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This article is part of the FT Globetrotter’s New York Guide.
In the winter, I like to stay locally on the Upper East Side. Of course, I can go to trendy, high-energy places downtown and listen to music, but on my days off I prefer places that nurture the soul. It’s not that I’m nostalgic, but I like the feeling of being in another dimension.
One of my favorite places is a French bistro called Quatorze. This Upper East Side staple serves classic, hearty French dishes like soup à l’ognon and cassoulet. But I will go for the choucroute. A typical dish from the Alsatian region, made with sauerkraut, sausages and various types of pork. This is a very wintery dish. I usually eat dinner there with my wife Sandra, but if I’m alone I like to eat at the bar. The service is great. They make you feel like you’re a regular, and I especially like that I’m usually the youngest in the entire place. It’s certainly not cool, but it makes you feel good to be there. It’s like being in Paris surrounded by vintage posters.
Across the street from my apartment is Sotheby’s, where works are displayed before the auction. I don’t usually buy art at Sotheby’s, but it’s fun to look at them. The same goes for our collection of Birkin bags and beautiful limited edition Rolex watches. There is also an excellent and reasonably priced wine store downstairs. You might find a nice rosé from Provence or a white wine from Burgundy, or visit a small cafe run by Saint Ambreus. I like it because it’s very simple. Salad and soup are also included. It’s not a big promise.
Another place I love in the neighborhood is Campagnola for classic Italian food. More specifically, it’s a typical Italian-American restaurant where Joe Biden recently went to eat at his granddaughter’s birthday. Step into Campagnola and you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back in time to 1960s or 70s New York. I like going there on Sundays, especially in the winter. Very cheerful.
When you arrive, a plate of Parmesan cheese and salami is brought to you. There is a list of specials written on the board and it has been the same for years. The waiter is also there the whole time. They know what you want to drink and eat. They always bring me a Macallan 12 double and know I’ll order the osso buco. But they don’t rush you. This is a restaurant where you can relax and enjoy music from the piano bar. There are two pianists, one on Sundays and the other on weekdays. Both are legends and will do their best to sing any song you request. You can sing along if you like, but I’m not the one to do it. Sandra likes to dance and the bar is very lively.
Sometimes I want to be transported to another century. For that, I go to Bemelman’s Bar at the Carlyle Hotel. There, the lighting is very warm, everyone looks beautiful, the pianist is very good, and so are the old-fashioned waiters. Not to mention the cocktails. they are really great. I buy a martini or Manhattan and usually have a few olives or chips, or sometimes I order a hamburger. I enjoy the retro feel of this place, especially on holidays. Warm and cozy, it embodies the charm of New York winter. If it snows, go to Bemelmans.
Kitchen Arts & Letters, located at 93rd Street and Lexington, specializes in food and wine books. It’s very cute and has a lot of content, and it has a wide selection of imported cookbooks and antique cookbooks by Julia Child and others that are hard to find in stores anymore. I also love the smell of old books. I’ll go here on a whim and explore. Browsing it is calming and of course a great source of inspiration. Le Bernardin has a collection of 600 to 700 books that I use for research, but I go to the store for fun. I never leave without buying anything. One book I bought was Heston Blumenthal’s “The Big Fat Duck Cookbook,” which was full of amazing art, recipes, and photography, and was truly a collector’s item.
There is Yakitori Totto not far from Le Bernardin. If you can finish work a little early, this is a Japanese restaurant you’ll want to go to, whether alone or with friends. It’s an adventure. To get there, you have to climb steep and narrow stairs. If you walk in (reservations are accepted online), you must provide your name and number and they will tell you the wait time. I can’t skip the line because they claim they don’t know me even though I’ve been going there for years. But before I get the call home, I just have time to go to Maggie’s, the Irish pub across the street, for a Guinness.
The highlight of my menu is the grilled chicken cartilage. They are small and have a strange, crunchy texture. I always buy different parts of chicken like chicken hearts, liver, meatballs, and also eat shishito peppers and asparagus. I also make sure to eat vegetables. The black pork is delicious, and the mochi ice cream at the end is also delicious. Sitting at the counter with the smell of grilled meat, you’ll feel like you’re in Tokyo.
But there’s one place I’m willing to leave the Upper East Side for. That’s Balthazar. The reason I head downtown is often to go to a brasserie in Soho. I love having lunch there. The crowd is a good mix of tourists and New Yorkers, and it’s very lively. You can really feel the heartbeat of the city. I’ll have a big plate of oysters, clams, and shrimp, then a spicy steak tartare and fries, along with a dirty martini or a good bottle of red wine.
But I love going to Balthazar for breakfast. Mornings are much more peaceful. They play classical music and have a great atmosphere, especially with the decorations for the holidays. I go around 9:30 or 10am, sit in a booth, and slowly start my day. I usually order decaf coffee, a croissant, and sometimes a boiled egg or bread, butter, and marmalade. Afterwards, I often take a walk down Elizabeth Street. I like the shops in the Nolita area. Stadium Goods (located on Howard Street) sells rare, limited edition trainers. I also love The Undefeated streetwear (located on Kenmare Street). But we’ll be heading back north soon to unwind in the cozy atmosphere of the Upper East Side.
Eric Ripert is the executive chef and owner of Le Bernardin, a three-star Michelin restaurant in New York.
What is your favorite place on the Upper East Side? Let us know in the comments below. Follow FT Globetrotter (@FTGlobetrotter) on Instagram.
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