New York City Bachelorette Recap
outfit details: varsity jacket // t-shirt // sneakers // similar jeans // handbag // similar sunglasses
My sister’s wedding is almost here (next weekend!) so what better time than now to share a recap of her amazing bachelorette party in New York, New York. We came, we ate, we conquered. All in a 2 night, 3 day trip. Honestly most of what we did was eating and drinking, so prepare yourself for some of the best restaurants to hit up on your next weekend in the city or if you’re trying to plan a destination bachelorette of your very own.
Sisters Exploring Soho: Me, Kate (the bride!) and Cortney
Chicken Paella at Boqueria Soho Boozy Brunch
We kicked off the weekend by heading straight to a boozy brunch that was right near our hotel. We stayed at the Courtyard New York/Manhattan Soho, which was the perfect location for all our activities. The hotel staff was super nice, very attentive, and we were able to get an early check-in so we could ditch our bags before brunch. Pro Tip: if you are flying into New York (or anywhere) before check-in time you can check your bags with the front desk, then freshen up in the bathroom before heading out. This way you can make the most of your day without having to worry about keeping up with your luggage.
HOTEL
Courtyard by Marriott Soho: I’ve always had good experiences with Marriott hotels and overall this one was great! Unfortunately our double room was on the small side for four girls, but we were only there for the weekend so we made it work! Keep in mind, hotel rooms are typically very small in New York. If you’re hosting a Bachelorette party in your room I recommend booking a suite so everyone can get together in one room easily.
Other than the room size, the hotel was wonderful! The staff was incredible and always friendly. They even brought ice packs to Cortney one night. She is pregnant and had been out walking with us all day, so she needed to prop her feet up and ice her ankles for a bit. The room was clean, had plenty of towels, and the view was amazing. Best part was the budget friendly pricing on the rooms. Oh, and the beds. I’m not kidding when I say that all of us slept like babies and the beds were so comfortable I seriously considered asking what mattresses they use. Haha! All in all, I highly recommend this hotel for your next stay in Soho.
Loved the fun bright blue front of Shuka! We stopped here for brunch before heading to Brooklyn for the day. 
Interior sun-room dining area at Shuka. 
Tunisian Breakfast at Shuka
FOOD
– Boqueria Soho: This was the first spot we hit up after landing. We needed a cocktail ASAP! The boozy brunch at Boqueria did not disappoint. It was also surprisingly affordable at only $39 a person which includes 4 tapas dishes, 2 brunch entrees or 1 paella, 1 dessert and unlimited cocktails. That’s right, unlimited! The food is served family style and come out as it was ready. We were all stuffed by the end of it! Cocktails were all delicious and included a choice of Mimosa (Cava, orange juice), Sangría Tinta (Red Wine, gin, triple sec, orange), Sangría Blanca (White wine, rum, white peach, lemon), Sangría Rosada (Rosé wine, tequila, cranberry, pomegranate). My personal favorite was the Sangría Blanca. For food I highly recommend the Patatas Bravas, Albóndigas, and Croquetas de Setas. For dessert make sure you get the Churros Sundae! Not only is it delicious, but sparklers in the center make it a very festive dish. Heads up that there is a 2 hour limit on tables for the boozy brunch, but we found that to be the perfect amount of time.
– Santina: I had been to Santina once before when I was traveling for work and absolutely loved it. It is a “coastal Italian” restaurant tucked away under the High Line in the Meatpacking district, a block south of The Standard. The most striking thing about Santina from the exterior is the fact that all of the outer walls are glass, which lets you see straight into the beautiful, colorful space that co-creators Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick brought to life. Unfortunately I forgot to snag a picture while we were there, but there are plenty available on Google so you can get an idea of the space. Once you’re inside, you’ll see the Mediterranean inspiration everywhere you look. Make sure to grab a cocktail while you wait for your table. The list is fabulous and includes my personal favorite, the Sophia. It is a refreshing combination of vodka, aperol, and citrus (my guess is either grapefruit or blood orange). In terms of food I highly recommend the Cecina appetizer. It is a light Italian chickpea pancake that comes with your choice of topping. The Calabrian Tuna, a spicy tuna tartare, is wonderful especially when paired with the Avocado Trapanese. This dish is perfect for sharing and always a winner! If you’re interested in pasta go with the Tortellini Sorrentina. The pesto is delicious and the the tortellini are surprisingly light. Just keep in mind that Santina is on the expensive side, so it will be more of a splurge dinner. The cocktails are $17 and the Cecina ranges from $18-$28 depending on the topping you order. Entrees range from $32-$36. However, the cocktails are handcrafted and worth every sip. Same goes for the food based on my experiences so far.
– Shuka: This fabulous Mediterranean restaurant serves brunch, lunch and dinner. We went for brunch on our second day and it was delicious! The interior decor is also a lot of fun and you can’t miss the bright blue storefront. Everything looked so good we had a hard time deciding what to eat. I highly recommend starting with the Whipped Feta + Pistachio dip. It’s like a fun twist on pesto. Really herbacious and creamy. The pita bread that comes with it is perfect. For my main dish I went with the Tunisian Breakfast which includes lamb merguez sausage, fried eggs, muhammara, cucumber, black olive and pita. One word: YUM! I could eat this every day. You can view the rest of their brunch menu here.
– Brunetti Pizza: We went here on day two before our comedy show. It’s a great little Neapolitan style pizza restaurant with authentic fare to please everyone. They even offer gluten free dough options for those with allergies! The Burrata + Pear dish is a great place to start. As for pizza, we ordered the Quattro Formaggi with prosciutto and San Gennaro, both of which were delicious. I would love to come back and try their other options, too, because they all sounded amazing.
– Sadelle’s: Oh, Sadelle’s! You would have thought we struck gold with how much we talked about this restaurant on our way home. First of all, the decor in this place is unbelievable. Walls were covered in exposed brick with towering light fixtures that enhanced it’s tall ceilings. The pops of turquoise blue, emerald green and white gave it a lovely French bistro feel. Then came the bagels. Sadelle’s knows bagels! We all either got the Everything or the Everything 2.0 which had a few more spices added to it. They were perfectly crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We ordered them with smoked salmon, which is sliced-to-order and comes plated on a beautiful tower of fixings including fresh tomato, cucumber, onion & capers. On the side we had both plain and chive cream cheese. It was the most light and creamy spread I’ve ever had. Our breakfast at Sadelle’s was the cure to our hangover and the one thing we couldn’t help talk about the rest of the day.
Pizza at Brunetti’s in West Village. Above is the San Gennaro, below is the Quattro Formaggi with prosciutto.
Interior shot of Sadelle’s. To the right is where they sliced various smoked fish to order.
Our fabulous breakfast at Sadelle’s, where we had the infamous Everything 2.0 bagel and smoked salmon tower.
DRINKS
– Bar Hugo at Hotel Hugo Soho: If you’re looking for a great view with your cocktail this is a great spot. First of all, the bouncer downstairs could not have been nicer to us! We of course got there before the bar opened, so we sat in the lobby and chatted while we waited. Once we were able to hop on the elevator and make our way up, the doors opened to a beautiful bar area with floor-to-ceiling windows. My picture of the bar was unfortunately very dark, so I included one from the bar. We got the perfect seat with a full view of the river, One World Trade Center and the rest of lower Manhattan. We took a ridiculous amount of photos at this spot. I can’t include them all, but here are a few for you to get an idea of this fabulous spot. The cocktails were all delicious and the service was great! Hotel Hugo also boasts a rooftop bar called Azul, which is Havana-inspired. We didn’t get a chance to go, but you can bet it’s on my list of places for the next trip.
– Threes Brewing: This brewpub is located in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and features 24 taps pouring both their own beers, as well as a regularly rotating selection from other breweries. They believe in sharing all of their beverage passions with customers, so they also boast a fully stocked liquor bar with season cocktail and wine options.
While we didn’t make it to the below places for drinks, they were on our list so I wanted to include them here for you:
– City Winery: A fully-functioning winery focused on providing the perfect setting to experience great wine, fantastic food and music.
– Marie’s Crisis: Located downstairs in a West Village building, Marie’s Crisis first opened in the 1850s, then withstood Prohibition (you can read more how it earned it’s namesake here) and for the last 40-ish years it has been a go-to piano bar. Plenty of memories in this joint, with more to be made!
– Bathtub Gin: A modern speakeasy whose inspiration was drawn from the development of gin during the Prohibition. Their craft cocktails look incredible (see their menu here) I can’t wait to go!
– Fat Cat: Underground pool hall that is the perfect place to hang out and throw back a few beers with friends!
Above image from HotelHugoNY.com depicts the bar just as you walk off the elevator.
Skyline view of lower Manhattan from Bar Hugo at Hotel Hugo Soho 
bride’s outfit details: old sweater, similar here + here // parker smith jeans (similar) // similar earrings // glitter sneakers
The Sophia cocktail at Santina.
ENTERTAINMENT
– LIPS: Advertised as “New York’s Ultimate Drag Show and Dining Experience,” we had a fantastic time! The service was great and performances were fabulous, especially the host of the show. They accept reservations and offer a full menu. We chose the late show at 11:30pm because the 7:30pm requires that you purchase the prix fixe dinner and we wanted to eat somewhere else. Regardless of the time, I would highly suggest making a table reservation for the show you’re interested in at least two weeks in advance. They fill up quickly! During the show you can celebrate your Bachelorette with special shots, get the bride on-stage for some extra fun, and snag a pic with all of your favorite Drag Queens. You know we did! They also offer special for birthdays. If you can’t make it to an evening show, they do offer a Drag brunch that I’ve heard is amazing.
– Royal Palms Shuffleboard: This was a place we went during our time exploring Brooklyn. Definitely a must-see! We probably could have hung out all day. The interior looked to be inspired by Palm Springs or the Beverly Hills Hotel with broad stripes, plenty of palm fronds, and whimsical pops of color. The cabana-esque booths were so cute, but we ended up grabbing a larger table that fit our party better. Unfortunately most of my footage from this spot was videos or Instagram stories, so I don’t have them on here to share with you. But below is an image from their site so you can get an idea of the set-up. Shuffleboard was a great group activity! We all had a blast playing while we enjoyed cocktails from the bar. The Glenna was my favorite, which was comprised of Tito’s Vodka, Pamplemousse Rose, Pineapple Juice Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, and Tiki Bitters. Yum!
– Chelsea Market: This is a great place to explore with plenty of food, drink and shopping options. You can stretch your legs and shop for unique items in the various storefronts. Keep in mind that on the weekends it can be very busy, so prepare yourself for crowds. However, it is worth it. You may know Chelsea Market as the locale of Buddakan, which is where Carrie Bradshaw and Big’s rehearsal dinner was filmed in the first Sex and The City movie. I went a few years ago and the decor is incredible, as is the food. Bastille floral shop was to-die-for and we browsed the most beautiful home store that unfortunately I didn’t write down the name of. You can view a list of all of the businesses in Chelsea Market here.
– The High Line: I mentioned the High Line earlier when I was describing the location of Santina. It is a really cool public park that runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Ave. It is an overgrown historic freight rail line that sits about an estimated 2-3 stories above street level. This elevated greenway makes for a great walk, a place to sit and enjoy the view, or gawk at beautiful architecture. If you haven’t been, it’s definitely a must-see! You can read more about the High Line’s fascinating history here.
– The Comedy Cellar: Located underground on 3rd Street between 6th and MacDougal, this comedy club is one of the best shows you can see! There is a lot of top-notch talent that comes through. We were lucky enough to have Judd Apatow as one of the comedians performing the night we were there. The Comedy Cellar does have a cover that varies by night: Friday $20-$24, Saturday $20, Sunday $14, Monday-Thursday $8-$14. They also require a two drink minimum, but it includes soft drinks (wish I had remembered that when I ordered a second glass of wine!). Even with the minimum, the show was totally worth it. I will definitely be back!
Ranunculus and other assorted flowers at Bastille in Chelsea Market
Entrance at Threes Brewing in Brooklyn
Photo from RoyalPalmsShuffle.com showing the interior.
outfit details: who what wear sweater (old) similar // skater skirt // baker boy hat // sneakers
Phew! That was a ton of information! Hope that you found it helpful or, at the very least, interesting. I highly recommend these spots for your next trip to New York, whether you’re hosting a Bachelorette party or just going for fun.
