New York Eating

1. The Meatball Shop - Bedford Av, Brooklyn

2. My hot date.

3. Entrance to Employees Only - West Village, Manhattan.

4. Shack Burgers at Shake Shack - Theater District, Manhattan.

My friend Amy and I went to NYC last September, and I've been meaning to put this little list together for ages. When we left for New York friends threw piles and piles of recommendations our way, most of which were absolute success stories (thanks, legends!) This list is kind of an amalgamation of all those, plus the haunts we discovered while wandering the streets. It's by no means an exhaustive list, and you may roll your eyes because they mightn't be anything new, but these finds make for happy days indeed. Thanks to Ames for making the perfect table for deux.

BROOKLYN:

Restaurants (mostly in Williamsburg)

·         The Meatball Shop – One of the best meals we had in the US. The perfect example of choosing one thing and doing it really bloody well. The Shop is really casual and the party carries on until about 4am. Head here for simple yet mind-blowing meatballs with a kind of pick'n'mix menu (pick your ball, sides, sauce etc.) It’s an NYC institution and you CANNOT miss it.

·         Diner – One of the most exciting restaurants in Brooklyn at the moment, if there is a wait it will be worth it, their cocktails are fantastic.

·         The Brooklyn Star – Really great Southern-style snacks, think sweet-tea sours, shrimp’n’grits, the best corn bread this side of Mississippi and a really cool bar.

·         Pies and Thighs – Fried chicken. If you’re going to do it, do it here.

·         Five Leaves – Run by Australians, the brunch ain't bad at all. They have $1 oyster happy hour in the evenings too, epic BLTs for lunch.
·         Bakeri – Cute Dutch-style bakery near the waterfront.

·         Blue Bottle Coffee – Amazing cold-drip New Orleans-style iced coffee. There's a huge roastery inside the venue and a permanent weekend wait, but they're friendly and the coffee really is good.

Bars in Brooklyn:

·         Pete’s Candy Store – Not far at all from The Brooklyn Star, it’s a cool dive with live indie bands every night of the week.

·         Night of Joy – With a rooftop strung with lights, Night of Joy is what your grandma's house would look like if you turned the kitchen into a bar. It's also around the corner from the above.
·         Brooklyn Brewery - Always packed and kind of touristy but it’s in a cool area near the waterfront and you should try and see it if you can and buy your dad a t-shirt or something.

Markets:

If you’re in Brooklyn on a weekend, head to Smorgasburg food market on Saturday, it's a curation of the best street-food in the whoooooole woooorrrrrld. It’s on the Williamsburg waterfront and overlooks the Manhattan skyline. The flea market is on Sundays in the same location.

MANHATTAN:

Restaurants:

·         Café Gitane in the Jane Hotel is wonderful for breakfast or a late-afternoon wine or something. There is a really cool bar in The Jane too, lots of moody lighting and velvet chaises.

·         Victory Garden frozen yogurt in the West Village is delicious too, salted caramel frozen yogurt made from goat milk! Win.

·         Balthazar – Obvious, I know. But it’s still got it. Get a steak or moules frites and pretend you're rich and fancy.

·         Momofuku Ssäm – The hyper little sister of the MF family. We actually seriously over-ordered here and were SO full we couldn’t move. But make sure you get the duck! And the country hams, they are like no other. And the pickles, and the pork buns, and everything...

·         Momofuku Milk Bar – Opposite Ssäm. Cookies, cereal milk ice cream, crack pie - legendary.

·         Shake Shack - The burgers! Maccas-ish, perhaps. But they’re famous for a reason, you have to try one at least once.

·         Prosperity Dumpling. Tiny place in china town and could be the cheapest dumpling hit you'll find. Only around $2 for 12 pork and garlic chive dumplings. A hangover haven.

Bars:

·         Employees Only – Set behind a fortune teller shopfront, push past the heavy velvet curtain to enter. EO is one of the best cocktail bars in the world and that is NOT a Sophie Exaggeration, it's TRUE. Their signature dish is a hand-cut steak tartar with crostini which is mixed with spices, sauces, pickles and capers at your table. Try and sit up at the bar if you can, that's where all the action is.

·         Please Don’t Tell – At the back of a hot dog shop. Walk into the phone booth, pick up the phone and dial one, the back of the booth will open into the bar, crazy cocktails with fun novelty value. Curry martini anyone?
·         For wine head to Terroir, it’s got one of the most dynamic lists in the city, the owner is a bit mental but he’ll find you something wacky to try.