Best Donuts in NYC

Is there anything better than biting into a perfect donut? Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, the fried confection makes up in deliciousness where it might fail in healthiness. Donuts are a reminder of the old NYC -- gritty diners, cups of coffee, familiar waitresses, reading the morning paper before heading off to the daily grind. They've gotten an update since their heyday in the 1950s and 60s, but these donuts joints still recall the taste of childhood and the best of NYC.

Get a cup of coffee from our favorite NYC coffee shops, and you've got a perfect New York breakfast.

Doughnut Plant

As the name suggests, Doughnut Plant focuses exclusively on one thing: donuts. A big player in the recent donut revival and one of the most well-known, Doughnut Plant regularly offers a variety of familiar but elevated flavors in (think Valrohna chocolate) in both cake and yeast consistencies, as well as a series of seasonal specials like chestnut, crème brulée and carrot cake. Baker Mark Isreal is famous for his inventive filled donuts, notably his tribute to PB&J: a peanut butter glazed exterior, with grape jelly filling.

379 Grand Street, Manhattan; 212-505-3700

Back Forty

Although Back Forty is a full service restaurant, with a locally-sourced and seasonal menu that includes much more than just deep-fried confections, its donuts have earned the Alphabet City spot some of its biggest accolades. Several varieties are served together with a luxuriously rich chocolate dipping sauce, for one of the most satisfying dessert courses in town.

190 Avenue B # 1, Manhattan; 212-388-1990

Peter Pan

Head over to Greenpoint’s famous bakery where, among a variety of sweet treats, the donut reigns supreme. The neighborhood diner-like atmosphere invites you to sit down at the counter with a cup of coffee and one of Peter Pan’s original glazed. Although the flavors here are traditional, their latest presentation is not: you can order your donut as an ice cream sandwich, with several scoops of ice cream between the two halves. Several imitators offering this heart-stopping sandwich, but Peter Pan did it first, and best.

727 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn; 718-389-3676

Donut Pub

Another Formica-countered, bar-stooled, old-fashioned donut joint, this is the best Manhattan stop for the donuts you knew as a kid. Makes sense, since they've had nearly 50 years in business to perfect the recipes. The crullers are famous here, especially the marble (chocolate and original mixed, if you couldn't guess). If you're getting tired of donuts, try the black & white cookie, the NYC staple that is often deemed the best in the city.

203 West 14th St, Manhattan; 212-929-0126

Pies 'n Thighs

This Williamsburg favorite recently reopened after being shuttered for months, and longtime fans have returned in droves to taste its famous fried chicken again. But that isn't the only fried specialty on the menu. In the shadow of its famous chicken and plates of pie, the donuts at Pies 'n Thighs are often forgotten but have received heaps of praise, named New York magazine's best donuts in 2007. They only serve dense, cake-style donuts here, but all the better to dip in your coffee.

166 S. 4th St, Brooklyn; 347-529-6090