Words by Marianna Hunt
The buzz is back in New York’s hospitality scene. After a painful Covid-19 hiatus, a flutter of new openings has injected fresh life into the city – making now the ideal time to discover (or rediscover) the Big Apple. Here is our round-up of the most exciting new places to eat and stay.
Hotel Indigo Williamsburg
Forget Manhattan, Brooklyn is the new top destination in New York for hotel openings and uber-cool Williamsburg is at the heart of this trend. The area is full of hipster eateries – from artisan pizzerias to craft breweries – and quirky shops.
The Hotel Indigo is within walking distance of Williamsburg’s buzzing main artery (Bedford Avenue) while also sitting right on top of the Metropolitan Avenue subway station – meaning you can be in the centre of Manhattan surrounded by the main sights in just 10 minutes.
In the lobby there’s a stylish bar with 1950s-style bucket arm chairs and sofas, an ideal place for a morning coffee. Outside is a garden with fire pits and, on the lower level, a well-equipped gym. A bar leads out to an outdoor sundeck and open-air swimming pool, which warms up to bath-like temperatures in summer. Rooms are very spacious with simple but elegant design, including long lateral beds, sleek desks for remote workers and waterfall showers.
Visit ihg.com/hotelindigo for more information.
Ace Hotel Brooklyn
The Ace Hotel Group’s second New York outpost, this has been a very popular addition to Brooklyn’s burgeoning hotel scene.
An earthy colour palette, deep mid-century bucket seating and exposed concrete walls create a very urban feel that is stylish without being pretentious. The hotel feels like somewhere you’d want to hang out, whether as a local or visitor – as typified by its relaxed café, As You Are, which takes inspiration from all of New York’s disparate international communities.
The radiatore pasta on the dinner menu, for example, is topped with an octopus mezcal ragu that simultaneously channels the city’s Italian, Spanish and Mexican immigrant cuisines. While at brunch there’s an impressive bakery counter featuring everything from flaky Portuguese pastel de nata to true-blue sticky American doughnuts. Most importantly for brunchers – the coffee is superb.
As with the rest of the hotel, the café is extremely stylish. Its teak panelling and forest-green banquette seats create a retro yet elegant vibe. There’s also a natural wine bar covered in pot plants and a low-lit snug, called The Lobby, for cocktails.
Visit acehotel.com/brooklyn for more information.
Kaiseki Room by Yamada
With just 20 covers, Kaiseki Room by Yamada can claim to have some of the most sought-after seats in New York’s restaurant scene. 12 of those seats are at the counter – where you can watch chef Isao Yamada expertly slice sashimi and sear wagyu.
Diners can choose from a 10- or eight-course tasting menu (costing $300 and $200 respectively) which changes with the seasons. Standout dishes currently on the menu include an incredibly umami smoked tuna bone broth and pink spider crab topped with shavings of finest black truffle.
The restaurant, which launched in 2021, takes inspiration from the centuries-old tradition of kaiseki – a multi-course dinner considered to be Japan’s version of haute cuisine. It started life as a meal for Buddhist monks to enjoy during tea ceremonies but has since become a favourite among Japanese high society.
Yamada is an expert in the art of kaiseki – having run restaurants specialising in it across both Japan and the U.S. In this latest opening, the zen experience of the tea ceremony infuses not just the food, but the architecture, décor and even eating implements. The interiors feature undulating woodwork (handmade by a French cabinetmaker) that cocoon diners and food is served in treasure-like dishes – each selected to match what’s inside.
Visit washokurooms.com for more information.
Mark’s Off Madison
This new addition to New York’s Italian dining scene strikes a perfect balance. Without taking itself too seriously, it manages to take its food very seriously indeed.
You can come at dinner time to enjoy hand-rolled pastas with sublime sauces, from a melting brisket ragu to a silky lobster tomato-cream – all served without a white table cloth in sight. But equally come for a lively Saturday brunch to feast on cheese fondue scrambled eggs and challah French toast. Or at aperitivo hour to sip cocktails and munch complimentary crisps (in true Italian bar style).
Outdoor tables – and the close proximity of buzzy Madison Square Park – make you feel as if you’re sitting just by an Italian piazza. But the in-house bakery – churning out bagels and bialy that New Yorkers are willing to travel for – is a doff of the cap to chef-owner Mark Strausman’s Jewish roots.
The whole experience feels deliciously interactive. You can see directly into the bakery where the kitchen team is kneading focaccia for the evening service. And Mark himself is often to be seen bustling round tables checking in on his customers – many of whom are loyalists who’ve followed him from restaurant to restaurant over the years.
Visit marksoffmadison.com for more information.
