New York: NoHo
A girl can only dream of living on Bond Street.
Finally tackling New York and starting with one of my favorite neighborhoods. It might just be the smallest neighborhood in Manhattan, but it packs a punch. It’s also incredibly chic.
The Food
Jean’s — your one-stop shop for dinner and a great night out.
C as in Charlie — for fun, very reasonably priced, Korean-American tapas. Popcorn chicken in a popcorn bucket? Say less.
Elvis — and yap.
Atla — for elevated Mexican.
Gjelina — The Venice Beach favorite but in a surprisingly cool space.
Kyu — for a Japanese sweet potato that might just change your life…
This Bowl — from the Australian-based team behind Fish Bowl, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with sweetgreen.
Los Tacos No. 1 — if there’s a Los Tacos in the neighborhood, it’s going on the list. This one has a cart outside with breakfast burritos in the summer.
Bar Primi — for reliable Italian.
Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria — for a plate of cured salami, a glass of wine, and a possible celebrity sighting.
Raf’s — for if you want to feel like you’re in France for the day, and an incredible roast chicken.
The Must-Dos:
In a city where restaurants can fluctuate from trendy to irrelevant in the span of a month, Bond St has done the impossible — it has remained cool for more than 25 years. This is partially because it’s located in a three-story brownstone, unusual for a swanky Japanese restaurant but critical to its charm. It’s mostly because of the outstanding food, from the tuna tart to the crispy rice. The lychee martini is a standout at the bar, the rare restaurant bar that’s worth going to even if you’re not eating.
The Nines screams New York. It’s a piano bar, but the pianist is playing jazzy covers of all your favorite songs. It’s fancy, but not stale (the carpet is cheetah). It has a great burger, but also a $100 caviar potato. It’s the younger, cooler sister of Bemelman’s. But the most New York thing about it is that you usually can’t get a reservation, making it even more sought-after.
This is one of the best and most unique Thai restaurants in New York, mainly because it specializes in Thai seafood. The coconut crab curry is a standout (for lovers of spice in particular), as is the crab fried rice, zabb wings, crispy rice salad and whole steamed fish. But if you only get one thing, make it the duck curry. It’s hard to go back to take-out Thai afterward.
The Bakeries & Cafes
Gasoline Alley Coffee — for an increasingly rare, true local coffee shop.
Lafayette — skip the viral cream-filled croissants but see what else they have in the to-go case…
Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee — most people don’t know about the hidden Jack’s inside the J. Crew men’s store on Bond Street. Happy Jack lovers rejoice.
The Bowery Market — currently housing Kettl, saving you a trip to Greenpoint for their matcha.
The Must-Dos:
You’ve probably passed by Cafe Lyria, seen a bunch of cool-looking people sitting outside, and wondered what brought them all there. It’s the iced Lyria. It’s also possibly the only Greek-themed coffee shop in the city (country?) and it’s one of my favorites.
12 matcha did just open, but it has already taken over the neighborhood. They are very serious about their matcha here. It is sourced directly from Japan and the team uses a very specific water filtration system to carefully craft each drink. The space is also beautiful. If you’re not a big matcha drinker, I hear the pastries and matcha ice cream are just as enticing.
The Bars
Jac’s on Bond — I could be in the minority but I stand by the caprese martini.
The Wren — head all the way to the back and go to the basement.
Rocco’s Sports & Recreation — another hit from the Garrett Group, a fun time day or night.
Acme — but of course.
Temple Bar — for martinis galore.
The Lobby Bar at The Bowery Hotel — for playing tourist.
The Shopping
Kith — for upping your streetwear style.
Dashwood Books — for a premier collection of photography books.
Reformation — I mention because it’s my favorite of all the stores in the city. Especially if you don’t like waiting for a dressing room.
goop — I have my feelings about Gwenyth. But I love heading to the back of the store to see what home goods and beauty products she’s into lately.
Dienst + Dotter — in a neighborhood rich with galleries, an antiques gallery specializing in Scandinavian design.
The Honorable Mention
Great Jones Spa — for a full menu of reasonably priced services, and the water lounge.