Luxe kosher market dubbed ‘Erewhon of NYC’ is where bougie Upper East Side teens gossip and shop

It’s the place to shop and be seen.

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, in between sips of overpriced lattes and bites of creamy frozen yogurt and zesty truffle bagels, four Upper East Side high school students gather around an outdoor table to giggle and gossip about who they might run into on their lunch break at Ouri’s Market. This posh, buzzy kosher grocery store has become uptown’s newest teen hangout.

Just a few short blocks from their school, NYC’s young elite treat Ouri’s as an unofficial social hub, as it’s become the unofficial Upper East Side joint where everyone from private school teens to neighborhood families to influencers and even reality stars mingle between the sushi counter and smoothie lines.

“I would never go to Ouri’s without makeup,” Francine Tawil, 18, told The Post while her friend and fellow Ramaz School classmate Leila Gut, 18, chimed in, declaring Ouri’s as having the “BEST cold brew.”

“If someone’s walking around outside, they’re gonna bump into someone in front of Ouri’s because we all just sit outside and get our lunches, breakfast…. literally, at any point of the day, you’ll see someone [you know] there,” Gut pointed out.

The beloved family-operated supermarket chain was founded by kosher supermarket kingpin, Ouri Galili, in 1976. Following two successful New Jersey locations, in Deal and Oakhurst, the once-upon-a-time produce stand later expanded to Brooklyn before opening its sprawling Third Avenue location, which sits between 67th and 68th Streets, in 2024.

While the supermarket always had a steady flow of eager customers, since arriving on the Upper East Side, Ouri’s has reached an entirely new level of virality, joining a wave of “gourmet grocery stores” like Butterfield Market, Happier Grocery, and Meadow Lane that have exploded across TikTok and Instagram in recent years.

But unlike its trendy competitors, Ouri’s has managed to merge wellness culture, TikTok aesthetics, and Jewish community all into one space.

For NYC teens, Ouri’s has rapidly become akin to a Big Apple version of Erewhon, the upscale Los Angeles grocer with a cult-like following known for its luxury wellness products and jaw-dropping prices.

“The whole world is there. Even non-Jewish people call it the Erewhon of the city,” said Gut, who adds that other private school students nearby who once shopped elsewhere are now obsessed with Ouri’s.

Aside from the viral smoothies and teen frenzy, Ouri’s is a full-scale supermarket. The 8,000-square-foot space features marble countertops, sprawling produce displays, an expansive kosher butcher and fish counter, refrigerators stocked with dairy products, and shelves lined with elevated pantry staples ranging from specialty truffle oils to imported nuts and gourmet snacks.

“You literally can name anything, and they have the best of it,” said Tawil.

With viral TikToks boasting about its “superior coffee” and stunning, “boujee” aesthetics. Ouri’s has built a devoted following far beyond the Jewish community.

Even reality star and Skinnygirl mogul, Bethenny Frankel, caught wind of Ouri’s telling her millions of followers how “out of control” their offerings are in a TikTok video captioned, “RUN. This kosher market is expensive but soooo WORTH it!!!”

“They also keep up with all the trends,” said 18-year-old Caroline Efron. “They just opened their own frozen yogurt bar from Greece, because that’s what everyone on TikTok raves about.”

The teens told The Post that students from Ramaz School recently collaborated with Ouri’s on a custom “Ramaz Remix” drink inspired by the school’s colors.

But despite comparisons to luxury wellness markets, teens insist the appeal goes beyond aesthetics, raving that the quality is consistently fresh. That quality, however, comes at a price. Specialty smoothies can run $10 to $15, while prepared foods often cost significantly more than typical neighborhood grab-and-go spots, with salads hovering around $20.

Still, prices haven’t slowed the crowds down.

“It’s worth it,” fellow Ramaz student, Romi Kopel, said, noting the store offers kosher options that are difficult to find elsewhere in the neighborhood. “If you want protein in the middle of the day, it makes it 10 times easier for us.”

The crowds at Ouri’s have also turned the market into a Jewish matchmaker’s haven.

Gayil Jungreis, an Upper East Side matchmaker, told The Post she keeps business cards on hand whenever she visits Ouri’s because she knows she’ll run into potential clients.

“Every time I go, I bring my business cards because I know I’m going to see someone,” she told The Post.

According to Jungreis, the appeal lies partly in the market’s uniquely low-pressure social atmosphere.

“It’s a place to be seen without putting yourself out there in any way that feels vulnerable,” she said. “You know you’re going to see interesting people.”