Your parents are in town... and it's Christmas
25 recs across 3 boroughs for a holiday reservation
I am sitting in Penn Station with a decaf Starbucks in a holiday cup…it must really be the holidays. It’s somehow been Christmas for three weeks and Thanksgiving hasn’t even happened yet, nor have we broken a sub 30 degree day. The actual holiday(s) will be here before we know it, and long-awaited December plans are pulling very quickly around the corner. Don’t think I am glossing over Thanksgiving, but I keep getting this request and want to allow ample time for booking reservations.
I may not celebrate Christmas but even I find it fun to walk down Fifth Ave and revel at the festivities, to gawk at Cartier’s decor and see the Rockefeller tree in all its glory. The allure of New York during the holidays is incomparable, a city covered in lights with boundless gift-giving-and-getting. You can go skating in Central Park, or, my personal favorite activity, go see The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center (someone please take me I need to go).
Regardless of what neighborhood you end up in or what activities you have planned, surely there will be an evening where a night on the town with your parents is called for, and it will be in your hands, city-dweller, to make the executive decision as to where you will be going.
Here’s where to take your parents, divided by category, with price, vibe, and difficulty all under consideration. To note: all restaurants are linked to Google Maps, difficulty refers to how hard it is to actually get in, dollar amount is completely relative given that everything in New York has to cost 50% more than it should.
Truly Festive
Keen’s Steakhouse
Where: Midtown
What: A straight up steakhouse, if you must be near Penn Station
Difficulty: 4/5
$$$
Claud
Where: Downtown
What: A luxurious dinner, worth the splurge
Difficulty: 5/5
Lord’s
Where: West Village/Soho
What: Noteworthy English food, great drinks
Difficulty: 3/5
$$
The Four Horsemen
Where: Williamsburg
What: It is the best restaurant in Brooklyn, unfortunately
Difficulty: 5/5
$$$
Place de Fêtes
Where: Clinton Hill
What: Basque influenced, adventurous, laid-back
Difficulty: 2/5
$$
Raf’s
Where: Soho
What: Good celeb sightings, great bread basket, classic New York bistro
Difficulty: 5/5
$$$
Gage and Tollner
Where: Downtown Brooklyn
What: Classic and fun, get a Baked Alaska
Difficulty: 4/5
French-ish
French Louie
Where: Boerum Hill
What: Weird location but very cute
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
Bar Bête
Where: Cobble Hill
What: 10/10 meal, laid-back setting, worth it just for the cake
Difficulty: 2/5
$$
Chez Ma Tante
Where: Greenpoint
What: Easy, reliable, not overly crowded
Difficulty: 2/5
$$
Laid Back Italian
Frankie’s 457
Where: Carroll Gardens
What: Get the cavatelli and a bottle of red
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
Noodle Pudding
Where: Brooklyn Heights
What: Comforting, cozy, just the basics
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
River Deli
Where: Brooklyn Heights
What: Very cute, cash only, always feels like the holidays
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
Cozy and Quiet
Cecily
Where: Greenpoint
What: Cozy wine bar, small menu, lovely staff
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
Roman’s
Where: Fort Greene
What: Your parents will like it :)
Difficulty: 2/5
$$
Neighborhood Spots
Cafe Mado
Where: Prospect Heights
What: Adventurous, amazing dining room
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
Agi’s Counter
Where: Crown Heights
What: Eastern European food, the best cheesecake I’ve ever had, feels like your living room
Difficulty: 2/5
$$
Little Owl
Where: West Village
What: Hearty food, will never be full of 21 year olds.
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
Leo
Where: Williamsburg
What: Crowd-pleaser, pizza/salad/wine
Difficulty: 1/5
$$
Worth the Journey
Café Sabarsky
Where: Upper East Side
What: Upscale Austrian food inside a museum
Difficulty: 5/5
$$$
Cafe Kestrel
Where: Red Hook
What: If a hug were a restaurant.
Difficulty: 4/5
$$
Vinegar Hill House
Where: Vinegar Hill (Dumbo)
What: Rich food for cold weather. Out of the way, always worth a trip.
Difficulty: 2/5
$$$
You live in Bushwick…
Rolo’s
Where: Ridgewood
What: Wood-fired menu, laid-back feel with an elevated menu
Difficulty: 2/5
$$
Ops
Where: Bushwick
What: Pizza and wine, all you need.
Difficulty: 2/5
$$
*A reminder, all of these will be added to the right on Franklin map, available for all paid subscribers!*
My very first newsletter covered this same topic, but a bit more broadly…
I appreciate the "You live in Bushwick" section 😅 Very solid recs!
French Louie is v close to us but we've never tried - you recommend? Just checked their menu online and I see anchovy frites with crispy lemons and aioli...so I think they've been waiting for me