I recently went to New York for a couple of days and had a million restaurants I wanted to try. Here are the few I would definitely not miss out on if you are in NY over the holidays!
1.Momofuku Saam bar
Amazing Asian style food.
Where? East Village
What to get? The ham plate, great for sharing and very tasty
The pork buns, absolute shit show. 1 plate each absolutely necessary.
The duck is gorgeous, it comes served with butternut squash and cranberry. It really melts in your mouth (only served in the restaurant part)
Tips* Sit in Booker and Dax the bar attached to the restaurant. It has a more casual vibe and a smaller bar menu. Make sure to order a cocktail and cookie after your meal. To. die. for.
Random fact They give you a nice little rice shot at the end of the meal which will send you along your way nicely.
Reservation Show up and put your name on a list. Be prepared to wait.
Price range $$-$$$
Website http://momofuku.com
The famous pork buns
Gorgeous duck
2. Robertas pizza.
AMAZING pizza. Very New York vibe. Great music, atmosphere and always seems to be packed. We went to a Halloween party there which was very cool, DJ, bar and pizza all on the roof! Great party spot.
Where? Williamsburg
What to get? Pizza..
Tips Head to the Crown Vic in Williamsburg for drinks after, Irish owned, Irish staff, New Yorker’s local. The main bar man Aidan LOVES making custom-made cocktails even on busy nights, just ask him.
Reservation Show up and put your name on a list. Be prepared to wait.
Price range $$
margherita
Crown Victoria
3. Shake Shack
Literally the best burger I have ever had.
Where? Various locations around NY, We went to the one in Madison Square Park.
What to get? I went for the “Smokeshack” which is a cheeseburger with bacon and shack sauce and regular fries.
After, get one of their frozen custards. They were doing a Halloween pumpkin special and it was better than any Eddie rockets milkshake I’ve ever had.
Random Fact Shack shack have their own doggy treat menu so you don’t leave your little friend go hungry.
Reservation Just show up.
Price range $
5. Please don’t tell (PDT)
PDT is a speakeasy pop up in East village. Entry is through a vintage phone box in a “Crif Dogs” hotdog eatery who pride themselves on being “New York’s number 1 Wiener”. You go into the phone box and dial 1, a lady promptly answers where you tell her your reservation name and then all of a sudden the back of the phone box flings open and you are bundled in to a secret room. The bar is very swanky with low lighting a lots of dark corners. You take a seat , look through the extensive cocktail menu and make yourself at home. The highlight for me was the fact you can order from the Crif dog menu in the bar. You are essentially eating drunk food while getting drunk, It’s great.
Where? East Village
What to get? I went for the standard “Crif Dog” which tasted like the best thing ever with a few drinks on board. Order one of the seasonal cocktails, ask the waitress for the list of ones that aren’t on the menu.
Reservation You can make a reservation from 3pm on the day you want to go. Otherwise show up and be prepared to waaaaaait!
Price Range $$
4. Luke’s Lobster
Where? Various Locations around the city. We went to the one in the basement of the famous Plaza hotel where there is an amazing food hall.
What to get? The lobster roll. Exquisite.
Reservation Just show up .
Price Range $
5. Peter Luger Steakhouse
Peter Lugger’s has been voted New Yorks number 1 steakhouse for 26 years in a row. My boyfriend being a massive steak fan, this place was 1st on our list to visit. We saved it for our last day as a last supper before heading home. Stupidly we arrived very hung over and it probably wasn’t the best time to go but anyway!
Where? Brooklyn.
What to get? To start Luggers extra thick sizzling bacon, bursting with flavour.
Main Steak. There was 5 of us and we were ordered steak for 4. We were presented with literally half a cow on a plate. It was an absolute feast and a meat lovers heaven. The steak really was all it was hyped up to be. I just wish I wasn’t so hung over trying to get through it! I felt like a bit like man vs. food.
Sides Fairly disappointing. The potatoes were burnt and the spinach was kind of watery, the onion rings were good but not the best I’ve had.
All in all This is real place you go on a sunday with your family for a feast with lots of red wine. It is pricey and probably relies on its reputation a little too much as the service wasn’t great, but at the end of the steak was top class and that’s what it’s all about.
Random fact These guys have a cash only policy which is gas as you are spending at least 70 Dollars a head, pretty genius though and no one seems to be complaining. Lots of mafia looking heads and couples who look like they’ve been coming here for the last 50 years floating around.
Tips Do not go hung over. Do not eat much before. Mental preparation is necessary.
Reservation Essential
Price Range $$$
7. Pick of the week : Beauty and Essex
I Cannot describe how amazing this restaurant is in a few sentences. Everything is completely over the top and fabulous- the food, the decor, the people, the atmosphere yet it still managed to seem completely unpretentious. A chandelier drops from the top floor to the bottom down a winding stairs, this place has gossip girl written all over it. No runners or casual wear allowed. Lots of beautiful people schmoozing and unashamedly taking selfies. The service and attention to detail was second to none.
Where? East village
What to get? What not to get! There are 5 sections to choose from; Raw, Jewels on toast, The main event, The accessories and of course not to forget the desert section. We ordered a selection of dishes across the various sections and were served them “as ready” in a tapas style meal. Below are pictures of my favourite dishes. The tomato soup dumplings were the best dish by far. I have never tasted that combination of flavours before and it really was mouth watering.
Random Fact The ladies bathroom consists of full length mirrors, couches, music, expensive hand cream and a lady handing out champagne .This room was a social event of its own and I almost didn’t want to leave.
Reservation Essential
Price Range $$$
You simply cannot go to New York without visiting this Gem, Even if only for a $15 dollar cocktail.
Entry through the pawn shop!
Grilled cheese, smoked bacon and tomato soup dumplings, Butternut squash salad
Jewels on toast
Crispy eggplant pizzetta
Lobster mac and cheese!
Mini cupcakes for desert
New York is certainly the place to go if you are a foodie like me, though be prepared to loosen your belt after the week!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Good Mood Food 
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