Inspiration Issues: September 2011

Now for some writing.....I wrote this after just getting back from 6 months in NYC for another blog and i want to keep it here just so i can remember the bits i loved the most.....

New York City. It is impossible not to fall in love with this incredible city, I spend a whirlwind 6 months working in fashion out there and even after that time there is still so much to see and do but check out some of my top tips for the city that really does never sleep…..

Brunch is one of the most fun times in NYC , there is nothing better than watching the world go by with a Bloody Mary in hand, try Gemma at the Bowery Hotel for a cozy atmosphere, great people watching as well if you sit outside, they do an amazing ‘baked eggs’ (a signature dish for an NYC brunch), also top of the brunch spots is the amazing Extra Virgin in the west village where you are sure to say the a-list casually striding down the street with not a care in the world (Rachel Weiz and Jessica Alba being two of my spots). Williamsburg in Brooklyn is also a place that is very close to my heart, start with brunch at Juliette’s, in the summer the roof terrace is open and it has one of the best bohemian café vibes (also amazing for dinner too), then post brunch head to the Brooklyn flea market which is a treasure trove of vintage finds, in the summer it is outside and it was one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday. The feel of Brooklyn is very young easy cool, you feel relaxed without any pretensions and the people watching is brilliant, it is the perfect place to start a love of photography as the sights, scenes and people are so memorable.

In terms of restaurant and bars NYC is second to none, the little secrets you come across when you live in the city is amazing. The lower east side is great to wander around and find little haunts that never cease to surprise you and make you smile. New York does the speakeasy like no other, each little secret is different, unique and exciting. Beauty and Essex is a pawn shop in front and a gorgeous restaurant hidden in the back, plus you get a glass of champagne every time you go to the loo (only for girls I am afraid!). Back Room is a cute hidden gem on the lower east side where you head underground to drink cocktails out of tea cups (don’t wear any fur though as they don’t let you in if they think anything you are wearing is real fur!). La Esquina is another speakeasy with a difference and it was one of the most brilliant restaurants I have been to (located at 106 Kenmare St), from the outside it is a little Mexican slipstream serving tacos and burritos over the counter but if you make a reservation or know the doorman you pop inside and a little door is opened for you, you then walk downstairs through the kitchens and enter a Mexican restaurant equivalent of an Aladdin’s cave- the jalapeño margaritas are something you have to try. After dinner at La Esquina, try popping next door to Kenmare, the downstairs club is cool and fun and plays old school music that you can’t help but dance to.

Of course the NYC classics are also worth a visit, brunch at Pastis is gorgeous, steak frites at Balthazar (my last meal in NYC) is a winner, dirty martinis at The Jane, plus dancing at the exclusive Boom Boom Rooms and Le Bain at the top of The Standard is a once in lifetime, the view from the bathroom with floor to ceiling glass windows is ridiculous!

In terms of a few extra gems, Apoteke is a brilliant speakeasy cocktail bar hidden away in deepest, darkest Chinatown where the bar men dress in white lab coats and all cocktails are designed to offer some sort of emotional platform to play with whether it be love, happiness, relaxation…..The Fat Radish (opened by a friend of mines brother) is a little bit of home when your away in NYC, it is an amazing restaurant set up by two English guys and has laid back NYC cool down, the sandwiches at Smile café in the East village are delicious, the sushi at Blue Ribbon the best I have tasted, the avocado toast at Café Gitane in the east village, pizza at Pullinos, truffle French fries at Delicatessen, jam cocktails at Madame Genève’s are all musts and also STK is super fun for dinner, dancing on the tables while people are eating their starters is a memory that will stay with me and can only happen in New York!