6 Best Tattoo Shops in New York (2026)

Ranked by real Google ratings and review volume · How we chose

By Elara Kestrel, Health and Medical Expert · ✓ Updated November 2026 (data verified July 2026) · 9 min read

We compared 20 tattoo shops in New York on Google Maps · 6 listed · How we rank

You want ink you won't regret, from an artist who won't ghost you mid-sleeve. New York's tattoo shops on this page have logged over 6,200 Google reviews between them, with ratings clustered tight between 4.4 and 4.9, so a fraction of a star rarely tells the whole story. What separates them in practice is what past clients describe in the chair, not the number on the badge.

Short answer: UPLIFT TATTOO AND PIERCING NYC tops the field with a 4.8 average across 1,375 reviews, the strongest combination of rating and volume on this list, and it also runs a Google-verified booking link. BANG BANG TATTOO (4.9, 737 reviews) and L.O.V.E.machine Tattoo & Piercing (4.9, 692 reviews) post the highest ratings outright. Expect fine-line and small pieces to start around $100-250, with larger custom color work commonly running $500 and up.

Jump to a business

1. UPLIFT TATTOO AND PIER…
2. NYC Tattoo Shop
3. Live By The Sword Tatt…
4. BANG BANG TATTOO
5. L.O.V.E.machine Tattoo…
6. First Class Tattoos
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How New York's top shops stack up

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	UPLIFT TATTOO AND PIERCING NYC	4.8 ★	1,375	Fine line tattoos and piercing in one visit	View ›
2	NYC Tattoo Shop	4.5 ★	1,416	Same-day walk-ins	View ›
3	Live By The Sword Tattoo - Soho	4.4 ★	1,628	Budget-friendly flash and piercing	View ›
4	BANG BANG TATTOO	4.9 ★	737	Custom, high-end tattoo work	View ›
5	L.O.V.E.machine Tattoo & Piercing	4.9 ★	692	Piercing plus in-house artist collective	View ›
6	First Class Tattoos	4.8 ★	414	Custom work across a wide range of tattoo styles	View ›

The lineup, reviewed

#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days

UPLIFT TATTOO AND PIERCING NYC

4.81,375 Google reviews

UPLIFT Tattoo & Piercing is a SoHo studio built around fine-line and single-needle tattoo work alongside a full piercing menu, including ear curation and body jewelry. The shop takes walk-ins daily and also runs online booking for flash, custom, and group sessions, which shows up in reviews from clients who traveled specifically for matching or multi-piece appointments. It's among the most-reviewed shops on this list by volume.

What people praise

Artists take time to explain placement and technique before starting
Piercing and tattoo work both handled at a high standard in one location
Calm, organized studio atmosphere reviewers repeatedly mention
Good with first-timers and with clients booking multiple pieces in one visit

Worth knowing

Popular artists can require booking ahead rather than a same-day walk-in

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume1,375 · 88th

Confidencevery high

Recency3 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown94% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The strongest all-around pick on this list: highest review volume, a near-top rating, and verified online booking. It edges out shops with a marginally higher average because that 4.8 holds steady across nearly 1,400 reviews.

Website Book now +1646-648-2597 Directions

497 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

#2🕑 Open 7 days

NYC Tattoo Shop

4.51,416 Google reviews

NYC Tattoo Shop runs multiple Manhattan and Brooklyn locations built for walk-in service, open late seven days a week with piercing available alongside flash and custom tattoo work. The shop leans into New York's tattoo history in its branding and keeps hours that stretch past 11pm on weekends, useful for anyone deciding on impulse rather than booking weeks out.

What people praise

Walk-ins welcome with no appointment needed for simple pieces
Clean, sanitized stations called out specifically in multiple reviews
Fast turnaround, some clients getting several small tattoos in one visit
Late hours make it workable outside a typical 9-to-5 schedule

Worth knowing

Its 4.5 average trails the shops above it, so it ranks here on volume more than on rating

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume1,416 · 93rd

Confidencehigh

Recency2 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown85% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most-reviewed shop on our list at 1,416 ratings, but the 4.5 average sits below the 4.8-to-4.9 names elsewhere on this page, so it lands lower here even with the largest sample. Still a solid, hygienic pick for a same-day walk-in.

Website Book now +1718-500-3095 Directions

141 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

#3🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Live By The Sword Tattoo - Soho

4.41,628 Google reviews

Live By The Sword Tattoo operates walk-in studios across SoHo, Williamsburg, and Union Square, with tattoos advertised starting at $50 and piercings from $10 including jewelry. The shop offers thousands of original flash designs alongside custom work and tooth gems, and runs a rewards program for repeat clients. Multiple reviewers mention getting pierced by the same staff member over a period of years.

What people praise

Advertised pricing is transparent and genuinely low for entry-level pieces
Piercers described as patient and informative about aftercare
Repeat clients report consistent quality across multiple visits
Multiple locations make same-day booking easier to find

Worth knowing

Its 4.4 rating is the lowest among the shops on this page, worth weighing against the lower price point

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.4 / 5

Review volume1,628 · 98th

Confidencehigh

Recency7 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown81% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A genuinely good value option, especially for piercing, though the rating gap versus the top names here reflects real variation the review volume (over 1,600 ratings) makes hard to dismiss as noise.

Website Book now +1212-886-2513 Directions

454 Broadway, New York, NY 10013

#4🕑 Open 6 days/wk

BANG BANG TATTOO

4.9737 Google reviews

BANG BANG TATTOO is a Grand Street studio founded by Keith McCurdy, whose celebrity client list includes Rihanna and LeBron James according to the shop's own materials. Beyond the name recognition, reviewers consistently describe first-time clients being matched carefully with an artist based on style, from fine line to color realism, and walking out with tattoos they say drew repeat compliments.

What people praise

Artists take time to adjust design and placement collaboratively before tattooing
Calming, low-pressure approach reviewers highlight for first-time clients
Strong reputation for detailed, portfolio-quality custom pieces
Consistent five-star feedback across a large and recent review base

Worth knowing

Reviews suggest this sits at the premium end of pricing, several citing $500-plus for larger pieces

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.9 / 5

Review volume737 · 83rd

Confidencevery high

Recency4 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown98% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: One of the highest-rated shops on this page at 4.9, and the reviews back up the reputation. It ranks just behind the volume leader here, not because of quality, but because it has fewer total reviews to draw on.

Website +1212-219-2799 Directions

62 Grand St, New York, NY 10013

#5🕑 Open 7 days

L.O.V.E.machine Tattoo & Piercing

4.9692 Google reviews

L.O.V.E.machine Tattoo & Piercing has operated in Lafayette Street since 2011, built around a roster of resident artists covering realism, abstract, black-and-grey, and fine-line styles, alongside a full piercing service. The studio's walls double as a gallery for its artists' own work, and reviewers frequently name specific team members they've returned to for multiple pieces or piercings.

What people praise

Wide range of house artists means options across many tattoo styles
Piercers described as relaxed and thorough, good for first-timers
Clean, comfortable space reviewers call welcoming rather than clinical
Strong repeat-client pattern in the reviews

Worth knowing

Its most recent reviews trend a bit older than some other shops on this page

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.9 / 5

Review volume692 · 78th

Confidencevery high

Recency5 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown98% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A 4.9 average across nearly 700 reviews makes this one of the strongest picks here on pure rating. It ranks behind BANG BANG only on recency of the most recent reviews, not on the quality clients report.

Website +1347-601-9220 Directions

155 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10013

★ Featured Partner#6🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

First Class Tattoos

4.8414 Google reviews

First Class Tattoos is a tattoo studio on Canal Street in Lower Manhattan focused on custom designs rather than flash walk-ins alone. The shop brings in artists from a range of backgrounds so that different styles are covered under one roof, including black and grey, colour realism, fine line and neo traditional.

Appointments can be requested through the studio, and the shop is open into the evening through the week.

What people praise

Artists span black and grey, colour realism, fine line and neo traditional
Custom design work rather than flash sheets alone
Reviewers describe easy, responsive communication before booking
Open late, with walk-ins accommodated alongside appointments
Several reviewers travelled specifically for a particular artist

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume414 · 68th

Confidencehigh

Recency2 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown92% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: First Class Tattoos holds a 4.8 rating across 414 Google reviews, one of the deeper records on this page. The reviews consistently name individual artists rather than the shop in general, which is how tattoo studios usually earn repeat custom, and several reviewers say they travelled to New York specifically because a style they wanted was hard to find done well elsewhere. Aftercare comes up more than once, with artists cleaning and photographing finished work before wrapping it. Pricing is described as fair for the quality rather than cheap. Because the artists work in distinctly different styles, look at individual portfolios and request the artist whose work matches what you want rather than booking the shop generally.

Website +1646-998-5203 Directions

52 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

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Watch: 6 Best Tattoo Shops in New York (2026)

How we score

Rating is each shop’s live Google average. Review volume measures how many customers actually left one, ranked against every other tattoo shop in the city’s pool. Confidence weighs the rating against that volume, since a 5.0 built on a handful of reviews carries less certainty than a 4.8 built on hundreds. Recency checks whether people are still reviewing recently, not just years back. No business can pay to change these numbers.

How much does a tattoo cost in New York? (2026)

Price depends heavily on size, detail, and placement more than on the shop itself. Reviews across these studios cite figures from roughly $100 for a small flash piece up to $500 or more for larger custom color work, and piercing runs separately, often starting well under $100 including jewelry.

Tattoo shops across Manhattan and Brooklyn

Most of these studios cluster around Canal Street, SoHo, and Grand Street in Lower Manhattan, with additional locations reaching into Williamsburg and Union Square. If you’re searching for a tattoo shop near me in New York, that Canal-to-SoHo corridor is where you’ll find the highest concentration of the names on this list.

What to ask before you book a tattoo

Can I see the artist’s portfolio in the specific style I want?
What’s the shop’s sterilization and single-use needle policy?
Is a deposit required, and is it refundable if I need to reschedule?
How long will the session take, and are breaks built in for larger pieces?
What aftercare products and instructions come with the tattoo?
Is touch-up work included if the healed result needs a small fix?

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an appointment or can I walk in?

Several shops on this list, including NYC Tattoo Shop and Live By The Sword, accept walk-ins daily. Others, like UPLIFT and BANG BANG, generally work better with a booked appointment for a specific artist.

How do I know if a shop is licensed?

New York City requires tattoo shops and artists to be licensed through the Department of Health. Ask to see current licensing on-site if you don’t see it posted.

The bottom line

For most people, UPLIFT is the safest default: the biggest review base, a strong rating, and verified booking. If budget matters more than polish, Live By The Sword’s advertised pricing is hard to beat. Either way, look at the specific artist’s portfolio before you commit, not just the shop’s overall score.

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