As the rain pours down in India and the temperature increases in the Big Apple – here’s your insider guide to the city that never sleeps:
Where to shop:
Dover Street Market: This New York extension of the London flagship is four floors’ worth of eclectic designers. Doverstreetmarket.com
Barneys: Your go-to fashion haven for everything shoes, clothes and sunglasses. The curation of this power house brand has made it a one-stop shop for all designer wear. Barneys.com
Reformation: Ethical clothing that tracks what impact each garment has on the environment at an affordable price, what’s not to love? Great for the balmy weather we have in India. Thereformation.com
Bergdorf Goodman: An iconic department store, which has always been a go-to for the fashion forward. Watch out for their exceptional cosmetics section in the lower floor and the vintage jewelry on the top floor. Bergdorfgoodman.com
Nomia: A local label with a great understanding of material and colour; think Céline but more approachable. Nomia-nyc.com
Nikki Chasin: Easy elegant to prêt-à-porter – excellent for travel and adding a fun element to your wardrobe. It features versatile prints for some pure New York understated glam. Nikkichasin.com
Oak NYC: LA meets NY. This basics brand with clean lines has an edgy yet classic vibe; perfect for the day. Think T by Alexander Wang. Oaknyc.com
Story: One of my favourite concept stores for its quirky, unusual approach. A must-visit for fun gifts and souvenirs to cart back home.
What Goes Around Comes Around: Can’t shake off that lust for ’80s Chanel? This vintage store has the answer. Plus, lots of fun finds.
Where to eat:
Agern: Nestled in Grand Central Station, this is an innovative Nordic restaurant. The menu is by Icelandic chef Gunnar Gislason with the focus being concentrated on seasonality and freshness. Agernrestaurant.com
Le Botaniste: Famed culinary director Alain Coumont of Le Pain Quotidien opened this plant-based, organic, vegan and gluten-free café that serves a well curated list of natural wine from France and some seriously good food! Lebotaniste.us
Inday: Brainchild of Bombay-ite Abhishek Honawar, this serves uber cool Indian food on the go. It is perfect for the fashion girl who needs a bit of flavour fix from home, but done in a balanced way. Opt for the Bombay basher and the holy cow bowl. Indaynyc.com
Mr. Donahue’s: Sometimes all you need is comfort food done well and the perfect option for this is Mr. Donahue’s. The Swedish meatballs are the bomb and the rotisserie chicken is done just right. For the veggies, the dragon tongue beans and asparagus almandine are perfect. Mrdonahues.com
10 Below Ice Cream: With temperatures as hot as 30 degrees plus in July, this is the perfect treat – think multiple helpings of shaved ice cream. 10belowicecream.com
Mimi’s Cafe: This beautifully designed, cosy dining room is a cool little spot for traditional French cuisine. I recommend the seasonal summer favourite: soft shell crab, lobster and pâté. Mimiscafe.com
Photograph: Manasi Sawant
