Ninth Avenue International Foods — Local services in New York

This store is a unique NYC experience. If you ever need spices this is the place. They have pound after pound of any kind of spice you could possibly imagine in giant barrels in the middle of the store and in large bins lining their walls. Also, in their refrigerators, they have just about any type of Greek cheese or appetizer you could imagine. If coffee is your thing, they have a lot of variety of beans that they freshly roast themselves on premises. Their massive roaster is prominently stationed right by the front door. Don't get your beans from Starbucks or Dunkin' - come here! They also sell this wonderful Greek bar soap made from olive oil that doesn't stink like cheap perfume as most commercial soaps do. It gets you really clean without all the drama. Just that and their friendly laid back helpful staff is enough reason to pay them a visit.

The crown jewel of this store though, is their gigantic cat-in-residence. This is by far the FATTEST cat I have ever seen in my life! She got that way no doubt by eating all the leftovers from the deli section in the back of the store. She's a nice, mellow cat too. I was going to take her picture just to show you how enormous she is, but I didn't want to embarrass her by posting her girth all over the internet (seems Beth and Anastasia have since "let the cat out of the bag" in that department, though). You should definitely visit International yourself to get a good first hand gander at her, though.

While you're there, pick up some stuffed grape leaves, some real honest-to-God feta, some bulk spices and a couple of bars of that terrific green Greek olive...

Charming store that sells raw spices by weight and other items. All spices are of course labeled. The store itself is not cramped but it's not exactly what I'd call spacious. If you're visiting close to closing time, please know exactly what you want to buy. If you don't know what you want, try your best to get there before 5PM. Cool store for Instagram pics because there are so many colors here. Reminder: they sell more than just spices.

Editing to say: Due to COVID-19, the raw spices at this store are no longer self-serve — you need to ask a worker for assistance. The spices are also protected by thick plastic. The old way was of course "prettier" to look at, but it should be noted that the plastic is prudent and for...

My Father 1st took me there in the mid 1970's when I was a kid. Everything looks just about the same today. Old world charm. A beautiful display of colorful spices right when you come inside. To your right is over a dozen different types of olives for every taste. Towards the back they have the best home made Greek treats. As well as Feta cheese, fish egg spread and octopus. Dried beans & nuts too. The owner & staff that have all worked there for many years could not be any kinder or more helpful. If your. Native New Yorker or a visitor this place is a great place for very high quality Greek foods with fair & reasonable prices....