I recently returned from a long weekend in New York City, a place I hadn't visited in four years! Before I flew in, I made sure to ask my social networks for their favorite places to wine and dine in NYC. The result was a three page list of spots that I had no way of visiting in one trip. I decided to narrow down that list and save the rest for future visits. Here's a recap of my favorite places that I'd recommend stopping by the next time you're in NYC!
Coffee shops are a dime a dozen, but some are better than others. I tried cold brews at a few places, but my favorites were at
Toby's Estate,
Bluestone Lane (they have a cool location inside a former church), and
Birch Coffee. All have several locations throughout the city.
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| Toby's Estate Cold Brew |
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| Bluestone Lane Coffee |
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| Bluestone Lane Cold Brew |
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| Birch Coffee |
If you know me, you know I love sweets, and there is no shortage of those in NYC. A stop at
Dominique Ansel Bakery is a must, not just for a cronut, but for pretty much anything. I tried his signature kouign amann, a flaky and caramelized pastry that is too good for words!
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| Dominique Ansel Bakery |
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| Kouign Amann |
Christina Tosi's
milkbar is another must stop, especially if you've never tried her cereal milk soft serve, or crack pie (when you eat it you'll know why it has that name). I went all in and stocked up on both, as well as birthday cake truffles, and a compost cookie.
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| Cereal Milk Soft Serve |
Another favorite ice cream stop is
Big Gay Ice Cream. There's nothing better than a simple soft serve cone dipped in chocolate with sprinkles! They also have a variety of
other treats if you're feeling more adventurous.
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| Big Gay Ice Cream |
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| Big Gay Ice Cream |
One of the overlapping suggestions I received for sweets in NYC, was William Greenberg Desserts on the Upper East Side. Their black and white cookie is a must order. It's so huge you'll think you should share it, but trust me, don't. The first thing to know about the black and white cookie is that it's actually a drop cake. It's light and fluffy and features a crisp top coat of luscious black and white chocolate!
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| William Greenberg Desserts |
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| William Greenberg Desserts |
There's no better place for bagels than New York, and two places topped my list. One was a new spot to me,
Russ & Daughters, while the other was an old staple,
Brooklyn Bagel. Russ & Daughters is THE place for amazing smoked salmon. I enjoyed a bagel sandwich with lox and cream cheese and was seriously in heaven. Brooklyn Bagel is known for their wide variety of cream cheese flavors, and they definitely slather the good stuff on.
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| Russ & Daughters |
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| Russ & Daughters |
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| Lox & Cream Cheese Bagel Sandwich |
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| Brooklyn Bagel Cream Cheeses |
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| Whole Wheat Everything Bagel with Scallion Cream Cheese |
I had a chance to take in the Manhattan skyline from a relatively new hotel rooftop.
Mr. Purple is a funny name for a picturesque bar. It's on top of the Hotel Indigo Lower East Side, and affords incredible views while you're sipping on a cocktail or some bubbly.
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| View from Mr. Purple |
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| View from Mr. Purple |
One of the best meals I had was at a place I stumbled across.
Gaia in the Lower East Side is a tiny Italian spot serving authentic and homemade Italian food including pastas. I loved the incredible textures and flavors of the pastas in the no-frills spot.
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| Gaia |
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| Mushroom Ravioli |
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| Octopus, Shrimp, and Eggplant Pasta |
If there's one recommendation you should take away from this post, it's that Michelin-starred
Eleven Madison Park takes walk ins. Yes, walk ins. But only in the bar. I literally walked in at 8pm on a Saturday night and grabbed a table in the bar. They serve an a la carte menu featuring the same dishes that you'd find on the main dining room's tasting menu. The service is just as fantastic, and you can pick and choose exactly what you'd like to eat. I enjoyed two courses including fluke with peas, and butter poached lobster. Both were divine and worthy of the restaurant's three Michelin stars. It was an amazing experience and I couldn't get over how breathtaking the view of the dining room was.
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| Eleven Madison Park |
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| Eleven Madison Park Dining Room |
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| When in Eleven Madison Park, Drink Champagne |
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| Fluke with Grapefruit and Peas |
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| Butter-Poached Lobster with Daikon and Citrus |
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| Eleven Madison Park Dining Room at Night |
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| Worthy of its Three Michelin Stars |
These are just a few of my favorites from my short trip!
Where are some of your favorite places to eat and drink when in New York?
I'm so glad you wrote this post! We are going to NYC in the fall for my 30th, we are bringing the little man though so I'm not sure how fine of dining we'll be able to swing. I'm hoping to do Momofuku for lunch though!
ReplyDeleteGreat timing! Have a great trip and let me know if you need any other recos! There's a milk bar location right near Momofuku Ssam and Momofuku Noodle Bar in East Village
DeleteThis might be my favorite TGG post to date, and I've been reading since day one! This is such a fantastic collections of recommendations. I cannot wait to indulge next time I'm in NYC. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, Amanda!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the kind words, Eliza, and thanks for reading!
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