“So good they named it twice”

As Gerard Kenny used to sing in 1978: “so good they named it twice”. Without a doubt one of the most kick ass cities in the world! The inspiring architecture is one of the few things that shows what the people living in this vibrant city are capable of…you already know what we are going to be discussing here: no empire state building, no statue of liberty and no Museum of Modern Art. For this tour, we selected the best that New York’s hospitality industry has to offer! The hottest venues, secret bars and of course…the best drinks! Because we know what it’s like to get lost due to some heavy drinking, we created a google map with directions for your convenience.

Day 1

We will start our tour at a very “New Yorkish” place which reminds of the television series Friends: Once Upon a Tart (135 Sullivan St). We are not going here for the looks, nor for the drinks. We are going here because this places breathes New York. The atmosphere is phenomenal. New Yorkers go to this place for…pie! Pie? Yes! Pie! This place has the best pies that we have EVER tasted (loved the chocolate-pear tart), so sit down eat eat as much as you can because after this we will hit the gas!

Now, we will go to the Hudson Hotel. Make sure you look appropriate and you bring the big bucks, because this is the place to be seen! Ian Schrager’s The Hudson Bar (356 West 58th Street) is one of New York’s hottest nightspots from the moment it opened. The bar features a lit glass floor, arty-furniture and a hand painted ceiling. The place made us think of Napoleon and Star Wars at the same time…chique vs. modern, this dazzling venue is decorated in a riotous collection of styles. It is the perfect place for drinks, lively conversation, people-watching, and experiencing the undeniable excitement of New York. We could understand if this venue makes you get lost in time, though we have more to explore!

The next stop is Cafe Orlin (41 St Marks Pl) for dinner. This cozy restaurant in East Village is about the opposite of the Hudson Bar: laid back and casual. We loved the I-Don’t-Have-To-Do-Shit-Tonight ambiance, the place feels like it’s Friday everyday! Make sure to drink some wine and enjoy the ride!

If you want to enjoy a dinner closer to the Hudson Bar another option is the exclusive Tao Restaurant. This restaurant offers fine asian cuisine at 58th street.

As most people think that the best places are well known, this bar is is not! We thought that this is without a doubt the best that New York has to offer: Milk and Honey (134 Eldridge street). Milk & Honey New York is the sister of Milk and Honey London and is located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Entrance is by referral and appointment only. Many New Yorkers assume that Milk & Honey is an urban myth but it actually exists! The entrance makes you feel like you are at THE WRONG PLACE, but this is far from reality. Behind the silver entrance door, guests experience what the hospitality industry is all about! The first of the house rules is: “No name-dropping, no star fucking.” which already indicates what type of clientele this bar has. Combined with cocktails that makes you wonder if you are still on planet earth and an atmosphere that makes one feel like living in the ’30-ies, this place deserves to be visited only by those who can really appreciate the business of hospitality.

Since there is no place like this place, we figured that (if you manage to get in) Milk and Honey will be the end of day 1, might you feel like you haven’t had enough? Rock them bars and drink till you drop… for more clubbing advise read below at the end of Day 2.

Map

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Day 2

Since you might have a headache from last night, let’s have a decent lunch! We have 2 options: Option number 1 is located in Soho, the cultural center of NYC. The restaurant we are visiting is Balthazar (80 Spring St). This masterpiece reminds it’s visitors of strolling Paris. This French-Style restaurant is one of the most popular in NYC and listen to this: It’s worth a visit! Make sure to make reservations because we can already tell you that it is impossible to get a table at Balthazar without it. Go for the duck confit, grilled brook trout or a warm goat cheese and grilled vegetable salad! Bon Apetit!

Option number 2 is Ellen’s Stardust Diner (1650 Broadway) which is located close to Times Square. Ellen’s Stardust Diner has that typical 1950′s nostalgic American diner interior, good food and… singing waitstaff. An Xperience not to miss!

Now let’s get back to business…after all we are not here to eat, we are here to drink . Trinity Place (115 Broadway) is located near the WTC. The setting? This restaurant and bar is located in an old vault. It is the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of the weird world in which bankers and stockbrokers live. Make sure to be there around 5-6pm since this is the time that those guys stop working and don’t want anything else than to get wasted! (YEAH!) Take a seat at the bar and order some tequila, only for yourself? Of course not buy those guys a drink and see what happens…Why the fuck not?

Now that we are back online, feelin’ it and rockin’ it, grab a cab (or a limo) and head off to another awesome Ian Schrager style hotel with hip bars and a club: The Gramercy Park Hotel (2 Lexington Ave). We were impressed by the lightbulb ceiling at the rooftop bar. Make sure to make a reservation for The Rose Bar and Jade Bar after 9 pm. These bars have a unique atmosphere with baroque style interior design and edgy sophistication one would find in an artist’s studio or home.

After a couple of cocktails at the Gramercy Park Hotel our next visit is the meatpacking district. In 1900, Gansevoort Market was home to 250 slaughterhouses and packing plants,but by the 1980s, it had become known as a center for drug dealing and prostitution, particularly transsexuals. Beginning in the late 1990s, the Meatpacking District went through a transformation. Now the area offers high-end boutiques, young professionals, hipsters and god-damn brilliant bars. This is not only “the place to be” but also “the place to spend” in New York!

Go for a fancy cocktail at the Gansevoort Hotel’s Plunge Bar & Lounge (18 Ninth Ave) and feel the vibe. As you might have guessed by the looks and feel of this hotel, it is another creation of Ian Schrager. The VIP-like surroundings are tremendous and the view over the meatpacking district is one not to miss!

Now what? This is the meatpacking district…so many options, not enough time…Dinner? Buddha Bar is one of the many options…nightlife? plenty! Check out Tenjune, One, G-Spa, Cielo, APT, Level V and so on. Should we mention anything in particular? Nope, stroll around go clubbing, get wasted.

“New York, New York, so good they named it twice!”