Manhattan

Favorite haunts on and around the isle.

 

UPTOWN

Manhattan Valley/Morningside Heights

• Silver Moon Bakery; 2740 Broadway at 105th (café/bakery) —go here for : fresh sandwiches, great lemonade, outdoor dining
• Community Food and Juice; 2893 Broadway, between 112th and 113th (organic restaurant) —go here for : fresh flavors, a great burger, outdoor dining
• West Side Market; 2840 Broadway (grocery store) —go here for : cheese, produce, hard to find products like Norwegian gjetost
• The Hungarian Pastry Shop; 1030 Amsterdam Ave between 110th and 111th (bakery/café) —go here for : amazing pastry (baklava!) and coffee, a great view of St. John the Divine’s sculpture garden
• Manhattan School of Music; 120 Claremont Ave (performing arts) —go here for : free concerts, almost every day
• Koronet; 2848 Broadway (pizza) —go here for : the perfect oversized drunken slice
• Absolute Bagels; 2788 Broadway (bagels) —go here for: crunchy outside, chewy inside
• Life in Motion; 2744 Broadway (yoga) —go here for: vinyasa & chanting with the Columbia intelligentsia

Upper West Side

• Kefi; 505 Columbus Ave (Greek restaurant) —go here for : amazing spiced meats, Mediterranean pickings
• The Central Park Reservoir; near the W 90th St entrance (photo opp, walk) —go here for : a nice running loop, a romantic stroll
• Grandaisy Bakery; 176 W 72nd St (Italian bakery) —go here for : crusty Italian breads, Illy coffee, thin crust pizza
• Popover Café; 551 Amsterdam Avenue (breakfast) —go here for : a shtick that works wonders – popovers with everything
• Prohibition; 503 Columbus Ave (bar) —go here for: live music, coverbands that sing all your favorite guilty pleasures
• A Voce Columbus; 10 Columbus Circle # 3 (Italian restaurant) —go here for : pork belly and an impeccable wine list
• Nougatine; 1 Central Park West (French restaurant) —go here for : simple, modern French cuisine that won’t break the bank
• Lincoln Center David Rubenstein Atrium; 61 West 62 St (performance space) —go here for : Target Free Thursdays
• The Tangled Vine; 434 Amsterdam Avenue (wine bar/restaurant) —go here for: biodynamic, organic, unusual wines

Upper East Side

• Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum; 2 E 91st St —go here for: a great range of ever-changing design exhibits, ranging from modern architecture, to eco-innovation, to almost-useless works of genius.
• The Plaza Food Hall; 1 W 59th St (food) —go here for: sweets, caffinated drinks and gourmet treats (or you can go all out and sample the sit-down resto)
• Toloache; 166 E 82nd St (Mexican restaurant) —go here for: authentic Mexican fare: ceviche, tacos (even grasshopper tacos!), and a solid margarita menu

MIDTOWN

Hell’s Kitchen

• Kashkaval; 856 9th Ave (wine bar) —go here for : a variety of interesting and moderately priced wines, delicious pickings (think spreads and cheese)
• Hell’s Kitchen Fleamarket; 39th St between 9th and 10th ave (weekend market) —go here for : costume jewelry, furs, antiques, boots, and bags at better prices than the Brooklyn hipster fleas
• Xai Xai; 365 W 51st St (wine bar) —go here for : South African wines (try the pinotage!) and salty/gamey cured meats
• Gazala Place; 709 9th Ave (Middle Eastern) —go here for: meze, fresh salads

Midtown East/Gramercy/Murray Hill

• City Opera Thrift Shop; 222 E 23rd St # 212 (thrift store) —go here for: cheap and cool furniture, quirky clothes, books
• Rolf’s; 281 3rd Ave (bar/restaurant) —go here for: extreme christmas decorations, exceptional beers
• Kalustyan’s; 123 Lexington Ave(gourmet shop) —go here for : spices you’d typically only find in turkish/parisian/indian markets
• Numpang; 140 East 41st St (Cambodian sandwich shop) —go here for: spiced-up sandwiches (love pulled pork or catfish), ridiculous chipotle-coconut street corn
• Bao Noodles; 391 2nd Ave (Vietnamese restaurant) —go here for: salt and pepper shrimp, taro fries, black rice pudding

Flatiron/Madison Square Park/Garment District

• Resto; 111 East 29th St (Belgian restaurant) —go here for: the best boudin noir I’ve ever had, fresh refined comfort food
• Eataly; 200 5th ave at Madison Square Park (Italian superstore) —go here for: celebrity chef sightings, charcuterie and cheese, luxury culinary odd and ends, an amazing foodie bookstore, the Laboratorio della Mozzarella, the Cremespresso & Cioccolato Caldo at the Lavazzo Bar
• Bar Breton; 254 5th Ave (creperie) —go here for: great savory buckwheat galettes, rosemary french fries, buckwheat dessert crepes (an oh-so-delicious twist, since they only use the white flour crepes for dessert in France)
• Ciano; 45 E 22nd Str (Italian restaurant) —go here for : summer lunch market menu, handmade ravioli, house-baked bread, coffee affogato
• Ace Hotel; 20 West 29th St(hotel) —go here for : a hip, freelancer’s library vibe; afterwork drinks; Stumptown coffee
• Terri; 60 West 23rd St (health food) —go here for: refreshing green drinks and other juices, vegan/healthy food to-go
• Tinsel Trading Company; 1 W 37th St (trimmings) —go here for : patches, crafty odds and ends
• The Cannibal; 113 East 29th St (sandwich shop) — go here for : carnivore luncheons, pigs head cubans, gamey tartares

Chelsea

• Café Grumpy; 224 W 20th St (coffee shop) —go here for: the perfect cup of drip coffee, quality time with your laptop
• Chelsea Market; 75 9th Ave, between 15th and 16th (indoor market) —go here for: specialized breads, Italian products, the fish market, gelato (see l’Arte del Gelato)
• L’Arte del Gelato; in Chelsea Market and at 75 7th Ave (gelato) —go here for: creamy, satisfying gelato that won’t break your budget
• Txikito; 240 9th Ave (basque tapas restaurant) —go here for: basque cider, patatak mentaiko (fries w/cod roe mayo), txiki txanpi (mushroom grilled cheese), esparragos (white beans and mussels)
• Limelight; 47 W 20th St (indoor market) —go here for : breads and baked goods, gelato, and high-quality accessories
• Hiro Ballroom ; 88 9th Ave (live music) —go here for : a larger music hall feel, with a great stage set-up and room to dance
• Cookshop; 156 Tenth Ave (farm-to-table restaurant) —go here for: inventive but uncomplicated cuisine, mocha cappuccino crunch bar
• Co Pane; 230 Ninth Ave (pizza) —go here for: unusually light, yeasty crust, radicchio salad, stracciatella pizza
• The High Line; 10th Ave (raised walkway) —go here for: refreshing views of the Chelsea skyline, people-watching, hip snacks
• The Tippler; 425 W 15th St (bar) —go here for : inventive cocktails, a lower-key Meatpacking scene
• Haven’s Kitchen; 109 W 17th Street (cooking school/gourmet shop) —go here for: intimate cooking classes, Bellocq teas/La Colombe coffee, a smattering of delicious gifts

Union Square

• Cooper Union Gallery; 41 3rd Ave —go here for: insight into cutting edge aesthetics, design, and their possible daily influence
• Fish’s Eddy; 889 Broadway —go here for: unique dishware, a 25-year NYC legend
• ABC Kitchen; 35 E 18th St (seasonal restaurant) —go here for: fresh, bright flavors and curious combinations of market fresh items
• ABC Carpet & Home; 888 Broadway # 4 (home furnishings) —go here for: quirky but classy decorations, an urban escape
• Tortaria; 94 University Place (Mexican sandwich shop) —go here for: sauced-up sandwiches (love the pulled pork) and spicy cucumber margaritas
• Numpang; 21 East 12th Street (Cambodian sandwich shop) —go here for: spiced-up sandwiches (love pulled pork or catfish), ridiculous chipotle-coconut street corn

DOWNTOWN

Meatpacking District

• Brass Monkey; 55 Little West 12th St (bar) —go here for : a rowdy, loud bar with dancing potential
• The Standard Hotel; 848 Washington St (hotel) —go here for : boutique hotel style, a sweet elevator ride
• The Highline; Gansevoort St to 34th, between 10th & 11th Aves (public garden/walkway) —go here for: a New York promenade plantée
• 675 bar; 675 Hudson St (bar) —go here for: hip crowd, cute guys, dancing potential

Nolita/Soho

• Balaboosta; 214 Mulberry St (restaurant) —go here for: fresh, flavorful small plates and appetizers, like jerusalem artichoke/chestnut soup
• Mooncake Foods; 28 Watts St (restaurant) —go here for: refreshing, modern Asian – calamari with lime bbq sauce, soba noodles w/cilantro-ginger pesto
• Jo’s; 264 Elizabeth St (bar) —go here for: a solid glass of wine or classic cocktail, chive-y fries
• OLA – Oficina Latina; 24 Prince Street (Panamerican restaurant) —go here for: kumquat mojitos, ceviche

East Village/Alphabet City

• Porchetta; 110 E 7th St (high-end food shack) —go here for : amazing pork sandwiches, perfect potatoes, cracklin(g)
• ‘inoteca; 323 3rd Ave (italian restaurant) —go here for: modern Italian cuisine, date-night ambiance, marscapone ice cream affogato
• Ost; 441 E 12th St, corner of 12th and Ave A (coffee shop) —go here for: 11e bistro (Parisian wannabe + hipster) ambiance, a calm place to work, great lattes/cappuccinos
• Xian Famous Foods; 81 St. Mark’s Place (chinese restaurant) —go here for : spicy, savory noodles and soups at cheap-date prices
• Jules Bistro; 65 St Marks Place (bistro, bar)  —go here for : French ambiance, live jazz, happy hour with oysters
• Trufette; 104 Avenue B (gourmet/spice shop) —go here for: eau de fleur d’oranger, huile de noisette, Moroccan/French oils, spices, mushrooms…
• Pink Olive; 439 East 9th St (gift shop) —go here for: unique gifts for female friends with discerning, quirky taste
• The Future Perfect; 55 Great Jones St (design store) —go here for: unique light fixtures, home decoration, and more forward-thinking design items
• Caracas Arepa House; 93 1/2 E. 7th St (Venezuelan restaurant) —go here for: guasacaca, salty cheese, plantains, and the infamous arepas
• Terroir; 413 E 12th St (wine bar) —go here for : informal, but sommelier-level expertise, genuinely interesting bottles
• Edi & the Wolf; 102 Ave C (Austrian restaurant) —go here for: lost-in-the-woods ambiance, schnitzel, spätzle, baby back ribs, riesling
• Lovers of Today; 132 1/2 E 7th St (cocktail bar) —go here for: “secret bar” ambiance, the Hong Kong Garden cocktail
• Yerba Buena; 23 Avenue A (Latin restaurant) —go here for: choclo (peruvian corn), chiccaron de calamar (blue corn crusted calamari)
• Ippudo; 65 4th Avenue (Ramen shop) —go here for : pork buns, akamaru modern ramen
• Northern Spy Food Co.; 511 East 12th Street (local/sustainable restaurant) —go here for: crunchy kale salad, bluefish paté, homemade blood orange soda
• Angel Share; 8 Stuyvesant Street (cocktail bar) —go here for: an inventive drink with a lover or a friend (avoid bringing groups as the space is small and demand is high)
• Amor y Amargo; 443 East 6th Street (cocktail bar/bitters tasting room) —go here for: some of the city’s best speakeasy-style drinks (without the password at the door or snobbery) made with exquisite and often unusual bitters
• Verameat; 315 East 9th Street (jewelry) —go here for: addictively edgy rings, conversation piece necklaces
• Von; 3 Bleecker Street (bar) —go here for: dim-lit, euro ambiance, wine & beer selection, an afterwork/weeknight date

Lower East Side

• Pianos; 158 Ludlow Street (bar) —go here for: live music, authentic E Village kitsch, weeknights (too packed on the weekend)
• Rockwood; 196 Allen St (live music) —go here for : free live music (beverage purchase necessary) from the folksy, quirky set, w/ a new band on every hour
• Zucco: Le French Diner; 188 Orchard Street (bistro) —go here for: REAL French bistro food (lentilles de puy!)- high quality ingredients and rustic plates in a hole-in-the-wall setting
• Jadis; 42 Rivington St (winebar) —go here for: great, reasonably prices French (and other) wines, a chill birthday party/group spot
• Mercury Lounge; 217 E Houston St # A (live music) —go here for: live music by up-and-coming local bands, a mildly edgy but mostly unpretentious crowd
• Sorella; 95 Allen St (Italian restaurant) —go here for : broccoli fritto, gnocchi, homemade gelato

Chinatown

• Melt Bakery; Essex St (Essex St/Hester St, weekends) —go here for : amazing ice cream sandwiches
• Pain d’Avignon; Essex Street Market – 120 Essex St (bakery) —go here for: artisanal french loaves, beautiful epi baguettes and fruit/nut breads
• Brown Café/Orange Epicerie; 61 Hester St (bistro and shop) —go here for : low-profile, but outstanding weekend brunch
• Jing Fong; 20 Elizabeth St (Chinese restaurant) —go here for : dim-sum – the full rolling-cart, table-side service
• Hop Kee; 21 Mott St (Chinese restaurant) —go here for : authentic, high-quality Chinese (try the house specialities)
• Bacaro; 136 Division St (Italian restaurant) —go here for: romantic dungeon ambiance, fiori di zucca (zucchini blossoms), artichokes & artful pasta
• Dim Sum Go Go; 5 East Broadway (Chinese restaurant) —go here for: mixed dim sum platters, spicy long bean salad

The Financial District

• New Amsterdam Market; 100 Peck Slip, South Street Seaport (Sunday market) —go here for : locavore luxuries and high-end edibles – Finnish “ruis” bread from Nordic Breads, Morris Grilled Cheese (love the cold: ricotta/mint/zucchini), People’s Pops shaved ice, and much, much more
• Bowne & Co. ; 211 Water St (stationers) —go here for : personalized invitations, hip date-books, and humorous paper goods

West Village/Washington Square Park

• The Spotted Pig; 314 W 11th St(gastropub) —go here for : ricotta gnudi, robust sandwiches, boudoir kitsch ambiance
• Kin Shop; 469 6th Avenue (thai food) —go here for : squid ink soup, duck laab, noodles and curries
• Jeffrey’s Grocery; 172 Waverly Place —go here for : killer grilled cheese, market-fresh meals
• Greenwich Letterpress; 39 Christopher Street (stationary) —go here for : the perfect witty card, every time
• Zinc Bar; 82 West 3rd Street (bar) —go here for : live music in a swanky space
• Bar Pitti; 268 Avenue of the Americas (italian food) —go here for : home-made pastas, outdoor ambiance
• Gobo; 401 Avenue of the Americas (vegan) —go here for : seitan, green tea dumplings, zen feel
• Buvette; 42 Grove Street (wine bar) —go here for : french-y small plates, fresh wine list, dapper/quaint bistro ambiance
• Dove Parlour; 228 Thompson St (bar) —go here for: hip afterwork vibe, boudoir seating, good bar for group seating
• Orient Express; 325 W 11th St (cocktail bar) —go here for: smoky Mezcal cocktails, vintage traincar ambiance
• Otto; 1 5th Ave (Italian restaurant) —go here for: eggplant caponata, octopus salad, cacio e pepe pizza
• Employees Only; 510 Hudson St (speakeasy) —go here for: dim-lit ambiance, creative cocktails, a great weeknight bar crowd

Tribeca

• Locanda Verde; 377 Greenwich Street (restaurant) —go here for : amazing ricotta starters, savory flavors, and re-imagined italian fare
• Chambers Street Wines; 148 Chambers Street (wine shop) —go here for : rare, organic, and/or interesting wines from small producers

BOROUGHS

BROOKLYN

• Radegast Hall & Beer Garden; 113 N 3rd St, Williamsburg (beer garden) —go here for: brats, sauerkraut, great brews, chill/affordable dining
• Get Fresh Table and Market; 370 5th Ave, Park Slope (locavore bistro) —go here for : seasonal specialities, local produce, a 3-course, $30 savory prix fixe.
• Purple Yam; 1314 Cortelzou Road, Flatbush (asian restaurant) —go here for : savory ribs and marinated meats, pickled veggie accents
• Tea Lounge; 837 Union St, Park Slope (café) —go here for : live quirky music, hipsters with macs, delicious hot drinks
• Café Steinhof; 422 7th Ave, Park Slope (austrian restaurant) —go here for: an eclectic, cozy ambiance and mouth watering sausages
• BAM Café; 30 Lafayette St, Fort Greene (bar and performance space) —go here for: Fri/Sat happy hour & free concerts, beautifully lit vaulted ceilings
• Vinegar Hill House; 72 Hudson Ave, DUMBO (farm-to-table restaurant) —go here for: fresh/local better-than-homestyle cookin’, salted caramel custard
• Fatty ‘Cue; 91 South 6th St; Williamsburg (pan-asian bbq restaurant) —go here for: nasi ulam (rice salad), smoked eggplant nam prik, dragon pullman toast, pickle back chasers

QUEENS

• SriPraPhai; 64-13 39th Ave, Woodside (thai restaurant) —go here for: papaya salad, pork larb