Upper East Side, Manhattan
For: The greatest burger in New York City – we’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. Come here any time of day, bring cash, and don’t forget to add on cottage fries and a martini.
Upper East Side, Manhattan
For: an opportunity to blend in with Upper East Side locals. This place is somehow at once rough around the edges and also fancy? We prefer to sit at the bar, listen to some gossip, and enjoy a cobb salad. Once again, this place pairs well with a gin martini.
East Village, Manhattan
For: McSorley’s is an East Village institution. Sawdust on the floor, burgers with thick rings of raw white onion, and of course when you order one beer they give you two. This place can get rowdy so early on a weeknight is recommended.
Clockwise from left: Donohue's, McSorley's, JG Melon
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Union Square, Manhattan
For: the saving grace of Union Square. Had enough street performers and chess players? Head to Old Town which is appropriately OLD - the building dates back to 1892 - then get a German pilsner and a burger.
Red Hook, Brooklyn
For: A good time at the end of the world. Sunny’s sits at the very edge of Red Hook and feels truly from another time. One of our favorite things Sunny’s does? An open-to-all folk music jam every Sunday afternoon. Once again, bring CA$H.
West Soho, Manhattan
For: Okay Ear Inn is also at the edge of the water, but this time in Manhattan. No matter the day of the week, Ear Inn is packed to the gills full of locals savoring the last taste of old soho – replete with Irish patrons and employees.
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
For: High ceilings and chill vibes. Brooklyn Inn occupies a wonderful space where it’s perfect for a catch up drink with friends and the perfect closer to a romantic evening.
Clockwise from left: Old Town Bar, Sunny's, Ear Inn, Brooklyn Inn
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Upper East Side, Manhattan
For: Bemelmans Bar inside the Carlyle Hotel is absolutely legendary. Luckily for us all, the TikTok-induced rush of 2020 has died down, and Bemelmans retains what always made it great: live piano and stiff drinks.
Midtown Manhattan
For: Oysters and Cocktails, weekdays only. Grand Central Oyster Bar has a long and storied history and we hope it’s always a part of the station which serves as the heart of New York (which makes the subway its arteries?)
Tribeca, Manhattan
For: The Odeon has always been a place you go to for the scene – even back in the days of Andy Warhol (who was a regular.) We love to hit the Odeon for a drink and fries in the bar area after a night of Thursday gallery openings in Tribeca.
Clockwise from left: Bemelmans Bar, Grand Central Oyster Bar, The Odeon
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Midtown, Manhattan
For: the right restaurant in the wrong place, Keen’s defies what you might expect for a place located on the corner of 36th Street and 6th avenue. This is maybe the most overtly masculine spot on this list: there are pipes hung from the ceiling and they are known for mutton.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
For: Williamsburg's oldest and most famous restaurant. Peter Luger's has been slighted in ahem a certain paper as of late, but we still love the ol' place. Best yet? They're open 365 days a year, so long as the Subway is running. Bring cash!
Downtown Brooklyn
For: There are so manby reasons to love Gage & Tollner: the Parker House Rolls, the raw bar, pastry chef Caroline Schiff, the sorta secret Tiki Bar upstairs. But, like many of these places, we keep coming back for the old world charm (and great martinis.)
Soho, Manhattan
For: The famous burger - of which there are only 12 per night. Don’t worry, for the rest of us (who manage to get in) there is still a great selection of steakhouse favorites.
Clockwise from left: Keen's, Peter Luger, Gage & Tollner, Raoul's
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Upper West Side, Manhattan
For: potato pancakes (off-menu), sturgeon (on-menu), and bagels (kind of a side). This place is bustling in a way that makes you nostalgic for the Upper West Side of Norah Ephron. May Barney Greengrass never remove their pay phone!
Flatiron, Manhattan
For: a sort of updated take on a classic New York Deli. When Eisenberg’s closed, 5th avenue wept, but when the folks behind Court Street Grocers took over the lease we all took a sigh of relief. S&P takes deli classics and touches no buttons except the quality knob which is now turned up to 11.
Upper East Side & Midtown, Manhattan
For: this is where locals go for the quintessential Jewish deli classics, not K**z’s. Order the a half of a hot pastrami with a soup, drink a Celery Soda, and cough up a little more dough than you’d like for an amazing lunch.
Clockwise from left: 2nd Ave Deli, S&P, Barney Greengrass
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Upper East Side, Manhattan
For: Elio’s has, as some would say, a great room. This place is always buzzing. The waiters dance a quick ballet shepherding trays of cocktails over the heads of unsuspecting diners. A good place to take your parents while they’re in the city.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
For: Italian with the feeling of…let’s say “family.” Bamonte’s is a no-nonsense red sauce joint, and it is absolutely correct in every way.
Left: Elio's, Right: Bamonte's
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