Bars: Bemelmans Bar

Bemelmans (named for the murals) at the Carlyle is one of the great old-school hotel bars: live music, a ritzy crowd and well-made, super-pricey, classic cocktails. Fun for a high-end Old New York evening, and the cabaret acts are often super, or super-weird. I have seen old men do Noel Coward shows, just sayin.' The food is exorbitant, btw; we usually start at the Veau d'Or and then head uptown!

Restaurants: Lady M. Cake Boutique

Lady M
UPPER EAST SIDE
41 41 East 78th Street (Between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue)
Subway: 6 to 78th Street
If you can't get into Sabarsky - or maybe even if you can - this elegant, sleek, ritzy little pastry shop is an amazing between-museums cake-and-coffee spot. Expensive, but the cakes are terrific.
SNACKS/REST STOPS; SWEETS

Restaurants: Cafe Sabarsky

Cafe Sabarsky
UPPER EAST SIDE
1048 Fifth Ave. nr. 86th St.
Subway: 4/5/6 to 86th Street

The Neue Gallery is a great museum, but Sabarsky is worth a visit no matter what. It's not just the best place for a bite around here, but one of the best in the city. The cafe is a replica of an elegant Viennese pastry shop, and the sweets are amazing. It gets crowded in the afternoons, but it's worth holding out for a table in the upstairs cafe for a coffee and a piece of strudel. It's also wonderful for breakfast, and never crowded. Plus, you can get a jump on the museum lines!

Restaurants: LEXINGTON CANDY

Lexington Candy
UPPER EAST SIDE
1226 Lexington at 83rd Street
Subway: 4/5/6 to 86th Street
An oasis of semi-normalcy on the UES, the LCS is a 20's-vintage luncheonette, a perfect spot for cinnamon toast and cocoa, or a cup of coffee or a soda between museums.
SNACKS/REST STOPS; OLD NEW YORK; BREAKFAST

RESTAURANT: Le Veau D'Or

Le Veau d'Or
EAST MIDTOWN/UPPER EAST SIDE
129 E. 60th St. nr. Lexington Ave.
Subway: 4/5/6 to 59th Street
This time-warp French restaurant has ancient patrons, ancient French waiters, an ancient owner, and really old-fashioned food. Reasonable, too! I like the iles flottantes, the trout almondine and the poussin. Probably not the best choice for vegetarians!
FRENCH; BIG NIGHT; OLD NEW YORK

Neighborhood Overview: Upper East Side

Subway Line: 4,5 (express) 6 (local)
Overall, you'd have to call the UES Ritzy/Gossip-Girly/Old School/Very wealthy/somewhat beyond parody. It's staid and elegant and not at all hip. But it's the home of upper Madison Avenue and the "Museum Mile" (the Frick, the Met, the Guggenheim, Neue Gallery and the Jewish Museum to name but a few) and a natural spot to visit. Lovely for walking - on 5th, or in Central Park, or up and down Madison.


I also really like The Museum of the City of New York a bit further uptown.



Foodwise, it's not a booming scene, and most of it's fancy, but there are several eminently civilized spots for coffee etc.


To the East, you've got Yorkville. This is now a rather douchey assemblage of young financial types etc. but traditionally, this was NYC's German neighborhood, and there are a few vestiges that are neat if you're in the area. Hit Glaser's Bakery, Schaller & Weber's deli/grocery or the Heidelberg Restaurant for beer, old-school German food, and elderly waitresses in dirndls! For a snack, your best bet is the (modern, non-German) Two Little Red Hens Bakery.