What is it about the New York City’s Upper East Side that is so magnetizing? Well for one it’s beautiful, and two it’s a little less scene-y than the downtown neighborhoods. There’s an understated elegance, and a classic, timeless appeal. Whether walking through central park, or taking in the city’s most iconic museums like The Met and The Guggenheim – the leafy, family-friendly neighborhoods are hard to resist.
During my recent stay, our goal was to experience both time honored classics and new, exciting entry’s to the Uptown locale. I’m not going to lie – mission accomplished! The following are our recommendations for not to be missed stops on your next visit to the Upper East Side.
xoxo,
Kim and Tess
Noz Market
We began the weekend on a high note with dinner at Noz Market. There’s a back story on this. Noz Market is the offshoot of Sushi Noz, right next door. There are a few truly upper-echelon sushiya in New York City, and since opening in 2018, Sushi Noz has been considered one of those. FYI, dinner there starts at $495. In contrast, Noz Market (which made its debut on January 25th) offers the Noz omakase quality with a lower-priced option. We sat down at a sushi counter in a traditional Japanese room that was so zen, just being there was a gift. There we feasted on 10-pieces of sushi expertly prepared in front of us. The experience was one for the books.
Caviar Kaspia
Okay, this one’s kinda funny in retrospect. Caviar Kaspia is a beloved Paris boutique and restaurant that dates back to 1927. To my great delight, it just opened February 17th at The Mark hotel (my favorite in NYC). Since the opening was perfectly aligned with my visit, it had to be fate that I partake, right!?! At first glance, the classic atmosphere is very French with a nod to its Uptown Manhattan location. The food, especially the spaghetti with creme fraiche and caviar, is soley worth the price of admission. Unfortunately, I realized I’m VERY allergic to caviar after that amazing lunch. So, at least my last hurrah was memorable – and I’m alive to tell the tale.
La Goulue
After a highly energetic weekend, we embraced a quiet lunch at the treasured New York institution, La Goulue. A favorite among restaurant and food lovers for more than a quarter century, La Goulue serves meticulously prepared French cuisine in a bistro chic setting. While the space is lively and welcoming, it’s the food and attentive service that made our experience memorable. We sipped a crisp, sparkling rose’ while enjoying a traditional lunch of gruyere drenched French onion soup and buttery sole meunière. It was tempting to linger at our cozy, corner table all afternoon – but Fifth Avenue and dessert at Laduree beckoned.
(the atmosphere was too cozy and the meal was too good…so we forgot to photograph. take our word for the visuals!)
Ladurée
One step into a Laduree patisserie is an exquisite pleasure for the eyes. The cases, filled with flawless pastries and Laduree’s timeless macarons, are reminiscent of a springtime garden in bloom. It’s almost impossible to select a favorite! Instead, we opted for an assortment of delicate macarons presented in an elegant, signature Laduree box. Feeling as if I’d been transported straight to Paris, my time on the Upper East Side couldn’t have concluded in a more lovely manner.
