16 Stars Tell Us Where to Spot Them on Your Next Trip to N.Y.C.
No one does New York quite like the stars do. Between red carpet premieres, restaurant openings, and designer shops on almost every corner, Manhattan is a constant hotspot for star-studded activities. Even when they're not hitting up the latest A-list events, celebrities like Jude Law, Chrissy Teigen, Nick Jonas, and more spend their time taking in the best that N.Y.C. has to offer, from trying out the trendiest 'gram-worthy food options to staying (or partying) at the hottest hotels. We asked 16 stars to dish on their favorite New York City staples—scroll down to find out their must-stop spots, and make plans to pop by on your next trip to the Big Apple.
CHRISSY TEIGEN
"I love Lure [Fishbar] so much," said Teigen. "[The chef] Josh Capon is a dear friend of mine. His L.A.-style Lure burger is everything. The patty is so well-seasoned and delicious. Plus, it’s lettuce-wrapped, so you feel like you’re eating healthy. It’s the only burger where I feel like, 'I don’t need a bun.'"
Lure Fishbar, 142 Mercer Street; lurefishbar.com
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BROOKLYN DECKER
“Sockerbit candy's Swedish candy is unbelievable," said Decker. "It's in the West Village, and I highly recommend that. I also love The Bowery Hotel and having drinks in the lobby. I try to be much cooler than I am by staying there.”
Sockerbit Sweet & Swedish, 89 Christopher Street; sockerbit.com
The Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery; theboweryhotel.com
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JUDE LAW
"I love New York, and I go whenever I have even the slightest excuse," said Law. "There’s something kind of old-school glamorous about the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis, with it’s dark leather banquettes and a long bar. You tend to have a barman in there who also knows how to mix a good drink. And then The Ear Inn, which is way downtown. It's one of the oldest in New York, I think, and it reminds me of the sort of Eugene O’Neill side to drinking whiskey—sailors and sea shanties."
King Cole Bar, 2 East 55th Street; stregisnewyork.com
The Ear Inn, 326 Spring Street; earinn.com
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ALISON BRIE
“My favorite place in New York is El Rey Cafe on the Lower East Side," said Brie. "It’s just the coziest—the best food that I’ve had ever in the city, and that’s really saying a lot. I go there every time I’m in New York. I also love the store Save Khaki. It’s all technically menswear, but I definitely purchase comfy sweaters from there that I wear.”
El Rey Cafe, 100 Stanton Street; elreynyc.com
Save Khaki, 2 locations in New York; savekhaki.com
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CAMILLA BELLE
“Central Park—when I stay in New York, I try and go for a walk there every single morning," said Belle. "I just love sitting on a bench and watching and observing people. It’s my absolute favorite place in New York, for sure. And then every time I’m in New York, I have to go to Ralph Lauren’s new restaurant, The Polo Bar. I love the steak, the mashed potatoes, the French fries, and the ambience. Dark wood, sofas. Everything about it I adore.”
The Polo Bar, 1 East 55th Street; ralphlauren.com
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NICK JONAS
“It’s tough to say my favorite—there are so many," said Jonas. "The food at Carbone in The Village is great. And J.G. Melon for a totally different vibe, which is like a traditional cheeseburger spot. But then for afterwards, a drink and a cigar at Hudson Bar and Books—at Hudson and Horatio—is one of my favorite spots.”
Carbone, 181 Thompson Street; carbonenewyork.com
JG Mellon, 89 MacDougal Street; jgmellonnyc.com
Hudson Bar and Books, 636 Hudson Street; barandbooks.cz
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SOLANGE KNOWLES
“I love Opening Ceremony," said Knowles. "I love the Issey Miyake store. Madiba the restaurant in Brooklyn I really love. Studio Museum in Harlem is such a gem with so many wonderful exhibits. The Jack Shainman Gallery in Chelsea is my all time favorite gallery in the world, and actually right now, they have up the Malick Sidibe exhibit. He just passed away, so if anyone gets the opportunity to see that, he truly was such a magical photographer who saw the world through a special lens. Those are my joints when I go back home."
Opening Ceremony, 35 Howard Street; openingceremony.com
Issey Miyake, 119 Hudson Street; isseymiyaketribeca.com
Madiba, 195 Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn; madibabarrestaurant.com
Studio Museum, 144 West 125th Street; studiomuseum.org
Jack Shainman Gallery, 513 West 20th Street; jackshainman.com
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SELMA BLAIR
“My favorite is the Lowell Hotel," said Blair. "I feel like I died and went to heaven when I stay there. And I like Gramercy Park. I grew up around the park, so to have a key to the park always felt very special.”
The Lowell Hotel, 28 East 63rd Street; lowellhotel.com
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JULIANNE HOUGH
“I like to go to the karaoke bar Sing Sing with my friends," said Hough. "We sing 'I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,' from Lion King. We go crazy. It sounds like the cheesiest thing ever, but it’s the most fun.”
Sing Sing Karaoke, 2 locations in New York; karaokesingsing.com
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IAN HARDING
“I always go to the Strand Book Shop," said Harding. "It’s such a tourist trap, but I always go. I love books—I’m a huge nerd. I’m also a huge beer nerd—and this makes me sound like a total lush—but there’s actually a place called Pony Bar on 10th Ave in Midtown. I go there every time. It’s fantastic. It’s just a little hole in the wall, but it’s got the best beer in Manhattan, I think, personally.”
Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway; strandbooks.com
The Pony Bar, 637 10th Avenue; theponybar.com
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GILLIAN JACOBS
“I went to college in New York, so I used to live there," said Jacobs. "I like to go to Angelica Kitchen and get the tofu sandwich. It’s this marinated tofu sandwich with stewed carrots on whole grain bread. I’m not vegetarian, but I’ve always loved this tofu sandwich. When I think about missing New York, I think about it. Angelica Kitchen has been around in the East Village for forever, and I love it. And nearby, one of my new favorites is Superiority Burger. They’re vegan, but they’re incredible. And all their side dishes are amazing.”
Angelica Kitchen, 300 East 12th Street; angelicakitchen.com
Superiority Burger, 420 East 9th Street; superiorityburger.com
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HAILEY BALDWIN
“I really like Isola in The Mondrian in SoHo," said Baldwin. "They have a really good version of fish and chips—it’s branzino with lime and French fries. It’s like, next-level. It’s so good.”
Isola Trattoria and Crudo Bar, 9 Crosby Street; morganshotelgroup.com
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OLIVIA HOLT
“I enjoy the touristy places so much," said Holt. "I always try and make a trip to Serendipity while I’m here, because I’m super wild about their frozen hot chocolates.”
Serendipity 3, 225 East 60th Street; serendipity3.com
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MAX GREENFIELD
“I like to eat in New York," said Greenfield. "I always go to Parm, and I get an Italian combo every time. It’s the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.”
Parm, 4 locations in New York; parmnyc.com
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LAURA MARANO
“I go to the Bronx—my uncle has a restaurant there that’s great, called Enzo’s," said Marano. "It’s so Italian, it’s ridiculous. My dad is from Italy, but he lived in New York for a large portion of his life so I have a lot of family there.”
Enzo's Italian Restaurant, 1998 Williamsbridge Road; enzosbronxrestaurant.com
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TAMRON HALL
“Battery Park," said Hall. "Maybe it's because my first apartment was not far from the surprisingly tranquil promenade and energetic playground connected to a sandlot. I can't put my finger on it, but the oasis, as I call it, in the middle of the downtown shadow of Wall Street seems to calm my soul on the most hectic days. It also doesn't hurt that Lady Liberty is in the distance but close enough to remind me all are welcome to this city.”
—With reporting by Leigh Belz Ray, Jennifer Ferrise, Brandi Fowler, Ericka Franklin, Courtney Higgs, Brianna King, Carita Rizzo, Samantha Simon, and Claire Stern.