Malibu Barbie Cafe

Thanks to Greta Gerwig, everyone has Barbie on their minds this summer. At this surfer doll-themed pop-up cafe at the South Street Seaport, people are dressed in head-to-toe pink, small children line up for staged photo-ops, and if you start singing “Come on, Barbie, let’s go party,” no one will give you looks. Most of the sweets here are pretty terrible, like mushy cake pops and rainbow sprinkle pancakes that taste like they came straight out of a microwave. But lighter savory fare (the beet hummus and curry cauliflower quinoa bowl, for example) are fine. If you want to experience this beach ball-and-surfboard-filled manifestation of the “California Gurls” video, be sure to do it before September 15, which is when the pop-up ends.

photo credit: Malibu Barbie Cafe