A collection of awesome things to do in New York City.
- Radegast: German-style beer hall with a live (and lively!) brass band. Best enjoyed by the liter.
- Spritzenhaus: A more chilled-out version of Radegast. Less brass band, more card games at the table.
- Standard Biergarten: Another German-style beer hall, albeit several degrees less rowdy than Radegast.
- Amélie
- Anfora: Cocktails in an intimate ambiance.
- Vin Sur Vingt: Cozy, authentic-feeling French wine bar. The West Village location might be closed now.
- Skin Contact: Great selection of natural wines with some very friendly owners.
Hidden Gems
- The Garret: Hidden on top of a Five Guys. Walk towards the register and there's a staircase to the left. Great place to take friends who are visiting the city.
- Pineapple Club: Big fan of the mezcal ginger margarita. The drinks outshine the food.
- Proletariat: Craft beer bar. Very small, with maybe half a dozen bar stools.
- Berry Park: Nice rooftop, along with an indoor area with lawn games.
- Freehold: Can be a bit of a scene at times, but fun for groups.
- Union Pool: Allegedly used to be a pool supply store, because New York City is chock-full of pools. The frozen margs are tasty, and critically, very strong.
- Blind Barber: Surprisingly good cocktails. Ignore the people ordering vodka sodas and ask for a pisco sour.
- Employees Only: Not quite a speakeasy, but very minimal street presence. Great ambiance and decor, but can get crowded at times.
- Fig 19: Tucked behind an art gallery, albeit a very sparse one. Fun for groups.
- The Roost: Walk in through a coffee shop. Fairly good cocktails, great ambiance.
- McSorley's Ale House: Sawdust on the floors. An institution. Only two choices of beer: light or dark.
- Four Horsemen: Michelin-starred restaurant and wine bar with a great selection of natural wines.
- Meadowsweet: Delicious food with incredible service. The Venetian Spritz is very refreshing too.
- Nura: Modern food with a Mediterranean, Moroccan, and Indian twist. Get the bread sampler and the half chicken. I'm willing to bet that they receive a Michelin star within a year.
- The Bao: East Village soup dumpling spot. The mapo tofu is also tasty.
- Birds of a Feather: Spicy Sichuan food, best enjoyed family-style.
- Cote: Michelin-starred Korean restaurant with a delicious (and very reasonably-priced) prix fixe "butcher's feast" meal. Don't miss the cocktails either.
- Jua: Another Michelin-starred Korean restaurant, this one with a seafood focus. They do two seatings a night and the food is delicious.
- Kings Co. Imperial: Spicy Sichuan, even better than Birds of a Feather.
- MáLà Project: Contemporary Chinese restaurant. Spicy and delicious.
- Samurai Mama: Exceptionally good sushi for a reasonable price. Punches way above its weight class in terms of quality.
- Thursday Kitchen: Korean tapas. Impossible to go wrong with any of the dishes.
- Win Son: Contemporary Taiwanese restaurant. Impossible to go wrong with your order; everything on the menu is delicious.
- Jacob's Pickles: Large portions of comfort food. Be prepared to leave in a food coma.
- Tartine: Cozy French bistro in the West Village, great for brunch and dinner. Corned beef hash is a personal favorite, but it's hard to go wrong with anything on the menu.
- Corner Bistro: No frills, cash only.
- David's Cafe: The burger reminds me of In n Out.
- Alidoro: Delicious albeit pricey.
- Faicco's: Massive sandwiches. The italian special is my personal favorite.
- Katz's Deli: A New York City staple. Go for the pastrami, don't bother with the other meats.
- Best Pizza: Williamsburg pizzaria run by a classically-trained chef. A very solid slice.
- Cafe Panna: The best ice cream you'll ever have. Seriously, trust me.
- Oxomoco: Modern Mexican cuisine. It reminds me of fine dining in Mexico City. The pollo steals the show.
Contributions welcomed with ❤ please keep entries alphabetized
