24-hour restaurants in New York City

7A
It’s not great food. It’s not even good food fast, but this prime people-watching spot is open 24/7—so you’re sure to enjoy the dinerlike offerings at some point during the day. 109 Ave A at 7th St (212-673-6583, 7acafe.com)

Anytime
They say “anytime,” and they mean it—take-out, delivery or sit-down. Knowing that the wee hours bring strange cravings, brothers Yoni and Shaul Margulies serve everything, just in case: pierogi, buffalo wings, falafel, burgers, tuna melts, lasagna, breakfast burritos and more. 93 North 6th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-218-7272, anytimeny.com)

Aroma Espresso Bar
The Soho location of this Israeli coffee chain is open 24/7, provides free Internet access, serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes, gives away a free piece of chocolate with every cup of joe, and precisely heats its brews to between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s never too hot. 145 Greene St at Houston St (212-533-1094, aromaespressobarus.com)

Bereket
The lamb sizzles and Turkish pop blasts at this after-hours favorite. Since the decor might as well be nonexistent, focus on the eats—like satisfying chunks of juicy grilled chicken ladled onto rice pilaf and finished with bright, minty yogurt sauce. 187 E Houston St at Orchard St (212-475-7700)

Big Nick’s
The menu at this dumpy Upper West Side institution, a 24-hour joint with 27 pages of dishes, reads like it’s from a truck-stop dive by way of the Aegean: all-day breakfast, three-napkin burgers, Greek standards such as gyros and souvlaki, pizza, meat-and-potatoes suppers and a wide range of desserts. 2175 Broadway between 76th and 77th Sts (212-362-9238, bignicksnyc.com)

Cafeteria
Cocktails and cruising fuel the nonstop scene in the spare white dining room of this Chelsea mainstay. Cafeteria feeds fashionistas and the requisite wanna-bes with a roster of down-home favorites. If you’re on a liquid diet, head for the tiny basement bar. 119 Seventh Ave at 17th St (212-414-1717, cafeteriagroup.com)

Cho Sun Oak
Pile your plate with expertly marinated beef, pork, poultry, sausages and sea critters, then grill ’em on your tabletop. It’s fun, as are the Seoul-ful wood decor and young Asian-American patrons. The later it gets, the more vocal they get; thank Korea’s easy-down OB beer. 137-40 Northern Blvd between Main and Union Sts, Flushing, Queens (718-461-4343)

Cup Diner & Bar
The 24/7 menu from chef Eric Miller includes hearty grub like a barbecued beef-brisket sandwich with “Bad Fer Ya” sauce and mac and cheese with Vermont cheddar. Flapjacks, organic three-egg omelettes, homemade milkshakes and double-chocolate praline ice-cream cake are guaranteed to please. 35-01 36th St at 35th Ave, Astoria, Queens (718-937-2322)

Don’s Bogam BBQ & Wine Bar
Walk past the sleek lounge and you’ll hit a dining room, where tables are outfitted with barbecue burners, ready for grilling 24 hours a day, year-round. The signature dish, cabernet three-layer pork, is a must-try—the meat has been marinated for 24 hours in wine. That makes two of you! 17 E 32nd St between Fifth and Madison Aves (212-683-2200)

Empire Diner
It’s 3am—do you know where your middle-of-the-night grub is? This Fodero-style diner looks like a classic, but few other hash houses attempt dishes such as sesame noodles with chicken, and linguine with smoked salmon, watercress and garlic. 210 Tenth Ave at 22nd St (212-243-2736, empire-diner.com)

French Roast
First dates share crème brûlée and writers loudly discuss American foreign policy between swigs of beer. No one’s here for the food—the usual burgers, steak frites, mussels and salads—as much as for the atmosphere. 78 W 11th St at Sixth Ave (212-533-2233, frenchroastny.com)

Gray’s Papaya
This mini-chain has long ruled the area’s tropical-drink-and-hot-dog market, with crispy-skinned all-beef Sabretts for a price that can't be beat. 402 Sixth Ave at 8th St (212-260-3532)

Han Bat
If you like Korean but aren't into grilling your own, 24-hour Han Bat is your spot: There’s no grilling at the table. Your work is on the front end, figuring out what to order from a menu featuring items like Sam Gye Tang: “The Body Cavity of a Small Chicken Is Stuffed with Glutinous Rice, Young Ginseng Shoots and Jujubes.” 53 W 35th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-629-5588)

Horus Café
Not to be confused with the Horus Kebab House on Avenue B (run by the same owners), Horus Café serves a variety of traditional Mediterranean dishes including pastas, grilled seafood and meats, and yes, kebabs, too. 293 E 10th St at Ave A (212-228-4774)

Kabab King Diner
His Highness’s kebabs are always grilled to order and you’d be hard-pressed to find more satisfying curries. 73-01 37th Rd at 73rd St, Jackson Heights, Queens (718-457-5857)

Kum Gang San
Ignore the décor and military efficiency of the service, this is a safe bet for reliably good late-night, hangover-averting food. Marinated meats, grilled at the table, never disappoint. 49 W 32nd St at Broadway (212-967-0909, kumgangsan.net)

La Casa Del Mofongo
This bi-level Washington Heights restaurant does indeed serve mofongo—a traditional Puerto Rican dish made with mashed plantains, yuca, garlic and pork—plus many Caribbean dishes. 1447-51 St. Nicholas Ave between 182nd and 183rd Sts, Washington Heights (212-740-1200)

L’Express
Instead of going for the 3am slice of pizza, consider something at this bustling bistro,. Dinner options include the usual suspects—steak au poivre, niçoise salad with seared tuna—along with monkfish, homemade sausage and roasted rabbit. 249 Park Ave South at 20th St (212-254-5858, lexpressnyc.com)

Maison
Things don’t get going here until the witching hour approaches. The menu emphasizes quality but doesn’t fuss around with elaborate options. If steak frites isn’t your thing, try the vegetarian or poultry-filled crêpes. 1700 Broadway between 53rd and 54th Sts (212-757-2233, maisonnyc.com)

Market Diner
The space-agey, stainless-steel diner, where waitresses call you “honey,” serves Italian and Greek specialties, such as pasta and moussaka. Cakes and pies spin in perpetually revolving glass cases. There’s even a wine list. 572 Eleventh Ave at 43rd St (212-695-0415, marketdinernyc.com)

Odessa Café
Offers classic Greek and Italian dishes, it actually pulls in a frugal, funky clientele for its Eastern European specialties. The Romanian pastrami sandwich is salty, fatty and delicious andpierogi and blintzes are deliciously substantial. 117 Ave A between St. Marks Pl and E 7th St (212-253-1470)

Rancho Jubilee
Though it looks like a Caribbean hut that landed on top of a Minnesota fishing cottage, you'll find that Rancho’s Dominican roots dominate the menu. A heavily seasoned skirt steak is tender enough to cut with a butter knife, and an eye-opening espresso will help you move from one buzz to the next. 10 Hillside Ave between Nagle Ave and Bogardus Pl, Washington Heights (212-304-0100, elranchojubilee.com)

Sarge’s Deli
Sarge’s is generally believed to be the city’s only 24-hour Jewish delicatessen. And it’s a really good one, at that. 548 Third Ave (between 36th and 37th Sts (212-679-0442)

Uncle George’s Greek Tavern
Come by any time of the day or night (except during the dinner rush) to view the parade of locals and others who represent the Queens melting pot.33-19 Broadway at 34th St, Astoria, Queens (718-626-0593, unclegeorges.us)

Veselka
When you need food to soak up the mess of drinks you’ve consumed in the East Village, Veselka is a dream come true: a relatively inexpensive Eastern European restaurant with plenty of seats and loads of options, open 24 hours a day. 144 Second Ave at 9th St (212-228-9682, veselka.com)

Village Shawarma
Village Shawarma is a notch above most MacDougal Street falafel joints-in-the-wall. After the bars, plop down at a table and zone out to the Israeli satellite feed on TV. 321 Sixth Ave at 3rd St (212-924-8700)

Won Jo
The appeal of this huge K-town joint is simple: The food is first-class. Explore the daunting zillion-page menu and you’ll likely find more treasures.23 W 32nd St between Fifth Ave and Broadway (212-695-5815, wonjo32.com)

Yaffa Café
This kitsch-crammed, round-the-clock basement hang is a stop along the East Village party trail. The vegetarian-friendly, vaguely Middle Eastern food is pretty forgettable, but the crowd is usually interesting. 97 St. Marks Pl between First Ave and Ave A (212-674-9302, yaffacafe.com)

Ziggiz
Purists beware: At Ziggiz, the cheese steaks are automatically made with provolone, so you have to specify Whiz if you want a real Philly version. But at 4am, do you really care? 333 Third Ave between 24th and 25th Sts (212-683-3663)