The NYC Summer 25

The sun may rise at 5:30am these days, but it’s still worth waking up at dawn to line up for Radio Bakery’s spicy ‘nduja croissant. By the time this buzzy new bakery in Greenpoint opens, there’s a line from the counter to the street. - Carina Finn

At some point this summer, you or someone you know will acquire a car and suggest going upstate for the weekend. When this happens, bookmark Moonburger, a plant-based burger drive-through in Kingston, for a meal that won’t add hours to your travel time, and that even non-vegetarians will love. - Carina Finn

We know, this weather makes you want to head to the top of a tall building so you can stare at other tall buildings. Guess what? Eight million other people have the same idea. ElNico is a rooftop bar in Williamsburg that takes reservations, has two huge terraces, and serves cocktails and Mexican food with creative touches. - Kenny Yang

It’s easy to forget that Brooklyn is a beach town, but lunch on the Brighton Beach Boardwalk will remind you why people used to vacation here. Roll up to Tatiana (or Tatiana Grill next door, but not that Tatiana, which is also cool but completely unrelated) in your bathing suit, camp out at a table with your friends, and eat okroshka and caviar while people-watching and meditating on the ocean. - Carina Finn

The Odeon, Balthazar, Frenchette. No matter the decade, there’s always some New York City bistro where people with expensive taste in real estate like to talk shit and discuss trips to Nantucket over chenin blanc. Right now, that bistro is Libertine. While those people are in Nantucket or Sagaponack or Hudson, get a reservation at this West Village spot, and order the duck deux façons and the saucisse puree. - Bryan Kim

This Asian neo-noir nightclub is straight out of a Wong Kar-Wai film, with a house band playing Old Shanghai jazz to get you In the Mood For Love every Friday. Take yourself and tonight’s “whatever your name is” onto the dance floor after 10pm, when the jazz devolves into a late-night techno party. - Neha Talreja

Before heat exhaustion makes you call the best person you know with a Soho House membership (aka the worst person you know), reserve a four-hour pass to the Rockaway Hotel. For $100, you can save yourself from being held hostage by a chatty VC investor who identifies as a “creative.” Spend any extra cash on poolside crab legs.  - Neha Talreja

The Basque stylings of Ernesto’s meet Morgenstern’s ice cream at this LES pop-up cart, where you can get flavors like cheesecake and café bombón. A chocolate ice cream sandwich on Spanish-style french toast is the chart-topper, but for a more experimental option, pop inside Ernesto’s for ice cream topped with jamon and chips. - Kenny Yang

The party starts when you hop off the train at 103rd Street in Corona and see a cluster of vendors selling quesadillas, birria, and more. Head across the street for a hub cap-sized tlayuda, then walk toward Jackson Heights, making pitstops for chuzos, huaraches, and salchipapas along the way. - Bryan Kim

Chicagoans and New Yorkers have a long history of beef, but we’ll hand it to the Windy City for perfecting the hot dog. At Dog Day Afternoon, get a Chicago dog that looks exactly like the one on the Vienna Beef diagram on their counter, then go eat it in nearby Prospect Park. - Carina Finn

Food halls can be uninspiring and dungeon-like, but Market 57 is an exception. This bright, airy space has 360-degree water views, outdoor seating, and is directly across from Little Island. Eat a spicy scallop roll from The Galley while gazing across the river at New Jersey, or take a triple scoop from Malai for a walk in the sun. - Carina Finn

Whether you’re babysitting your roommate, significant other, or an actual child, sometimes you just need a well air-conditioned space with plenty of distractions to spend the entire day. The new Gilder Center at the Museum of Natural History has a bee-themed restaurant with full-strength cocktails, a real grown-up burger, and other food that’s worthy of its location. - Carina Finn

Oh god, that first-year associate you dated for three months is standing right behind you, and they just said “irregardless” while praising Jack Harlow’s performance in White Men Can’t Jump. It’s time to take your espresso martini and hide in one of the nooks of this sceney LES bar. - Bryan Kim

Sneak out of work early for an afternoon date at Revelie Luncheonette, share an ice cream float and a cheeseburger, and pretend you’re Danny and Sandy from Grease. This new Soho spot from the Raoul's team makes soda syrups in house, and you should try combining their root beer with pistachio ice cream. It might sound like a weird pairing, but summer love is all about embracing the unexpected. - Carina Finn

Summer might make you feel like a kid, but your driver’s license says otherwise. On the bright side, you’re old enough to get a spiked slushie, like Superbueno’s Adobada Bam Bam—basically mezcal, pineapple, and ice thrown into a blender. It’s the perfect remedy for the dangerous amount of bodily fluids you just lost from simply standing on the 4 train platform. - Kenny Yang

You probably have your own go-to, local park/sandwich pairing, but this is the combo we’d recommend putting on repeat. Get the #13 at this chaotic little shop, then go devour it on a bench at Sunset Park, preferably at sunset: a very pastoral setting for your torta al pastor. - Britt Lam

Your dreams of summer in a vineyard need not involve a flight to Napa or Tuscany: just head to the eastern end of Long Island. If you don't know where to start, try Croteaux Vineyards in Southold on the North Fork, which exclusively produces rosé and offers a comfy, charming setting with nice summery food. - Anne Cruz

Brooklyn’s best summer house party is in the absolute banger of a backyard at Frog, a new natural wine bar in Bed-Stuy. There’s a huge tree providing shade to all the little tables, and enough moderately priced pours and people with cool bangs for all three acts of your summer fling to play out right here. - Neha Talreja

Remember when summer used to involve celebratory pizza parties at a certain popular ‘90s chain if you read enough books? Recreate that experience here, but with natural wine and really good pizza. Bask in the neon-green glow of the restaurant while you listen to Pat Benatar and discuss your favorite beach reads with your best friend for life. - Carina Finn

Between the brunch scenes, Happy Hours, and late night DJs, no one’s keeping the Harlem block party alive like Frederick Douglass Blvd. around 116th. The outdoor seating at Harlem Tavern anchors the corner, but the crowd, fuelled by bottomless mimosa energy, spills out of BLVD Bistro, Silvana’s underground music space, and other bars down the avenue. - Neha Talreja

The contrasting temperatures of hot, deep-fried balls of Sweet and Sour Pork on Ice create a fascinating texture: a candy-like crackle that gives way to something soft and steamy, much like a seasonal situationship. - Carina Finn

At Cafe Lyria, cool girls in low-rise cargo pants wrap their vanilla french manis around freddo cappuccinos, serving casual 10am lewks while two Greek brothers pour coffee. And that coffee is pretty delightful, especially the cold options. We recommend the iced Lyria, which is oatmilk, espresso, and honey shaken over ice. - Carina Finn

Your aesthetic this summer is Blade Runner meets Miami circa the early days of Dan Marino. And nowhere fits that vibe better than Upstairs at Public Records. Lounge on a white leather sofa at this Gowanus listening space with crisp A/C and sip a cocktail with rum and dandelion while a DJ spins vinyl that sounds like an ‘80s sitcom theme, but dancey. - Bryan Kim

Sometimes you just want to be outside, drink Spanish wines, and eat boquerones around some adults. The completely enclosed, vine-covered patio at Bar Vinazo is perfect for exactly that. With its hand-cut jamon and ideal backyard, this might be the best new third date spot we've encountered in a while. - Kenny Yang

Next time you wake up smelling like the bathroom floor of your favorite dive bar, get yourself to Ursula ASAP. Start with coffee and a concha for a double-hit of caffeine and carbs, immediately followed by a breakfast burrito that’s stuffed with hashbrowns and smothered in tangy green chile sauce. - Carina Finn