I visited NYC in 2013 and had a pretty amazing time, but as is always the case when you visit somewhere that big and bustling, I felt like I barely scratched the surface. There's so much more I want to do and see and EAT - I'm going to be in serious planning mode this year.
Brunch
Last time, we had a great brunch at Sarabeths, but on the flight home I had a sudden realisation and wailed "We never had french toast!" Simply unforgiveable. So french toast has to happen this year (I've found a few potential spots) and I'm also very keen to have a long, boozy, sprawling brunch so I can feel like Blair Waldorf. Except legally old enough to drink. Pass me another mimosa, good sir.
Hotdogs
Can you believe I went to New York City and didn't have a hot dog? It's true! Well, half true. I had a tiny, disappointing one in Brooklyn, and I just don't count it. This year, I want one that's going to blow my socks off. Here's a starting point - maybe I should just work my way through that list!
We visited the secret burger restaurant which was a really great concept, and it looked amazing. But the burger itself was just ok - I thought it was a little flavourless. I think I'd like to go to 5 Napkin Burger, mostly because I love the name (and I am renowned for how many napkins I need when eating a burger) or The Spotted Pig, because EVERYONE says it's the best.
Cocktails
We didn't really do a lot of drinking last time. I KNOW. So this year, I'm very keen on visiting some of the finer drinking establishments of the city. Matt wants to go to a sports bar, I want to have cocktails, and I'd also quite like to find somewhere with an epic view to do some drinking from, too. All of this can be arranged. I found this list of rooftop bars - the Hudson Hotel in winter sounds AMAZING.
Doughnuts
Suddenly everyone who is visiting New York is instagramming these amazing looking doughnuts and I DIDN'T GET ANY DOUGHNUTS WHEN I WENT WHAAAAT. Yeah, so, I'm going to need some doughnuts. Any of these will do.
Touristy crap
As Matt hasn't been before, we'll be doing the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Times Square... all the touristy crap. But also lots of shopping, because Sephora.
But what ELSE should we do? Where should we eat? Where should we drink? What should we see? Where should I SHOP? Give me tips, people. GIVE ME TIPS.
Whilst I love a blustery visit to the Empire State the Top of the Rock is a much nicer view, especially across Central Park it's amazing.
ReplyDeleteAlso it time permits buying a coffee (and maybe one of those doughnuts) and taking a stroll through Central Park is lovely. I love seeing all the people out running and fitness classes taking place, as well as spotting scenes from various films and tv programmes - it feels like 'proper NY'.
Victoria x
FlorenceandMary.com
I love New York! I've only been twice, but these are my recommendations:
ReplyDeleteBark Hot Dogs in Brooklyn - it's on the list you linked to and I would put it to the top of my list. So good. For easier to find there's a few Shake Shacks around (like a handy lunch in Grand Central Station while popping in to see the ceilings and try out the whispering wall) and I like the Shack-Cago Dog. Although they just opened a Shake Shack in London Stratford Westfield now, so might be better to eat something you can't get in London.
I'd really recommend Arturo's for Italian in Greenwich Village. We loved the food and it felt authentically local. It might have been the friendly staff or the retired newspaper man who struck up a conversation with us at the bar while waiting for our table. ;)
If you haven't been to Katz's Deli before then that is a must.
For drinks you could try Please Don't Tell. It's a speak-easy through a phone booth in a hot dog place. Getting a booking here feels a bit like trying to win a radio contest. We got one in the end, but it was for very late in the evening, so we decided to try our luck and turn up earlier - we had to wait, but got an earlier slot at least.
While waiting for our table, we went to get some dinner and were told to try Caracas Arepa Bar one street over. Although the drinks at Please Don't Tell later were nice, the dinner here ended up being the best bit of the night. Amazing Venezuelan food. Ever since returning from New York my sister has been on the look out for places that do Arepas in London and we've found a good restaurant near Shoreditch, but I think this New York version is still my favourite.
I'm so jealous! I have wanted to go for years, and never been able to book it. It just looks gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteSo eat, drink and do all the things, and then let me know so I'm prepared once I finally book.
Hair Advice & All Things Nice
For cocktails you MUST go to Little Branch in the West Village. It is wonderful. For something slightly less fancy, my favourite dive bar is the Turkey's Nest Tavern in Williamsburg. Obscenely large margaritas served in Styrofoam cups and superb people watching.
ReplyDeleteFood:
The Spotted Pig burger truly is GLORIOUS. Also, breakfast at The Breslin is fantastic. We did The Breslin for breakfast and then Spotted Pig for lunch on Ainge's birthday last time we went and I in no way regretted it.
Brunch at Essex was good last time I went. But that was a few years ago now.
La Esquina for tasty Mexican food.
For Doughnuts we loved both Dough and Doughnut Plant.
Mighty Quinns for amazing barbecue. They're often at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg which you should definitely go to if it's on.
Bubby's for awesome pie and cocktails.
Momofuku Milk Bar for glorious cookies and cereal milk.
SMAC for brilliant mac n cheese with many weird and wonderful toppings.
Roberta's or Juliana's for pizza.
I would do Top of the Rock, walk the Highline, have a lovely long walk in Central Park, ice skate at the Rockefeller Centre, do a boozy bar crawl in Williamsburg, buy amazing chocolate from Mast Brothers, take the ferry to Staten Island and back, eat Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, go to MOMA, go to the American Museum of Natural History and spend a fortune in Sephora, obv.
Also: do happy hour on Bleecker Street. SO CHEAP. Thunder Jackson's Urban Roadhouse has never let me down.
I am SO JEALOUS xx
Eek! I'm so excited for you :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other commenters, Top of the Rock is the much better experience than the Empire State. Try and time your trip to just before sunset, then you get the view of NYC as the sun goes down and at night with all the twinkly lights. I also liked SoHo much more than 5th Avenue for shopping, lots of little shops/boutiques plus you can oggle at the designer stores too pretty sure they have a Sephora branch around there two but I may be wrong. If not E.L.F have small store in SoHo.
Also (I put this on every post when I see people asking for NYC recs now) Schmakary's Cookies in Midtown, near the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The best cookies in the city, freshly baked and open late - if you get hungry at like 10pm in the evening lol.
Enjoy your trip!
Xx