A Manhattan Drinking and Dining Report
Notes from a New York first-timer: part three.
Given I’ve racked up a grand total of five days in New York in my lifetime, I won’t pretend to be an authority on the hottest places to eat and go out in the city. What I will say is that through a mix of recommendations from trusted sources, my friend Costanza from Condé and I managed to put together a decent list of spots to hit up, with a little room for spontaneity, and we left satisfied. A few days into the trip, I actually met up with the PR for Hotel Chelsea and her recs were already on our radar; it turns out her very slick, fashion-adjacent agency repped most of them. You could say this was a sign that Costi and I were tuned in to NY nightlife, but I think it mostly means they’re good at PR.
Anyway, here’s where we ate, drank and (in Costi’s case) danced in Manhattan.
The Lobby Bar at Hotel Chelsea (Wednesday and Thursday evening)
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, there’s no better measure of a good hotel for me than whether it’s packed full of locals. The Hotel Chelsea’s Lobby Bar seemed to attract more New Yorkers than guests – interesting and well-dressed ones at that – and it basically became our pre- and post-dinner spot. It’s at its best during the week.
Café Habana (Wednesday evening)
Recommended by Costanza’s New York friends. This unpretentious Cuban-Mexican spot in Nolita feels like a hidden gem but given that it was chockfull on a Wednesday night, I’m going to assume it’s not. They proclaim their corn-on-the-cob, dusted with cotija cheese, is ‘the best in the world’ and I’d be inclined to agree. It also serves tacos, burritos, tortas and generous plates of rice and beans, as well as tortilla chips and tostones with guac. We ate well and cheaply, and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
Raf’s (Thursday lunchtime)
Raf’s is a tasteful European-style bistro on a NoHo side street that recently featured in the New York Times and appears to not have been ruined by it yet. (If anything, lunch hours were quiet.) We were the youngest in there – I’d say the crowd averaged 40s, which I personally prefer because you know they’re there to simply enjoy the food and the ambiance, not create content. The service was friendly and the dishes were truly delicious – I had the tuna tartare, a decadent cheeseburger with fries and a harissa chocolate cake (with a candle). I couldn’t have picked a better spot for a birthday lunch, if I do say so myself.
Café Zaffri at The Twenty Two (Thursday evening)
There was a lot of deliberating over where to do the 30th birthday dinner. It needed to be celebratory and glamorous but not prissy. Classics such as The Grill, The Odeon and Indochine were all on the shortlist, but eventually Café Zaffri won out. It’s within New York’s just-opened outpost of The Twenty Two and has the same sultry interiors, lacquered finishes and bartenders in white dinner jackets as the one in Mayfair. You could tell off the bat that it’s a spot to see and be seen, and the clients on the night appeared to be disproportionately ‘high-end gays’ (my preferred crowd) and hot people. On that account, my expectations of the food weren’t sky high, but it was genuinely delicious (specifically the ‘breads and spreads’, fried jibneh and veal sweetbreads) and not outrageously priced. That said, my friends were kind enough to swipe away the bill before I had the chance to assess the damage.
People’s (Thursday night)
People’s, which describes itself as an ‘evening club and art salon’, does a brilliant job of cultivating mystery, with a private Instagram page, entry ‘by appointment only’ and a no-photos policy. It’s located in a semi-abandoned townhouse in Greenwich Village and is easy to miss, if not for the 20-somethings in black smoking outside the door. I’d say it ranks among the best-looking bars I’ve been to – the third of the three rooms in particular is a gem – and the crowd is of the artsy-media-fashion variety (I clocked a New York It-couple on entry). A 30-something straight guy with a half-unbuttoned shirt also assured us it was ‘basically the hottest spot in New York right now’, although this sounded more like an appraisal of himself. The drinks were deadly strong (I could taste zero soda) and I’d describe the atmosphere as sophisticated and grown up – on a Wednesday night at least there was more chatter than dancing. I’d definitely stop by again, ideally when I’m less knackered and hayfevered.
‘A 30-something straight guy with a half-unbuttoned shirt assured us it was “the hottest spot in New York right now”, although this sounded more like an appraisal of himself’
Elvis (Saturday evening)
A teeny, ‘French-inspired’ wine bar that my friend picked primarily because it was round the corner from Jean’s turned out to be packed with good-looking 20- and 30-somethings, with even more getting turned away at the door. Honestly, I was quite ill and sleepy by this point and didn’t have a sip of wine (anything fancy would’ve been wasted on me) but I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the beef tartare and artichoke.
Downstairs at Jean’s (Saturday night)
Sadly, I was too poorly to make it out to what is supposed to be the party spot in Manhattan right now, and I returned to the hotel early. However, given that my friend Costanza didn’t get back to our room until 3am, it’s safe to say that Jean’s delivered on its promise. From her reports the morning after, she was met by ‘two of the biggest bouncers I’ve ever seen in my life’, and inside the DJ stripped off and she spotted a famous comedian. Her overall verdict was that it was fun and sweaty and not fancy. I know I’d have been miserable company had I stayed out any longer, but I still can’t help feeling a twinge of regret.
Further Reading
New York’s Pickiest Doorman Gets a Piece of the Action in The New Yorker
Where the Fashion Elite Meet to Eat in The New York Times
Why Members-Only Clubs Are Everywhere Right Now in GQ
Which New York Members’ Club Are You? in FT HTSI