The Diary of a Traveler

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Cara Cara Cocktails

Philip Dizard dishes on where to dine in NYC...






As a New York based brand, we are always looking for that supreme supper scene for girls nights, dates and chill family evenings. In a city that is ever-evolving, it can be daunting to stay up on all the need-to-know establishments. Enter the dashing Philip Dizard, Prestige Dining & Specialty Wine Manager at Moët Hennessy, and brother to co-founder Sasha Martin, to break down the current crème de la crème of Manhattan’s dining and drinking. Read on for Philip’s fiery take and our style suggestions for indulgent Manhattan summer agendas!
Philip Dizard
Frog Club in New York City is the newest inhabitant of the old Chumley

Principe: SoHo’s coolest entrant in some time, Principe balances its brutalist design qualities with luxurious chandeliers and highly calibrated Italian seafood small plates. You’re downtown and, hopefully, feeling yourself. Embrace your inner connoisseur by ordering a glass of Ruinart Blanc Singulier Champagne, the sommelier will appreciate your discerning palate.

S&P: A daytime play only, but the single best pound-for -pound lunch in NYC for my money. The lunch counter is a stunning tableau of what New York can be at its most accessible. Tourists, locals, old and young, rich and poor, sit shoulder-to-shoulder (literally) and enjoy platonic ideal versions of tuna melts, onion rings and more classic lunch counter fare. For a statin-justifying indulgence, try the corned beef and chicken liver sandwich, or explore colors and flavors not found in nature with an old-school cherry lime rickey.

The Polo Bar: So, you’ve taken the decision to sell your third child in exchange for a Friday night table of 4 at The Polo Bar. Kudos. Since you’ve arrived at the center of the universe, take it all in and remind yourself that you do belong among the great and the good with a bottle of 2015 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame to accompany your pigs in blanket and God-tier people watching.
The Polo Bar

Shinji’s: You want lux? Head to this ultra-chic 18 seat cocktail bar designed by Ken Fulk and curated by the team behind Michelin-starred omakase sushi counter Noda. There are few better shows in town with a team that embraces hospitality in each moment with cocktails and bites steeped in creativity and quality. Blow your mind with a Tropicana cocktail, served inside of a real orange á la the TV commercial from childhood, munch on a Japanese A5 Wagyu sando, then finish with a pour from the largest Japanese whisky selection in America.

With Bemelman’s seemingly co-opted by those entranced by the obligatory IG photo op, there emerged a hole in the civilized drinking landscape of the Upper East Side. Enter Melody’s to fill that void. In one of the iconic UES bar spaces (IYKYK), this piano bar will be your safe space in a chaotic world. It’s old school in the best way so a Vesper martini is the correct move here. My spec for a top-notch Vesper is 2oz dry gin (Plymouth or similar), 1oz vodka (Belvedere for ideal texture) & .75oz Cocchi Americano (like Lillet but with a lovely cinnamon finish to complete the idea). Carry this with you and you will be well served wherever you go.

Raf’s: Another contender for downtown’s hottest spot is this Nolita Italian gem. Raf’s evokes that elusive cool which you may remember from back in the day at spots such as Schiller’s or The Beatrice Inn (RIP to both). Tallegio/Mortadella Arancini and a Volcan XA margarita will transport you to halcyon days past while reminding you that the best is yet to come.

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