MY NEW YORK – TRAVEL TIPS BY NAUSHEEN NOOR

I love the food at Il Buco (47 Bond St , East Village); a tiny, romantic restaurant that serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Take a peek downstairs at their wine cellar – it inspired Edgar Allan Poe to write the Cask of Amontillado. I also recommend a visit to Eataly (200 Fifth Ave, Gramercy/Flatiron – Mario Batali, among others, has created this enormous Mecca to Italian food. Shop for some of the finest ingredients in cookery or head to one of their café’s for a quick bite. One of the originators of the “farm to table” movement, Blue Hill (Blue Hill Critics’ Pick75 Washington Pl, Downtown) serves unpretentious, American fare. And you cannot leave the city without having a New York slice of pizza. No recommendations are needed – just walk into any pizzeria, check they have a brick oven, and try their plain cheese pizza. Delicious!

Head to tiny, art-Deco bar Employees Only (510 Hudson St, West Village) with friends – you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported to “the roaring twenties.” I also love Little Branch (Little Branch Critics’ Pick, 20 Seventh Ave South, West Village) ; a tucked-away bar that has some of the most dedicated staff in New York. Tell the bartenders your favorite flavour and liquor and they’ll mix you a bespoke cocktail.

Nausheen Noor is a freelance writer and author of food blog Dubai Bites. She was raised in Washington D.C. and lived in New York prior to moving to Dubai with her husband three years ago..

The MOMA, Guggenheim and the Met are must-sees, but also the hot new location of the MAD Museum which houses a collection of contemporary crafts by American artists including crafts, jewellery, glass and furnishings.

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and if you have time, make your way to Carroll Gardens; one of the most charming neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Court and Smith streets are packed with small boutiques and cafes. Central Park is an oasis in the middle of the city. I love walking around the reservoir with the stately buildings of the Upper East and West sides looming above it.

You may need a full day to explore the incredible, 6-floor home furnishings store ABC Home & Carpet. It’s stocked with exquisite, unique items from all over the globe. Bergdorf Goodman is a destination in itself, located in a beautiful Vanderbilt mansion built in 1928. Don’t be intimated by the store’s pricey, high-end offerings. Level 5F has a fabulous collection of contemporary designers and some of the best customer service in town. MOMA Design Store is also worth a visit – the store knows how to take the most ordinary household items and transform them into beautiful works of art, form and function!