What's New in New York City: Hotels, Restaurants & Culture in Manhattan – Fall 2023

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald writes that "life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall"—and that is certainly true in New York City, when the sweat and stupor of summer temperatures are shaken off and a vibrant burst of energy crackles in the air, with every cool breeze off the Hudson and Central Park leaf turned orange. Designers and editors step out in their autumnal best for Fashion Week. From the Upper East Side to the West Village, emerging trends and ideas can be caught between laments of skyscraper-high rents and the clinking of martini glasses, at the bars of glamorous hotels, both iconic and novel, and local dives. Over brunches and subway run-ins, tales of summer sojourns out east and overseas are retired for tips on the top restaurants and shows of the season. The best time to be in New York City is now—and whether you're a resident, a long weekender or an international visitor, these are the addresses and happenings to have on your radar.

Editor's Note: Due to the sheer volume of openings, this report is primarily focused on Manhattan.

Contact your Trip Designer or Indagare, if you are not yet a member, to start planning a trip to New York City. Our team can match you with the accommodations, reservations and activities that are right for you.

Where to Rest & Revive: New Hotels

The fall's hotel headliner is a debut from Flâneur Hospitality, a brand-new concept from real estate ​​entrepreneur Alex Ohebshalom. Opening on October 16, within a historic building in NoMad that was once the Second National Bank (as well as a former home of Gilded Age socialite Charlotte Goodridge)—and with an expansion into a new 24-story glass tower—the Fifth Avenue Hotel will champion color, panache and texture, masterminded by Martin Brudnizki. Lovers of bold patterns, bright wallpapers, funky fixtures and objets d’art will be quite at home in any of the 153 rooms; standout accents include a mother-of-pearl-inlaid bar cart with reptilian handles, a fruit-filled blown-glass chandelier and lamps in every form, from Chinese pagodas to Fabergé eggs. There will also be a main restaurant, Café Carmellini by Andrew Carmellini (the cool-spot king behind Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Carne Mare, Lafayette, Bar Primi and more), as well as The Portrait Bar, for libations.

A lofty perch above the High Line in the XI Towers by Bjarke Ingels, at 17th Street and 11th Avenue, has been taken over by the luxury brand Faena, which currently has properties in Buenos Aires and Miami (where its candy-red-and-white umbrellas have become Instagram-famous). Locals should keep an eye on the area (between Chelsea and Meatpacking), as the hotel is expected to launch the same dazzling variety of entertainment, nightlife, arts and retail outlets as the Miami property, which made such an impact on its surrounding neighborhood that it became known as the Faena District. Faena New York will open in the East Tower of the building, known as One High Line, by the end of 2024—barring any delays—with 120 rooms and suites designed by Gilles & Boissier, with river views, as well as a 5,000-square-foot restaurant (promised to be "helmed by a renowned celebrity chef") and a 17,000-square-foot spa. 

Travel this fall in style with this exclusive shopping edit from Mytheresa. Plus, explore all of our packing guides—for beach, ski, safari and more—here.

In nearby Tribeca, the Warren Street Hotel—an addition to Kit Kemp's Firmdale Hotels portfolio, which includes Indagare-adored New York properties The Crosby and The Whitby—is expected to open within a new building, in the beginning of 2024.

Uptown, we hope to see the rebirth of the historic Surrey hotel as a Corinthia property by the end of the year. First established in 1926 on 76th and Madison Avenue (and frequented by the likes of John F. Kennedy and Bette Davis), the Surrey will have 70 guestrooms, 34 suites and 14 residences as the Corinthia New York. With it comes more of Miami Beach: the dining program is rumored to be crafted by the trendy Casa Tua group.

Plus, recent openings that we're still excited about include:

• The first Aman retreat in New York, which is also the first property from the brand ever on the East Coast; read our First Look here. The design-forward wellness haven is located within the Crown Building, a Gilded Age jewel on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park that was the original home of MoMA. The property has been transformed by Jean-Michel Gathy to restore the original architecture while fusing the serene minimalism of the Aman brand with the glitz of the location. 
• The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad opened on Broadway in a shiny high-rise designed by architect Rafael Viñoly—and softened with plenty of outdoor terraces, greenery and works by local artists. Foodies will salivate at the dining program, which is anchored by an outpost of José Andrés’s acclaimed D.C. restaurant Zaytinya and the rooftop cocktail bar Nubeluz, a glowing, jewel-toned space designed by Martin Brudnizki, serving sweeping views from 500 feet up.
• The Nine Orchard hotel on the Lower East Side opened in the former Jarmulowsky bank building, which was built in 1912 and has been painstakingly restored. The 116 guestrooms are cozy (in proper LES fashion) but airy, peaceful and elegant—with handcrafted details and bright views that would be the envy of most apartment dwellers. The pied-à-terre vibe makes Nine Orchard just as appealing to a local for a staycation as to a visitor seeking the “next cool spot.” And Nine Orchard is the next cool spot, indeed, in large part thanks to the food and beverage program from Chef Ignacio Mattos’ Mattos Hospitality (behind Estela, Lodi and Altro Paradiso), including the Corner Bar restaurant and the Lobby Lounge (which quickly shot to the top of my shortlist of answers to that impossible question, “Where should we get a drink?”).
• Another historic property with a new lease on life is the Hotel Chelsea, located in a landmark building dating back to 1884. Its reputation as a haven for eccentrics and artists (former patrons include Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Jack Kerouac and Andy Warhol) remains a focus, as does the iconic neon-red sign—and it fits well within the portfolio of its owners Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier and Richard Born, who are behind the dark-sexy Bowery Hotel and The Jane. The reopening of the hotel also marks the revival of the 1930s Spanish restaurant El Quijote.
• The Ned—the snappy London-based sister to the Soho House brand—launched its second hotel and members' club, along with a restaurant and bar that are open to the public, in the former NoMad Hotel (devotees of the original will be pleased that the space has not been much changed).
• In ever-trendy Tribeca, Barrière—behind properties in Paris, Cannes and St. Barth's—has added a dash of l'art de vivre to the city grind, with the opening of Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s New York at 456 Greenwich Street. Highlights include a private cinema, spa, café and a traditional brasserie, with 97 rooms and suites. Interiors are also by Martin Brudnizki and center on a vibrant palette of French blue, canary yellow, Millennial pink, pistachio, mauve and coral. This summer, the hotel also unveiled Le Vaux, a Versailles-inspired rooftop garden restaurant open for guests and Fouquet’s members only, with 46 seats.
• In the Financial District, The Wall Street Hotel opened last June in the landmark Tontine building—whose origins date back to the late 1700s upon the founding of the New York Stock Exchange, when it was a combined coffeehouse, tavern and trading center. Guests will delight in the lobby bar and the main restaurant, a French brasserie named La Marchande (meaning "female merchant") by the Michelin-grade chef John Fraser. Oysters are practically obligatory, and the mixology program centers around vermouth.
• Casa Cipriani was designed by Thierry Despont and is housed in the Beaux-Arts Battery Maritime Building—alongside a fashionable members’ club, to which guests have access. The property is intimate, with just 47 polished, nautical rooms—the best of which have terraces with views of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge.

Related: Indagare’s Most-Booked Hotels in New York City

Where to Taste & Imbibe: The Restaurant Scene

New York's restaurant scene is decidedly back—with a vengeance—and one of Manhattan's underdog neighborhoods is reclaiming its place in the culinary lexicon, while a host of perky newcomers are putting a twist on society's favorite haunts: the tavern, the wine bar, the bistro, the clubhouse. Check out our shortlist below.

Long mocked as a barren wasteland for culture and creativity—the land of hot dog vendors and former-frat-bros-turned-financiers, the portal to Times Square, a graveyard for limp to-go salads and overpriced, over-sugared cocktails—Midtown is not exactly known as the place one goes to eat out in New York. (Read Anthony Bourdain's account of cooking at the Rainbow Room in Kitchen Confidential and, even 20 years after the fact, you may just avoid the area altogether.) But a trend of investments that began in the late 2010s and accelerated after the pandemic left thousands of square feet of retail and office space empty has led to a near-certain reality: a Midtown Restaurant Revival is upon us. Just this month, it was announced that Chef Michael White (who created Marea, Osteria Morini and Ai Fiori) will open a new Italian restaurant at 520 Madison Avenue—while just a few blocks away, Jean-Georges Vongeritchen will launch Four Twenty Five on Park Avenue (occupying 14,000 square feet over the bottom two levels of an office building, the restaurant will feature a show kitchen, cocktail lounge and specially commissioned artwork); Simon Kim (of the Michelin-starred Korean mainstay Cote) will open another multi-level dining space, at 550 Madison Avenue; and Iron Chef star David Burke will open an all-day modern-American brasserie, Park Avenue Kitchen on 47th, later this year.

Daniel Boulud has also been busy. On the heels of the One Vanderbilt fine-dining stunner Le Pavillon on 42nd Street, Boulud launched the only restaurant in the new Tiffany & Co. flagship on 57th and Fifth Avenue, which was first established in 1940 and was reopened in May after an extensive redesign by Peter Marino. Named for the iconic robin's egg packaging, the Blue Box Café is kind of like the American Girl Café, for adults who like diamonds and caviar—perhaps a little bit kitschy, but oh-so-fun. Come here for breakfast at Tiffany's and order croissants, parfaits and a Glass of Golightly—or stop by for lunch and enjoy the croque aux truffes, salade de tomate or filet mignon. There is also a classic tea service and a decadent desserts menu.

Nearby, on 53rd and Lexington Avenue, the beautifully light-filled, vegetable-forward Le Jardinier—from chef Alain Verzeroli (a student of Jöel Robuchon) and architect Joseph Dirand—is an example of Midtown's resilience: the restaurant opened in 2019, won a Michelin star in 2020, was then shuttered for two years, and reopened in September 2022—to retain its star one month later. This spring, an Art Deco cocktail lounge, Bar Bastion, was added upstairs. Also the work of Dirand, and also seasonally-focused, the bar has a more intimate, casual vibe (though Le Jardinier is itself more relaxed than some other fine-dining establishments).

While I can't yet speak to the evolution of the Rainbow Room, Rockefeller Center has been a major contributor to the Midtown Movement, creating a home for downtown-approved additions like Le Rock (a contemporary take on the French brasserie from the team behind Frenchette, with Art Deco décor worthy of its address, that received a Michelin nod within a year of opening); the farm-to-table Five Acres, from Greg Baxtrom of Olmsted in Brooklyn; the design-forward, pasta-focused Italian restaurant Jupiter (from the three women who own King); and the traditional Korean restaurant Naro from Junghyun and Jeongeun Park, owners of the two-Michelin-starred Atomix. The underground, rink-level location of Five Acres, Jupiter and Naro takes some getting used to, while the acoustics in Le Rock can verge on deafening (blame John D.?), but the creativity of the menus and the careful presentation at all are well-worth it. (Meanwhile, the first big Rock Center arrivals—Lodi, Pebble Bar and The Other Half Brewery—have become regular haunts of mine since opening in 2021 and early 2022. For, I confess, I live in Midtown.)

Beyond Middle Manhattan, these are the top new restaurants on our radar:

In the West Village, a new supper club-style restaurant, Cecchi's, opened last month in the space formerly occupied by Café Loup. The vision of industry veteran Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, Cecchi's was heavily inspired by the Upper East Side institution Elaine's, serving equal doses of nostalgia and mystique. The burgers and martinis are popular here.

Also in the West Village, in the two-story townhouse that once housed the ill-fated Spotted Pig, The Golden Swan opened just before Memorial Day Weekend, with a first floor space called the Wallace Room and a more formal upstairs Dining Room. The building was gut-renovated for this reincarnation, though the new restaurant seeks to cultivate an alluring, clubby concept by celebrating the space's historic ties: "Serving as a literal den of artists and thieves for over 130 years...The original Golden Swan opened sometime around the turn of the 19th century, and its most notable proprietor was Thomas Wallace, a member of the Hudson Dusters, an old New York street gang." The menu highlights French and Mediterranean cuisine, crafted by Chef Doug Brixton. Whether this swan is in fact a phoenix remains to be seen.

Café Chelsea joins the Hotel Chelsea's already fantastic restaurant program—with its Lobby Bar and historic, Basque-focused Spanish restaurant El Quijote (which first opened in 1930). Similarly historic in feel, the new Café Chelsea travels north of the Pyrenees, for breakfast and dinner daily. Highlights include the honey-drizzled croquette de chèvre, crunchy salade d'endives, the whole artichaut and the ravioles du Dauphiné, which are already becoming Instagram-famous and do live up to the hype. Come here for a date or a leisurely catch-up with friends—the atmosphere is effortlessly chic. Also, order the chocolate soufflé.

The Bazaar by José Andrés opened earlier this month at The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad. Like Café Chelsea, it is also the latest installment to its host hotel's already popular dining options (including Zaytinya and Nubeluz). In The Bazaar, Andrés explores the relationship between the cuisines and cultures of his native Spain and Japan—with such side-by-side preparations as a dish featuring Ibérico pork seared on a Japanese robata grill, and Japanese Wagyu grilled over a Spanish Josper oven. The wine list emphasizes both Spanish and Japanese producers—and I suggest trying some of both—while the "Sake Sangria" (with Japanese gin, vermouth, Buddha’s hand and grapefruit citrus oils, topped with Cava and Junmai Sparkling Sake) should be imbibed with care. Salud and Kanpai!

Earlier this week, the third creation from chef Missy Robbins and restaurateur Sean Feeney, Misipasta, opened in Williamsburg, near showstopper sisters Lilia and Misi. It's both a boutique (serving fresh pasta and jarred sauces) and a casual restaurant ideal for aperitivo and cicchetti (and there is some pasta on the menu), with a backyard patio that feels more like a friend's place than a restaurant. Many of the seats are still being saved for walk-ins (Misipasta is open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, on Grand Street). If you have to wait for a table, I suggest seizing the opportunity to load up on the ingredients that made Lilia and Misi famous in the first place—including the whipped ricotta and green garlic butter.

Ma·dé opened this spring in Nolita, on Spring Street and Elizabeth. Meaning "second-born" in Balinese, it's the follow-up to the 2019 opening Wayan (which means "first-born"), from Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s son Cédric and his wife, Ochi. Sibling complexes aside, Ma·dé, like Wayan next door, offers a warm and inviting atmosphere, with Southeast Asian design touches—though Ma·dé is brighter, specifically evoking the beaches of Bali. Seafood and produce are the focus of the edited menu, with highlights like the Ma·dé chirashi (with tuna, trout, caviar, uni and buttery potatoes) and the "Treat Yo'Self" selection of uni, caviar and truffle.

The only thing that could lessen the blow of Niche Niche's closure on MacDougal this year is the arrival of a new restaurant straight from Rome, Roscioli. Roscioli maintains Niche Niche's "dinner party and wine-tasting" rhythm, with two seatings nightly as well as a communal cellar table. (It's already impossible to get into.) Soon, a charcuterie shop and wine bar will also open in the space—in line with the Roscioli family's motto that "Alle fine si parla di pane e salame:" at the end of the day, it's just bread and salami.

Jac’s on Bond is the latest cocktail hot-spot from Authentic Hospitality Group (behind Pebble Bar, Ray's and Georgia Room). Named earlier this month as "New York City's Foremost Vibe Curators" by Vanity Fair, the group has attracted such high-profile investors as Mark Ronson and Nicholas Braun, whose frequent patronization of their own products lends a certain celebrity appeal. This latest addition, located in a landmark 1831 townhouse on NoHo's Bond Street (preserving a bit of NYC history, like its sister Pebble Bar), thus far lives up to the reputation. The small plates from the minds behind Wildair and Contra and the sophisticated cocktails, wines-by-the-glass and zero-proof creations are also an added bonus.

Other names on my list to check out include: Libertine, Superiority Burger, Principe, Ella Funt, Deux Chats, Layla, Hōseki and The Office of Mr. Moto—as well as three new Levantine restaurants: the NYC outpost of Tel Aviv's Port Sa’id (in the West Village, from Eyal Shani), the sister restaurant to Laser Wolf, Jaffa (also in the Hoxton in Williamsburg, from Michael Solomonov) and Mesiba, in the new Moxy Hotel in Williamsburg. Plus: A new restaurant from April Bloomfield and Gabriel Stulman, Sailor, will open in Fort Greene, Brooklyn in September.

Plus, recent openings that we're still excited about include: 

• Foul Witch in Alphabet City was one of my favorite restaurant openings from the past year. From the team behind Roberta's (one of the best pizza restaurants in the city), Foul Witch is a narrow, quirky-cool spot serving primarily Italian small plates, best for sharing, with an inventive twist, as well as a robust list of wines from established and up-and-coming makers (with a great skin-contact selection).
• James Beard Award-winning celebri-chef Kwame Onwuachi (author of My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef and Esquire's 2019 Chef of the Year) opened a new restaurant, Tatiana, in Lincoln Center last fall. Onwuachi describes the concept as "my love letter to NYC with an Afro Caribbean touch."
• Major Food Group (Carbone, Sadelle's, Dirty French) continues to hold the crown for "Biggest Bragging Rights Reservation" with the new Italian restaurant Torrisi—which is joined by a New York outpost of its invitation-only members club ZZ's (with a private Carbone restaurant), located in Hudson Yards.
• Marcus Samuelsson opened a new 125-seat restaurant—Hav & Mar, in Chelsea—which marked his first major New York project since Harlem icon Red Rooster in over half a decade. The concept celebrates Samuelsson's Ethiopian and Swedish heritage, alongside inspiration from his world travels, with small plates and family-style courses. The restaurant has commissioned original artwork by acclaimed artist Derrick Adams, building upon the world-class Black Art programs founded by the Red Rooster restaurants.  
• Le Dive is a delightful spot for drinks and indulgent small plates that evokes French café culture and is stylish with a little edge—just like its Lower East Side location.
• Claud, a sleek European restaurant and wine bar in the East Village, remains one of the top openings of last year.
• Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods (behind Indian headliners Dhamaka, Semma, and Adda) explore the Calcutta of Mazumdar's immigrant father—in Park Slope, Brooklyn—with Masalawala & Sons, which opened last fall.
• Kru is an authentic Thai restaurant focused on historic recipes in Williamsburg, from chef Ohm Suansilphong (of Fish Cheeks).
• Jean-Georges expanded his foothold in the Seaport last September with opening of the Tin Building. The sprawling 53,000-square-foot marketplace (à la Eataly or Mercado Little Spain), housed within the eponymous historic landmark, has been redesigned by Roman and Williams and offers grocery markets and shops, six restaurants across global cuisines, four bars, six to-go counters and private dining for a 360-degree, immersive experience.
• Urban Hawker, the Singaporean street food hall curated by KF Seetoh (and first born out of a creative partnership with Anthony Bourdain), brings traditional hawker centers to the Midtown lunch rush. 

Related: The Best New Restaurants in NYC

Where to Wander & Wonder: Culture & More

There’s no shortage of entertainments to discover in the worlds of art, design, music, dance, theater and beyond. Discover the highlights below.

At the Brooklyn Museum from June 2 to September 24, 2023, "It’s Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby" is one of the more entertaining art exhibitions on in the city right now—and regardless of your feelings towards the famously philandering Spanish master, the Tasmanian comedian and guest curator (and former Art History major) Hannah Gadsby is sure to have you chuckling your way through the placards (those who have seen Gadsby's award-winning Netflix special Nanette will remember their hilarious commentary around women in Renaissance artworks and Van Gogh's sunflowers). Although the exhibition has been criticized for its wide reach and sometimes disjointed narrative—it posits the work of Picasso, across his career, in conversation with a variety of modern and contemporary feminist artists—"It's Pablo-matic" presents, if nothing else, a thought-provoking, fresh take on Picasso's legacy, on the fiftieth anniversary of his death, within a greater challenge to "cancel culture" that favors conversation in embrace of complications. 

Also coming on at the Brooklyn Museum this fall is "Spike Lee: Creative Sources", an immersive installation of Lee's own collection of art, music and more, including works by Kehinde Wiley, Deborah Roberts, and Michael Ray Charles (October 7, 2023 to February 4, 2024). Visitors can also still catch "Africa Fashion" here, which opened June 23 and will be on display until October 22, featuring clothing, accessories, music and visual art demonstrating the global impact of African fashions—from Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and beyond—since the 1950s. 

Along with seeing the 425-million-dollar Gilder Center, a new wing that opened at the American Museum of Natural History this spring, a sparkling new exhibition in the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals makes a trip uptown a must this fall. "Garden of Green: Exquisite Jewelry from the Collection of Van Cleef & Arpels" will display 44 pieces of jewelry from the iconic house (the majority of which have never been shown in the U.S.) that were designed over the past century, with green gemstones as the centerpiece. The exhibition opened on June 10 and will be on through January 2024.

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a few exciting exhibitions will round out the calendar: "Art for the Millions: American Culture and Politics in the 1930s" (on September 7 to December 10, 2023), "Vertigo of Color: Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism" (October 13, 2023 to January 21, 2024), "Women Dressing Women" (December 7, 2023 to March 3, 2024) and "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism" (February 25 to July 28, 2024). Plus, you have just a few more days to catch summer idylls with "Van Gogh's Cypresses," which closes August 27.