Carrie and Aiden sit in a boot at Benoit–a Michelin starred New York restaurant in Midtown. Craig Blankenhorn/Max
Has there ever been a fictional character with a more glamorized lifestyle than Carrie Bradshaw? She’s worn designer bags as well as shoes that have sold out immediately afterwards, made Magnolia Bakery world-famous, and, this past summer, even had a pop-up “experience” dedicated to her in an empty space in SoHo. One doesn’t need to “couldn’t-help-but-wonder” why: Carrie made being single and living in New York seem like an endless, well-dressed adventure, where carriage rides in Central Park with romantic millionaires, fabulous parties in Tribeca, and trips to the Vogue closet were always in reach. So when visiting New York City, it’s always fun to see the sites that made up her fantasy.
Many of the places featured in Sex and the City have closed since the show ended in 2004 (RIP Barneys). However, as And Just Like That season two airs on HBO, a new set of hotspots serve as the setting for Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte—as well as new additions Lisa, Nya, and Seema’s—escapades.
Below, an And Just Like That guide to New York City.
Benoit
After an initial address mixup, Carrie and Aiden reunite at Benoit, the Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant. This year, Benoit is celebrating its 15th-year anniversary—an accomplishment for any business, especially one in the notoriously difficult New York City hospitality field.
It’s as close as one can get to a classic French bistro this side of the Atlantic: their onion soup is divine, as is its escargot. Although And Just Like That didn’t show what Carrie and Aiden got for dessert, we’d like to imagine it was their famous chocolate soufflé.
The Bar at the Baccarat Hotel
Whereas Sex and the City saw Carrie and co going to an adventurous array of watering holes to pick up men—who remembers the fireman calendar contest on Staten Island?—And Just Like That… shows Seema, Nya, and Carrie going to the bar five-star Baccarat Hotel. (Seema assures the crew it’s “the place to meet single men”—and she’s right, they do.) The 60-foot bar offers fine wines and exquisitely crafted cocktails, all served in Baccarat Crystal and under Baccarat chandeliers.
Daniel
Seema has a disastrous lunch with Zed and his ex-wife at Daniel, Daniel Bouloud’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Midtown. It’s one of New York’s most critically acclaimed and fanciest eateries—the main dining room serves a four-course prix-fixe menu or a seven-course tasting menu–however, for more casual a la carte dining, you can sit in their lounge.
The Bar at the Mark Hotel
Herbert and Lisa have drinks at The Mark Bar to celebrate being child-free after they send their kids off to summer camp. Designed by Jacques Grange, the room’s cow print couches have always attracted a glamorous Upper East-side set looking to grab martinis after work.
Le Coucou
Charlotte is horrified to find her daughter, Lily’s, Chanel dress on “The Real Deal” during lunch at Le Coucou with Lisa. Even worse—it’s on sale. (“I think that’s Lagerfeld’s last collection,” Lisa says, rubbing salt in the wound.) The tell-tale sign? The 18th century-inspired mural by New York-based painter Dean Barger, which you can spy in the background. The interior design as a whole was carried out by the critically acclaimed firm Roman and Williams.
Kyu
“Juan Jose was my longest relationship: Ten years of blowouts and confidences,” Seema laments to Carrie about her hardest breakup—her hairdresser. In the background is the distinctive blue bar of Kyu, the Asian-fusion restaurant in NoHo known for its salmon crispy rice, Mongolian pork belly, and coconut cake. (In addition to New York, they also have locations in Miami and Mexico City.)
The Monkey Bar
Herbert Wexley brags to his wife, Lisa, that he got a reservation for Valentine’s Day at Monkey Bar: (“I just got us a table at Monkey Bar,” he says. “Let’s just say that Henry is no longer going to college.”) And with good reason: it’s one of the hardest-to-get reservations in town after reopening in 2022 under the team behind 4 Charles. (The Midtown restaurant has been around since 1936, but closed during the pandemic.) The Art-Deco dining room is best known for its Ed Sorel mural, which depicts Jazz Age icons.
The Well
Seema and Carrie go to get Valentine’s Day massages at The Well, the 13,000 square foot Flatiron spa that has an impressive crowd of devotees ranging from social media influencers to CEOs thanks to its East-meets-West medicinal approach. (An example? A facial that combines Biologique Recherche products with acupuncture.)
La Mercerie
When Carrie meets Aiden’s ex-wife for coffee, she does so at La Mercerie, the French restaurant in SoHo that also doubles as a furniture store and flower shop, among many things. The brainchild of Roman and Williams—who also designed another restaurant on this list, Le Coucou—it’s known as an easygoing yet elevated hotspot in the bustling downtown neighborhood. “We knew we wanted it to be a place where people could spend the day,” co-founder Robin Standefer told Vogue in 2017. “That’s why we decided to have a café, a bookstore, and flowers.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
