Bars and restaurants
The Odeon, Tribeca
A true New York institution, the Odeon (pictured above) has been serving up French brasserie classics since 1980 – and the wall panelling and globe lights have been in place since 1932. The chefs keep it simple: burgers, omelettes, tartare and beef bourguignon.
Eel Bar, Lower East Side
The team behind much-loved Iberian restaurant Cervo’s opened Eel Bar in 2024. It takes inspiration from the Basque Country – plates such as gilda pintxos (anchovies and olives), spicy marinated fried mussels and hunks of fresh sourdough pair well with stiff Spanish cocktails.
Casino, Lower East Side
A lively restaurant with a menu paying homage to the French and Italian Riviera. Sip spritzes in the café or slip into a booth in the dining room for focaccia, carpaccio, plates of pasta and grilled fish.
Bemelmans Bar, Upper East Side
First opened in 1947, the Carlyle Hotel’s piano bar has preserved its old-world allure. Ludwig Bemelmans’s famous murals adorn the walls, red-jacketed bartenders whip up ice-cold martinis and, on raucous nights, patrons sing along to live music performances.
Atoboy, NoMad
With its exposed-cement walls, simple wooden chairs and matte ceramics, Atoboy is as unfussy as it gets for a prix-fixe meal. Its menu erupts with contemporary Korean flavours such as oxtail sooyuk with napa cabbage and chimichurri.
Mile End Delicatessen, Boerum Hill
This unassuming and traditional Jewish deli in Brooklyn draws loyal crowds for its Montreal-style bagels, chocolate babka, reuben sandwiches on pumpernickel bread and poutine, a nod to its Canadian roots. The restaurant cures and smokes its own beef brisket, too.
Karasu, Fort Greene
This discreet and cosy Japanese izakaya bar is tucked inside Walter’s restaurant in a chic Brooklyn neighbourhood. Expect impeccable cocktails and shared plates of tuna tataki and grilled shishito peppers, as well as heartier options such as fried chicken and udon carbonara.
Librae, East Village
Librae bakery owner Dona Murad-Gerschel’s childhood in Bahrain inspired her pastries, which also take cues from Middle Eastern, French and Scandinavian baking. Try the za’atar labneh morning bun, rose-pistachio croissant or tahini-and-chocolate-chip cookie with a steaming hot coffee.
Rynn, East Village
East Village restaurant Rynn, which sounds like the Thai word for “pour”, stands out in a crowded culinary field for its modern takes on classic Thai dishes and its pitch-perfect cocktails. Head here for noodles, fiery curries, slow-braised pork belly and cloud-light crab omelettes.
Penny, East Village
Raw bar and seafood counter Penny is the younger, sleeker sibling of downstairs wine bar and bistro Claud. Menu highlights include the Ice Box, a selection of raw oysters, clams and mussels.
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