‘Newark restaurants’ and ‘foodie hotspot’ aren’t exactly an obvious pairing. New Jersey’s largest city is better known for home-grown celebrities like Whitney Houston, Shaquille O’Neal and Jerry Lewis than its celebrity chefs or culinary prowess – so you’d be forgiven for not immediately heading here to find your next great meal. After all, New York City, where so many food trends are either born or find their fullest expression, is just a 20-minute train ride to the east.

But Newark has a gastronomic character and spirit of its own, one that’s evolved without hype, shaped by generations of immigrants who have introduced a diverse pot of flavours. For travellers landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, the city and its numerous eateries are more or less on the doorstep. Newark may typically have been seen as a way-station in travellers’ minds, but increasingly that’s a mistaken impression. In a world of calculated risks, a day (or more) browsing and munching in Newark restaurants promises real pleasures.

It’s a walkable city, particularly downtown and around the Ironbound neighbourhood. On each street you’ll find everything from small counter-service options to places you can sit and order a full meal with drinks and dessert.