Where to eat in New York

During our 9 day pilgrimage to New York, we toured a bit of the restaurant scene. Some of them were recommended by food blogs, some of them we discovered while walking and some we chose just because they were close to our location.

Day 1 Midtown area

***To see in the area: Times Square in the night, Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, Broadway Buzz.

Island Burger &Shakes 766 9th Ave (between W51st and W52nd streets) With only 11 tables and an impressive menu of burgers, they serve the best burger we ever tried. To be all washed down with a yummy Vanilla Shake for the ultimate comfort food.

Ellen's Stardust Diner 1650 Broadway (Broadway corner with W51st street) Singing waiters, diner food and excellent ambiance. Take your time as you will usually find a queue to get in.

Lucy's Corner of W34th and 8th Ave. Sit down for a Mojito Pitcher $34 on the upstairs terrace. Good music, however the waiter will not serve you unless you present photo ID and a valid credit card that they will hold on to until the final bill is settled. The staff told us that many people run away without paying, however they billed the CC even after we told we want to pay cash. No tip there.

Day 2 Tribeca and SoHo

***To see in the area: Stroll the small cobble streets of SoHo, see art galleries and small shops, observe the architecture of the old warehouses turned luxurious lofts.

Antique Garage 41 Mercer Street (corner of Mercer and Grand St.) Vintage decor and cozy atmosphere, an old garage turned into a restaurant. Great salads, sandwiches and pizette for lunch, with a nice selection of cocktails. Loved the small touches, like the bill brought into a vintage biscuit tin box.

Cafe Borgia 161 Prince St. A stop on the terrace for an iced coffee and people watching. Efficient service and nice ambience. Cross the street to Vesuvio Bakery (160 Prince St.) for an Italian Biscuit, sworn to be the best in the neighborhood by our next table SoHo-lians companions.

Day 3 Downtown

***To see in the area: Trinity Church, New York Stock Exchange, The Bull. A must visit to Century 21 (22 Chambers Street) the ultimate discount designer shopping. Crazy crowds fighting for the best deal or last piece. Long queues for fitting rooms, so a light attire and possibility to try stuff on over your clothes makes a big difference. Got a Kors jacket priced at $350 for $37. Ohhh yeahhhh!

Stone Street Tavern 52 Stone St (between William and Broadway) Have lunch at the tavern, a nice alternative to the all too many pubs and steakhouses in the Financial District. We sat outside, on the street terrace and shared a table with some suits. Eavesdropping made it all worth it.

H&H Bagels 639 W46th St (cornet with 12th Ave) Open 24hrs and known to be the best bagels in New York. We had ours with 'everything' (a signature spice) fresh from the oven.

****Head down to TKTS Booth in Times Square (www.tdf.org) on Broadway between 47th and 48th St to purchase last minute tickets for Broadway shows. We got ours at 50% discount. Finally we saw our Broadway Musical, Sister Act playing at Broadway Theatre. Once in a lifetime experience, a must if you visit New York.

Day 4 Midtown, New Jersey and Little Italy

***To see in the area: Mulberry Street, Union Square, Lafayette St.

Ruby Tuesdays 7 Times Square (between 42nd and 43rd St) A classic American Diner, with Surf 'n turf, burgers and mac and cheese. Portions are huge and a bit overdone on the greasy aspect. Healthier choices available from the salad bar or a mixture of sides (grilled veggies). Quick service and convenient location.

Torissi 250 Mulberry St A real Italian journey into food in Little Italy. Fixed dinner menu of 4 mini appetizers, a pasta course, a meat/fish course and desert. Everything was delicious and the service was impeccable. It does not take reservation, so once announced in the restaurant you will get a timing when a table becomes available. We only had 1 hour to wait and it was a queue when we got there. Loved every single bite.

Day 5 Upper East Side

***To see in the area: Museum Line, Central Park, Madison and Park Ave.

Brasserie 360 200 E60th (between 2nd and 3rd Ave) Open space with big windows, pretty good for an easy lunch and people watching. We had a very quick soup and salad as we were on a waiting list for Serendipity 3.

Serendipity 3 225 E60th (between 2nd and 3rd Ave) Home of the famous Guinness World Record Golden Opulence Sundae worth $1000. We did not have that, however we indulged in 'Can't say no' Sundae and a butter pecan milk shake. 

Day 6 - Upper West Side and Harlem

***To see in the area: Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Harlem Cathedral, Appolo Theatre

Tarallucci E Vin 475 Columbus Ave (between 81st an 82nd St) Easy dining of salads and paninis. Nice terrace at the street, however the service was very slow. Good for a bite before the Museum of Natural History.

Deluxe on Broadway 2896 Broadway (Harlem) Good ol' fashion American cuisine. Biggest burger we had so far, with a buildup of meat, sausage, bacon, cheese, sauces and pickles. Service was fast and the prices much lower than other areas of the city.

Day 7 SoHo and Midtown

***To see: just browse the streets of Soho. Midtown, Top of the Rock, breathtaking views of Central Park and Empire State Building. Architecture of the building also impressive.

Sanctuary T 337B West Broadway (between Grand and Broome St) Gorgeous tea house with a fantastic collection of teas. Good shop set-up and easy cuisine of salads and sandwiches. Loved it!

Famous Ben's Pizza 177 Spring Street (corner with Thompson St.) One of the best pizza places in Manhattan. Stuffed Pizza, Garlic Knots and Pepperroni Pizza amount the favorites.

Rink Bar Rockefeller Plaza in front of Rockefeller Building, same place where you can find the iceskating rink in the winter. Drinks and tapas during sightseeing breaks. A chance to see the suits of New York relaxing over a glass of wine after work.

Day 8 Upper East Side

***To see in the area: Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum, excellent real estate, Central Park, Madison Ave boutiques.

Cafe Centro 200 Park Ave (at MetLife Building) Power lunch of salads and sandwiches for the busy workforce in the area. People watching on the terrace, busy and noisy atmosphere. 

Serafina 29 E 61st Street (between Madison and Park Av.) Italian Food, the first real wood oven we saw and a good selection of pasta dishes. Good food, but nothing spectacular.

Day 9 East Village, Chelsea, Meatpacking District

***To see in the area: Art stores in the village, small theaters and wondering artist, High Line Park (14-23rd St &10 Ave), Chelsea Market.

Cafe Orlin 41 St Marks Pl. (corner with 2nd Ave) a true East Village cafe with large variety of organic teas, salads and all day breakfast. Terrace overlooking the St Marks Place, bohemian crowds passing by.

The Highliner 210 10th Ave (corner with W22nd St) An old diner turned terrace in the summer. Menu of salads, burgers and meats. Service was attentive and efficient, however the traffic on 10th Ave makes the atmosphere noisy if you sit outside. 

Balthazar Bakery Spring St (between W Broadway and Lafayette) Busy location, excellent morning bakeries. Grab a brioche and a coffee on your way to exploring the city.