WHERE TO EAT IN NYC

According to Six New Yorkers in the Know. The dreamiest food / fashion / flowers / drinks / decor for your next trip to New York City.

Hiiii!!!

I am so excited to bring you this letter! Of all the city guides I’ve written and all the cities I’ve lived in or traveled to—Paris, Dublin, London, Vienna, Budapest, to name a few—New York has my heart (sorry, Paris). And there’s nothing finer to do in New York than eat, eat, eat! Even if you’re visiting for the theater, the fashion, or the art—you have to eat before / after, and it probably won’t be cheap, so why not make it memorable?

I moved to New York City three days after graduating from college. The city's pulse captured me—the movement, the people, the pace, the diversity, and the smells—not all good, but many—delicious.

I spent my first days living in a hotel on West 45th Street with a close college friend that had once been used as a set for the movie BIG in the 1980s. It had long seen better days, but it was the only thing in our budget and within walking distance of our new jobs—hers in fashion, mine in magazines—while we looked for a home.

That week, I started my first job at Conde Nast Magazines, 4 Times Square—in the heart of it all. The women I worked with mostly ate hard-boiled eggs and dry wheat toast at the chic Conde Cafeteria (if you get stuck in the elevator with Anna Wintour, you don’t want to smell like food). Still, I was lucky enough to land with a foursome of friends who spent their time scouring every magazine for the best eats. No matter that our weekly salaries scraped together wouldn’t cover the cost of a single meal at Per Se (the it place at the time)—we found a way to explore them one by one (Cliff’s Notes: to go budget at a high profile spot, skip the wine/dessert!).

In those days, midtown was not where you wanted to be eating,* (unless you wanted a classic slice, folded New Yorker style) I made it my mission over the next 15 years to know and eventually work in some of the best restaurants. By best, I don’t mean fanciest (though, I was lucky to work at two New York Times three-star restaurants during some of that time). By best, I mean the most flavorful, the most innovative, the best ambiance, the most exciting new chefs, and the most rewarding experiences.

That was years ago now. The restaurant scene has remade itself over again and again in the eight years I’ve lived upstate. I’m no longer the expert. Thankfully, though, I know a few, and they’re here to help.

This guide, below, is the culmination of many hours of reporting, research, emails, and DMS to old friends and inspiring voices in food and design in New York City. Each have made their lives and livelihoods in the city for decades. They are people I trust and who don’t miss a beat. Any of them could easily cook a feast at home, so when they go out, they make it count—as it should for you, too.

Here’s everything you need to know to feast your way through NYC right now, straight from Peter Som, Andrea Gentl, Jenny Rosenstrach, Jessie Sheenan, Doris Josovitz, Camille Becerra, Leah Koenig, and April Johnson—designers, food writers, photographers, food lovers, and good people who won’t steer you wrong.

Read on!

xx

Sarah

*a lot has changed since I moved to NYC. Midtown now boasts plenty of fabulous restaurants and glittering bars. Dig in below; you won’t be disappointed.

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EAT LIKE A LOCAL UPPER-WESTSIDE GUIDE by

Jenny Rosenstrach

Beloved New York Times’s Bestselling cookbook author Jenny Rosenstrach, author of The Weekday Vegetarians and the forthcoming The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple moved back to the city after decades living just beyond. “Commuting into the city to eat (any meal) usually meant I’d end up at a destination restaurant,” she said. But she's been gathering her local spots since moving to the Upper West Side six months ago. Think of this as your Where to Eat Between the Natural History Museum and Lincoln Park (that’s not Gray’s Papaya) Guide (fun fact: my first apartment in New York was on 73rd street, between Amsterdam and Columbus! The food wasn’t great then, but it is now!)

Where to meet for a drink: For cocktails, The Owl’s Tail, an intimate space with buzzy energy (and small plates if you’re eating); for beers, The Hoptimist, which serves all local beers and let you bring your dog! For a glass of wine, Bar Boulud.

Best place to be a regular: Cafe Luxembourg, the Upper West Side institution that’s as ideal for a big celebratory meal as it is for a burger and a martini on a Thursday.

Dinner with visitors who want to stay local: Elea, pricey but excellent Greek spot with a bright, inviting dining room; Dagon, which was hard to get into a few years ago when it burst on the scene, but now, always reliable for excellent cocktails, mezze (the chicken liver mousse omg) and great energy.

Where to meet friends for breakfast or lunch: Old John’s Diner. Feels like one of those places that is just so good to know about, right around the corner from Lincoln Center — it’s always busy, but you can usually score a reservation on the day-of, open for BLD, and nails all the diner classics.

Where to go for quick, cheap eats: Two Wheels on Amsterdam for the tofu banh mi or Vietnamese coconut-flour tacos; Le Botaniste for its inspired plant-based everything: noodles, soups, grain bowls; Sido’s for their falafel sandwiches; Pastrami Queen which is, naturally, known for its pastrami, but we just get the roast turkey; I've only ever done takeout at Chino-Latino spot Flor de Mayo, but I always order the roast chicken, plantains, and shredded green salad with avocado and I'm always happy.

Best bagel or breakfast sandwich to take to the park: Zabar’s will always have the lock on smoked salmon, but it feels like I have endless amazing options for my stand-by bagel-and-scallion-cream-cheese order: Bagel Talk and Zucker’s are at the top. (Still haven’t been to Absolute!); Daily Provisions (locations all over the city, not just UWS) for a perfect egg-and-cheese sandwich — not too bready, egg always perfectly cooked, American cheese.

BEST FOOD, FASHION AND PEOPLE WATCHING by Peter Som

If you’re looking for a restaurant that is Chic AF, Peter Som is our guy for insider intel. Peter, a long-time fashion designer, is also a food writer with a new cookbook, Family Style, coming in Spring 2025. He’s well known for showing his face at all the hottest new spots, but wouldn’t dream of recommending a resto without the culinary chops to back up the hype. These are all in Manhattan, so if you want to stay on the island, this is your guide.

Commerce Inn: A cozy yet elegant restaurant brought to you by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi of Via Carota fame, this spot is nestled in one of the most picture-perfect corners of West Village. With its dimly lit Shaker-inspired dining room (good lighting is everything, am I right?) adorned with vintage artwork and scrumptously thougtful early-American inspired cuisine,  the vibe is casual, laid-back chic—in both the food and the diners.  Come for the Spoonbread and the Ribeye with Onions, stay for the vibes.

Le B: One part elegant supper club, one part downtown cool, Chef and Owner Angie Mar fuses meticulous Continental- inspired food of with the lively party feel of the legendary The Beatrice Inn. The crowd is similarly turned out, dazzingly dressed and ready to feel swanky and fabulous as crêpes suzette are flambéed tableside and soigné cocktails are poured under the massive deco chandelier.