My NYC Restaurant & Nightlife Guide 2019

It’s about time I did this!!! I constantly get asked about my recs for restaurants and nightlife in NYC. If you didn’t already know, I lived there for 5 years and now I am so happy that I’m lucky enough to go back frequently and still really be immersed in all the hotspots, the hidden gems, and just some of my all time favorite places since basically forever. I still get messages from friends, friends of friends and even people that I don’t know for recs, so it’s only right that I do this. I know I am definitely missing a million and one places, but this is a pretty decent start… it’s all the fundamentals you need for your next trip to the city!

RESTAURANTS

1803 – New Orleans-inspired spot, that I adore for brunch. The restaurant has the cutest pink and green tropical wallpaper. While you’re brunching, you’ll be just a few feet away from a live band singing all kinds of southern tunes so you really feel like you’re transported from NYC to the south. @1803nyc / 82 Reade St, New York, NY 10007

While We Were Young – So cute and instagrammable! Marble everything with pink, dainty accents. However, no reservations so whatever time you go get there early. @whilewewereyoungnyc / 183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014

Jackson Hole Burgers – BEST BURGERS IN NYC! No I’m not kidding. There is NOTHING like a Jackson Hole Burger. Ask any local, or you can ask Jennifer Aniston, who used to work there back in the day. @jacksonholeburgersnyc / 521 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016

Grotta Azzura – One of my favorites in Little Italy! Great chicken parm and is legit Italian. @grottaazzurrany / 177 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013 

Ferrara Bakery & Café - Iconic café in Little Italy! Get espresso, biscotti, rainbow cookies and pignoli cookies. All homemade. @ferrarabakery / 195 Grand St, New York, NY 10013

Sant Ambroeus – Great for breakfast. Super cute + Parisian. Their West Village location is adorable and in a very Sex and The City area. @santambroeus / 259 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

Artichoke Pizza – A must. Not your average pizza. Get the artichoke pizza. It’s super rich so definitely share but it’s necessary! @artichokepizza / 321 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003

Bagatelle – The ULTIMATE party brunch! A must if you have time. Saturdays are better but Sundays are good too. Make a reservation - the later the better. Between 1:30 and 2 pm is ideal but the party starts at 3. They close all the blinds and it becomes a club basically with people dancing on tables @bagatellenyc / 1 Little W 12th St, New York, NY 10014

Lil Frankie’s – Yummy Italian in the East Village.. Super intimate atomosphere, cozy, dark + cash only. Their pasta is bomb! @lilfrankies / 19 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003

Sel Rrose - It’s that spot off Bowery with the big pink door! Such an cute little spot for French-inspired food/cocktails and sitting alfresco during the warmer weather, and inside it’s a rustic, flowery little hideaway. Obsessed. @selrrose / 1 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002

CATCH - I mean… need I say more? Classic for good seafood, a bustling crowd and an extremely fun club atmosphere on the roof. Celeb hotspot. Make reservations. They’re strict. / @catch 21 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014

Epistrophy – Moody, cozy spot in Nolita! Great for drinks and dinner or a date. @epistrophynyc / 200 Mott St, New York, NY 10012

Felice 83– One of my favorite Italian spots on the upper east side. Used to go to this location all the time when I lived uptown! Not too far from the Met. So fab and romantic for a date. @felicewinebar / 1593 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10028

Bluestone Lane– Bomb coffee and mouthwatering avocado toast, heavy on the avocado. There’s one near Bryant park which is convenient but there are multiple locations. @bluestonelane /  1114 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Mayahuel – Super intimate Mexican spot! Forever one of my favorites they have a really unique cocktail menu and great food. Always a good meal. Truly a hidden gem. @mayahuelny / 304 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003

Famous Ben’s Pizza– Also iconic, but for regular pizza! @famousbenspizzaofsoho / 177 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

NIGHTLIFE

Death & Company– BOMB cocktails. A true mixology bar/speakeasy. Super New York. @deathandcompany / 433 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

TAO Downtown - The club is honestly so fun. Come for dinner first and then stay for the dancing and bottles with sparklers. It gets GOOD. @taodowntown / 369 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011

Paul’s Cocktail Lounge - Located at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Late 20s crowd with all the music all us late 20s people know and love. All around good venue, but they could be tough at the door. 2 6th Ave, New York, NY 10013

Ophelia - Panoramic views of the east side! Rooftop lounge at the Beekman Tower. Strong, creative cocktails pair well with a view of the East River. @opheliany / 3 Mitchell Pl 26th floor, New York, NY 10017

Brass Monkey – Fun bar for a Friday or Saturday night but get there kind of early, like 10 pm to avoid a line. It’s 3 levels and is roomy which I always like. @brassmonkeynyc / 1304, 55 Little W 12th St, New York, NY 10014

Mr. Purple - Fun, bustling rooftop with a pool at Hotel Indigo. Great views. @mrpurplenyc / 180 Orchard St 15th floor, New York, NY 10002

The Tippler – Good for a Friday or Saturday night, it’s underground, underneath Chelsea Market. It can get a little post-college-y, but not going to lie it’s a good spot. Guaranteed to be popping whenever you go.  @thetippler / 425 W 15th St, New York, NY 10011 

Ladybird – Actually a vegan restaurant, but cute for drinks. Inventive cocktail menu. @ladybird_nyc / 111 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Jimmy at The James Hotel – Great drinks and breathtaking views of downtown. Elevated, refined, luxe vibe - you’re in the middle of it all. It’s honestly one of my favorite spots of all time. @jimmyatthejames / 27 Grand St, New York, NY 10013 

Dear Irving Gramercy – Fun for a weeknight drink. So cool because it’s a time-traveling theme! @deariving / 55 Irving Pl, New York, NY 10003

Goldbar - Iconic lounge. Come for the music and the gold skulls on the walls. It’s been there forever and it’s stuck around, which says a lot. @goldbarnewyork / 389 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

Employees Only - This was one of my first speakeasies I ever went to. Prohibition-style bar that’s dark and intimate. @employeesonlyny / 510 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

Spring Lounge - Classic (but cool) dive bar. It’s a fave of John Mayer’s, just FYI. 48 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Bounce Sporting Club– A fool-proof going-to-have-fun spot. Great for a Thursday night or happy hour. Also good for meeting people. Everyone’s in a party mood here. Locals won’t admit they secretly love it. @bouncesportingclub / 55 W 21st St, New York, NY 10010

Photo by: Kiera Wood

Edits by: Yrene Ramirez

My Letter to New York City

You’ll probably think I’m crazy as you read this. But if you’ve lived there, I know you get it. When people ask me about how I feel about New York, I just can’t give them a direct answer. There’s no way to bottle up every unparalleled experience, heartache, high and low, excitement and just about every other thing I’ve felt in just a few sentences.

New York....

You're the kind of city that a person can romanticize. A person can a high just by seeing photos of your skyline or even getting the slightest glimpse at your intriguingly worn out streets. Even thinking about a life there is something that most people only dream about. Then, when a person actually lives where you are, they reach a totally different high. It’s really unexplainable. Probably one of my favorite feelings and experiences in the world. My best memories are the ones when I was living in your little concrete jungle. Along with some of my worst. But then when you live there for a while, you end up getting chewed up and spit out a bunch of times. You, meaning me. There's no other way to say it other than, New York: you lose your magic. So a person gets away for a while. But the further away the person is, the more they grow to love it again but in a different way, with a deeper and more complicated appreciation. But… yeah it’s not simple or straightforward. Once a person has lived in the city once in their life, they're not really who they were when they first moved to you, or when they first left you. You somehow evolve people, and you continue to have that effect on people even when a person doesn't live there anymore.  

I’ve been back a few times since I’ve moved across the country and you are always good to me and welcome me home in the most comforting ways... but, New York you're just not the city you  used to be - that’s for sure. I mean…you're the same but different. The energy is altered. The vibe is not what I totally desire anymore. There’s a whole new generation of people on the island. The streets are not as striking anymore. The food is the best as always, but nightlife is drastically disappointing and underwhelming. Something is just off. I don't love change that much and I kind of wish you were still the same. What happened? Maybe I just got older and I’m jaded. That’s part of it. I’m definitely jaded. How could I possibly be jaded at 26 years old? Probably because I moved to the city when I was 18. I've done a lot and I've seen a lot. But I wouldn’t do anything differently.

I just got back from a trip to see you and I already miss you in a way that I could miss someone I love. I left with a little heart ache, but a comforting one because I know that you'll welcome me back home whenever.

This whole weird “NYC isn’t the same” thing has evoked a lot of thinking and emotion in me which isn’t something I ever really feel on an extreme level. I’ve been pretty good my entire young adult life of having a level head and keeping my emotions in check – in doing so, not really showing that I have any. It’s never been “me” to be outwardly vulnerable. It’s simple – not my style. But New York, I have always had a soft spot for you.

For the most part, I have pretty decent direction. I know mostly where I want to go and where I want to be. I have known from a young age, hence moving to New York, going to college and getting a "grown up job" and now ended up in LA. I've always known that this was my plan. I went through a lot when I was living in your neck of the woods, though.

From laughing till I cried with my best friends, to getting home at 4 am after a crazy night out, to growing up really fast and making my own adult decisions, to discovering all the things I loved, to experiencing the coolest restaurants and cultures and meeting influential people, to having an amazing college experience, to developing my sense of style, to going to random live shows with my friends (which by the way, really drew me to the music scene especially on the LES), to brunch (duh), to never having a dull moment. Sure, Sex and the City and Gossip Girl weren't real shows but there's a handful of story lines that I could swear aligned with mine and my friend's lives. I feel stupid writing this because there's actually no words to even explain all of the experiences that can never be replicated. Like.. there's just so many I don't even know where to start! I still pass those streets that these series of incredibly amazing and joyful memories happened and I smile. 

But I also cried a lot. And if you know me, I don't do it often. I cried about money, my terrible first job out of college (actually, cried at my desk at 10 pm alone in the office multiple times), my horrific roommate who up and left one night and texted me that I owed her cable money (lol) after I helped her as a good friend when she found out she was in a really bad situation. I had anxiety about the idiot guys I dated who randomly decided to never speak to me again. I once uncontrollably cried to the point where my eyes physically could not make any more tears when my (serious) boyfriend broke up with me in my apartment on Valentine's Day moments before we were going to go out. I can still remember sitting on my bed - I was all made up, so excited and in a matter of seconds had tears and makeup streaming down my face in straight horror. He had never seen me like that before. I felt lost and alone and I was wrong but I partially blamed how I felt on you, New York. I still pass those streets that these series of unfortunate events happened on and I kind of cringe. But it's ok because it's all over (yay!!) and I am so happy to be out of that stage in my life.

I have finally reached a stage where I am past the bittersweet feeling and onto indifference – which by the way is one of my favorite feelings ever. It’s comforting because I’ve moved on. Now I’ve reached feeling nostalgic (for most things). But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing – it’s that I can experience you, New York in an entirely new way with a fresh perspective. Being away from you for chunks at a time has showed me what to appreciate when I am back.

P.S. you've made me pretty popular out here on the west coast. People always want to know about my life in New York. I wear my Yankees hat to hide from people when I'm having a bad hair day or I haven't slept at all and try to avoid all human contact. Ironically that's when the most people strike up a conversation with me. Wish I could say it was all me! But I can't help to smile with some NYC pride.

With that being said, New York, I knew then and I know now that I'd love you above anything else. Literally, when I was dating that freak, at "the end of the day" (The Hills reference) I laughed and was like - I'd choose New York any day over him!

New York, I love you and I dislike you. You're the reason I came, the reason I left and the reason why I miss you. You're the reason why I curse your name and the reason why I am who I am today. You're the reason I can go outside and spend $50 on air, basically but you're the reason I find beauty and inspiration in the most mundane things. You're the reason I am always running late getting to where I am going, but somehow you get me to arrive to my destination right on time. You were my teacher. You still annoy me when I'm back but I wouldn't trade a day with you for a day anywhere else. 

Does this all make sense? Hope so. I warned you this would be all over the place. I told you I don't ever get this personal, but you asked for this.

So, the age old question I get asked more often than not: Will I ever move back to NYC? Maybe. Ideally I’d like to be 100% bi-coastal, which is what I've wanted my whole life. I guess I can kind of say I’m half way there? Well, I’m working on it. At the end of the day I am really happy I moved out of you. I am a firm believer in not staying in one place too long. How can you ever truly evolve if you stay in one place your whole life? I’m not done with LA yet – there’s work to be done here. It's nice here. There's something for me here that I wasn't able to attain in New York. The time hasn’t come where I’ve grown out of it. But it’s comforting knowing that you, New York are always there and will always be my home. Thank you.

Until next time...

Photography by: Prêt-à-Provost