The Upper East Side is a new slice of cool in New York
Manhattan’s Upper East Side is shaking off its stuffy reputation and evolving into a cool neighbourhood. Here are our favourite places to eat, drink, shop, stay and see the sights
Manhattan’s Upper East Side is home to some of the city’s most famous museums and, of course, the star-studded Metropolitan Museum Costume Gala Ball, which this year takes place on May 1. But despite the gala and the museums, the district hasn’t enjoyed the coolest reputation, being the natural habitat of wealthy ladies who lunch and frat boys.
However, the neighbourhood is evolving, with trendy cocktail bars competing with the old crop of sticky sports pubs, chic boutiques have popped up alongside department stores favoured by the blue-haired set, and there are restaurants that can go head-to-head with the best in downtown dining.
But what makes the Upper East Side so exceptional isn’t just what’s new; it’s also what hasn’t changed. While the rest of the city gives way to frozen yoghurt shops and SoulCycle, the Upper East Side has become a bit of real New York trapped in amber: a melting pot, right alongside Central Park and ensconced in some of the city’s loveliest pre-war architecture.
See
Shop
Stay
From the Plaza Athénée to the Carlyle or Lowell, there are plenty of boutique and bigger hotels. However, The Mark hotel is one of the most chic residences in the area. On the corner of Madison and 77th and right next to ‘Museum Mile’ it’s the spot from where the Met Gala unofficially kicks off, booked out that day by celebrities, designers and their entourages as a launchpad to the neighbouring event – and one of the most photographed red carpet events in fashion.
The Mark, completely renovated in 2000, was designed by the Frenchman Jacques Grange, who also did interiors for Yves Saint Laurent and Francis Ford Coppola. From the signature black and white graphic stripes to the vintage-feel bathrooms; this hotel is a bold, contemporary design statement, filled with surreal interiors and art deco-inspired elegance harkening to building’s completion in 1927. The fabulous sky-lit The Mark Restaurant By Jean-Georges hosts a fair proportion of New York locals so doesn’t feel like a soulless hotel spot. But for those who want to go full tourist, we love the thoughtfully curated special guest experiences – ranging from Suite Slumber Party, private museum guides, to sledding in the park in the winter. Our favourite is a brisk ride in a plush monogrammed house pedicab around Central Park.
Eat
When it comes to dining, the Upper East Side has something of a stuffy reputation. Historically the area boasted temples to fine dining – Daniel Boulud remains the unchallenged gastronomic king of the neighbourhood with both Daniel and Café Boulud – and grungier New York classics such as H&H bagels, Pastrami Queen, and J.G. Melon (home of the best bacon cheeseburger on the planet) – but not much in between. Those days are long gone, and things are changing.
Northeast is still the right direction for fine dining and in our books the man who runs the neighbourhood – aside from Boulud of course – is Michael White. Apart from Marea – if you manage to get a reservation at Marea, please call us – White’s finest restaurant is his pan-Italian neighbourhood favourite, Ristorante Morini.
Drink
The sports bar still rules the region, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Still, a new crop of wine bars, microbrew beer bars, and world-class cocktail lounges have also sprung up. If you’re looking to drink in a sophisticated, classic New York locale, splash out on a martini at Bemelmans Bar under the murals at the Carlyle Hotel. The barroom can get crowded but is never anything short of civilised. We also love The Penrose, a low-key neighbourhood joint with brilliant cocktails, great bar snacks, and one of the best whisky lists around. It’s the kind of bar you could spend all day in.
For some reason the Upper East Side is in the throes of a New Orleans obsession, with Creole restaurants and Bourbon Street theme bars proliferating overnight. Our favourite is Infirmary – named we’re just guessing for that famous New Orleans funeral anthem St. James Infirmary. Infirmary is a bar for adults – no beads and party yards here – and for great Cajun bites and expert twists on New Orleans cocktails classics such as the Sazerac and the Vieux Carré, this place can’t be beaten.
Additional reporting by Jing Zhang