EAST MEETS WEST
STAY: HOTEL 50 BOWERY LOCATED IN BUZZY CHINATOWN AND JUST MINUTES FROM THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, THIS BOUTIQUE HOTEL IS THE PERFECT CRASH PAD IN THE EAST, WITH JUST ENOUGH LITTLE LUXURIES – SUCH AS JONATHAN ADLER TOILETRIES AND A HAND-HELD STEAMER – TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE ONE VERY COOL HOME AWAY FROM HOME. 50 BOWERY; JDVHOTELS.COM
FOR THE GO EAST: BEST OF THE BRUNCH
L’ESTUDIO This popular Lower East Side spot is just as loved for its Instagrammable interiors and handcrafted ceramics as it is for its Latin- and Mediterranean-inspired menu, thanks to Argentinian chef-cumceramicist Fernando Aciar. 61 HESTER STREET; LESTUDIONY.COM PRUNE The only thing more legendary than the food at this East Village spot is the queues. But if you subscribe to the “the longer you wait, the better the food” school of thinking, rest assured you’ll be rewarded with a true New York-style boozy brunch menu, including no less than 11 distinct types of bloody mary. 54 EAST FIRST STREET; PRUNERESTAURANT.COM EGG SHOP As the name implies, most of the dishes here are egg-based, but don’t just expect the standard poached version atop an avo smash (though there’s that, too) – think egg with masala-spiced lentils, shaved broccoli and roasted sweet potato, or a scramble with gruyere and maple-cured bacon on a panini. Egg-cellent. 151 ELIZABETH STREET; EGGSHOPNYC.COM
TO GO EAST: MEET YOUR VEGETARIAN FRIEND
AVANT GARDEN As any vegetarian will tell you, restaurants serving up exciting meat-free fare can be hard to find. The menu at this East Village spot is small but based on shareable tapas, and you’ll easily find enough dishes that’ll make even the meat-eaters at the table happy. 130 EAST SEVENTH STREET; AVANTGARDENNYC.COM LALITO While not strictly meat-free, this new Chinatown favourite has a substantial vegan menu, meaning both camps can eat here and be satisfied. The vegan chicharrones (a Colombian dish usually made with pork belly) are worth the hype. 104 BAYARD STREET; LALITONYC.COM ABCV This plant-based outpost from the group behind the beloved ABC Kitchen also does take-out, so you can get your guilt-free brunch to go. Wash it down with one of the “vibrations”, restorative tonics with ingredients such as ashwagandha, Brazilian ginseng and kale that taste far better than they sound. 38 EAST 19TH STREET; ABCHOME.COM
FOR GO EAST: THE NEW YORK MUST-SEES
SHOPPING AT TIFFANY & CO. If there’s one tried-and-true New York indulgence, it’s shopping at the incredible Art Deco Tiffany & Co. store on Fifth Avenue, where it’s stood since 1940. Whether you have a taste for the classics or prefer to channel modern muses Zoë Kravitz and Elle Fanning with a piece from the new Hardwear collection, it’s all housed in this seven-floor flagship. If nothing else, it’s worth a visit to indulge in a Holly Golightly moment and peep The Tiffany Diamond (first discovered in 1877) on the main floor. CORNER OF FIFTH AVENUE AND 57TH STREET; TIFFANY.COM
A BELLINI AT HARRY CIPRIANI
Giuseppe Cipriani invented the bellini in his Venice institution, Harry’s Bar, in 1948, so sipping on the classic cocktail at this New York outpost is a must. The curtains that line the windows at the famed spot – which faces Central Park and is just a stone’s throw from fellow NYC icon The Plaza – are a sure sign that your fellow diners will be worth people-watching, too. 781 FIFTH AVENUE; CIPRIANI.COM
HITTING UP STUDIO 54
The glory days of disco may be long over, but you can still visit the home of 1970s New York’s most legendary nightspot (and the favourite haunt of Diana Ross, David Bowie and the Jaggers) – its spirit now lives on in its newest incarnation, as a theatre. 254 WEST 54TH STREET; ROUNDABOUTTHEATRE.ORG