City Bakery- Union Square

City Bakery has been on my to do list ever since I heard that it does the best hot chocolate in town. Now that we are entering spring and summer I knew that I had to try this out before the summer heat hits and hot chocolate becomes less tempting. 

Now, City Bakery may have built their reputation based on their hot chocolate but they also have a fantastic array of baked goods and salads. 

The decor- the main service counter dominates the room with little tables hugging the walls. It has quite an earthy feel with its wooden floors and metal structure. Inviting and spacious, it is a great place to hang out. 

I opted for one of their massive chocolate chip cookies (I will admit I had to share it in the end) and a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is not massive but really is the perfect amount! Thick, rich and super chocolatey, this is for real hot chocolate enthusiasts. I normally like marshmallows on my hot chocolate but had been told to avoid this here and don't feel that I missed out on anything by opting for a marshmallow free treat.

Overall, this may not be the cheapest of places but a great stop off when you have a craving for something sweet!

The Basque Bakery in Soho

My family home is in the South West of France, deep in the Basque Country. So when I stumbled across a basque restaurant in Manhattan, I just had to go in for a taste of home. With two locations, one in San Sebastian and one in New York, this authentic restaurant is staffed by Spaniards and serves traditional basque food. 

I love gateau basque (traditional basque desert made with almond flour and pastry cream) but have to say I wasn't taken with their version of it. Heavy pastry and filling that wasn't quite light enough- bit stodgy. 

But their thick spanish hot chocolate was fantastic. I also tried a peach pocket and a freshly squeezed orange juice. 

This quirky little cafe/restaurant is perfect for a spring afternoon, its doors open up onto the street and the indoor plants climbing up the walls blur the line between indoors and outdoors.

Morandi- West Village

I had been meaning to eat at Morandi's for a while as I had heard good things. And so we headed off on a rainy day to try it out. 

This cosy Italian restaurant embodies the rustic and authentic Italian cuisine most foodies look for in NYC. The food is fresh and the atmosphere is great. Portions are not huge but then I am not normally a fan of over sized dishes that you can't finish. 

The pasta was fantastic and the staff were great. We were seated straight away and they answered any questions we had about the menu. 

It looks like it would be a great place to eat outside in the summer. But it does get quite busy, so do book ahead!

Commerce- West Village

I had heard great things about this restaurant and had been aching to try it for a little while. So I was excited once I finally got round to making a reservation. Tucked away in a quiet unassuming West Village street, this cosy restaurant is very popular. And boy does that show on a Friday evening. Despite my reservation and arriving on time, we had over an hours wait before we were seated. I am not going to lie, this was not the most pleasant experience. We were crammed in by the hectic bar like sardines (imagine the Northern Line at rush hour). The delays and cramped conditions led to a few upset customers complaining but the staff did an amazing job working under high pressure with tempers flaring. We were given complimentary drinks and the food that followed then made up for the less than ideal start.

The bread, oh the bread. Normally I try to avoid eating too much before my food arrives so as not to fill up on bread. But the Commerce brings a bread-basket to end all bread-baskets, with a variety of hot, home made rolls that are impossible to resist. From freshly baked tomato and pesto to soft salty pretzels to cheese and bacon mini rolls… the bread-basket did not last long.

I opted for the Winter Vegetable in Thai Red Curry: fresh, delicate, aromatic and seriously tasty. The Steak Diane was elegant and cooked to perfection. 

For desert I ordered their famous Coconut Cake. While this is not normally my favourite desert, I had heard such good things that it just had to be done.  First of all, it is huge. Everyone at the table ended up trying it but even then I still left about a third (maybe I did eat a little too much bread after all). Second of all, it is delicious. Just go and try it. Be prepared for a moist slab of coconut deliciousness.

Their cookie was a great choice for those who want something sweet but who know when enough is enough (yes my eyes are frequently bigger than my belly). The Birthday Cake comes complete with a candle and is just as big as the Coconut Cake.

Overall, yes the hour wait standing in a seriously crowded room did initially put me off but the staff was fantastic, the atmosphere was good and the food was just amazing.