Homey, comforting red-sauce joint with live jazz performances every night.
Elevated, inventive Korean food. In our opinion, one of the few tasting menus in the city actually worth a damn.
A Downtown institution. As worth it for the people watching as it is for the seafood tower and steak frites.
Outrageously good sundaes and affogatos. Get there early or expect to wait in line.
Great place to pop in for a scoop when you’re bouncing around Chinatown. We love the ginger and pandan flavors especially. Cash only!
Vibey and intimate. Seafood is the specialty here, but don’t sleep on the piri piri chicken.
Solid, reliable spot for dim sum in the heart of Chinatown.
Classic diner fare filtered through an Asian-American lens. Don’t miss the pancakes, the matzo ball soup, or the chicken katsu club.
It’s been around over a century for a reason. The architecture is majestic, the seafood is spectacular, the New York of it all is off the charts.
You can’t come to New York and not have a slice of real New York pizza, and Joe’s is as real as it gets. There are a few locations nowadays, but this is the original. Get a regular slice—just cheese, no pepperoni even. Trust us. It’s better that way.
Yang’s dad’s favorite restaurant in New York City. “Very good, good service,” he’d probably tell you.
A vibrant taste of Malaysia and Singapore on the edge of the Lower East Side.
One of our absolute favorite spots in the whole city—an unexpectedly perfect marriage of Korean and Cajun cuisines. It’s a tiny space, so be sure to make a reservation. We’d suggest going hungry and ordering the chef’s tasting menu, which is essentially one of everything.
Awesome Greek food, but the real draw is the crowd this place attracts. Sit outside and watch the scene unfold around you on the sidewalk.
A classic French restaurant in Midtown Manhattan that first opened in the 1930s, which was recently taken over and rejuvenated by the incredible team behind Frenchette and Le Rock. One of the best dining experiences we've had all year.
Top-notch, Middle Eastern-inspired pastries. Can get a little chaotic at peak hours.
If you still think English food is bland, this delightful bistro—with its gorgeous interiors, wonderful service, and thoughtful dishes—will turn you around on that completely. Paddington would be so proud.
Pound-for-pound the best ice cream in the city, as far as we’re concerned. Don’t shy away from the wilder flavors; we love the pineapple salted egg yolk and the salt & pepper pine nut.
When we started planning the wedding, one of our first ideas was to have a giant tower of Mei Lai Wah’s legendary BBQ pork buns as our cake. Sadly, we couldn’t make that happen, so you’ll have to swing by here and have one on your own in our honor instead.
Crazy fun, crazy delicious Japanese spot, specializing in handrolls. We suggest sitting at the bar and ordering as many of the XO scallop rolls as you can handle.
An OG dim sum restaurant that’s been operating out of the same space since 1920, with plenty of beautifully restored details in the dining room to show for it.
If you happen to be up by Lincoln Center to catch a performance, head to this updated neighborhood diner—with excellent renditions of favorites like meat loaf and tuna melts—for a bite before or after the show.
Sumer’s favorite restaurant in New York City. “Very good, good service,” she’d probably tell you.
Forget trying to score that elusive Carbone reservation and head to this marginally easier-to-get-in Italian joint instead. All of the staples are rendered exquisitely here: pizzas, pastas, parmigianas, calamari, salads.
Genuinely some of the best Thai food you’ll ever have in an exceedingly sick dining room. The crab fried rice is absolutely heavenly, but we actually especially love coming here for brunch—the breakfast sandwich, which comes wrapped in a roti, is next level. Also don’t sleep on the Baan Salad, hands down one of our favorite dishes anywhere.
Just a nice, simple neighborhood sushi spot. Everything on the wide-ranging menu is done to perfection.
If you’re dining with a big group, this is the spot to go. Incredibly fun atmosphere, unbelievably good food, and it’s BYOB. Make sure to order the King Crab Three Ways—you won’t be disappointed.
Sleek, lively French eatery with a killer wine list, top-notch bites, and a viral yellow cake that lives up to the hype.
One of the coolest restaurants around, serving up Cantonese-American food done right. The hup to ha, BLT fried rice, and cha siu McRib are all amazing, and the chow nai sundae might actually be the single best dessert we’ve ever had.
Quite simply the greatest sandwich shop in the world. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but our all-time favorite is the BBT (Bacon Broccolini Tomato).
Top to bottom, everything at this Mexican spot is crazy delicious.
Elevated Vietnamese cuisine in a fun, lively setting.
Seriously great wine bar and restaurant that just so happens to be owned by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy.
This place serves pasta that will literally change your life, but quite honestly, you probably won’t be able to get a reservation. (Unless you’re our buddy Alex Wong. If you’re really desperate to eat there try sliding into his DMs. Don’t tell him we sent you.)
Lillia’s slightly-easier-to-get-into, still-very-delicious sister restaurant.
We had our first date here! Incredible Filipino food, really cute backyard patio.
Probably the best tacos in New York.
A classic NYC diner. Get an egg cream and soak in the impeccable ’70s vibes.
You might face long lines on weekends at this Taiwanese-American bakery, but they move fast and are totally worth standing in. Everything here rules.
Worth the trek to Ridgewood for the wood-fired polenta bread, killer steaks, and perfectly-dialed dessert menu. Oh, and also worth it just to see the one kid who works there that looks like if Timothée Chalamet and Finn Wolfhard had a baby (we call him “TimFinn”).
There's a gorgeous new wing here, which currently houses an extremely sick exhibition of hip-hop jewelry.
A great indie movie theater showing rare, off-the-beaten-path films you won't see anywhere else.
An underrated museum with rotating exhibitions highlighting a variety of Asian cultures.
Ever heard of it? Of course we're going to recommend a stroll through Central Park, it is absolutely everything it is cracked up to be! Autumn in New York is simply magical, and there's no better place in the city to enjoy the changing leaves and crisp fall air.
Our favorite movie theater with beautiful midcentury architecture and the comfiest recliner chairs.
A sick design museum housed in a gorgeous old mansion.
A little out of the way, but this Met spinoff—brimming with epic medieval art in a tranquil, picturesque setting—is totally worth the journey.
The most iconic standup room in the city, if not the country.
Ever heard of it?
Ever heard of it?
Another gorgeous independent movie theater on the Lower East Side.
An intimate jazz bar with wonderful performances every night.
One of the most beautiful libraries in the world. We especially recommend going to see the Treasures Exhibit on the main floor, which includes rarities like Christopher Robin's actual set of Winnie the Pooh plush toys and original manuscripts by Maya Angelou and James Baldwin.
Whenever Sumer rides the ferry, she gazes out at the city and thinks, "Ahhhh, right. THIS is why I pay so much in rent every month." If you happen to be traveling between Manhattan and Brooklyn and there's a ferry route that makes sense for you, we'd highly recommend taking it!
If you're hoping to see the Statue of Liberty (without actually *going* there), we'd recommend taking a ride on the Staten Island Ferry for a beautiful view from the water. It's free, so don't let anyone try to scam you into paying for a ticket!
The most hilarious musical you're ever likely to see.
Where all of New York's best chefs and restaurants shop for fresh, local produce! October is peak time for a New York farmer's market. Grab a warm apple cider, apple cider donut, and a few Ludacrisp (yes, Ludacrisp) apples (Sumer's favorite!)
We were blessed to live next to Prospect Park for a couple of years, and Yang took Ziggy on many long, meandering walks through its trails and rolling fields. Definitely worth spending an afternoon here to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Really fun one for kiddos. Housed in a decommissioned subway station, you can walk aboard and explore every generation of subway car in New York's history.
An incredible chance to see the work of a design genius up close and personal.
Come for the epic collection of original Muppet paraphernalia, stay for the freaky behind-the-scenes look at The Exorcist.
Every time you drop into this expertly curated menswear store, you're all but guaranteed to stumble upon your new favorite label.
Great selection of new and vintage clothes, homewares, and records.
The world's trippiest department store. Floor after floor of beautiful, vexing clothing presented in beautiful, vexing ways.
A beloved NYC institution for offbeat dishes and tableware.
An outrageously cool selection of vintage books, with a special focus on art, design, architecture, fashion, and culture.