSHIP
Emanuel AME Church
First Corinthian Baptist Church
St. Mark Holy Church
The United House of Prayer for All People
BEST JAZZ CLUB
Jazz At Lincoln Center
Smoke Jazz & Supper Club
Williamsburg Music Center
BEST LATE NIGHT EASTS
Renaissance Marriott Hotel
NYC munchies
Clara's
BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE
Apollo Theater
Madison Square Garden Box
Office
Barclays Center
Harlem Stage
BEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVE
Harlem Congregation for Community Improvement
Abyssinian Development Corporation
The Harlem River Preservation Project FM Home Loans
BEST ART GALLERY
Essie Green Galleries Inc
Heath Gallery
Long Gallery Harlem
Richard Beavers Gallery, Brooklyn photodom. NYC
BEST BAKERY
Milano Market
Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette
Lee Lee's Baked Goods
BEST BANK
Chase Harlem Carver Bank
Industrial Bank
M&T Bank
TD Bank
TD Bank
JP Morgan Chase
BEST BOOKSTORE
Revolution Books
Strand Book Store
The Lit. Bar
The Twisted Spine
BEST BURGER
Harlem Shake
Jerrell's BETR BRGR
JG Melon
Jumbo Hamburger Palace
Fry Baby BEST BUSINESS
IN HARLEM
NiLu Gift Boutique
Carver Federal Savings Bank
Manna's Restaurant
BEST BUSINESS IN QUEENS
Sandra Melissa Ojeda Target
MetroPlus, Queens Community Office
BEST CARIBBEAN/WEST INDIAN SPOT
CJ Cafe Utica Ave
Continent Brooklyn Gold Star
King Barka
Kokomo Restaurant & Lounge
BEST CHARTER SCHOOL
DREAM Charter High School
DREAM Charter School East Harlem
DREAM Charter School Mott Haven
Harlem Village Academies West Elementary
Harlem Village Academies West Middle
Sisulu-Walker Charter School Of Harlem
La Cima Elementary Charter School
BEST COFFEE SHOP/CAFE
Covert BK
Brother's Bakery Cafe
Lakou Cafe
Lips Cafe
september
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
Columbia University CUNY
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
COMEDY CLUB/NIGHT
Comedy In Harlem Comedy Cellar
The Tiny Cupboard Comedy Club & Board Game Bar
COMMUNITY EVENT/FESTIVAL
Afropunk HARLEM WEEK
Soapbox Presents Stoop Sessions
Taste Harlem Food and Cultural Tours
BEST COMMUNITY LEADER / BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST
Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.
Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center
Courtland Hankins
The New York Community Trust
BEST CUSTOM CAKE DESIGNER / BEST BAKERY
Make My Cake
The Original Cake Man Raven
Sugar Hill Cremery
BEST DANCE STUDIO
Harlem School of the Arts
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Inspirational Dance
Yamulee Dance School
BEST DENTIST
Dr. Terrance D. Stradford, DDS., Forest Avenue, Staten Island, NY, USA LaRoche Dental
Harlem Dental AssociatesBest Dance Studio
BEST FAMILY DOCTOR
Dr. Marilyn Jackson
Vanguard Medical Group
ArchCare at Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center BEST FAMILY OUTING SPOT
Brooklyn Children's Museum Morningside Park
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
BEST FAMILY OUTING SPOT
Children's Museum Of Manhattan
Queens Public Library Langston Hughes
Prospect Park
Marcus Garvey Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
Yankee Stadium
BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Wells Fargo Hearts & Science
East West Bank
BEST FINE DINING EXPERIENCE
Carmine's - Upper West Side Clay PLANTA New York
BADABOOM
BEST FISH FRY
Lighthouse Fish Market
Bed-Stuy Fish Fry
Famous Fish Market
Make My Fish
BEST FRIED CHICKEN
Amy Ruth's
Kennedy Fried Chicken
Peaches HotHouse
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Sylvia's Restaurant
Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
BEST FUNERAL HOME
Benta's Funeral Home Inc
George H Weldon Funeral Home
Stradford Funeral Home
BEST HAPPY HOUR
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
ALPHAVILLE
Rialto Grande
Abe's Pagoda Bar
BEST HIDDEN GEM
Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery, Am-
boy Road, Staten Island, NY
Kings Plaza Shopping Center
The Billie Holiday Theatre
WHCR 90.3 FM/ Phil and Friends
BEST HOME DECOR/FURNITURE STORE
Bob's Discount Furniture and Mattress Store
Macy's
Harlem Furniture
BEST HOSPITAL
Harlem Hospital Center Emergency Room
Lenox Hill Hospital
Maimonides Medical Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York - Main Hospital
Mount Sinai Morningside
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
BEST HOUSE OF WORSHIP
Emanuel AME Church
First Corinthian Baptist Church
St. Mark Holy Church
The United House of Prayer for All People
Jazz At Lincoln Center
Smoke Jazz & Supper Club
Williamsburg Music Center
BEST LATE NIGHT EASTS
Renaissance Marriott Hotel
NYC munchies
Clara's
