Tom's Restaurant

Tom’s Restaurant is famous for appearing in Seinfeld—and if you’re old enough, the Suzanne Vega song from the ’80s—but there’s more to this classic Morningside Heights diner than its cameos. Since the 1940s, it’s been a quiet corner retreat for Columbia students and neighborhood folks, with high-backed red vinyl booths and $7 mimosas (or house wine). The affordable diner food is solid, and there are usually some exciting-sounding weekly specials. It’s a perfect place to sit at the counter with a book, get distracted by SVU on the TV above you, and drink endless coffee refills poured by a waitress with a tiny butterfly tattoo on her neck.

Food Rundown

Chicken Noodle Soup

If we lived nearby, we’d order this every time we fell sick. It has thin noodles and thick broth, and comes with Zesta crackers.

Grilled Cheese With Tuna

A respectable, homestyle tuna melt-ish sandwich for under $10. The fish is still cool, while the bread is lightly toasted, and it’s served with a pickle.

photo credit: Sonal Shah

Roast Leg Of Lamb Sandwich

The leg of lamb is a Sunday special, and you can get it in sandwich form too. It tastes like Christmas leftovers and arrives with a big pile of fries, which are basic but better than the onion rings.