A landmark Jamaican restaurant located at 109 Avenue A in New York City's East Village, known for its diverse menu offerings from lunch to late-night.
Insights
Local ModernChineseSeafoodBakeryVegan-friendlyModerateLunchDinnerBrunchLate Night
Last updated: 5/19/2026, 4:57:59 AM
Key Information
Miss Lily's is a celebrated Caribbean oasis in downtown New York City, known for its modern approach to classic Jamaican cooking. It offers a vibrant, colorful atmosphere, friendly staff, and has international outposts in Dubai and Negril. The New York location (Miss Lily's 7A) serves lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, and a late-night menu, catering to the neighborhood's lively nightlife.
Customers consistently praise Miss Lily's for its delicious and authentic Jamaican food, highlighting the jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish, and rum punch. The vibrant, colorful decor and lively atmosphere, often enhanced by a live DJ playing dancehall and reggae, are frequently mentioned as key draws. While the food and ambiance receive high marks, some reviews note that the space can be small and intimate, making it snug for larger groups. Service is generally described as friendly, though a few isolated comments mention occasional sarcasm or lack of enthusiasm from staff.
Additional Details
Miss Lily's is considered a landmark for Jamaican cuisine in New York City, offering a consistent quality that is appreciated by regulars. The restaurant also offers a 'boozy brunch' deal with bottomless drinks.
Vegetarian options availableVegan options likely available
Best Times to Visit
Miss Lily's is ideal for dinner (Mon-Sun 5-11 PM), weekend brunch (Sat & Sun 12-4 PM), and late-night outings (Thur-Sat). Weekends are particularly popular due to the live DJ, creating a lively island feel.
Really enjoyed my experience at Miss Lily’s 7a. I came here for the first time in 2018foir a birthday brunch and remember the food and drink being fantastic. Today (2026), I came again and was happy to see that not much had changed. Today I had the jerk chicken and the tamarind glazed plantain. My husband did the restaurant week deal with codfish fritters, jerk hash, and coconut cream cake. We also indulged in the boozy brunch deal for $25 bottomless drinks.
The jerk chicken was really good, and a great portion. The sweet potato jerk hash was a little lighter but it still was a nice serving. Everything we had was delicious. The best drink was definitely the rum punch.
The only problem with the restaurant is that it’s pretty small and there are some tables that feel on top of each other. Otherwise the staff was friendly and the music was good.
Miss Lily’s is one of the most consistent Jamaican restaurants you’ll find in Manhattan. Everything on the menu is always available which is rare for a Jamaican spot! The food is very good, and you can tell they take pride in maintaining quality.
The aki and saltfish leans more on the saltfish side they’re not too heavy on the aki but it’s still delicious and well-seasoned. The roti is always soft and fresh, which is a big plus.
The decor really captures the vibe of a bar straight out of Jamaica colorful, lively, and full of energy. On weekends, there’s usually a live DJ playing great dancehall and reggae, adding to the island feel.
Overall, Miss Lily’s delivers both in atmosphere and flavor a must-visit if you want a true taste of Jamaica in NYC. 🇯🇲🔥
Stopped in for happy hour during the week. The rum punch is strong but really good fruity flavors and is on the happy hour menu. The ox tail spring rolls had lots of flavor and the cod fish fritters delicious loved the curry sauce.
Very tasty dishes. Great for sharing.. loved the cook on the Snapper and Jerk Chicken was fall off the bone. Personally would like more spice or a spicy sauce on the side but still was a flavorful dish. The cod fritters was not a fan because it was doughy and not much cod in there. Always a great vibe/music, highly recommend for date nights or group outings.
When I say I’ve been going here for YEARS I truly mean that since they had the original spot in soho the food is always on point! I use to ALWAYS get the fish tacos at the soho location idk what happened to it, they took it off the menu, never in my life tasted a fish tacos so good PLEASE BRING THAT BACK!!!! It’s 2026 and Im still wishing it was on the menu LOL Mac and cheese is also recommended!!! , oh yeah make sure you always get a nice miss Lilly’s punch🍹 tell them vintage sent ya 😉
