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A New York Itinerary

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My itinerary for this year’s trip to New York was packed as tightly as my suitcase. With the winter season underway I set out to check out the top new places to go in this marvellous metropolis.

Sleep

The Nolitan – for downtown hipster accommodation, this hotel ticks every box. With cool design and detailing, I fell in love with everything about this place.

60 Thompson – classically understated, this luxury-driven lifestyle hotel in SoHo offers stylish rooms, the exclusive A60 rooftop bar and an elegantly exotic Thai restaurant, Kittichai.

Eat

Il Buco – A charming Italian restaurant where locals eat in the NoHo area. The homemade pasta is simple but irresistible.

Momofuku Noodle Bar – David Chang’s Momofuku restaurants are a revelation. The must-try Noodle Bar is Chang’s first venture, where the famous pork buns were once created. It is walk-in only, but the food is worth queuing for.

Minetta Tavern – Opened in Greenwich Village in 1937, this long established eatery serves up the most prestigious Black Label burger. The pampered patty is perfected and placed in a bespoke bun with caramelised onions, it is like no other, served with the finest homemade skinny fries.

Dominique Ansel –  Imitation cronuts are appearing in bakeries all over the world… and we have pastry chef Dominique Ansel to thank for this genius donut and croissant hybrid. On my first morning in NYC I awoke at 5.30 am to queue for the unique trademarked treat, I can understand why Ansel has been named “the Willy Wonka of NYC”!

Drink

Apotheke – Inspired by the history of apothecaries in Europe and influenced by Paris’ Absinthe dens, Apotheke is really special. Hidden down a damp and dingy street in Chinatown, this magical cocktail bar serves up creative concoctions in this eclectic emporium.

Bowery Coffee – This café is the epitome of the cool coffee culture in New York. Strong and creamy espresso is pulled from a Marzocco Strada and served to your specification. A must for caffeine lovers.

Shop

Madewell – An all American shop for casual comfortable clothes. It started out as a jean company in 1937 and has now expanded, offering anything and everything a NYC girl could need from boots to bags, accessories, dresses and cashmere jumpers, of which I was particularly fond.

Kiosk – A frenzy of fabulous objects carefully selected for their aesthetically pleasing designs from all over the globe. Enter through a graffiti-ridden doorway and make your way up the stairs to discover the world of Kiosk.

Creatures of Comfort – Showcasing a collection of cutting-edge, innovative, independent designer clothing from around the World. I spotted quite a few of my favourite brands including Acne, Repetto and Isabel Marant.

See

Kinky Boots – The hottest ticket in NYC, this flamboyant show will brighten up your day with its upbeat songs and unexpected storyline. With music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, it is based on the 2005 film itself inspired by a true story. Glitz, glamour and gorgeous shoes!

The Met Opera – This grand theatre produces magnificent productions of promising new work as well as the operatic classics. Tosca was beautifully interpreted and presented, a spectacular rendition of this popular Puccini tragedy.

Glasslands – See a band at this hip Brooklyn venue. We witnessed the quirky and shambolic Beets who produce a passionate, dramatic sound.

Basketball – Invest in a foam finger and head to the Barclays Center to support the local team, Brooklyn Nets. Be prepared to clap, shout and stamp your feet as the giant athletes roam the court.

Do

Whitney Museum – This museum has a focus on 20th and 21st century American art. The contemporary and trendy building is currently home to the bold and patriotic artist, Robert Indiana. His dazzling pop art pictures address those fundamental issues: love, death, sin and forgiveness.

Empire State Building – Climb this edifice to see the best views of the city. Terrifyingly high and amazingly exhilarating,  I recommend visiting at sunset as the queues decrease.

Jin Soon Nails – Renowned as one of NYC’s best nail salons, Jin Soon now resides at three different locations. I visited the West Village spa and was impressed with the selection of colours on offer, the efficient and kind service and the speedy and thorough mani-pedi I received. Slump in a sofa chair and sip your fruit tea while your hands and feet are simultaneously pampered, total bliss.

Brooklyn Flea Market – Found at two venues each weekend, in Williamsburg and at Fort Greene, this popular market satisfies the keen vintage scroungers of New York. Pick up some retro clothes, a one-off trinket or just wander and observe the intriguing collections. Foodies will delight in the scrumptious offerings like coconut chunky bonbons and Porchetta chicory salad with garlic dressing.

On Location Tours – Those interested in seeing New York’s most familiar film and TV locations will love the On Location bus tours. Join the bus for a three hour trip round the city with a fun informative guide and feel like your favourite screen star for a day.

Many thanks to NYC GO for their help with this trip and organising the CityPass (a necessity for any NYC tourist), and Virgin Atlantic for flight assistance.

Central & Co, Soho

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Nothing about Central & Co is very special. A conveniently located, reasonably priced restaurant-bar in Soho with a buzzing atmosphere, popular for after work drinks or a light meal with friends.

When we arrived at 6.30pm on a weekday evening, the venue had a pleasant ambience but a few hours later it was too noisy for me. The modern, laid back design encourages guests to relax and it is a welcoming place to come, with friendly staff and good service.

The menu features a range of British classics, focussing on seasonal ingredients and produce. The drinks menu has variety and flair, though my cocktail was a little disappointing, pretty but too strong.

We skipped starters uninspired by the selection on offer and went straight to mains: British beef burger, Grilled Flank steak and a summer salad to share. Nothing was particularly memorable, an average burger with an excess of red onion marmalade and huge heavy chips, and a tasty but standard steak, a tad on the chewy side. The salad was an attractive mix of colours and ingredients with roast tomatoes, green and broad beans, radish and croutons with Ragstone goat’s cheese, and was a nice accompaniment to our meaty mains.

For pudding we bravely opted for the beetroot and chocolate brownie, strongly recommended to us. It was moist and a good consistency, an impressive recipe, though the occasional chunk of beetroot was slightly off-putting.

For convenience this restaurant gets top marks, but with so many great cheap eats in Soho, Central & Co just doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

More information and book here: centralandco.com

Ember Yard, Soho

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The festive season is about feeling full, all the time. A strange time perhaps for the newest Salt Yard restaurant to open. But loyal to my favourite restaurant Opera Tavern, I felt compelled to try this new member of the collection ASAP. This Christmas, Ember Yard joins the Salt Yard family of Italian-Spanish tapas restaurants alongside Salt Yard (Goodge Street), Opera Tavern (Covent Garden) and Dehesa (Carnaby Street).

And so, after much haggling for a table, my best friends and I arrived at Ember Yard for our special Soho Supperclub Christmas meal. Much like the other eateries Ember Yard focuses on high quality, utterly irresistible Spanish produce (think divine Manchego and rich Iberico ham) and little plates of delectable fish, meat and vegetable recipes. As the name suggests, Ember Yard has an emphasis on chargrilling.

It is a familiar feel… dimly lit restaurant, cosy tables closely packed together and atmospheric bar stools for those who want to be closer to the action. The menu is much like the other restaurants, with a few of its own signature dishes. At Opera Tavern they pride themselves on their mini Iberico pork and fois gras burger, and rightly so, it is unbelievably good. In an effort to repeat this success Ember Yard have created their own interpretation: Smoked Basque Beef Burger with Idiazabal and Chorizo Ketchup. I loved it, though not quite as much as the sweet and indulgent Opera Tavern original. Other highlights included the silky tender Grilled Iberico Presa with rich Whipped Jamon Butter and Grilled Salt Marsh Lamb, with roasted aubergine and salsa verde which was an earthy and exquisite combination of ingredients. We found the Iberico Pork Fat Chips with Chorizo a little disappointing, the tangy ketchup is delicious but the chips were a little too dry and needed more seasoning. For a green kick the Seasonal Italian Greens with Chilli are a fresh accompaniment to the meat mains.

Desserts were tempting but we managed to resist on this trip, they will have to be a treat for next time. As expected the wine list is thorough and fine, the house white and red were both were exemplary and priced very reasonably.

Salt Yard Group have done it again. Unlike the locations of its other members, Soho is already filled with tapas style venues vying for your custom, but with food this good I have no doubt that Ember Yard will be a favourite in no time.

More information and book here.

www.emberyard.co.uk