The Upper East Side of Manhattan is known for its upscale atmosphere and diverse culinary scene. While often associated with lavish dining, the area also boasts a growing number of restaurants that prioritize health and wellness. These establishments focus on providing nutritious and delicious meals using fresh, high-quality ingredients. From innovative takes on classic cuisines to entirely new concepts centered around conscious eating, the Upper East Side offers a variety of options for those seeking to maintain a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing flavor or enjoyment.
Springbone: The Power of Real Food
Springbone believes in the power of real food, emphasizing minimal grain and sugar, and prioritizing vegetables and better meat. The restaurant maintains a strict policy of excluding processed foods, refined sugar, and seed oils from its menu. Co-founders Sam & Jordan, as young professionals living in New York, recognized the difficulty in finding time to prepare wholesome, nutritious home-cooked meals. Dissatisfied with the available take-out and delivery options, even from so-called “healthy” restaurants, they created Springbone to deliver simple, nourishing food that tastes and feels homemade.
Springbone highlights the benefits of its bone broth, which contains:
Collagen and Gelatin: The most abundant protein in mammals, collagen makes up all human connective tissue.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate: Compounds typically sold as expensive joint supplements for athletes.
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Amino Acids Glycine and Proline: Anti-inflammatory amino acids that support gut health and digestion, and are essential building blocks for a strong immune system and muscle repair.
Hyaluronic Acid: A nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan used to lubricate joints in arthritis patients.
Springbone's commitment to quality extends beyond its ingredients. The restaurant prides itself on delivering simple, yet nourishing food that tastes and feels just like it was made in your kitchen. They are now shipping their bone broth and hot sauce nationwide!
Isle of Us: Conscious Living Through Food
Isle of Us is a marketplace and café that offers nutrient-rich, made-to-order, and prepared foods. They also feature a curated selection of consciously crafted home goods. Isle of Us extends its philosophy to pantry provisions, produced from locally sourced ingredients.
Founded with a vision rooted in the ethos of conscious living, Isle of Us is guided by a passion for creating meaningful and sustainable changes in food production cycles. The café is reserved for paying customers only, and outside food and beverages are not allowed.
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Isle of Us offers a return policy: For Provisions and Gift Boxes, they accept returns and exchanges within 7 days after receiving the product, provided the jars are still sealed. Customers in the NYC area can return or exchange items at the café instead of shipping them.
Up Thai: Elevated Thai Street Food
Up Thai brings the bold, vibrant spirit of Thailand’s street food to the Upper East Side. It reimagines classic dishes with elevated ingredients and a warm, stylish ambiance. Signature offerings include Kang Kua Soft Shell, Braised Beef Short Ribs, and Duck Roti Roll. These dishes celebrate the depth of Thai flavors with a modern twist. Whether you’re craving wok-fired noodles, house-made curry, or creative Thai-inspired cocktails, Up Thai provides an immersive culinary experience where street food meets sophistication.
Additional Healthy Options in NYC
While Springbone, Isle of Us, and Up Thai offer distinct healthy dining experiences on the Upper East Side, other establishments throughout New York City also cater to health-conscious diners.
Cafe Mado (Prospect Heights): This all-day spot features extremely seasonal and delicious vegetable dishes. The backyard setting resembles a quiet corner of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.
Lola’s (Nomad): Lola’s excels at fresh, light cooking with surprisingly deep flavors. The menu changes seasonally and includes options like comforting curry noodles with mustard greens, or a citrusy grain bowl with soft tuna and mushrooms.
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Uzuki (Greenpoint): A great spot for gluten-free diners, Uzuki offers hearty bowls of soba noodles. The towari soba is full of crunchy vegetables and a rich dashi.
Bunna Cafe (Bushwick): This Ethiopian restaurant is a vegetarian haven. "The Feast" is a sampler of dishes involving kale, collard greens, and red lentils.
ThisBowl (Noho and Nomad): This Australian import makes fancy salads with house favorites like The O.G. or the miso salmon.
Beet & Carrots (Bay Ridge): A farm-to-table spot with many vegan options. Look for tasty pastas that use seasonal ingredients and slow-cooked salmon with green vegetables.
Atla: The sister restaurant of Cosme, it’s sort of like the casual, downtown, let’s-get-food-after-exercising version of that place. They serve flax-seed chilaquiles, and the bright space is good for a daytime meal, although it’s also open for dinner.
Loring Place: The huge menu involves a lot of vegetables, so you could have zucchini fries and some kind of vegetable pizza made with whole wheat dough.
Shuka: A Middle Eastern spot with kebabs, salads, and pink-colored beet hummus.
Elias Corner: This Greek restaurant does simple grilled seafood for dinner.
Miriam: Get some Israeli mezze plates or some fish at Miriam.
Ruby’s: This Australian cafe has everything from grain bowls to pasta, but we usually just go with one of the chicken sandwiches.
Banter: This Australian cafe has both a quinoa bowl and chia pudding bowl in addition to a burger and a pulled pork sandwich.
Baba Cool: Here you can eat a grain bowl or sandwich for less than $20.
Cookshop: This American restaurant in Chelsea is casual, but nice enough for difficult-to-please parents, and the menu has vegetarian options, as well as a few different salads and seafood dishes.
Soba-ya: They make the buckwheat soba noodles in-house, and there are a bunch of hot and cold varieties to choose from. Get one with tuna or salmon sashimi, and it’ll be like that bowl of poke you just had for lunch but without the unnecessary fried onions and spicy mayo all over the top.
Pura Vida: The food at this blindingly white counter-service spot is decent enough-especially if you just really need a kale caesar wrap with lightly dressed greens and big shavings of parm. Or some chicken between bread, with aioli on the side.
Other Notable Restaurants
The Smith: A casual American brasserie with multiple locations in New York City. The menu features bistro classics, seasonal fare, and craft cocktails.
Soothr (East Village): This Thai restaurant offers a culinary experience geared towards the comfort and warmth of dining at home, with a specialty in family noodle recipes.
Nobu: Showcases Nobu's signature new style Japanese cuisine with classic dishes such as Tiradito Nobu Style and Black Cod Miso.
Market Table: Where farm-to-table cooking meets NYC energy. Celebrity Chef Mike Price, inspired by his Maryland farm roots, crafts seasonal American cuisine that’s fresh, local, and flavor-packed.
Casa Mono (Union Square): A tapas bar restaurant inspired by the cooking of Spain’s Costa Brava.
The Alderman (Times Square): A modern American Tavern, promises an unforgettable dining experience that transcends mere sustenance-a symphony of flavors, a dance of textures, and a celebration of New York’s rich culinary heritage.
Little Ruby’s Cafe: Has brought Australian cafe culture to New York City, offering approachable all-day fare, specialty drinks, and a full coffee program.
Serafina: Offers a cozy dining room and a family-friendly indoor terrace. Enjoy our authentic Italian menu, prepared with the highest quality ingredients.
The Evolving Dining Scene on the Upper East Side
The Upper East Side's restaurant scene is constantly evolving, with new establishments debuting and existing ones adapting to meet the changing needs and preferences of the community. Eater Editors have noted an impressive number of good restaurants opening in the neighborhood, showcasing diverse cuisines such as Thai, French bistro fare, and regional Chinese. This dynamic environment ensures that residents and visitors alike have access to a wide range of dining options, from casual eateries to upscale establishments.