This is the first post in my series “New York, New York.” New York City is one of my favorite places on earth. The food, people, activities, the city itself…EVERYTHING blows me away. In this blog post I am focusing on my favorite restaurants in New York City.
Milon Bangladesh Indian Restaurant
Alphabet City
93 First Av, 2nd Fl (Bet 5th& 6th St ), New York, NY 10003
http://www.milonny.com
This Indian restaurant is a hole in the wall, but its definitely the place to be. Casual dress, but the inside looks everything but casual. The decorations are amazing and the lights are stunning…all of this on top of the amazing Indian cuisine. *pro tip* tell them its your birthday
Cha Cha Matcha
Nolita
373 Broome St, New York, NY 10013
https://chachamatcha.com
Matcha is one of my favorite things (if you haven’t gotten that by now). This is a newer spot in SOHO, but they have definitely made their presence known. Along with other flavors, they have delicious matcha soft serve which is great in addition to the vast majority of matcha latte options on the menu. This is such a cute place to sit down and enjoy a matcha latte.
Eataly
Flatiron (several locations)
200 5th Ave
https://www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/nyc-flatiron/
Eataly has locations all over NYC and all over the country, but this location is a must. Not only are the restaurants amazing, but the grocery selection is unreal. If you are an Italian lover, Eataly is somewhere you have to go. Upstairs they have a rooftop bar and restaurant which is a blast. When I was there last they were having the “Summer of Rosé,” so we enjoyed a Rose flight on the roof. Really great place.
Bluestone Lane
Upper Eastside (several locations)
1085 FIFTH AVENUE
https://bluestonelane.com/cafes/upper-east-side/
This is a very quaint and cute breakfast/brunch location. On the edge on Central Park and near the Met, this is a perfect place to grab an early bite on the Upper Eastside.
Deux Amos
Midtown
356 E 51st St, New York, NY 10022
www.deuxamisnyc.com
This French restaurant is adorable. It has so much character that shows through every dish they serve. Every bite I had was incredible, and they had a great selection of wines. This spot is more of a hole in the wall, but do not ignore it when looking for a nice place to eat.
Emporio
Nolita
231 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
http://www.emporiony.com
This is one of my all time favorite spots. I discovered this little gem when on a food tour through Nolita (check the end of the blog for food tour information). All of their dishes are incredible, but the dish that sticks out to me the most is the pizza I originally had on my food tour. Thin crust, mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula and cherry tomatoes…the perfect pizza. Do not miss out on this special place.
MatchaBar
Meatpacking District
256 W 15th St, New York
https://matchabarnyc.com
MatchaBar is another one of my favorite matcha spots in the city. This matcha cafe is more low-key than Cha Cha Matcha, but the quality of matcha is much better. I could sit in this cafe for hours. The snacks and drinks are delicious, and they also bottle matcha which they sell country wide.
Tao
Upper East Side (multiple locations)
42 E 58th St, New York, NY 10022
taorestaurant.com
This restaurant has a special place in my heart. Although they have several locations, I prefer the one of the Upper East Side. The decor and vibes in the restaurant are unbeatable, and a great pairing to their extensive menu. This place is great for both lunch and dinner, but be sure to check out their outstanding lunch specials.
Megu
Meatpacking District
355 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011
http://www.meguworldwide.com
This Japanese estaurant is in the basement of the Dream hotel. It is dark, swanky, and a very cool place to eat. Their dumplings were featured in a Tasty Facebook video and I can say from first hand experience they are delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant.
I have always been in love with tea (again, you probably could have figured from the name of this blog). One of my favorite things to do in any big city is go to high tea, particularly in New York. My favorite two places are the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the Plaza Hotel.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Columbus Circle/Upper West Side
80 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10023
https://www.mandarinoriental.com/new-york/manhattan/luxury-hotel?htl=MONYC&eng=bing&src=local
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is gorgeous. High tea is served on one of the top floors, which overlooks Columbus Circle. Their tea presentation is stunning. They have delicious finger foods and a great selection of teas and cocktails. The Mandarin is my favorite spot for tea.
The Plaza Hotel
Central Park South
768 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019
http://www.fairmont.com
This hotel is a staple of the city. If you have never been to the Plaza while in New York, it is an iconic thing to experience. My first run in with the Plaza was from Eloise in the Plaza, a book I loved when I was young. Last time I was in the city I decided to try their high tea. It was a gorgeous room and such a great experience. I felt like I was in a dollhouse.
Balthazar
SOHO
80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
balthazarny.com
I had the best experience at Balthazar. After a morning of shopping in SOHO, I was lucky enough to snag a table. This is the type of restaurant that is always packed. They had a great menu and I absolutely fell in love with this restaurant.
Beauty and Essex
Lower Eastside
146 Essex St, New York, NY 10002
beautyandessex.com
This is another restaurant that holds a special place in my heart. I can confidently say it is in my top 5 favorite places to go in NYC. The front of the restaurant is an antique shop. You open a door and suddenly you are transported to the swankiest restaurant in New York. The entire atmosphere is unreal, I could stay there for hours. Head to the women’s bathroom for a secret champagne bar.
Fred’s at Barney’s
Upper Eastside
660 Madison Ave Fl 9, New York, NY 10065
http://www.barneys.com
I am not the biggest shopper, so I had no idea that this place existed, but I am so glad I found it. If you want to surround yourself with some of the richest lunch goers on the Upper East Side, stop into Fred’s. They have a very fine menu and the experience is exceptional. You will feel on top of the world while dining at Fred’s.
Little Cupcake Bake Shop
Nolita
30 Prince St, New York
http://www.littlecupcakebakeshop.com
If you have a sweet tooth you need to go to Little Cupcake Bake shop. Everything they make is so incredible and I gain 50 pounds just thinking about it. This bakery also has incredible coffee. Get the Brooklyn Blackout Cake and ask for the story behind it.
LAVO
Upper Eastside
39 E 58th St, New York, NY 10022
lavony.com
This restaurant is delicious. The menu is really outstanding and their venue is huge. Two of my favorite things are the 16oz meatball appetizer and the redfish. If you are looking for some fun after dinner, head downstairs to the LAVO nightclub.
Sarabeth’s
Central Park South (multiple locations)
1295 Madison Ave 92nd St
http://sarabethsrestaurants.com
This is one of my favorite brunch spots, mainly because it was on Gossip Girl (if you don’t know what Gossip Girl is, be cool and look it up). They have great breakfast and lunch options, and this location is great for you to hop on your bike afterwards and ride through Central Park.
The Bagel Store
Brooklyn
754 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
http://www.thebagelstoreonline.com
This is something everyone has to do at least once. Rainbow bagels have been all over the internet but don’t be fooled, this is the ONLY place you should get them. For the most part these bagels taste like any other mediocre bagel, but the photo op is worth it if you are in the Brooklyn area.
Big Gay Ice Cream
Greenwhich Village
61 Grove Street
https://www.biggayicecream.com
This ice cream place makes me laugh. Obviously they are very big supporters of the LBGTQ community and it shows in their name. All of this is great in addition to their unique menu. I got the blueberry cobbler ice cream sundae and it was awesome. I would definitely go back tot he Big Gay Ice Cream.
STK
Meatpacking District
26 Little West 12th St
http://stkhouse.com
This is one of the most fun restaurants to go to. If you are looking for a quiet and modest dinner, do NOT go to STK. There are locations all over the world, but this is by far my favorite STK location. The only way to describe STK is like eating great food in a night club. There is a live DJ in the restaurant and its a really fun atmosphere. I dont have a picture of the food, but I do have a picture of the DJ and me hahaha.
Street Bagels
everywhere
At least once you have to go into a street corner store and get yourself a bagel. They have these stores all over the city and for the most part they are all the same. My favorite is an everything bagel toasted with cream cheese. No worries, you will walk off all the calories when exploring the city.
Joe’s Pizza
Greenwich Village (multiple locations)
7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014
joespizzanyc.com
This is the best pizza in NYC and such a classic spot in the Village. I found this spot while on a food tour in New York and I fell in love. This is a little walk in spot but the pizza is AMAZING. You have to go to Joe’s when you’re in the city.
Lastly, if you are a foodie like me, you would LOVE the Foods of New York Tours. You can choose from a couple different tours, led by experienced foodies local to the New York City area. I have done all of the tours besides Chinatown, but Nolita has been my favorite by far. My least favorite tour was the Brooklyn tour and I would not recommend it. Other than Brooklyn, you can not go wrong going on any of these tours.
Matcha and More 
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