TRAVEL GUIDE | CABANA TRAVEL | CABANA MAGAZINE

Globe-trotting journalist and podcaster Dan Rubinstein, host of the hugely popular podcast, 'The Grand Tourist', shares a highly curated insider's guide to his hometown, New York. From tranquil hidden gems in the city that never sleeps to antique stores and the best place to taste early American cooking, Dan reveals his favorite spots and must-visits.

BY DAN RUBINSTEIN | CABANA TRAVEL | 20 SEPTEMBER 2024 

My Favorite Restaurant: The Commerce Inn 

New York has changed so much since I first moved here 25 years ago. But parts of the West Village retain that pre-war charm that’s so alluring. Nestled on a rarely shaped corner for the city, The Commerce Inn feels like you’re stepping back in time in the best way possible. Their menu is inspired by early American cooking, which is something that’s practically unheard of, even for this city of a million cutting-edge restaurants. Come for the elegantly mixed cocktails and rarebit, and stay for the offal.

My Favorite Place to Stay: Warren Street Hotel

Kit Kemp is renowned for her London hotels that she owns, operates, and designs. It’s almost unheard of. She recently opened her third in New York in Tribeca. The area is super chic and constantly evolving but can sometimes give off a cold vibe. But not here. The service is wonderful, and the rooms have that signature Kemp-designed look that’s colorful with a lot of pattern without ever being garish. Unlike so many other Gotham hotels, this one doesn’t feel what we call in the design business as “value engineered” where every corner is cut for profit’s sake.

My Favorite Museum or Gallery: The Met 

I’m a native of the region, so for me The Met has always been my favorite museum, and I have a lot of local pride in it. But I tend to point my out-of-town friends towards the lesser-known corners of the encyclopedic institution that you might not visit in a one-hour tour. Must-sees for me are the Frank Lloyd Wright Room in the American Wing, the Maiolica room in the out-of-the-way Robert Lehman wing, and Musical Instruments galleries on the second floor.

My Favorite Bar or Pub: Bar Pisellino

While my Italian friends roll their eyes at the name, Bar Pisellino is a little gem in the Village where you can get a proper negroni, cappuccino or pastry, that makes me feel like I’m in Milan or something for a quick visit. It’s actually owned by the same group that runs The Commerce Inn, Officina 1397 (they also run the beloved Italian spot I Sodi), and you can tell this with the attention to details and the authenticity of the menu. While the city has thousands of bars and cafes, this is one where you can actually meet someone without it feeling too informal, nor too stuffy.

My Favorite Café: The Coffee Project

If you’re looking to have a coffee alone or have a conversation with a friend that’s perhaps a little intimate for the crowds, this is a rare, somewhat hidden spot. It’s the tiny coffee shop inside the LGBT Community Center, which itself is a legendary locale for so many reasons. (Don’t worry, all are more than welcome here.) But behind the counter is a door to a small garden patio that serves the rarest of the rare treats in New York: peace and actual quiet.

My Favorite Park or Green Space: Madison Square Park

Central Park is wonderful, but if you’re not an uptown person, you might never visit. It’s almost too big to just stop by. Madison Square park, tiny by comparison, is in the middle of a vibrant neighborhood known for its shopping and restaurants—the legendary Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park are both nearby—and feels oddly functional for the city. There are places to eat, have a drink, play with kids, or have a quiet moment with some actually impressive site-specific art installations that change a few times a year from some leading names like Maya Lin.

My Favorite Shops:

Clothes: J. Mueser

New York isn’t known for its tailoring per se, but J. Mueser is a wonderful exception. I’ve had multiple custom suits made here on Christopher Street, and the team is extremely patient, guiding you through dozens of wonderful fabric samples and design options. They have an atelier on one side of the street, and a boutique with ready-to-wear on the other. I see them as part of that vanguard of menswear brands that are translating traditional gentlemanly aesthetics for a new generation. Despite being a modernist at heart, their linen suits are truly heaven sent. And their RTW ties, jackets, and knitwear are definitely worth a look-see if you’re in the area.

Antiques: Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery

This antiques and design gallery in SoHo really stands out in the scene here, and I recently interviewed Jacqueline Sullivan for the podcast. She has a curatorial background, and combines a poetic outlook with a love of American antiques - think hand painted chairs and other delicate oddities with Shaker sensibilities - and mixes that with purely contemporary works by artists and craftsmen from around the world. Her exhibits really push and challenge the viewer, and propose some interesting concepts, and that’s an increasing rarity in our business.

My Favorite Thing to Do: Visit Chinatown for food and design

I’m not sure when Chinatown became the most exciting place for experimental design and other creatives, but I suppose it was just a matter of time. While the neighborhood still has its original charms, there are hidden art and design gems that don’t mind being amidst some of the area’s more gritty corners. Superhouse is one of the most exciting new contemporary design galleries that seems perfectly at home in the frenetic-ness with its experimental and colorful works, while Blue Green Works sells contemporary modern lighting with a transgressive edge.

The Grand Tourist: A podcast about design, art, architecture, food, fashion, and travel—all the elements of a well-lived life | www.thegrandtourist.net