COOL SPOTS IN NYC - Fab Restaurants & Bars in Manhattan

Restaurants

Aroma
36 E 4th St. betw. Lafayett and Bowery
* great wine and Italian eats - 9.5 rating on Citysearch

Bar Americain
52nd betw. 6th and 7th
* gorgeous space; must try homemade potato chips with blue cheese dipping sauce

Bubby’s
120 Hudson St.
*famous brunch; good place to catch celebs in repose, with their kids, etc.

Cafe des Artistes
1 W 67th St (Cross Street: Central Park West)
* great people-watching, $$$

Chinatown Brasserie
380 Lafayette St. at Great Jones St.
* great "scene" and dim sum

Cube 63
63 Clinton St. betw. Rivington and Stanton
* byob sushi place, a fave of Gwyneth; tiny but awesome - must make a res and be on time!

Da Silvano
260 6th Ave.
* top Italian for 20+ years plus celeb hot spot

Dos Caminos
SOHO
* outdoor tables - great for happy hour margaritas when the weather gets nicer

Euzkadi
* delish northern Spanish food and good DJ; try the fried goat cheese app!

Extra Virgin
w 4th St.
* celeb hot spot

Falai
68 Clinton St.
* excellent, inventive Italian (rec. by Dave from FI)

Highline Thai
835 Washington at Little West 12th
* 3 mod bars and delicious affordable apps

Il Baggato
2nd and Ave. A

Jules
St. Marks Place
* classic French bistro. Good lighting; great date spot!

La Mela
Little Italy

La Orange Bleu
Soho/LES
* belly dancer - great for bdays

Le Souk
47 Avenue B at 3rd St.
* awesome Moroccan cuisine and belly dancer! Make a res., especially if you want "the bed"; good bar scene late night as well!

Oliva
E. Houston at Allen St.
* excellent affordable tapas and good Spanish wines. Live music some nights

Paladar
161 Ludlow Street
* excellent reasonably priced Spanish cuisine and cool bar scene

Paradou http://www.paradounyc.com
Little West 12th
* outstanding French cuisine and special events in interior garden in Summer
* nice newsletter about tastings and trips - really enthusiastic oenophile owner

Pastis
Meatpacking, across from One
* despite being a tad overrated as a celeb-sighting spot, excellent steak frites - worth the wait

Picholine
35 W 64th (212) 724-8585
* amazing cheeses

Room 18
18 Spring St. at Mott
* phenomenal tapas; go early and get one of the cushion-laden window banquettes

Sala
344 Bowery
*tapas - yummy small plates

Tree
190 First Avenue; 212-358-7171
* French Bistro w/ outdoor seating

Xunta
1st Ave. betw. 10th and 11th
* awesome affordable tapas - must try bacon-wrapped figs!

Bars

Beauty Bar http://www.beautybar.com
231 E. 14th Street
* get a cosmo and a manicure at the same time -what’s better than that?

Bemelmans Bar
Carlyle Hotel, Madison Avenue at 76th
* luxe, lively piano bar with delightful wraparound mural by the author of Madeline
* best (free!) mixed nuts/snacks in the city

Buddha Bar
Little West 12th Street
* a tad overpriced but quite the scene - just don't go on a Sat. night because of the glut of B&Ts

East Side Toy Co.
102 Norfolk St (betw. Delancey and Rivington Streets)
* speakeasy vibe

Five Ninth
Meatpacking, across from Pastis
* renovated brownstone w/ hip bar scene downstairs and great eats up; unmarked entrance - big wooden door

Gansevoort Hotel (Penthouse Bar)
18 9th Ave. in the meatpacking across from Pastis
* $18 cocktails on cozy leather banquettes; great patio and pool

Hudson Hotel Bar
356 W 58th St. (betw. 8th and 9th)
* Philip Starke-designed space w/ floors lit from underneath, lucite chairs; great cocktails

Mercury Lounge
The Pink Pony
* funky hipster crowd and "library" decor; good for after-dinner coffee

Punch & Judy
26 Clinton St at Stanton St (Directions: F, V at Delancey St.) (212) 982-1116
* great chocolate fondue; excellent date spot

Shalel Lounge
65 W 70th @ Columbus
* good date spot

The Stanton Social http://www.thestantonsocial.com
99 Stanton St. on LES
* must try the onion soup balls; great cushy banquettes - good place to take your date if you want to impress her!!