1. A GOOD BRUNCH AT SARABETH’S NEW YORK

Going to New York and not having a good brunch is not going to New York. The city asks you to sit in the morning, take your time, in a traditional diner and feast on pancakes, eggs benedict and mimosa. Mimosa is an orange juice drink with champagne that they drink with their morning brunch. Brunch is actually a breakfast lunch. Usually taken there around 11 am. After that, you will only be hungry at night. I guarantee! Because if there’s one thing Americans know how to do, it’s to eat a lot!

 

2. EAT HAMBURGERS AT BURGER JOINT

Are you there in the centre, planning to enter or just leaving MoMA and hit that hunger? So don’t think twice, go to Burger Joint for one of the best and most traditional sandwiches in New York.

Don’t be alarmed when you arrive at the hotel reception. The Joint is in a small door right there. You will probably see a line leaving there, I advise you to get in line. Don’t worry that she walks fast, but go to the cashier already because they don’t wait there. You buy, pick up and sit down to eat, there is no table service, ok? But rest assured that the quality is a spectacle. All the practicality is due to the demand, which is very high because it is very good! Be sure to order the fries and ginger ale to try this ginger soda which, in my opinion, is very good. Remembering that they only accept cash!

3. TASTE MAGNOLIA BAKERY’S RED VELVET

Another thing you can’t miss is Magnolia Bakery’s red velvet. Or any pie they sell there. Including the lemon cheesecake and banana pudding (the house’s flagship). This is that famous bakery from the series Sex in the City, which is right there in the West Village, near Chelsea Market. So, that day when you go to Chelsea Market for lunch and visit the Whitney Museum, be sure to pop in for dessert at Magnolia Bakery. From there, you can take a walk around the neighbourhood and also visit the NYU campus, which is right next door.

4. ENJOY MAC AND CHEESE AT MURRAY’S CHEESE

There is another good and important food to eat in New York. Mac and cheese is the typical American pasta that can be weird (because they love to overcook pasta), but it can be as wonderful as Murray’s Cheese. Just to remember I already salivate. It’s also worth stopping at Murray’s Cheese, which is a famous cheese shop also in the West Village, but which has a restaurant next door, specializing in what? In cheese! Their mac and cheese is perfect, with a wonderful taste, to eat it by licking your lips. I would say it’s a good choice for dinner. So you take advantage and go, from there, to our next trip.

5. ENJOY JAZZ AT FAT CAT NEW YORK

New York and jazz is a wonderful combination. You can’t think of New York and not want to also enjoy the music scene there. One place I went and loved is Fat Cat. The entrance is a little door that you don’t notice. But from the moment you walk in there, it doesn’t end. The space is big, full of game tables, some sofas scattered around the room and the jazz band in the corner, playing like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a cool place to go with friends, if you want to play pool or any of these group games, or to simply enjoy the good music and the young, fun and very different atmosphere from what we’re used to.

6. TAKE THE BROOKLYN BREWERY BEER TOUR

If you want to know how one of the most famous ‘craft’ beers in the world is made, you can visit the Brooklyn Brewery factory. There they offer a guided tour with beer tasting at the end. They tell you how it came about and how the brewing process is, everything so you can stay on top of why this beer became so famous. For that day of sightseeing in Brooklyn, it’s worth stopping by if only to take a look.

7. BUY VINYL AND GO TO A SHOW AT ROUGH TRADE NYC

Taking advantage of the fact that we are already in Brooklyn, for music lovers, there is the Rough Trade that deserves to be visited. This is a famous and traditional record store where you can find any vinyl you can think of. Even if you’re not a collector or a lover of vinyl, it’s worth the trip just to see the vibe of the store and the people who frequent it. Something very Brooklyn and New York. If you go in the late afternoon, they always have shown in the back. So it might be a good idea to get to know the store a little, stop by on my next trip and go back there to see an authentic alternative show up close in New York.

8. VISIT THE WYTHE HOTEL ROOFTOP

The Wythe Hotel is also located in Brooklyn, close to the Rough Trade. You can visit their Rooftop, which has a delicious bar and stunning views of Manhattan. Going to New York calls for a visit to a rooftop! So, enjoy the late afternoon there, at sunset, have a good drink and relax, because you are in New York!