Old school very small diner that makes good looking food, super fast. I heard the milkshake was the thing to order here but i wasnt in the mood this time. French toast was better than the pancakes but both were pretty good. Probably $2-4 more expensive per item than most other places but nyc diners thats kinda par for the course. Not somewhere ill go by myself but with a group or a special occasion this is a good spot to show off UES living. Which is weird bc you wouldnt think of a diner that way but i think the legacy, location, and price make this more of a treat than a regular go to.

I loved Lexington Candy Shop! Outstanding service and friendly atmosphere. Food was delicious and we felt appreciated. Both the original French toast and strawberry pancakes were cooked just right and I wouldnt hesitate to order either again! Will definitely recommend to friends and be back next time we are in the city. Thank you so much!

YOU MUST GO HERE!! It’s a perfect place to stop to have a bacon egg and cheese and freshly squeezed orange juice right before going to the Met.I was in awe in that I felt like I stepped back in time. The folks working were hospitable and seemed to have such a great time working with each other. I loved the vibe and the food was lovely. Will definitely be back again!

I loved this place...real chocolate ice cream soda and coconut cake...great service here👍👍👍

Taking a break after visiting a museum, and found this gem. Service was friendly and fast, food was good and fairly priced. My son raved about how fluffy his pancakes were, the fries were cooked well, and my salad was filling and delicious. Check it out!

Somewhat reliable neighborhood place. Decent omelettes, grilled cheese, and club sandwiches. Plates could use a good scrubbing. Service outside can be very slow and requires time and patience.

Annoyed that ive been living on the UES for 6 years and am just now finding out about this spot. if youre looking to step into a time machine and get a feel of old new york, come here. ridiculously good french toast, made-to-order fresh squeezed lemonade, and some of the friendliest people. genuinely so good. will definitely be back!

My New Favorite Diner/Candy Shop To Get Lunch, Dinner Or 🍨 While I’m In NYC! I Found Out About This Place By Watching “The Dig” Every Week Online Hosted By CBS2’s Elle McLogan: Daughter Of CBS2’ 📺 Reporter Jennifer McLogan! 🙏🏻, CBS2! 😉

Escape the glitz of the fashionable and the gentrified into this time-perfected comfort diner. Nostalgia, ice-cream, pies, coffee, milkshake, celebrities in baseball hats, Seinfeld, these thoughts came rushing to my mind upon entering Lexington Candy Shop. The indoor banquette seating is cosy but safe. Whats a diner without a booth? The owners were friendly in that old New York way. I went straight for the classics: an apple crumb pie and the cinnamon raisin french toast. The french toast alone was worth the visit. Knowing this was probably not a treat to have everyday justified the price. It was the Upper East Side after all. But I rather support local, small landmark establishments like this than an overprice latte frappawhatever. The french toast was sinful and satisfying especially with the butter and (real) maple syrup smothered on. The apple crumble is soft and it crumbles easily, so if you like your crust hard, youve been warned. I enjoyed it very much. Finished my afternoon treat with a refillable regular coffee, life is good again.

Kicked me out mid breakfast due to my appearance. In all of the changes post pandemic this place still has great food but the service has gone down hill. For 5 years, I went here 4-5 times per month for breakfast. Tried to address the staff issues today now that I have returned to the city, with the manager who was there every time I went in all those years and he told me to leave. He said “Look lady I’ve been here 31 years and this is the first time I’ve ever laid eyes on you.” He then blatantly looked me up and down and stared at my chest. I was excited to return to here but this was a joke. He told me breakfast is on me and you can leave…I had not even finished my breakfast The cook even gave me dirty looks outside. Disgusted. What a prejudiced place!

I went here three years ago and forgot to leave a review-Absolutely fantastic food. Best burgers in the city IMO. Thinking about coming back in a couple hours. :)

Amazing throwback delicious milkshakeStraight Situation..

Bring some cash for tips, theyre really quick and good with their orders. (but I did go when it wasnt too crowded or busy)The milkshake was fantastic, the sandwich was fantastic, it was a little pricey, but hey youre in New York, most things are pricy. This meal was definitely worth the cost, it was both filling and tasty.

Eating here I couldnt help but think that this is what food used to taste like. Oh sure the decor recalls an old time candy shop but thats not what the throwback comment is about. The actual food tastes like what I imagine food used to taste like, just fresh, well made and not trying to be complex, what food was before they started adding fillers and hormones. They clearly source their ingredients from quality sources (beef used in burgers is angus, they used Bassets ice cream an amazing Philadelphia ice cream company in their milk shakes, etc) but they let the ingredients speak for themselves and dont complicate them. We ordered a tuna melt to try and wouldnt you know the celery in the tuna salad tasted as fresh as could be, it hadnt been sitting in some fridge for a week. As a diner aficionado, is such a thing can exist, I lament a bit what has happened to diner food. Most diners these days just order from one or another outside source and just do the finishing touches at the diner. Clearly most diner hamburger patties are ordered frozen and grilled onsite not here. About the freshest and homemade thing at a diner these days is the eggs, which you still have to crack and cook at the source, thats what distinguishes the food here. It tastes like what I imagine a diner in the 1930s-50s used to taste like, or like I had a chance to visit Mcdonalds when it was a stand alone burger shop. The milk shake was $10 dollars but what a great milk shake and came with what used to be standard at all diners, a side car (the metal glass) with any leftover shake. (which was enough to refill my glass almost twice!) The shake itself tasted like chocolate throughout. Most diners use inexpensive ice cream so you sip and the first taste is just generic sweetness then a hit of chocolate, but here it was rich dark chocolate on every sip. The cherry coke was made on site, they didnt just serve you a canned cherry coke but rather used what I imagine where marachino cherry juice added to regular coke, it makes a difference! About the only complaint I had was with the french fries, which were good, but air fryed and so were never going to be as good as deep fried fries. Oh and they dont come standard with a jumbo burger, they have to be ordered on the side. (and are a little small portion wise) Overall the prices are a bit steeper than you might pay but considering how high diner prices in Manhattan have gone, its actually fairly comparable. Sure you get slightly smaller portions but what you do get is fresh and tasty, and well worth the price. Add to that the old time decor, and you have an absolute winner.

Great lil gem awesome place and food, portions are good and food is delicious and it has a nice retro feel

Best make Ive had in a long time. Love the old fashioned atmosphere.

An old fashioned Luncheonette/ diner and candy store that has been there since 1925. Worth visiting

Super friendly service and I really enjoyed the butter cheeseburger. Looking forward to trying their milkshakes.

What a disappointment! Its NYC so I expected overpriced. The burger was good but the Greek salad with grilled chicken was mediocre and the onion rings were dismal! Definitely not going back. Hand mixed sodas are offered which is fun.

Just excellent! I sat inside at the counter and ordered a bacon egg and cheese with some cinnamon toast. The food was downright simple, no frills, just what I expect from a diner. I came for the history so I was super excited. Don’t skip on the fresh squeezed orange juice! Great stop before heading to Central Park.

If you fancy a jump into the past, this place is perfect. Its a tiny old style luncheonette, a bit out of the way, great for breakfasts and lunches. The menu offers a classic after the other, including ice cream sundaes, burgers, soups, omelettes and of course eggs and bacon and french toasts. The staff is incredibly polite, the coffee is good, and in the windows you can find an astounding collection of Coca Cola bottles from all over the world.

Incredibly cool and historic place. I loved that aspect of it. The inside was also very cool to experience first-hand. It definitely feels like a step back in time.The service was friendly and efficient.The food, however, I found to be very average and extremely overpriced compared to the typical luncheonette/diner in NYC.

I’ve been coming to this Diner since I was a child. When you walk in you feel like you’re home. The bar stools and the ambience take you back to the 1950’s. This is a real Classic Diner Joint that serves incredible food, ice cream, and more. In addition, the ambience is in another level. The decor of this diner trumps every other diner I’ve been to. If your in the area and looking for a breakfast spot, this is the place to go. Top Notch

So yummy burgers! 😊 really goood bacon! 1940’s vibe! Small space but good service! Just take note that you can pay by card but tips are cash only!

Classic neighborhood luncheonette. Founded in 1925, it shows. Delicious hamburgers. Fountain drinks (malted shakes, cream soda..)Perfect hamburgers and soups. Daily specials.No latte, or espresso...coffee from the big vat.Fascinating Coke bottle collection in the windows. A true treat for nostalgia

We ate breakfast here and it was amazing. They had some of the best eggs that my wife and I had ever eaten. We cant wait to come back here

Great simple food. My favorite thing is their vanilla egg cream. So delicious. They make such a good one!

A nostalgic place to eat and enjoy. Delicious food & drink. Youll feel like in a journey to the past.

Love this place. Used to sit here regularly, have a late breakfast, watch the happenings, enjoy the conversations. Its one of the last of its kind. May it live long and prosper.

Nice classic and nostalgic NYC diner. Prices are a bit higher, even for this area. The Ice Cream Soda and Floats are very small. I had a salad, which was very large and good for the $10+ price, but far more than one person could eat. I really came here just for the soda jerk service... It was okay, but not worth the $8-10/drink cost. The selection was also incredibly limited. Waitress was lovely and all around things were good, but I was expecting a bit more.

Came here on a hot day after walking around in Central Park and paying a visit to the MET. An ice cream sundae was clearly in order. It came to us in a traditional sundae serving glass with ample whipped cream, chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream and a maraschino cherry. No nuts, which surprised me, but I guess some diners just dont put peanuts in their sundaes. The chocolate syrup was high qual, not overpowering cheap syrupy stuff that youll sometimes encounter. The ice cream itself was toothsome with good flavors, textures, and structural integrity. The bathroom sign is somewhat confusing as the word NO is pasted above the bathroom sign and opening its door will reveal a defunct kitchen area. However, if you walk past it, you will find a bathroom that you can, in fact use, as the waitress kindly explained to me. As with all diners, how one is supposed to pay was not super clear so we just asked a server to bring us back exact change and left the tip on the table. I recommend this place for anyone looking for an authentic old school diner experience. Its a worthwhile thing to add to any itinerary of an upper east side excursion.

The place is great: an old time dinner, right in the middle of Manhattans upper east side, four blocks away from the Metropolitan museum.The food was delicious. Weve tried the burgers, with french fries, and couldnt be more happy about it. Tasty and juicy, great burgers.The negative part of this place is that all the fumes and smell from the cooking stay inside. I still smelled the food on my skin and clothes a couple hours after Ive left.Anyway, except from that, a great place.

Food was good and the service was pleasant. The interior has not been touched and I am sure it looked the same when it opened....

My brother and I wanted that old-fashioned “soda-shop and sandwiches” experience and thought the Lexington Candy Shop would deliver based upon their “over 93 years” in business. They had a nice atmosphere, nice menu, but fell flat on the food and certainly the prices. $9.75 for a very watery, thin, not-so chocolate malt that I had to ask for twice after placing my order and it not being delivered with our meals. Bread, though grilled, was stale; my brother’s grilled chicken sandwich lacked flavor and was thrown-together. Really disappointed in choosing this place for our lunch (and our cash).

Waitress took a while to take our order but I honestly loved their pancake, so it didnt matter. Their coffee milkshake is made with Bassetts ice cream and it was amazing. The restaurant has a history and is very authentic. Enjoyed the diner!

Everything was horrible. The service, the prices, the wait time. I was in the back of the restaurant and had to call for the waiter every time I wanted something. The water was like warm for crying out loud. The AC was off or broken (neither of which would surprise me), and they didn’t have any salad dressings. The waiters were highly uninformed not being able to list any of the salad dressings, and to top it all off. When my water was poured, it was spilled all over my menu, and when someone cleaned it up, they threw the napkin onto our table and left it there. AND they got the check wrong, the table and the price.

This place transports you back in time. I felt like I was in a movie. Food quality is okay, but is overpriced and small serving. Their milkshake is okay as well, but not delicious enough for the price. The servers are quite friendly and accomodating. If they had more affordable pricing, I would come back.

I came in for an egg cream, my first one. It was good. This place is just how you’ve imagined an old diner should be, and just how you’d hoped. Also I love the grilled cheese.

As first classic American diner exoeriences go, a pretty damn good first classic American diner experience. Has the decor (down to the photos of famous people whove been, nostalgic newpaper clippings, 1950s decor, and those weird round metal stools fixed to the floor with padded leather seats), the insanely positive friendly service, and even the welcoming regulars. Not to mention a sandwich / fries / milkshake combo thats kept me full eight hours later. Good stuff!

So disgusting!!! Older man that took my order started prepping my food without any gloves on. At times like this with this pandemic we are going through makes me wonder on the cleanliness of this place. Will not recommend this to anybody.

Best diner in NYC. Best BLT ever.

Great bodega. Has everything it should

Wonderful old school dinner,not a large selection on the menu,but it is yummy with friendly help and awesome ambiance.

Great food great service definitely coming back.

Great breakfasts, in particular their pecan & raisin french toast. Classic NYC diner, almost a century old. Their egg creams (of COURSE theyre on the menu) are great for those who like them chocolatey.

Pretty pricey, and for some odd reason, they have NO breakfast potatoes at all. Weird.

An Upper East Side diner classic. Also a great place for lunch before or after a museum mile visit.

The food here is good as well as the shakes, but the prices are outrageous.

OMG we ordered the butter cheeseburger and it was THE most delicious burger Ive had in a long long time. Look at the picture, yes thats butter!

Great diner, has the best vanilla milkshake you will ever have

Truly a magical and rare gem. We must protect this institution at all costs. 💗

Nice quiet old school luncheonette that makes you nostalgic for the 50s and 60s. I sat in a seat that Woody Allen sat in once with a picture of him above me which was pretty cool!

Old school diner vibe. Have an egg cream

The Butter Burger and Root Beer Float!! WOW!

Wonderful place to go with friends and family 😍😍😍😍😍😍👍🏾❤️👍🏾❤️👍🏾❤️👍🏾❤️👍🏾❤️❤️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🙏🏽🙏🏽😃

Such a great diner to have brunch. I love the unique 40s style interior. The diner serves one of the best pancakes and milkshakes in the city.

Im going to say,This place is not that great. The food is mediocre at best and the wait staff is lovely. But it is only worthy of one visit and youve pretty much experienced it all.Although, i hope they never close because they are a gd institution. (Secretly want to love this place but i cant.)Edit: just went back and Im pretty sure i got robbed. The Fing sandwich i got was $20!? It was sad and tasteless and they dont even give you fries with that ... i just dont get this spot. How can it suck so hard!?Edit two: F’ing still hate this place so much!!

Best chocolate shake ever! Lovely spot!

Awesome breakfast in a classic diner 👍

A great place for lunch. Had a great split pea soup with grilled cheese. The staff was friendly and the outside seating was comfortable.

Good pecan pancakes, a bit pricy tho

Walking into this very cute old style candy shop diner place was nice, their decor and tiny seating areas looked cozy and inviting. The waitress was nice, but noticeably new. What a rip-off..$13 for 3 eggs with some American cheese melted on top, with coffee and two sausage links the total came to $23. To be fair, the food was good, but its hard to screw something that simple up.But when it came time to pay, the owner hands me back my cc receipt to sign, with no tip line. As I had no cash, he lectures me on proper restaurant etiquette, which in his mind is to always leave a cash tip. I almost always do, but in cases like this its convenient to just add to the check. He then directs me to go across the street to the bank, mentioning that hes not in the business of losing money. With prices like that, buddy, your additional 2.5% on a $5 tip does not outweigh repeat business, and an honest review of your poor customer service attitude.TL;DR High prices, bad customer service. STAY AWAY!!

Very cool, the Waitress & Counter their stuff. Its been here since 1925 & the foodsgood diner food at diner prices. Not manyplaces left like this, especially on the UES

Old fashion luncheonette.....the shakes are amazing!!!

Classic look and feel from the 1940s, food is Général

The real authentic experience I was looking for! I had a sandwich and a root beer float.

Fairly unique (I felt), retro style. Nice people

Extremely overpriced. In fact, I think I got ripped off. $27 for a BLT and an egg cream? Are you kidding me?

A great local place to step back in time for a little while. Friendly staff and good food. A neighborhood fav.

Filming location of ELEMENTARY season 4 #21

This place is unreal. The milkshakes are always 10/10, burgers are among the best Ive ever had. Have stopped by for a milkshake and brownie, very soft and warm and filling! The prices reflect do not reflect value, the expense is actually cheap compared to the experience and ambiance. There are very few places in New York that offer the quality and years worth of tradition in one place ESPECIALLY in terms of food. Family friendly, prepare for a good time.

Classic menu and friendly staff 👍👍

A very old fashioned luncheonette. A fun place to visit, busy! You dont see these that much anymore. Funny, friendly staff. Old -fashioned food like tuna melts. 😃

Service is always timely even when they have a full house. Feeling here is similar to a cafe in San Jose I liked.

Good food, friendly service, really good ice cream floats

Delicious no frills diner on the upper east side. I love the decor with the old menus and Coca Cola products. Wait staff is always friendly, just come in a find a seat. Delicious burgers and grilled cheese. I’m always happy to stop for a bite here.

Great food. Love the eggs. Love the pancakes. LOVE the milkshakes. The lemonade, french toast, and freshly squeezed OJ are to die for. I go here most weekends. Sometimes the service is a little slow, but they are nice and the food is consistently excellent.

This restaurant has a great 1940s vibe. Service was great! Food was great! A bit pricey but is average for a Manhattan diner. The menu has regular diner food like breakfast, burgers and clubs. I had a BLT that tasted really good and a vanilla milkshake. It costed $9 and change but it was enough to fill three glasses. Overall great experience!

Great food and friendly service. A blast from the past.

Food here was delicious, especially their bacon cheeseburger.

We had my daughter ninth birthday party there. It is better then a themed party as the kids get older. Everyone is helpful and nice. The food is good but made with butter. You have to be specific when ordering. The food over all was good. We have had lunch there before and after. It is one place I would definitely go back to. We enjoyed eating at the counter to.

If youre an oldie and you love the settings of an oldie restaurant this is a place for you to go they have ice cream soda floats. The only problem is the size. this restaurant was probably about decades ago and so is a little bit small because people were smaller back then.

This place is a wonderful step back in time. Classic, cozy atmosphere. Simple yummy food. We had Shakes and ice cream sodas, made perfectly. Fries and onion rings, hot and crispy

Its a diner, but unlike most diners in NYC. Classic diner food with a friendly lifelong staff who, not once, has screwed up my poached eggs (how are they so consistent?). Their bacon is just how I like it too - not too crispy, just a hint of chewiness. While I could hang out here all day on a Saturday and be happy, stepping foot inside, even for a second, will impregnate your clothes with the smell of diner food.

Food is great but if you on a budget suggest going to another location. Expensive

THERE WAS NO CANDY I AM DOING A PROJECT ON THE FOOD PLACE

This is one of the few remaining classical diners that can be found in nyc. For almost a century the Lexington candy shop has provided the people from the upper east side a place to sit down have some coffee and eggs and take a break from the day. It is hard to miss both of its windows are lined up with a massive collection of coca cola bottles and i would wholeheartedly recommend the lemonade whenever it gets too hot outside

My favorite Upper East Side lunch spot. They use quality ingredients like Orwasher bread and real maple syrup.

Food was great. Service was good. Price was a bit high. But hey its the city. I enjoyed it.

Born & raised in NYC there is nothing like a classic NY dinner. You can tell the staff have been around for a while and enjoy there job. In addition the decor of this place is great, and gives it a homey feel. This was just what I needed, as NYC has become filled with hipster restaurants that do not embody NYC culture. A good breakfast at a solid price!

An institution and the food and drink are delicious. Fresh squeezed OJ is a must - is like the nectar of the gods at LCS. Great BLTs with bread from a local bakery. Oh and the pastries also delicious.

Charming place to have lunch--a real blast from the past. My wife and both had the butter cheeseburger and it is so good. Worth the bump in cholesterol. Prices have definitely kept up with inflation, but still worth going. The milkshake machines look original, so Ill have to return when Im ready for one. Signs will definitely make you think that they dont allow anyone to use the restrooms, but just ask and theyll let you.

Fantastic food, the shakes are to die for, and the service was great!

Amazing club sandwichs! And what a great little spot. Amazing staff I cant say enough, just go

Decent diner. Very tight spacing. A bit pricey. Ordered a burger for $11-$13and it did not come with fries, Beverages do not come with refills. Staff was fantastic. Deserts were decent.

Went there on a Saturday. Bring your appetite because portions are generous.

I appreciate how authentic theyve kept the place physically, but theyve overdone it with the World Famous and celebrity status far too much. The menu is basically an advertisement for all the shows and movies theyve been in. And, as a result, the prices are totally gouged. $7 for a cappuccino? $10 for a cup of fresh grapefruit juice? $10.50 for a build your own bacon sandwich? Its a little absurd. The $6 cup of white bean and escarole soup was, however, delicious, and the staff super friendly.

Terrible service and food. After taking our order, the server threw the straws on the table, later she mixed up our malted drink and milkshake. The burgers come with no sides but the quality doesn’t not justify the price. Limp buns that flatten paper thin upon touching them. The patty was served bleeding raw and when we informed the server it was undercooked, they cooked it again and served it back to us with the blood soaked bun. The fries were not even ready when we finished our burgers and drinks. Don’t waste your time here.

I enjoyed it very much, and the atmosphere was classic New York City back in the day... Only one in there for a egg cream. Ended up having lunch!One fat cheeseburger and my egg cream. A neighborhood type diner.If youre into that sort of thing I recommend going and just enjoy yourself and have a meal.. MARK..

Very traditional and welcoming place. Food is fresh and homemade. I will come back