All of the reservations we’d make before breaking up with NYC 💔

Because heartbreak feels good in a place like this

and

Jul 23, 2025

This is Guides, from the We Scouted universe. You’ll find deep dives on how to navigate the world covering travel, food, shopping, design, and home.

We often say living in New York is like a toxic relationship. She’s a siren. She lures you in, keeps you close, and spits you out when she’s done. The moment you decide you’re set on breaking up with her, she pulls you back in again.

One half of We Scouted is vowing to leave New York.
Lexi’s days are numbered. Or so we think.

Eating with style and tipping heavily feels like the right way to say goodbye. This is a time capsule of our version of this city—a means of preserving it, at least—because we know in six months’ time the entire landscape might look different.

Here is everything we’d book before having the “it’s not you, it’s me” conversation.

Full disclosure: we’re West Side people so you’ll see that come through in our recommendations. Every mention is linked on our Google Maps.

Places That Remind Us Why We Love This City

L’industrie—New York will test your patience, your wallet, your friendships. But pizza? Always there. A burrata slice from L’industrie is the cure to any doubts we have about this city. Couple it with a slice of bacon fig and we’re back in love with this chaotic concrete jungle.
Dante—In our early twenties, Dante made us feel grown. It was our introduction to real cocktails and the $20 price tag that comes with them. An ideal bar for firsts and lasts—first dates, last day at the job. Forever an institution in our book.
Houseman—When you don’t want to cook and all you crave is something homey, this is where we land. Think of it as an American version of a Sunday roast. The owners feel like family and sometimes that’s all we need to fend off the Sunday Scaries.
Cervo’s—We’re going to this tiny Portuguese wine bar to reminisce. The food is seafood-forward and light. The energy is low-fuss and the table next to you is always filled with someone cooler. Feels like the version of New York we believed in when we first moved here.
Interlude Coffee & Tea—Starbucks isn’t the backbone of New York coffee culture. Neither is Blank Street. It’s neighborhood spots like Interlude that carry the city on their back—where the matcha is good enough to impress the person we’re pretending not to network with.

Places That Transport Us

Bar Pisellino—Many nights have started and ended here. We go to this Italian style bar when we’re craving a taste of Euro summer. We stay for the intricate Negroni menu and watching the tourists line up for Via Carota across the street.
Poppy’s—At the Cobble Hill location, we sit outside with a breakfast sandwich while romanticizing life as a BK mom with a brownstone who sends her kids to Brooklyn Friends.
Soothr— There’s something unmistakably New York about being crammed elbow to elbow, shouting over Bangkok-style noodles and chili-spiked cocktails. It’s a meal that spans continents without ever leaving the East Village.

Places That Give Us Social Clout

Misi—It’s almost impossible to get a reservation, but if you do everyone will ask how you did it and that’s part of the fun. Thankfully the food measures up to the hype. We go for the pasta, but the veggies keep us coming back.
People’s—The art bar that offers reservations only by referral. A subtle flex when trying to impress. Something about opening a door not everyone has access to is a golden ticket in this city. But the true insider knowledge is knowing to order the fries and skip the entrees.

Places Great For Crying In Public

Lobby at The Marlton Hotel—It’s here, where one might realize the craving for a slower pace and an apartment with more than 500 sq ft. This is where we cozy up during a winter storm, warm beverage in hand. It’s often the first sign there might be life beyond New York.
Merriweather Coffee + Kitchen—A true neighborhood gem few venture far west enough to find. Come for a quiet spring morning. This is where a journaling session might turn into a tear or two. But it’s fine. Everything is fine.
I Sodi—On the roughest weeks, the move is to order the artichoke lasagna in, throw on the biggest sweatpants, pop a Lactaid, and dive in headfirst—followed, naturally, by the flourless chocolate cake. There won’t be a tear in sight, just a coma of comfort.

Places For Pretending We’re Rich

Frevo—A fine dining restaurant hidden behind a painting in an art gallery. The chef’s table tasting menu made us believe in the city’s magic.
Rigor Hill Market—The home base of hot Tribeca moms and their Silver Cross strollers. We’ll sit outside with our breakfast sandwiches people-watching and guessing who has a home in the Hamptons vs. Palm Beach or maybe both.
One White Street— Our favorite celebratory date night spot in a restored three-story townhouse. Between bites of the seasonal tasting menu, it’s the place we first realized Michelin stars do indeed come from a tire company.

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xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌