I think everyone in New York will agree with me when I say – NYC weekends are just the best. So much to do in such a short space of time, but there will always be something new to try. Me & the girls have actually made a rule that we’re not allowed go to the same place twice (90% of the time anyway) to ensure that we really make an effort to try as many new places as possible. I seem to find a ‘new favourite spot’ every single weekend, so I wanted to share some insider tips with you guys. By living here full-time, I’ve definitely found some hidden gems, so I’m excited to share my NYC Weekend Favourites (so far!)…

Brunch:

Freemans (Lower East Side) – Cutest entrance and amazing food.
Two Hands (Little Italy) – Try their iced coffee and avocado toast.
Juliette (Williamsburg) – Great eggs benedict.
Penelope (Murray Hill) – Go here for the best Nutella french toast you will EVER eat!
Blue Dog (Midtown West) – Cute midtown spot with great pancakes & smoothies.
Norma’s (Midtown West) – Expensive but a nice treat – good brunch atmosphere.

Coffee:

Maison Kayser (Upper East Side) – My go-to spot for coffee and chocolate & almond croissants. AMAZING!
Le Pain Quotidien (Soho) -Get the basket of bread & spreads with your coffee. Too good!
Bluestone Lane Collective (West Village) – Really cool Aussie Cafe.. Good coffee & LOTS of hotties :)
Dean & Deluca – Try their iced latter with almond milk.
Mondrian Hotel (Soho) – Nicest decor in Soho.
Nespresso Boutique (Upper East Side) – Great people watching spot on Madison Avenue

Dinner/Tapas:

Aria Wine Bar (West Village) – My very favorite place to go on a Friday night. Couldn’t recommend this one enough.
Two Lizards (Upper East Side) – Best guacamole ever and amazing service.
Delicatessen (Soho) – Perfect comfort food spot, very cool crowd.
The Smile (Noho) -Where I casually sat next to Kendall Jenner.
Boqueria (Upper East Side) – My favourite tapas in my neighborhood.

Drinks:

Employees Only (West Village) – One of the coolest speakeasy bars in New York.
The Standard Hotel (Meatpacking District) – Sit downstairs and have prosecco & french fries. Random but amazing combo.
Virage (East Village) – Cool East Village spot which a good selection of cocktails.
Gold Bar (Soho) – Fun Friday night spot.
The Late Late Bar (Lower East Side) – A not so typical Irish bar in New York.
Iggy’s (Upper East Side) – A fun Karaoke bar managed by one of my friends.
Houston Hall (Greenwich Village) – Really cool beer garden. great for big groups.

Sweet Treats:

Hamillton’s (West Village) – Order waffles & a milkshake. You won’t regret it!
Dough (Flatiron) – BEST DOUGHNUTS EVER. Wow.
Georgetown Cupcakes (Soho) – Cute Soho hideaway. I tried the salted caramel one.
Bakeshop by Whoops (Williamsburg) – Cute decor, delicious macaroons & the perfect instagram snap just waiting to happen.
Pop Bar (Greenwich Village) – You’ll want two of these!
Sprinkles (Upper East Side) – Get the cookie & ice-cream combo. I dream about this on a regular basis!
16 Handles – Favourite fro-yo spot. I live here in the Summers.
Momofuku Milkbar – You haven’t lived until you’ve tried their birthday cake truffles. Life-changing.

Sunday Favourites:

Brooklyn Bridge – Walk from Manhattan over the bridge to Brooklyn. Amazing views on the way and when you get there.
Madison Avenue – Give a stroll down Madison Avenue and people watch while you go.
Bergdorfs – Dream place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Just remember to play the lotto before you go.
West Village – Wander around the cobblestone streets of the West Village. Carrie Bradshaw who?
Central Park – No NYC weekend would be complete without a Sunday stroll in Central Park. It just never gets old.

This list is always growing, but after 6 months living here these are definitely my NYC Weekend Favourites so far. If you fancy reading more about my experience living in New York, I’ve also written posts about NYC Lessons Learned (Here & Here), why I love being Irish in New York, my first New York Snow Day, Christmas in New York, New York Fashion Week and I’ve also done a post all about my NYC Apartment.

You can keep up to date with everything on a daily basis through my @retroflame Instagram & Snapchat (retroflame1). Hope you found this post to be helpful!

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x