New York City is home to the world’s best restaurants, museums, art galleries, concert halls, boutiques and more. Manhattan is The City That Never Sleeps! If you can dream it, then it’s happening in New York. A global powerhouse full of excitement and eye candy for all. Sexy and irresistible…If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!
The Small List
Best Hotels
The Plaza Hotel – One of America’s most celebrated hotels! It is located at the storied intersection of Central Park and Fifth Avenue. As a result, you can easily explore the best that New York City has to offer. The Plaza opened on October 1, 1907 overlooking Fifth Avenue. Today, it remains timelessly elegant and extremely spacious. Enjoy the iconic dining venues and the world’s finest wines, champagnes, caviar, craft cocktails and more.
Sixty Soho – Stay in the center of all things trendy! The rooms are modern, elegant, and appointed with comfort in mind.
Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC – Gansevoort is an anchor in Manhattan’s vibrant Meatpacking District. The neighborhood was transformed from an industrial district into a hub for fashion, design, culinary excellence and the arts. Elevate your expectations with the rooftop bar and lounge, as well as the year round rooftop pool.
TWA Hotel – The landmark 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport has been restored and reimagined as a first-class hotel. At the center of the hotel is the iconic TWA Flight Center, complete with restaurants, bars and retail shops. The historic building contains 512 guest rooms with views of JFK’s runways and the TWA Flight Center.
Best Uptown Restaurants for Dinner
Le Bernardin – Elite French restaurant offers chef Eric Ripert’s refined seafood, expert service and luxurious decor.
Avra Madison Estiatorio – A chic, authentic Greek restaurant located just steps from Central Park. Avra offers traditional Greek cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood.
Tao Uptown – Transport yourself to another world at this Pan-Asian eatery. Enjoy the gigantic Buddha, a creative menu and a vibrant atmosphere. Indulge your senses!
The Grill – One of the world’s greatest restaurant spaces, formerly the Four Seasons, is located in the infamous Seagram Building. It is the only landmark restaurant in New York. It is undemniably intricate, elegant, and serves classic dishes from land and sea.
Best Downtown Restaurants for Dinner
Gramercy Tavern – One of America’s most beloved restaurants! Gramercy Tavern has welcomed guests to enjoy its contemporary American cuisine, warm hospitality, and unparalleled service for over two decades. Ignite your senses!
Union Square Cafe – One of the originators of contemporary American cuisine, Union Square Cafe remains a destination today. Above all, the warm hospitality and thoughtfully executed cooking is delightful.
Il Mulino – Where every dish is a masterpiece, Il Mulino New York has prepared authentic cuisine from the Abruzzo region. The service is unparalleled and continues for nearly 35 years in downtown Manhattan. This luxury Italian restaurant dishes out one of a kind cuisine and expertly crafted dishes.
il Buco – A gathering spot for designers, actors, writers, and food lovers in a rustic European setting. Combined with the modern style of the Mediterranean is the taste of Spain.
Blue Water Grill – Located in the heart of Union Square in a lofty former bank building, you’ll find delicious sustainable seafood and live jazz.
Delmonico’s – Since 1837 this Financial District icon has delighted guests with award winning dishes especially, the house special, Delmonico Steak. An historic meatery!
Indochine – The restaurant has helped New Yorkers feel famous since 1984. Today, it is still cool with a delicious French-Vietnamese fusion cuisine.
Mr. Chow Tribeca – Mr. Chow’s menu is a combination of old authentic Beijing and original recipes. The passionate and award winning chefs created Chicken Satay, Mr. Chow Noodles and Ma Mignon. One of the best prepared Beijing Duck dishes in the world, of course, is also on the menu. Very hip, trendy, and posh.
Estela – In downtown Manhattan, set one floor above Houston Street, Estela is a bistro at heart. They take familiar ideas and present them in new, satisfying ways.
Best Restaurant in Little Italy
Il Cortile – Since 1975, “The Finest Italian Cuisine In The Heart of Little Italy NYC”, is a traditional Northern Italian eatery with veteran waiters and a back garden atrium.
Best Uptown Restaurants for Lunch
Harry Cipriani 5th Avenue – This fashionable restaurant is almost an exact duplicate of the original Harry’s Bar in Venice. Its clientele includes New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world. The menu offers classics from Harry’s Bar and many Italian favorites. Most notably is the original Bellini and even more importantly, carpaccio.
Le Bilboquet – A chic French bistro and power lunch spot offering classic French fare. In addition, the people watching is outstanding. Dine amid high society at this Upper East Side social spot. Enjoy the celebrity crowds and bistro classics, including the infamous Cajun chicken. “See-and-be-seen” and dance the afternoon away!
La Goulue Restaurant – A treasured New York institution which has charmed restaurant and food lovers for more than a quarter century. La Goulue serves meticulously prepared French cuisine. The setting is chic and lively.
The Polo Bar – Ralph Lauren’s first ever New York restaurant is an elegant venue for classic cocktails and well-executed dishes inspired by the designer’s favorites. The grass fed beef comes from his ranch in Colorado. Draped in equestrian nostalgia and painted in country club green, the food is simple.
Best Downtown Restaurants for Lunch
Cipriani Downtown – Located in lively Soho, Cipriani Downtown, is a more casual version of Harry Cipriani. They feature classics from Harry’s Bar in Venice and traditional Cipriani service. Beautifully designed and showcasing a variety of artwork, the restaurant offers outdoor dining.
Gilligan’s at Soho Grand – A “Tiki-Chic” hotspot in Soho where the frozen watermelon margarita is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. There is a refreshing selection of wine and beers. The expansive outdoor space brings a taste of the tropics to Downtown Manhattan with a tropical décor and island food.
Balthazar Restaurant – This bustling, romantic brasserie serves traditional French fare from breakfast through dinner every day.
Le Coucou – Internationally acclaimed chef Daniel Rose brings his vision of classic French cuisine to New York City. The setting is stunning and glamorous. This rustic chic eatery serves up casual elegant food, without pretension.
Best Uptown Bars
King Cole Bar – Enjoy an aperitif in this legendary society club. Additionally, Maxfield Parrish’s masterpiece King Cole mural keeps watch on hotel guests and knowledgeable New Yorkers.
The Bar at Baccarat Hotel – Calm or buzzing with conversation, this 60-foot bar houses Baccarat’s collection of celebrated wine, stemware, and craft cocktails.
Bar Siene at Plaza Athénée – An intimate and alluring bar with an exotic decor. Here, you will find a finely tuned and extensive cocktail menu. Undeniably charming, classy and very romantic!
Salon De Ning at The Peninsula – Enjoy dramatic skyline views over Fifth Avenue at this uber chic and exclusive rooftop bar. As a result, it is one of the city’s most stylish and glamorous lounges.
The Rainbow Room – Bar Sixtyfive – Drinks with a stunning view! A New York institution in a glamorous landmark destination 65 stories atop Rockefeller Center.
The Bar Room at The Modern – A lively room with a vividly seasonal à la carte menu. It is located at the Museum of Modern Art. Indulge all of your senses at the sexy and sophisticated marble bar or, similarly, the adjacent lounge.
The Champagne Bar – The Champagne Bar is the most exclusive of the hotels dining venues and a favorite of today’s social set day and night.
Best Downtown Bars
Butterfly Soho – This lounge and bar is located in the Sixty Soho Hotel. It is a small, intimate, and eccentrically decorated. The living room is seductive and stylish.
Death & Co. – The most important and influential cocktail institution for serious drinkers and cocktail enthusiasts. Death & Co. is located in Manhattan’s East Village. This intimate bar serves the finest and most sophisticated craft cocktails. In addition, it is the winner of every major industry award. The best in the industry, Death & Co is also the birthplace of some of the modern era’s most iconic drinks.
Lobby Bar at the Bowery Hotel – A stylish and elegant bar where the drinks are absolute perfection. Furthermore, you can also enjoy a breath of fresh air and a cocktail on the lobby’s patio area.
Grand Bar & Lounge at the Soho Grand Hotel – Offering a selection of 50 rare American Whiskeys, this swanky bar is packed nightly. The downtown crowd is very stylish and, not surprisingly, complete with music, film, and fashion industry types.
Top of the Standard – An opulent lounge with dramatic 360 degree views. It is located in one of the city’s most iconic and upscale rooftops in the Meatpacking District. Furthermore, it is one of the most exclusive clubs in New York City.
Things to Do
Maria Tash – For over two decades, Maria Tash has been revolutionizing the fine jewelry and piercing industries by creating innovative designs. Maria Tash is the luxury piercing destination for influencers and tastemakers around the world.
Buttercup Bake Shop – Using the finest locally sourced ingredients, Buttercup Bake Shop provides the highest quality cupcakes and baked goods every day! The Red Velvet Layered Cake is, above all, divine!