The New York Food Tour
(As a tourist!)
I just got back from a bachelorette weekend and raced to finish this while recovering on my death bed. This one took a little longer for me to put together, but I hope you enjoy! These are the restaurants I have tried during my trips to New York, and my honest reviews of each one. I will keep updating this list with each trip. XO
Starting out with the famous Carbone, I have always loved my experiences dining here. Known as one of the New York restaurants with an impossible reservation, I was always ecstatic when snagging a reservation overlapping with my trip dates. I do see on social media that people are a bit tired of it, especially after losing its Michelin star in 2022. However, as a visitor, I still think it is a great dining choice. Their service has always been top notch, and extremely attentive. Even when dining alone, they made it a fantastic experience. Complimentary starters include an assortment of bread, olive oil infused burrata, salami, and pickled cauliflower. They make great espresso martinis, and the oysters were fresh and delcious. You must obviously order their famous Spicy Rigatoni Vodka pasta! Everything comes plated on beautiful Italian ceramics. I actually tracked down the exact rooster plates to gift my Italian best friend. Meals are finished off with complimentary rainbow cake. To get a reservation, I suggest setting alerts on Resy.
A new fabulous spot by Major Food Group — I was so excited to try this one out during my most recent trip. First up, the space was very open and spacious with several areas for dining. It has an open kitchen, which we were lucky enough to sit in front of and see the action firsthand. We sat in a spacious booth with a white tablecloth, and our waiter was very quick with our orders. We started with some cocktails — I had an espresso martini which was delicious. For appetizers, we had the Pork Bao Bun, oysters, Octopus Nha Trang (tents up!), and the Italian and American Hams with Zeppole. The Pork Bao Bun was actually no longer on the menu, but our waiter made it happen — lucky us! All of the appetizers were incredible; if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the Octopus Nha Trang. For dinner, we shared the Tortellini Pomodoro and the Linguini in a Pink Manhattan Clam Sauce. Both were excellent! The Tortellini had such a rich filling, I was in absolute heaven and would rank it as an absolute must order. I ordered a Lemon Drop next, which paired nicely with their complimentary Italian ice dessert. They also offered complimentary cookies and cakes, very similar to what is offered at Carbone. The service was more on the efficient and bustling side, but not to the point of being turned off by it. I highly recommend it, and it is definitely a new favorite spot of mine!
Cecconi’s Dumbo
Cecconi’s Dumbo is a combination of great food, service, and views. You may have recognized it in the recent Netflix movie, ‘Your Place or Mine’, with Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. Sitting on the patio, you have the perfect waterfront view of the twinkling Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The service was impeccable, and entertained us the whole night. I recommend ordering the ‘Soho House famous’ Picante De La Casa for cocktails. The calamari was crispy with great dips, and I especially loved the tableside service of the Ahi Tuna Tartare. The Prosciutto San Daniele pizza was huge and delicious. I would not say the Cacio e Pepe and Rigatoni pastas were the best I have had, but solid and definitely not bad. This is somewhere to pick for the amazing ambiance, and is perfect for a girl’s night out or date.
BONDST is probably my top choice at the moment for overall ambiance, food, cocktails, and service. It is definitely rare to find a Japanese restaurant with a swanky atmosphere and top notch, high quality Japanese food. The espresso martinis are delicious, which we made with reposado tequila. All of the dishes were impressive: the Big Eye Tuna, Broiled Chilean Sea Bass, Spicy Crispy Shrimp, Tuna Crispy Rice, Grilled Wagyu Skirt Steak, Salmon Avocado Roll, Blue Fin Tuna Sashimi, and Spicy Yellowtail Roll. The service is very friendly and attentive. It is a definitely a must during your next New York trip!
The Nines has such an old-school, romantic atmosphere and is an actual piano bar! This was definitely a unique experience for me, as there is nothing like it that exists in LA. We just came for drinks and snacks before dinner, but the cocktails were made to perfection. They offer complimentary popcorn, olives, and chips. The pianist was very talented and played amazing music choices including many covers of well-known songs. I would love to come again and try their dinner menu!
The Grill is spectacular, classy, and grand in every way. The space is huge, with a chandelier masterpiece of metal rods hanging from the ceiling over the bar. This is definitely a fantastic steakhouse for a special occasion. The cocktails were served in gorgeous glassware, and very delicious. The bread basket alone was amazing, with an assortment of breads (including pretzel bread) and incredible chive butter. The House Chopped Salad and Tuna Ravigote were very fresh and plated perfectly. The main star, the Filet Mignon, was one of the most incredible steaks I have had. It was so juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor. I loved that the Cottage Fries were made waffle style. The cherry sundae was made over a flame tableside, which added many presentation points! Ladies, make sure you stop by the restroom downstairs, as it has rows of Hollywood style vanity mirrors for the perfect group selfie. The bar is also very fun to sit around, and cocktails are made with incredible skill and attention to detail. I would definitely dine again!
Indochine is a very trendy restaurant, perfect for a night out! It is French-Vietnamese, with fun wallpaper, greenery, and fun music all around. The food we tried was very delicious: fried spring rolls, asian kale salad, and crispy rock shrimp. They had very unique cocktails, I especially loved the Indochine Martini. It is my New York resident best friend’s favorite place, so I will let that speak for itself!
Balthazar is an amazing all-day French restaurant. It is perfect for a lunch, happy hour, or dinner. Located in Soho, it is a great food stop during a shopping day (just make sure to make a reservation). The space is large, and has a great ambiance. My friend and I came for a quick happy hour, and loved our experience. The espresso martinis were delicious and came perfectly chilled. They are definitely known for amazing seafood and steak. The oysters and shrimp were very fresh and great quality. Paired with frites, we were in heaven. I would love to come back to try their steak frites and seafood tower!
Pastis is an iconic French restaurant. You may recognize it from seasons 4 and 6 of Sex and the City. It has such a fun ambiance, and all around great cocktails, food, and vibes! Their shrimp cocktail comes with perfect, fresh jumbo shrimp. I highly recommend ordering their burger with a side of frites. The service is very friendly and attentive. This is definitely a classic choice and great for groups!
Dante is one of my favorite places to stop by, even just for a solo cocktail during my New York trips. It has two locations: Caffe Dante and Dante West Village. I have eaten once at the West Village location, which was delicious, but I mainly go for their impeccable cocktails. Both locations have a great bar, and there are so many fun cocktails to choose from! They were rated #1 in the world’s 50 best bars in 2019, to paint a picture of the top quality cocktails you will be experiencing. All cocktails are a true art form, and it is so fun to watch them being made at the bar. I definitely recommend it as a mandatory stop during your next trip!
I came to Sushi Nakazawa for a solo lunch during a shopping day. It is a Michelin star restaurant, and dazzled up to expectations. It is an intimate setting at the sushi bar counter, with about eight people seated during each time slot. The omakase is about twenty pieces, so make sure that you come with a fully empty stomach, and I mean it! I had to tap out before it ended, as it was so much food. Each sushi piece was made right in front of me, and of the utmost top quality. I tried to be present and really immerse myself in my solo dining, so only got a picture of one of the pieces below. You get to converse with the sushi chefs, which makes it a really special experience. I definitely had to lay down for a few hours afterwards, but it was so worth it!
L’Avenue at Saks is a good lunch spot before checking out the shopping selection at Saks. The food and drinks are solid all around. I would not say particularly amazing nor bad. The service was not as great as it could have been; I would say to come mainly for the decor, ambiance, and proximity to 5th Avenue shopping. I would be open to giving it another shot for dinner.
Shoo Shoo is such a fun, lively Mediterranean restaurant. They offered us complimentary shooters to start with, which started the evening off strong. The hummus and pita are a must to start with. The kebab was very satisfying, the Greek salad fresh and delicious; everything was excellent across the board. I would dine again!
Vestry is located inside of my favorite New York hotel, The Dominick, so I love to stop by whenever I stay at the hotel. It is a Michelin star restaurant, and makes very high quality drinks and dishes. Even their wine pours are served in gorgeous glassware. You must get the Sushi Rice and Snake River Farm Wagyu. It is a great place to sit solo at the bar!
Sant Ambroeus - Soho
Sant Ambroeus is such a cute spot in Soho. It is in the perfect location for a lunch break during a shopping day in Soho (there are other locations as well). There is outdoor seating, which is perfect for people watching. Their food is very good across the board, I especially loved the Prosciutto e Burrata. I would love to come back and try their breakfast, dinner, and dessert menus!
Lure Fishbar is a trendy spot in Soho with a great ambiance. The space is rather big, and great for groups. They are obviously known for their seafood, which did not disappoint. I will say, my friends and I felt a bit unwell after dining here - not sure if it was the amalgamation of a bender weekend or something in one of the dishes. Nevertheless, I would try it again!
I stopped at Alain Ducasse’s Benoit for lunch after walking around 5th Avenue and waiting for my room to be ready at the Baccarat. This is a perfect French spot for a solo lunch, and there is a cute outdoor patio. There is a delicious bread service included. The service was immaculate, and the steak frites were fantastic. This was one of my first solo lunches in a new city, and it made me so comfortable that I love doing it all the time now!
Souvlaki was such a fun casual Greek lunch spot. The interiors transport you to Greece, and the serving sizes are very generous. I could eat their pita for days, and the skewer kebabs were so delicious! The service is so friendly, and has such a warm environment. I highly recommend it!
You can’t go wrong with the famous Sadelle’s. I loved both this New York location, as well as the Las Vegas one. Their bagel towers are such a fun presentation, and make for a fabulous group brunch spot. Their Aperol Spritz was also very fresh. This is definitely a spot you come to over and over again!
I did not dine at Bar Pisellino, but thought I would add in some thoughts around the ambiance and cocktails. The service was very good, and they make exquisite cocktails. I especially loved their espresso martini and negronis. I loved sitting on the patio, but they also have such a cute, aesthetic old-fashioned like Italian interior. I would absolutely love to come back for breakfast, for some coffee and pastries!
The Loeb Boathouse Central Park
***Looks like it is temporarily closed :(
Charlie Bird was just okay to me. The pasta and cocktails were not anything special to me, but maybe I need to come back and try another type of dish. I think this is one you can skip and try some of the others above!
