Hello…it’s me…after a nine month hiatus from blogging. And contrary to what most people equate nine months to, no, I did not have a baby. TL; DR: we bought a house, it was a PROJECT, and while there will be plenty of blog posts dedicated to said project in the future, I’m here today to talk all things bachelorette-y in my favorite city that never sleeps.
Let me preface this by saying that, after having spent my latter teens and all of my twenties living in NYC making questionable decisions, I feel like I had a solid 11+ years to prepare for this weekend. And so, despite the fact that you may actually be a tourist looking to have your bachelorette party in NYC, here are all of my fave places for when you want to party like a New Yorker (spoiler: no party buses were involved).
WHERE WE STAYED
The James New York – Nomad
While it’s a little more under the radar than its’ Soho counterpart, I chose this hotel for how centrally located it is, the surrounding amenities, and the relatively reasonable room rates. Bonus: the double rooms actually have queen beds instead of full-sized beds so you can comfortably squeeze four of your girls in each room.
The hotel has an Italian restaurant located inside the same building, Scarpetta, and also a cocktail lounge downstairs called The Seville for anyone who is really not looking to leave the building all weekend. Scarpetta has solid food and atmosphere, but there are definitely better Italian restaurants, IMHO, so we skipped it for the weekend. The Seville is definitely worth checking out for a pre-dinner drink or post-dinner nightcap.
WHERE WE ATE
L’Artusi
May or may not be my favorite restaurant in the city, and may or may not be one of the most difficult places to snag a reservation for because many other people feel the same way. With 10 ladies in tow, we had enough people to book the private wine room upstairs. For those of you with larger bachelorette parties (between 8-12), I highly recommend splurging on one of your meals here. It is Italian food on steroids with a raw menu that makes me never want to eat another cooked meal again.
WHERE WE ALMOST ATE
Because there are no shortage of restaurants in the city that constantly make me question our decision to move to the suburbs, here is the short list of places I would recommend:
Hutong: Pricey, but delicious Chinese food in a very vibe-y atmosphere.
Upland: Elevated American fare with one of the best margherita pizzas I’ve ever had.
Scampi: More Italian food, because there’s no such thing as too much pasta. Get the scampi.
The Cellar at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese: It’s a restaurant located below a cheese shop. Enough said. One of the more casual places on this list, but still dimly-lit enough for a ~vibe~.
Quality Eats West Village: American fare with an emphasis on steak. It’s not a traditional steakhouse by any means, but it also won’t carry the same price tag of a traditional steakhouse.
La Esquina: It’s a scene, but so is your bachelorette. This will be your best bet for bougey tacos.
Hillstone Park Ave South: This place somehow manages to simultaneously offer my favorite French dip au jus and some of my favorite sushi in the city (the coconut shrimp roll!).
WHERE WE DRANK
This category is going to blend a little into the next category, “Where We Danced,” but for the sake of good housekeeping, I’m going to only list drinking establishments on here – save the twerking for the later.
The Lobby Bar at ACE Hotel: Fun fact: Dave and I had our second date here. I remember seeing this this door inside the bar at a very weird point in my mid twenties thinking that maybe it was a sign (well, duh, it obviously is a literal sign). Going back there for the first night of my bachelorette party felt like the circle of freaking life hitting me in the face.
The Spaniard: Literally does not serve Spanish food, but does serve a good time. Used to be one of my fave pick-up bars in my twenties, although going back there in my thirties reminds me that it’s still every twenty-somethings fave pick-up bar. If you’re going just for dinner, get the clam toast.
The Seville: The loungey bar located below The James Hotel. Great place to start or end your night with a good cocktail and music kept at a reasonable level for conversation.
Oscar Wilde: This was a late night stop after clubbing one night, but it’s a great place for a solid cocktail while sitting in what feels like your grandma’s living room.
WHERE WE ALMOST DRANK
Because I only had two nights and one liver.
Raines Law Room: Arguably one of the best cocktail bars in Manhattan. They do a killer penicillin. The location in midtown is roomier and better for large groups than the one in Union Square.
The Flatiron Room: Nothing is better than jazz and cocktails in New York City. The Flatiron Room is no exception. It’s live jazz so reservations are a must, but head here if you’re looking for more of a grown-up NYC bachelorette experience.
The Wren: It’s the same owners as The Spaniard, so has a similar feel to it. It’s on the northern end of Soho, so go here if you plan on hopping around Soho later in the evening.
JIMMY at The James: My favorite rooftop bar in the city. Impossibly difficult to get into late at night, but you stand a chance if you go while it’s still daylight outside.
WHERE WE DANCED
Somewhere Nowhere: I’m sad to say this rooftop bar/club didn’t exist when I lived in the city. Before 10pm, it’s a somewhat civilized rooftop bar. After 10pm and especially when Valentino Khan is DJ-ing, it is the clubbiest of all clubs. Go here for your house music fix.
LAVO: This club has been here since I was young enough to go to clubs on a weekly basis. I’m pretty sure this place is a fire hazard with the amount of people on the dance floor, but that’s the spirit of it.
We didn’t almost dance anywhere else because, quite frankly, we’re all in our thirties and too tired for that.
And last, but not least, I highly recommend getting a photographer to shoot a portion of your bachelorette party. These hotel pics from Sam Popp Photography are some of my faves – so much so that I think I’m going to get a few of them printed and framed for my office to remind me that being bad & boujee is really a state of mind, even if I’m feeling tired & decrepit.
Hope this was helpful lovelies, and looking forward to being back on here with you all!
xx,
Anna
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