New York City Travel Guide: What to Eat, Where to Stay and More

From affordable to luxury, family-friendly to romantic getaway worthy, we have some great NYC hotels, restaurants and shops for your next trip.

By: Felicia Feaster

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Eat, Stay And Play With Our New York City Travel Guide

New York always earns its nickname as "the city that never sleeps." Bring your appetite and plan to stay awhile; the Big Apple has everything visitors are looking for, from taco stands to five-star Michelin restaurants and wonderful options both high and low.

When you're ready to go, our travel guide to New York City has you covered. Read on for our picks for the best restaurants, hotels and things to do.

Hotel 50 Bowery

Located in an incredibly convenient (and increasingly hip cultural hub often referred to as Dimes Square) section of lower Manhattan that straddles the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Little Italy, Hotel 50 Bowery is in the center of all the action on the city's oldest street. The hotel may be an anomaly among mid-priced Manhattan hotels with an exceptionally friendly and accommodating staff and surprisingly spacious rooms, many with great views of the Manhattan Bridge with its glamorous Beaux Arts triumphal arch and colonnade and a rooftop bar for even more inspiring city views.

Koloman Restaurant and Bar

Named for the noted Viennese artist and member of the Vienna Seccession movement Koloman Moser, this Midtown restaurant is a gorgeous (and delicious) salute to design and Viennese cuisine. Celebrated chef Markus Glocker presides over Koloman's gorgeous restaurant decorated in keeping with the distinctive Secessionist style. The food is extraordinary including the pork schnitzel with lingonberries, duck liver parfait with toasted brioche and pastries in the French and Austrian traditions. The restaurant and bar are unpretentious and feel like a trip to Vienna without the jet lag.

Ace Hotel

With its unconventional vintage- and music-inspired design, Ace Hotel in New York City (attached to the exquisite Koloman restaurant) is not only a hipster haven but a budgetista’s dream. The lobby bar is a haven for hotel guests as well as the happy hour crowd, thanks to its warm wood paneling, buttery leather chairs and, of course, the cocktails. The dim industrial lighting and vintage flag add to the feel of understated cool.

Soho's Roman and Williams Guild

A design mecca for the latest in housewares and contemporary design, the gorgeous RW Guild shop and attached, impossibly stylish French restaurant La Mercerie in NYC's Soho is an inspiring stop for anyone who needs a beautiful gift or just a little inspiration. Featuring furniture, tableware, lighting, linens and one-of-a-kind artisanal objects, the space is the brainchild of world renowned husband-and-wife designers Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch.

The High Line

The booming west side of Manhattan is home to the High Line, a free, public park built on an old elevated line that overlooks the streets below. Elevators from multiple locations take you to this walkway, filled with art exhibitions, gardens (designed by world-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf and inspired by wild, self-seeding plants) and free programs for all ages and interests. Walk the High Line to the Chelsea arts district, home to blue-chip galleries like Gagosian, Lehmann Maupin and Mary Boone, fashionable shopping and eclectic foods at Chelsea Market.

Cutting Edge Work at the Whitney Museum of American Art

Conveniently located at the Meatpacking District's southern entrance to the High Line, the Whitney Museum of American Art offers some of the most challenging American modern and contemporary art in the world with changing exhibitions and a not-to-be-missed fifth-floor outdoor gallery featuring incredible views of the High Line and the city. The Renzo Piano-designed building is stunning in itself.

Shown here: the video "Your Eyes Will Be an Empty Word" by internationally renowned artist Coco Fusco featured in the Whitney Biennial.

Pearl River Mart

The multiple locations of New York landmark shop Pearl River Mart feature skincare, food and a plethora of other products, many of them created by Asian entrepreneurs. Putting forward the creativity of Asian talent and design was the intent of the original owner, Ming Yi Chen, and continues as the mission of his daughter-in-law, Joanne Kwong, a former attorney who now oversees operations at the Chelsea Market location (pictured here), among others.

Expanding the Scope of Beauty + Wellness

Vegan products, collagen-boosting jelly drinks and astrology-influenced beauty are all big trends at the Chelsea Market outpost of the iconic Pearl River Mart, which now devotes a section of its store to AAPI beauty products says Joanne Kwong.

Tuome

Prepare to have your mind blown with Tuome's combination of ambiance, food and a heavy infusion of hip at this stealth spot that has garnered raves from Zagat, The New York Times and Eater. Tuome is fine dining with an East Village rock 'n' roll edge and a playlist of Tom Petty, Zeppelin and the Stones that makes it feel like a party at your coolest friend’s apartment.

Laid-back but on-his-game accountant-turned-chef Thomas Chen is all about white-table touches but with a hip, unpretentious vibe and a memorable mix of food, blending Chinese and contemporary American influences. The servers know their stuff but seem more like the coolest people in your yoga class than the typical overexplanatory foodie fetishists.

Like so much at this creative, intimate spot, disadvantages become advantages: The lack of a liquor license doesn’t keep Tuome from concocting some of the most incredible wine and sake-based cocktails around. Fire in the Sky rivals any mixology-centric bar’s craft cocktail star with its spicy mix of sake, Thai chili and yuzu juice for the perfect balance of spice and sweetness.

You’ll want to start with the kind of appetizer that quickly knocks that chip off your shoulder about having tried every variation of deviled eggs (shown here) under the sun. Chen’s egg white is panko-coated and deep-fried, full of umami and not to be missed. A bowl of sautéed eggplant elevates this ubiquitous veg to new heights, and octopus served with a kind of brown butter and potato mousse siphoned out tableside is an opportunity to congratulate Chen for his work in person. An Asian-infused comfort dish, the chicken with porridge in a savory berth of rice is congee-meets-risotto heaven.

There’s only one dessert on offer (sweets are not Chen’s thing): Chinese beignets. I highly recommend you go for it even if dessert is not your thing. This is a supremely decadent take on beignets with a goat’s milk caramel sauce served in a squeeze bottle to make you master of your own portion and a smear of tart citron marmalade to cut the milky sugar rush.

Sparrow NYC

A woman-owned disruptor in the funeral industry, Erica Hill's Sparrow is a wellness shop featuring candles, cards, throws and other items Hill calls "comforting goods." Sparrow is redefining the funeral industry, but anyone interested in wellness, self-care and beautifully curated gifts can shop at the gift shop attached to Hill's 21st century funeral home concept. Sparrow is the result of Hill's own early experience with loss. For Hill, Sparrow is an extension of the wellness trend but at a deeper level. "I think we're working towards [thinking] about how do we continue to care for ourselves and others when loss happens?"

Empire Diner

This beautifully Art Moderne retro metal diner has stood on this spot in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan since 1946. The Empire Diner has weathered changes in food fashion, countless owners and chefs but finds itself in the solid hands of chef John Delucie who offers up a fitting menu of new classics (hello poke bowl) well-suited to this vintage gem. Globe light fixtures, subway tile and a bright, hip ambiance make the space as much a pleasure as the food.

You can’t go wrong with the basics here, which bring a foodie flourish to diner classics. The wedge salad loaded with tiny chopped-salad portions of avocado, lardons, slightly charred grape tomatoes and pickled onions crowning an enormous slice of iceberg sounds easy, but is a feat to pull off. The subtle blue cheese dressing never overwhelms this flavor medley, and the enormous steak knife planted in its center is both witty and the perfect answer to this big mountain of green.

And then there’s the burger: Fans won’t be disappointed with this tower of two beef patties ably supported by aioli and house-made pickles. Another clever take on one of the consummate American cakes, the coconut cake with caramelized pineapple is a fun, neat square (so coconut commands almost every forkful) reminiscent of a snack cake packed by a dream mom in your lunch.

And because hard-boiled New Yorkers of yore probably also needed a stiff drink now and again, this revamped cocktail bar has some big city power players like mezcal on the cocktail menu. The Bolt Bramble is the perfect blend of that smoky spirit, along with Ancho Reyes, cassis and fresh berry goodness to make you feel all is right with the world.

Boucherie

Like being transported to Paris, Boucherie, an atmospheric West Village bistro, is a great pick for some beloved French classics and wood-fired steaks. Boucherie chef Jerome Dihui is a veteran of another classic NYC French restaurant, Pastis, and the Art Nouveau aesthetics here are a mix of bistro standards with a grand New York twist. The cavernous space features a traditional behind-the-bar mirror that has gone Times Square supersized, and the exposed duct work gives the spot-on Francophile space (including the requisite tiny tables) an industrial vibe. An impressive selection of house cocktails centered on absinthe does justice to this idiosyncratic licorice spirit. Nailing that uniquely French blend of perfect, fresh ingredients and an artist’s touch, the salade d’auvergne with candied walnuts, a piquant Fourme d’Ambert and delicate greens is a memorably bright starter along with a well-executed steak tartare topped with a tiny quail egg. The trout almandine and steak frites au poivre are just the kind of solid renditions you’d expect at a high-end Paris bistro. The buzzing crowd both inside and at the café tables on the sidewalk makes you feel in the center of the action.

Yotel Hotel

Capsule-style hotels are big and the international Yotel chain's 42nd Street hotel, Yotel Times Square New York, offers rooms at 170 square feet. The spare, futuristic lobby, inspired in part by Japanese capsule hotels — with its self-service Ground Control kiosks and Yobot robot that stores guests' luggage — embraces the future-is-now, clean, streamlined aesthetic that Apple has popularized. Shown here: the Yotel Times Square lobby.

Red Rooster Harlem

A huge part of the Harlem foodie renaissance, Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson’s sophisticated Southern spot on Lenox Avenue is a new classic serving up the kind of satisfying salt-and-butter-and-cracklings goodness that makes the impromptu dancing to the hopping live band all the more necessary. Southerners craving a homey fix won’t be disappointed by Red Rooster Harlem's cornbread, so dense and rich it rivals a pound cake, and luscious mac and cheese better than your mother ever made (because she never enlivened it with brie or Gouda, for one).

If you’re aiming for over-the-top fun, try the Fried Bird Royale for two, a full-sized bird presented in its original glory before being whisked away for serving that comes with mac and cheese, biscuits and spicy honey. If it’s on the menu, don’t hesitate to order the jerk catfish with black beans, as satisfying a dish as they come. Street corn and Samuelsson’s mother’s meatball recipe define Red Rooster’s South-meets-global style where an equally diverse clientele makes everyone feel right at home. Shown here: Chef Marxus Samuelsson

Eloise Tea at The Plaza

Eloise is a mischievous little girl introduced to readers in Kay Thompson's 1955 book, Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown-Ups. Visitors to New York City's The Plaza can imitate that capricious child by making reservations to stay in a very pink room (her favorite color), shopping for Eloise-themed outfits, books and accessories or by reserving a spot for Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court. A tradition since the hotel opened in 1907, tea at this NYC landmark has inspired scenes in popular films and novels, including F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Enjoy a selection of Eloise-approved savories and sweet treats.

Junior's

An old-school Brooklyn classic, Junior's, a diner-with-a-twist, recently opened an outpost at 49th street in the heart of Times Square, and you can’t beat the location or the food for its thrill factor. With enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, vaulted ceilings, tons of neon and outsized portions, this is a belly-of-the-beast Times Square overload with a touch of retro Pulp Fiction attitude. Kids will love the center-of-the-action feel and the rock-solid food. Hamburgers come with French fries and onion rings (I love the chopped liver offering as a classic New York side), and there’s also an under-12 junior menu with can’t-go-wrong chicken fingers and grilled cheese for children who can’t diverge from the standards. There are New York-themed craft cocktails for grown-ups and house wine from the Red Hook Winery for some local color. Start with the delicious cultural mash-up of Reuben eggrolls, and by all means finish with an enormous slice of Junior’s famous cheesecake, shown here. One slice could easily feed a family of three.

Conrad New York Midtown

While many hotel gyms are cramped and feel like an afterthought, the Conrad New York Midtown boasts a 24-hour, spa-like fitness facility that's so spacious and cutting-edge that it makes you actually want to break from your sightseeing activities to hit the gym. Designed by David Collins Studios (whose motto is “global luxury architecture”), the gym features clean wood elements and large windows that let in plenty of natural light, as well as cardio machines (with individual TVs), an extensive collection of free weights and an airy stretching area. The gym also has a Kinesis wall, a four-station circuit that uses resistance cables. The Kinesis wall helps you work out smarter in less time because it allows you to combine cardio, strength and flexibility moves. Personal training sessions and in-room massages are also available.

The Carlyle, NYC

Known for lodging the rich and famous, the Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel in New York City, features apartment-style rooms, classic decor and ultra-comfortable pillow-top beds.

Prova Pizzabar

Located on the lower dining concourse of Grand Central Station, Prova Pizzabar is a great choice for harried travelers or Midtown-area tourists in search of some moderately priced Neapolitan-inspired square pizza where mom and dad can get a decent glass of wine and chill. Opt for the table service and indulge in the incredible garlic knots to start. The classic meatball pizza made from owner Donatella Arpaia’s heralded recipe is sure to satisfy everyone at the table. If you’ve got a train to catch, they’ll even set you up with a slice and an adult sippy cup of wine to go. Talk about taking the edge off a commute.

Tavern on the Green

While Tavern on the Green is not exactly wallet-friendly, it is very welcoming to families, with lots of menu items for kids and a charming umbrella-shaded outdoor eating area where small children will have a little more space to roam and enjoy nature, and you won’t feel so bad in the al fresco surroundings when they get loud or fussy. The Tavern staff is very patient and accommodating, and the food is much better than you would expect from such an Old World, tourist-clogged location, so parents can enjoy delicious fare in a historic location.

Brunch is an especially good choice for families. The savory-sweet complexity of a fig and goat cheese salad, eggs Benedict Florentine and organic salmon bathed in a chive beurre blanc with lentils won’t disappoint. If anyone gets too squirmy, the Central Park setting means an instant opportunity to let off steam before or after lunch. If everyone is good, order the decadent birthday cake: a multi-layer, rich pound cake with cream cheese icing and tons of sprinkles with a side of vanilla ice cream to make anyone feel like a kid again.

Freemans

Freemans restaurant serves simple, rustic food and the decor carries owners William Tigertt and Taavo Somer's theme to the next level. The dining room accents have an overall rustic quality, from the wood tables and chairs to the weathered timber flooring. Bare lightbulbs on narrow metal strips illuminate the room. The space's abundance of taxidermy kicked off the "hipster hunting lodge" trend seen in so many imitators today.

Casa Enrique

An unexpected Michelin-star-rated, postage-stamp-sized Mexican restaurant in Long Island City — what some are calling the “new Brooklyn” — with a lively bar scene, Casa Enrique is a definite reservation-required local hot spot. Service is great and the crowd is fun and chatty, maybe because they know they are about to experience some of the most satisfying Mexican foods and beverages in the NYC metro area. Expect solid standards like chunky guacamole with house-made totopos and amazing seasonal cocktails like a watermelon mojito. Authenticity is a big deal here, with intense regional flavors like the incomparably earthy, rich, fragrant mole de piaxtla full of intense spice notes that will transport you directly to Chiapas (chef Cosme Aguilar’s hometown). But you’ll only have to go one subway stop from Grand Central Station to get this authentic taste of Mexico in Long Island City.

The Meatball Shop

This build-your-own-meal restaurant with seven locations in New York City is the perfect choice for picky eaters and teens who will love The Meatball Shop's irreverent approach (wall art is crafted from meat grinders, and the menu verbiage has a naughty streak). You choose your style of meatball — classic, chicken, spicy pork, vegetarian (not their best option, BTW) — and add a favorite sauce (pesto and a creamy mushroom sauce are just a few of the options) and accompaniment, anything from pasta to mashed potatoes. This is serious, flavor-packed comfort food that will leave everyone groaningly full. Just watch those add-ons: The more you pile on to your meatball creation, the pricier it gets.

Serendipity 3

Founded in 1954, Serendipity 3 is an Upper East Side institution that is home to an incredible array of ice cream treats and a whimsical décor that make this a must-visit full of culinary and quirky visual delights. Sundaes and other treats like giant hamburgers at this New York establishment are not cheap, but they lend themselves to sharing, and this is the sort of one-of-a-kind experiences you have to enjoy while you are in NYC. The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate is an enormous goldfish bowl of slushy, icy hot chocolate, that's not too sweet, but my money is on the “Can’t Say No” sundae, a peanut butter and chocolate extravaganza with an entire slice of pie heaped onto more ice cream, bananas and hot sauce than you ever thought possible. A $1,000 Golden Opulence sundae — once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive dessert — is also on the menu for big spenders, though a reservation is required. This is a kiddie paradise with over-the-top décor and an old-fashioned ice cream parlor ambiance; just be aware that you will need to warn children there will most likely be a wait at this perennially popular spot.

Milk Bar

The conceptual sweets created by award-winning chef Christina Tosi for the many Milk Bar locations will delight every family member with its litany of Willy Wonka-worthy imaginative sweet delights. Show your kids you haven’t forgotten the sweet things in life with Milk Bar’s loaded-with-flavor compost cookies; soft-serve cereal milk ice cream, flavored to taste like breakfast cereal and topped with a sprinkle of cereal crunch; and crack pie — like a chess pie with an oat cookie crust so loaded with salty, sugary goodness, I’d recommend leaving it to the adults.

Num Pang Kitchen

Another fast-casual gem to hit up when a case of family hangriness strikes, Num Pang Kitchen is housed in the bustling (read: lunch and dinner time are crazed) Chelsea Market food hall (with multiple locations throughout the city). This source for Southeast Asia-inspired sandwiches, rice bowls and inventive sides is a great takeaway spot; grab a perch or a bench at the Market, or tote your street food to a nearby park or the close-by High Line. The flavor-packed Num Pang (Cambodian for sandwich) Khmer Sausage with Asian slaw and coconut tiger shrimp sandwiche don’t disappoint. Shown here: Nam Pang Kitchen's Num Pang bowl.

Joy + Color at Susan Alexandra

The Lower East Side cult-fave boutique Susan Alexandra, known for its beaded bags favored by celebs like Gigi Hadid, funky glassware and utterly fanciful style, is a playhouse of bold colors and wonderfully witty designs. The store is open limited hours so make sure to call first before visiting the Orchard Street location.

Coming Soon Design Shop

The Lower East Side boutique Coming Soon is a harbinger of trends to come in home design, including bright colors, mushroom and organic shapes and delightful household objects with personality like this table. This is where you want to shop for a gift for the trend-setter in your life or to bring a touch of the new and cutting-edge to your own.