New York doesn’t ease you in. It starts at full volume and stays there. Between client dinners in the West Village, morning meetings in Midtown, and the particular madness of trying to get anywhere near Times Square at 6 p.m., this city will humble you and thrill you in the same afternoon. These are the places that make it worth it — the ones we put in the group chat, argue about in Slack, and keep coming back to no matter what. Welcome to our New York edit.
ON THE TABLE: Where we eat
Chinese Tuxedo: A former Chinese opera house on the crookedest street in Manhattan, turned into one of the most visually dramatic dining rooms in the city. The bi-level space retains its original pillars and stripped-down walls alongside mid-century touches and contemporary art. The food is modern Chinese — the dumplings and the roasted duck salad are the ones. Come for dinner, stay because you can’t quite believe the room.
Anton’s: Upscale Italian with the kind of room that makes a work dinner feel like a personal choice. The martini is the opening act, and it earns the billing. Whatever comes after it is good enough to justify the trip on its own. Dinner
Barlume: The OId New York go-to for a reason. Mediterranean, warm, consistently right. The kind of restaurant that never makes you regret the reservation. Lunch / Dinner
Jeffrey’s Grocery: West Village seafood and oyster bar that manages to feel like a neighborhood spot despite being impossible to get into. The raw bar alone is worth the effort. Order the oysters. Order more oysters. Lunch / Dinner
BONDST: Japanese and sushi in a NoHo townhouse that has been quietly excellent for longer than most of its neighbors have existed. Not loud about it. Doesn’t need to be. Dinner
AFTER HOURS Where we unwind
Monkey Bar: Midtown shouldn’t have this much personality, but here we are. The Monkey Bar has been an institution for decades and earns the status with every visit — the murals, the drinks, the feeling that something interesting is about to happen. Bar
The Riff Raff Club: The view is the reason to go and reason enough on its own. Everything else is a bonus. Bar
Soso’s: Chic without announcing it. The drinks are the kind you think about afterward. One of those bars that feels like a discovery even when everyone already knows about it. Bar
Sauced: A wine bar in Brooklyn that takes the wine seriously without taking itself too seriously. The list is the kind that rewards curiosity — ask what they’re excited about and go from there. Wine Bar
Sip & Guzzle: The No. 1 bar in North America, according to North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026. Two floors, two personalities: Downstairs, Sip delivers refined Japanese-inspired cocktails with precision and elegance. Upstairs, Guzzle brings bold highballs, beers, and fun bar snacks. The concept explores what might happen if Japanese samurai opened a tavern in Manhattan. The answer, it turns out, is the best bar in the country. Go.
OUT OF OFFICE Where we recharge
Swingers: Crazy mini golf with cocktails. The kind of evening that starts as a team outing and ends as a genuine memory. No irony — this one is just fun. Mini Golf / Bar
Broadway: The obvious recommendation that is obvious for a reason. See something. Anything. New York without a Broadway show is New York with the volume turned down. See a Show
Tasty Tours NYC: The best way to understand a neighborhood you think you already know is to eat your way through it with someone who actually does. Food tours that go past the surface and into the specific, surprising, delicious history of the city. Food Tour
Central Park: 843 acres in the middle of the most vertical city in the world. Walk the reservoir loop. Go to the zoo if you have someone small with you or just feel like it. There is no wrong way to spend an afternoon here. Park / Zoo
The Met Cloisters: Separate from the main Met — and better for it. Medieval art and architecture transplanted from Europe to a hilltop in Washington Heights, overlooking the Hudson. One of those places that feels genuinely removed from the city around it. Go on a quiet weekday and give it the time it deserves.
OUTRO
New York rewards specificity. The people who thrive here are the ones who know which block, which table, which bartender, which show. This list is our version of that knowledge — built over years of client dinners, late nights, and mornings that started too early and ended too late. Drop a pin. Make the reservation. Tell them OI sent you.
Have a spot we missed? We always do. Tag us: @openinfluence