Hello from Perry Street! After quite a bit of summer travel, it’s been nice to take a beat and enjoy some dog days in NYC.

Outside of the predictable queues at Myka, Mimi’s, and L’Industrie, it’s been a bit quieter around here as my neighbors get their last licks of European summer and continue their decampment to the Hamptons.

We’ve been grabbing fresh croissants from our new neighbor, the quaintest little French bakery Richaud, owned by the suave actor turned quarantine bread baker, Richaud Valls, picking up fresh blooms at Abingdon Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, and spending countless afternoon hours at the Washington Square Toddler Park with a Rhythm Zero yuzu matcha in hand (park, swing, treat, repeat).

I’m trying to get through a stack full of books on my nightstand - working my way through Yesteryear (love how Caro Claire Burke describes things), just started watching the TV series The Madison (Michelle Pfeiffer still looks stunning, I had such a childhood crush on her in One Fine Day), and really enjoyed the movie Tuner this past weekend with Leo Woodall (also the lead in One Day), love him!

I’ve taken advantage of the summer slowness and tried a couple of the neighborhood’s new hot spots (thoughts below), and consumed many a cup of frozen yogurt (hierarchy below), all while wearing some form of elastic waist or drawstring pant or short, white skirt, scoop neck tank, jelly sandal and raffia bag - obsessed with this one (looks below) with a playful string of beads and earrings (these are high on my wishlist).

My Thoughts on Four New Downtown Hotspots

Graciela

81 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY

An Argentian steakhouse that opened about a month ago, replacing L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele on Greenwich Avenue. Graciela was opened by the Saper brothers (behind Eataly) along with Pablo Rivero who owns Don Julio, a popular grill in Argentina that the concept is based on.

How I scored the reservation: Stopped in around 4pm on a Tuesday and put my name on the waitlist for a table between 7 and 8pm. The space has 120 seats, including a large bar area reserved for walk ups, so I think you have a pretty good chance of scoring a table by walking in.

What we ate: Split the ossobucco and spinach and cheese empanadas for appetizers, then shared the NY strip and branzino along with french fries, marinated peppers, and a green lettuce and heirloom tomato salad. We declined dessert (we were going to try our luck at Birdie’s) but the staff brought out a complimentary flan and caramel gelato anyway.

What I thought: The crowd was great and felt authentically NYC, which I find is not always the case at downtown hotspots like The Corner Store, where reservations are so difficult to get the mix tends to lean less neighborhoody and more corporate. My husband and I loved the food. It felt healthier and lighter than a traditional steakhouse, and the homemade chimichurri sauces were awesome. The type of food you’d love for someone to cook for you at a summer BBQ. Will defintiley be going back!

OR’ESH

450 W Broadway, New York, NY

Owned by Catch Hospitality (the group behind The Eighty Six and The Corner Store) but led by Chef Nadav Greenberg, previously at Greenwich Village’s Michelin star restaurant Shmoné. Like Shmoné Or’esh focuses on Levantine cuisine, think hot and cold mezze plates with fresh vegetables, and simple fish and meat using earthy spices like coriander, za’atar and cumin. Greenberg brought over Shmoné hits including the layered Flatiron steak and the Jerusalem bagel.

How I scored the reservation: A 5:30pm Saturday reservation via Dorsia Premium. Many hotspots are now reserved for Dorsia Premium Plus members, but you can put notifies on as a Premium member, similar to Resy. I’d also try walking in around 4:45pm and asking for a seat at the bar, we saw several groups do this succesfully.

What we ate: We divided the meal into four courses starting off with the Jerusalem bagel served with a variety of spreads, then had the hamachi, fried halloumi with honey, and the crispy potatoes and caviar. For our entree we split the fish special and the chef’s famous 18 layer wagyu New York Strip alongside the charred green salad. We couldn’t choose just one dessert and ended up ordering both the pistachio vanilla cheesecake and cardamom soft serve.

What I thought: As someone who didn’t love Corner Store and found it a bit gimmicky, I went into Or’esh skeptical but absolutely loved the food. The head chef is such a talent, and brought with him the Michelin cooking from Shmoné combined with the buzzy, sceney energy that Catch Hospitality is known for bringing to a space. I would say you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but you must order the Jerusalem bagel, potatoes with caviar, fried halloumi and layered steak AND you must order the cardamom soft serve, it was INSANE. I would love to go back, still kicking myself for not ordering the yougurt straciatella. I also now want to try Shmoné!

Keepers

34 8th Avenue, New York, NY

In the old Anfora wine bar location (this might not mean anything to anyone anymore, I’m showing my age! But anyone in the city who’s been here as long as me probably went on a date or two to Anfora, a classic Hinge first meetup) next to Arthur & Son’s on 8th Ave. Keepers has the feeling of a cool little retro cocktail bar, with a drink menu of frozen cocktails, playful spritzes and multiple negroni variations longer than that of its bar pie offerings. Keepers is the brainchild of hospitality entrepreneurs behind Zero Bond, Made in New York Pizza, White House Tavern and the West Village organic wine bar, Dandelion.

How I scored the reservation: I walked by early on a Wednesday evening and booked an ideal 7pm Friday night table for 3 (including securing the use of their one available high chair). The hostess told me that while the restaurant is listed on Resy for exposure purposes, they’re planning to keep all tables exclusive to walk ups.

What we ate: For the table, a black garlic caesar salad, the Spartichoke (basically a spinach artichoke dip inspired pizza) and the Vodka Chicky Parm pizzas and their version of a Hugo Sprtiz . My 2 year old daughter ate her weight in potatoe chips and homemade onion dip. We skipped the pizza cookie desserts and decided to try the new gelato spot, Nepita, across the way (very light and refreshing!).

What I thought: As a very big fan of Made in New York Pizza (the burrata slice at L’Industrie will always be my number one, but the Drunken Grandma square slice at Made In New York is my number two), I had high hopes for this spot. The overall energy was really fun and perfect for a group dinner, and they were also so nice to my 2 year old, who was obssesed with the clubby soundtrack (which also served to drown out any toddler outbursts). But I felt like they were trying a bit to overcomplicate the thin crust pizza offerings, I personally like Emmett’s on Grove thin crust better, the Hot Girl is my jam.

Cleo

621 Hudson Street, New York, NY

The female duo behind Margot in Fort Greene and Montague Diner in Brooklyn Heights opened Cleo, a Lebanese rotisserie, on the corner of Jane and Hudson Street, in the small space Piccolo Angelo occupied for the past 30+ years.

How I scored the reservation: I stopped by on a Tuesday to chat with the hostess and was able to snag a 5:30pm indoor reservation for the following Saturday. Outdoor seating seems a bit easier to secure than indoor, given how tight the space is, so I’d try your luck walking by and putting your name in around 5pm when they open.

What we ate: The menu is structued so you can choose one of two tracks, the branzino or the rotisserie chicken path, and build your sides from there. We went with the branzino, drawn in part by the saffron risotto, which we suspected would complement the fish’s velvety beurre monte sauce better than it would the Lebanese spiced chicken. And that it did! The risotto’s acidity cut beautifully through the richness of the sauce. We enjoyed it alongside the brocollini (loved, would order without the paremesean crumble next time), the Cleo salad, french fries and the cornbread skillet topped with harissa honey butter. We didn’t have room for dessert, but our neighbors ordered the profiteroles and an ice cream sandwich that looked divine. Apparently Cleo also has its own soft serve machine, how West Village of them!

What I thought: The entrees here, roasted chicken and branzino, serve as the perfect canvas for Cleo’s menagerie of sides. The flavors all seamlessly complement each other, coming together for a meal that feels lighter and more refreshing than your typical butter heavy, decadent French bistro, thanks to the infusion of Lebanese spices. The space itself is tiny and sleek with minimal decor, a bit at odds with the comfort food being served. If the weather is nice, I’d choose to sit outside, given the prime West Village corner location for people watching. I’d love to go back for a cozy Sunday brunch in the fall.

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12 Easy Summer Outfits

West Village Fro Yo Hierarchy

Drum roll please… I have spent all summer deliberating over this hierarchy, going back and forth, testing out different combinations and debating with my husband, friends and neighbors and have decided on the following rankings:

1.) Myka

Founded in Madrid in 2023 by Mexican pastry chef and entrepreneur Natalia Morales alongside her partner Javier Ezquerro, together they now operate over 51 stores globally, including the 7th Avenue location in the West Village, which opened this past April.

Fresh, tart, delicious and refreshingly perfect, unlike conventional frozen yougurt, Myka blends greek yougurt with French goat’s milk kefir to create an ultra creamy, tangy tart fro yo base. While I have enjoyed several of the special flavors, namely the watermelon lime, the classic tart serves as the perfect foundation to enjoy Myka’s proprietary toppings. That’s right all proprietary. There is no crumbled Oreo or Heath bar in sight. Instead you can choose from textural delicacies like baklava or pecan crumble, homemade granola, wildflower honey, EVOO, and homemade pistacho and dulce de leche sauces, but nothing beats the Mykataifi, their take on a thick pistacho sauce with crispy shredded filo dough (kadaif). In my opinion it makes the entire experience.

Go to Order: Original Tart, with Baklava Crumble, Strawberries and Mykataifi

When to go: Ideally mid-day, mid-week to avoid the lines. Myka opens at 11am.

2.) Birdie’s

Opened in the West Village this past April by Los Angeles native, now West Village resident, Alexa Marks, who named the shop after her Brussels Griffon, Birdie. I had the chance to chat with Alexa’s adorable father, who was eagerly greeting customers during her opening week. So cute!

Classic, creamy, fro yo, reminds me of Pinkberry without the self-serve component. Yogurt is served to you in a cup with your topping choices carefully layered on the bottom as well as sprinkled on top, a lovely touch to ensure the crunch is evenly dispersed throughout. Flavor combinations are limited: There is typically, tart, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter and a special of the day, frequently coffee or raspberry tart, both delcious. Classic fro yo toppings, think Heath bar, Oreo, berries, chocolate chips, M&Ms, chocolate covered pretzels, coconut, etc., with a couple proprietary sauces that elevate the whole experience, notably the Biscoff sauce the and the gluten free cookie chocolate sauce.

Go to Order: Tart swirled with Raspberry Tart, Strawberries, Biscoff Sauce or Vanilla swirled with coffee, Heath crunch, Oreos, GF chocolate cookie crumble sauce.

When to go: lines are typically not too bad mid-day, even on weekends and there is a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating.

3.) Mimi’s

Founded by Australia entreprenuers Amber Linz and Saul Katz, who opened the first NYC location last summer.

Serve yourself fro yo with a variety of flavors. Reminds me the most of 16 Handles, if you are a millenial like me (the Murray Hill location was our spot to debrief on everything work drama and boys circa 2013). Ample flavors and classic toppings. Fro yo is weighed at the end. The fro yo here, in my opinion, is really a vehicle to enjoy the warm nutella sauce fountain and indulge in early 2010s nostalgia.

Go to Order: Vanilla, strawberries, blueberries, Oreo cookies and a very healthy dousing of warm Nutella sauce.

When to go: Mid-day, mid-week. I think the Greenwich Village location has shorter lines than the original Soho/Nolita location. Bonus points fro pre-gaming your Mimi’s with Santo Taco next door to the University Street Location.

4.) Culture

Founded by husband-and-wife duo Gino and Jenny Ammirati, who opened the first Park Slope location in 2011 and West Village location several years later.

Culture is the stalwart of the bunch. While the culture lines have always been long in season, they have become particularly long amidst the West Village fro yo boom of summer 2026.

Culture is the most similar to Myka in terms of having a tangy, tart, probiotic-rich depth of flavor in their original tart frozen yougurt base. They have a decent number of flavor options with classic fro yo toppings. It’s been popular for 13 years for a reason!

Go to order: Cookies and cream tart special if they have it, coconut, strawberries, blueberries and chocolate sauce.

When to go: Lines tend to be a bit better than Myka and Mimi’s, so you can try your luck on an early summer evening and take to enjoy in Washington Square Park!

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And with that I’ll leave you to enjoy the last week and a half of summer!!

I often find myself saving certain routes or particular city blocks for when I want to intentionally trigger a sense of nostalgia. A physical walk down memory lane, if you will.

I try not to overuse these paths. Retrace my steps past a former apartment building, a sorority house, or a childhood library too many times, and I worry the vividness of those old memories will start to fade.

I was back in Boulder this past weekend, a town that holds both my childhood and college memories. I hadn't been back in over a year, and it was the first time going with my daughter now that she's walking and able to fully take in her surroundings.

Talk about a time portal.

I watched her play on the same bronze menagerie of animals on Pearl Street I once did, sit in the children’s section of the fifty year old Boulder Bookstore poring over board books, and circle up with the crowd to watch the “buskers,” the town’s evening street performers. I could nearly feel myself again, perched on my dad’s shoulders, peering over the crowd to watch “Zip Code Man” perform.

On this trip, I chose to walk down 10th and University, past my pink trimmed 1920s college house, where we hosted many a Burnett’s fueled pregame and consumed countless Jimmy John’s sandwiches. The mirrors stayed perpetually coated in an orangey film, a cemented mixture of bronzer, foundation, and hairspray, the product of eight girls in their twenties living together in the early 2010s. The smell of an ultra hot Conair curling iron heating up (specific, but you may know it, that sharp singed hairspray scent) will forever bring me back to getting ready at that house.

It was long before social media, so you and your friends spent hours texting various group chats to triangulate a plan for the evening as you raided several girls’ closets to settle on some combination of a Rebecca Minkoff zipper bag, Urban Outfitters top, and Steve Madden over the knee boots, literally throwing clothes on the floor in your haste.

So much on Boulder’s “The Hill” has changed. Iconic local spots like Bova’s, Cosmo’s, K’s China, and the Goose have given way to a shiny new Moxy hotel. But the ramshackle houses lining Pennsylvania St, University Ave, and Pleasant St still look untouched by time: couches on the porches (definitely guys living there), chalk scrawled nicknames like “The Zoo” and “The Clubhouse” still visible on the siding.

“The land which happened inside us no one can take away from us again, not even ourselves” - Andre Brink

Nostalgia, at its core, is bittersweet, a wistful longing for a distant past. But I don't think I actually want to fully return to any of the moments I've just described. I just like visiting them occasionally to remind myself of who I was and who I've become, grateful for the arc of life thus far (maybe that's one of the amazing beauties of having kids: they enable us to do this in a highly dynamic way).

And it turns out there's real value in indulging that bittersweetness: research suggests nostalgia draws us closer to the people who shaped us, reminds us that our lives already hold more meaning and continuity than we give ourselves credit for, and can even reconnect us with the things we loved most as kids.

Boulder Guide

If you happen to be planning a trip to Boulder, or want to one day, I highly recommend it, here are some of my favorite places!

First off, don't miss MAX (wouldn’t be a Lily guide if I didn’t start here :)) , my favorite multi-brand boutique carrying everything from The Row to Gabriela Hearst, Toteme, Lemaire, Khaite, Kallmeyer, Ossou, TWP, and local jewelers.

They have locations in Boulder, Denver, Vail and Aspen, each carries a unique curation of designers and jewelers. Every year in the middle of July, the Boulder location has a truly incredible two week sale, and I’ve scored some amazing pieces over the years. This year I walked away with my first piece from Bode - this frog clasp blouse (styled for dinner in the city below), my first piece from Ossou, a brand known for their denim and tailored wardrobe staples that maintain a bit of edge, and these great TWP jeans (highly recommend their denim and trousers if you are tall).

What I Packed

Boulder Hikes

I’m a big fan of planning routes through the AllTrails app. You can download their trail maps ahead of time so they’re still accessible without cell service. I’ve linked versions of each trail below, but note that most of these have variations that run shorter, longer, easier, or harder depending on what you’re after.

What I like to wear on the Mountain

Royal Arch Trail - 3.3 miles, 1,391 elevation gain, Hard

Park at the base of Chautauqua or along the residential side streets across from the park entrance. It's a relatively quick burner of a hike. Don't let the false trailhead partway up fool you: the hike summits at a natural stone arch with sweeping views of Boulder and the Flatirons. Well shaded, so it's perfect for a hot summer day.

Mount Sanitas Peak Trail - 2.6 miles, 1,253 elevation gain, Hard

One of the most popular hikes in Boulder. It’s a steady incline all the way to the top, and you can adjust the loop to make the hike longer or shorter depending on your day. Go early on high summer days, the trail gets hot!

Green Mountain via Chautauqua - 6.5 miles, 2,641 elevation gain, Hard

Another trail with plenty of variations. The West Ridge Trail is the shortest and easiest route at 3.9 miles, rated Moderate. If you want a real challenge, tackle the full Green Mountain to Bear Peak loop, known locally as “Green and Bear It.” It’s an eleven to thirteen mile push that summits both peaks, with roughly 4,500 feet of elevation gain, steep rock scrambles, and panoramic views of the Flatirons and the Continental Divide.

Bear Peak - 4.9 miles, 2,683 elevation gain, Hard

Boulder’s second tallest peak at 8,461 feet. A hard, medium length hike with a solid elevation payoff for the mileage.

Fern Canyon - 4.8 miles, 1,784 elevation gain, Hard

One of my favorite hikes in Boulder. I like to park at NCAR and take the NCAR to Mesa to Fern Canyon route. Most of the elevation gain comes in the second half, on the way to the summit: a steep scramble up a stream lined with ferns. The flora along the way is abundant, and the trail stays well shaded. If you're hiking between October and March, bring spikes; it can get icy.

Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes (a short drive from Boulder)

Pawnee Pass - 10 miles, 2,440 elevation gain, Hard

A stunning hike that can be made easier or harder depending on the route you choose, but the lake at the end makes it worth it either way. Expect some snow along the trail unless you’re hiking in late summer - BRING LAYERS.

Sky Pond - 9 miles, 1,765 elevation gain, Hard

Some of the best views in Rocky Mountain National Park, passing several of its prettiest alpine lakes along the way. Like Pawnee Pass, the higher elevation sections can hold snow into early summer, dress accordingly, weather at the top is very different than weather at the bottom!

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Caffeine

Alpine Modern - 904 College Ave (University Hill)
A sleek, Scandinavian-inspired coffeehouse tucked into a cozy stone cottage on The Hill, ample outdoor seating, perfect for a bite post Chautauqua park hikes.

Aviano Coffee - 1253 Pleasant St
Sleek, modern indoor / outdoor space in the new Moxy Hotel on The Hill, surprisingly good coffee!

Lucky’s Bakehouse - 3980 Broadway
Great coffee and a wide variety of croissants and sweet treats.

Dry Storage - 3601 Arapahoe Ave
Bakery, mill and cafe serving everything from coffee to pet nats to house-milled breads, pastries, and flour made from Colorado-grown grains.

Babette’s Bakery & Pizzeria - 2030 Ionosphere St, Longmont If you find yourself in Longmont, just outside of Boulder, this is an extraordinary French bakery and cafe (opens at 7am) turned pizzeria at night (closes at 9pm) with ample indoor and outdoor seating.

Casual Post Hike Carbs

The Buff Restaurant - 2600 Canyon Blvd
Hearty egg skillets, pancakes and breakfast burritos ladled in spicy Colorado green chili, the Buff has been a Boulder classic for over 30 years.

Woodgrain Bagels - 2525 Arapahoe Ave
A high energy, neighborhood staple serving Montreal-style wood-fired bagels and local Boxcar drip coffee.

Blackbelly Market - 1606 Conestoga
Blackbelly has both a farm to table restaurant and a casual butcher sandwich shop / market next door featuring meats from many Colorado ranches / farms.

C Burger - 921 Pearl St
Elevated crispy smashburgers, french fries and soft serve from the team behind two of Boulder’s best restaurants, Corrida and Oak at 14th Street.

Illegal Pete’s - multiple locations
Before there was Chipotle, there was Illegal Pete’s! There are several locations around Boulder which serve customizable mission-style burritos and bowls.

Zoe Mama - 919 Pearl St
A mother-son collaboration serving casual, fast, authentic Chinese street food. The dan dan noodles and potstickers are top notch, but look out for rotating daily specials like Sichuan braised beef soup noodles.

The Rio Grande - 1101 Walnut St
A Pearl Street mainstay, the multi story Mexican food restaurant is great for groups and rooftop dining serving strong margaritas and heavy cast iron skillets of fajitas.

SALT - 1047 Pearl St
Seasonally focused American fare served in a historic brick building on Pearl Street. I love the powerbowl (avocado, quinoa, honeycrisp apple, grape, pepitas, chickpeas, beets, organic greens and pickled ginger) and a homemade lemonade on their outdoor terrace post hike… BLISS!

Elevated Lunch and Dinner

OAK at 14th Street - 1400 Pearl St
My top choice for dinner, Oak serves a delicious, fresh seasonally inspired menu. I am obsessed with the Benton’s Bacon and Spinach salad, a menu mainstay.

Corrida - 1023 Walnut St
Considered one of the best rooftop views in Boulder. The menu focuses on simple wood fired steaks served alongside delicate tapas and fresh seafood.

Cozobi Fonda Fina - 909 Walnut St
Shareable, upscale Mexican style tapas and delicious drinks (don’t miss the corn and avocado margaritas).

Basta - 3601 Arapahoe Ave
Light and flavorful Italian-American style dishes with a focus on local ingredients.

Frasca* - 1738 Pearl St
The first restaurant in Boulder to receive a Michelin star, northeast Italian cooking meets farm to table produce - think spinach pasta pockets filled with English pea and potato puree, followed by anisette ice cream with cherries and rhubarb granita.

Steakhouse 316 - 1922 13th St
Boulder’s version of a classic chophouse: seasoned bone-in rib-eyes, buttery sides of creamed spinach and truffle fries, seafood towers, shaken martinis and goblets of bold Cabernet… a perfect winter spot (they also have a sister location in Aspen).

The Bitter Bar - 835 Walnut St
Boulder’s original craft cocktail speakeasy, housed inside a century-old former general store.

Fun Things to Do With Kids

Boulder Bookstore - 1107 Pearl St
Founded in 1973, this incredible multi-story bookstore on Pearl Street has over 20,000 sq feet, 100,000 titles and three floors. The children’s floor is a shop in of itself, spanning nearly one third of the store.

Lil’ Buckaroos Farm - 4738 County Road 5, Erie
Located in Erie, a roughly 15 minute drive from Boulder, the farm offers a variety of events including toddler time, where young children can come pet, feed, meet and learn about the various farm animals.

Sunflower Farm - 11150 Prospect Rd, Longmont
15 minutes outside of Boulder, the farm features a beautiful rolling setting of wood playground equipment interspersed with farm animal pens, and offers summer camps, open play, and preschool extracurriculars. Kids can pet the goats, sheep and horses, jump on hay bales, swing under cottonwoods, explore the playhouses and sandboxes, brush llamas, and climb on old tractors. Water play is available on hot days, and on cooler days you can go sledding and toast marshmallows over the bonfire.

NCAR Science Lab - 1850 Table Mesa Dr
My dad works for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), so I spent many hours of my childhood at this lab, which offers hands-on exhibits that let kids touch clouds, learn about vortices, discover how rain is formed, and create a tornado. The building itself is an architectural wonder created by I.M. Pei, beautifully situated at the base of the Rockies.

Pearl Street Animals - Pearl Street Mall (north end)
Play on the menagerie of brass and marble animals interspersed along the north end of the Pearl Street Mall.

Into the Wind Toy Store - 1408 Pearl St
Boulder’s beloved kite store, with a ceiling full of colorful kites plus knick-knacks and sensory toys for kids.

Fiske Planetarium - 2414 Regent Dr
The 65-foot dome, the largest planetarium between Chicago and Los Angeles, displays up to 10 million stars to recreate a real-life evening sky. Catch one of the family-friendly star, astronomy or science shows.

GrandRabbit’s Toys and Books - 2525 Arapahoe Ave
An iconic, independently owned specialty toy store that’s been in Boulder for nearly 50 years.

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So if you’re like me and spend endless hours on the phone with local concierge teams pre-trip, peppering them with questions about their favorite haunts as you perfect your itinerary — learn from my mistake and turn your phone on airplane mode, and/or enroll in an international calling plan, LOL!

Still worth it in the end… one of my biggest tips for planning unique trips is to have actual back and forth discussions with the concierge team. I love asking them things like: where would you go on your time off, what’s the vibe of this beach club, how does it compare to this other one, is this a town locals actually spend time in, etc. — really trying to fine-tune the itinerary for what I’m looking for.

But without further ado, let’s jump into the second half of 15 days in the South of France with an almost 2-year-old!

Day 8 - Check in at La Reserve Ramatuelle

Last summer we had dinner at the two Michelin star restaurant La Voile at La Réserve Ramatuelle and were wowed by both the food and the property.

I’ve written about this before, but St Tropez is such a dynamic place with huge range. You can lean into the flashy party scene, spend your time lounging by the sea, or dine among vineyards and olive trees at family owned restaurants down dusty roads. I like to do a bit of both.

La Réserve Ramatuelle is the antithesis of Château de la Messardière in many ways, and thus pairs with it really well if you want to experience the duality of Saint Tropez in one trip.

The hotel's 27 rooms and villas sit behind discreet gates off a quiet road in Ramatuelle. The low lying, Japanese inspired buildings and surrounding gardens are clean and modern. While children are welcome, the property isn't really built for them. The cliffside location is steep with a lot of stairs, and unlike the Chateau, there's no kids' club or dedicated kids' pool.

There's a sense of calm and tranquility that permeates the property, a bit of a "kids are heard but not seen" energy. Unlike the Chateau, I didn't see any small children at breakfast, which is held in a gorgeous salon with white carpet and custom upholstery.

We chose to take most of our breakfasts on the grassy, private terrace off our room instead, more conducive to a 2 year old inhaling copious amounts of berries. To be clear, every staff member was warm and sweet with my daughter; I just don't think this is a hotel built for families with rambunctious kids.

That said, there’s a very special feeling here. Every room faces the sea, and the whole property feels like it’s floating above a private cove, giving you your own unobstructed slice of the Mediterranean. The concierge team was the best I’ve experienced anywhere, and between the views and private terraces, the rooms almost feel like you’re staying on a boat.

We spent the first day exploring the property and concluded with dinner at La Voile, which was just as good as I remembered from last season. Dare I say their grand marnier souffle for two is in my top three of all time list (saying a lot from someone who eats a lot of souffles), and I was relieved to see the seasonal truffle mushroom tart back on the menu.

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Day 9 - Spend the day at La Réserve à La Plage

We booked a babysitter extra early and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and couples massages at La Réserve's spa. That afternoon we headed to an early lunch seating at La Réserve à La Plage, the hotel's beach club. I hadn't been able to book it in prior summers, so I was excited to finally try it.

The beach club sits on a prime spot in the middle of Pampelonne Beach, the legendary three mile stretch of white sand and warm turquoise water that runs along Ramatuelle. The food was terrific, classic beach club fare: melon salad, truffle pizza, tomato paccheri, and strawberries and vanilla ice cream.

Unlike LouLou, for example, the sunbeds sit close to the lunch seating, so even if you book the 1pm lunch, you can absorb the live music and party energy of the 3pm seating from your bed.

A Saint Tropez Beach Club Matrix through Lily’s Lens

That evening we had dinner in Gassin, a picturesque village perched on a hilltop a few miles outside of Saint Tropez. Historically nicknamed “La Vigie du Golfe” (the lookout of the gulf), the village was built high above the sea so locals could monitor the coastline and watch for pirates. It’s now known for its Provençal rosé production, notably Château Minuty and Domaine Tropez.

There’s a lovely family owned restaurant, La Verdoyante, that sits in a rustic farmhouse in Gassin with an expansive terrace and amazing views. The restaurant has been run by the Mouret family for over 40 years, and I like to make a point of going whenever we are in St Tropez. The owners Bérénice and Laurent are so sweet with my daughter.

Day 10 - A fancy lunch date and family dinner in town

This is the third summer I’ve been unsuccessful in procuring a dinner reservation at the three Michelin star restaurant at Cheval Blanc St-Tropez, La Vague d’Or, helmed by acclaimed chef Arnaud Donckele and known to be one of the best restaurants in France. So I booked the next best option: La Terrasse, Donckele’s one-Michelin-star restaurant that steps in for lunch service at the hotel.

We had a fresh summer lunch outside under the umbrella pines, with a sparkling view of the Bay of Saint Tropez. It was my first time setting foot on the Cheval Blanc property, which sits at the entrance to Saint Tropez, just a short walk from the village center, and is the only hotel in the village with its own private beach.

The hotel is stunning, with a bit of a nautical feel that plays into its setting. Kids are allowed to stay (I had to ask, since I didn’t see any by the pool or beach), but the place feels quiet and romantic. I’d love to book a stay here without children at some point, but I highly recommend indulging in a gorgeous lunch outside and taking in the view of Saint Tropez bay.

That evening we took my daughter to the early 7:30pm seating at Cherry, an Italian-American restaurant and speakeasy originally located in Paris that opened in Saint Tropez village a couple of seasons ago. Cherry is known for its sultry atmosphere, particularly late at night — it supposedly gets very lively and turns into a full-on dance party at the 10:30pm seating.

We enjoyed a hasty dinner, sharing spicy rigatoni and caesar while stopping my daughter from jumping onto a neighboring diner, who she was seated next to on a communal velvet banquette.

The views from Cherry are incredible, and the hostess could not have been sweeter or more accommodating with my daughter, even though they didn’t have high chairs. I’d absolutely recommend going, but skip bringing kids so you can fully enjoy the experience.

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Day 11 - Final day in Saint Tropez: LouLou

We spent our final day in Saint Tropez with daybeds at LouLou, catching the later 3:30pm lunch seating. It always takes my husband a lot of convincing to sit down for lunch that late. He likes eating at 11:45am sharp, but a big breakfast, several iced americanos, and a snack later, he (barely) made it…

LouLou Ramatuelle has become the hardest Pampelonne beach club to secure a daybed and 3:30pm reservation at. I hadn’t had any trouble booking it the past two summers, but it’s grown increasingly popular, so I’d recommend booking as far in advance as you can if you know you want to go.

LouLou strikes the perfect balance: the late lunch seating turns into a full party with a great DJ, while still keeping an elegant, elevated crowd. I’ve heard things get a bit more raucous at the Nikki Beach, Shellona, and Bagatelle lunch scenes.

It’s a favorite for a reason. The daybeds are plush, the truffle pizza, tarte tropézienne, and tomato paccheri are consistently good, and the setting and beach location are beautiful and relaxing.

Given we were getting up early to drive to Vence the following morning, we kept things easy that evening and ate at La Réserve Ramatuelle's Japanese-Peruvian rooftop restaurant, La Muna. The restaurant has spectacular views and, surprisingly, a great, lively cocktail and dinner scene. It felt like a total hidden gem, and somewhere I'd absolutely recommend grabbing dinner even if you aren't staying at the hotel.

Day 12 - Drive to Vence and check into Château Saint-Martin

Toddler Travel Note: I always pack my daughter's clothes, shoes, sun hats, bathing suits, pajamas, toys, and books in separate packing cubes. It makes packing and unpacking really easy. When we get to a new hotel, I'll just keep everything in the cubes and stow them in drawers. I also always bring a portable changing mat and set up a little diapering station if the hotel hasn't already.

We woke up on the morning of Day 12 and drove two hours to Vence, where we checked into Château Saint-Martin to relish our final three days in France.

I spoke about Château Saint-Martin in depth in a prior post, but I think the property offers great value for the Côte d’Azur region. It’s a Palace hotel, owned by the Oetker Collection (the same ownership as Le Bristol in Paris and Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes). The hotel sits at the very top of Vence, a hilltop town next door to its better known neighbor, Saint-Paul de Vence.

I really enjoy spending time in Vence. The neighboring villages have such a charming, local feeling, and there are some incredible restaurants. Unfortunately, I felt like the service and food quality at Château Saint-Martin had slipped a bit since the last time we visited two years ago. While the views are stunning, the hotel’s interiors are a bit on the older side and in need of refreshing. We spoke to the hotel manager, and Oetker plans to renovate the property in phases over the next two years.

We ate at the hotel restaurant, Le Saint-Martin, that night. While still good, the restaurant had lost its Michelin star in 2025 and wasn’t quite at the caliber I remember back in 2024.

All that being said, I still think the hotel is well worth a visit, particularly as these renovations get underway and things are spruced up a bit.

Day 13 - Drive to Eden Roc in Antibes, Lovely Dinner at a Boutique Hotel

Given the same Oetker ownership, Château Saint-Martin can, depending on availability, book you pool chairs to spend the day at Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The only caveat: you won’t know until the day of whether the hotel has room for you, and this is far less likely to work out during high season (the hotel puts the odds at roughly 45%).

We gave it a shot and were unsuccessful, but decided to go anyway for lunch at Eden Roc Grill, where we’d been a couple of summers before. The menu is straightforward, elevated pool fare, but the people watching is typically great and the waterfront setting is gorgeous.

We have yet to stay at the property, and both times we’ve had lunch there, we’ve gone back and forth on whether we could find enough to do to justify what is usually a five night minimum stay. My husband and I get antsy on vacation and aren’t very good at staying on property for an entire trip, which is one of the reasons we love Saint Tropez: there’s so much to do. I’m also not the biggest fan of Antibes, the area directly surrounding Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, which gives me pause. We really enjoyed staying at the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, because the area around Cap Ferrat is so peaceful and lovely to walk around. If any of you have stayed at Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, I’d love to hear your take!

When we sat down for this particular lunch (granted, this is just a snapshot of one afternoon), the crowd skewed heavily older and American, very Palm Beach. Everyone seemed to know each other, so maybe this was just a random one-off!

That evening, on our hotel concierge’s recommendation, we took our daughter to dinner at La Toile Blanche, a newly renovated boutique hotel a few minutes from Château Saint-Martin. It’s owned and run by a family of artists known as the Leroy Brothers (one of their sons actually waited on our table), who for decades have built a name in Belgium and beyond for conceptual, tech-forward, boundary-pushing art. But the hotel itself is the opposite: devoted to everything pleasurable to see, touch, taste, and breathe in.

Dinner was classic, fresh Mediterranean food served overlooking the pool, in a rustic space mixed with contemporary art and furniture. I found the service phenomenal and the hotel adorable. My husband’s cousin, who’d stayed there too, loved it just as much. Another lovely option in the area.

Day 14 - Spend the Day in Saint-Paul-de-Vence

While you may not have heard of Vence, you’ve probably heard of Saint-Paul de-Vence, or the famous hotel in the area, La Colombe d’Or which became legendary when in the 1920s, owner Paul Roux began accepting paintings from struggling artists in exchange for their meals and lodging, which birthed a museum-quality collection of works by Picasso, Matisse, Dufy, and Miró, many of which still hang in the dining room today.

We spent the morning at Fondation Maeght, a modern art museum in the hills of Saint-Paul-de-Vence designed with active input from legendary artists like Joan Miró and Alberto Giacometti.

We were supposed to grab lunch at Le Moulin de Saint-Paul and shop around town, but that was cut short when my daughter had an absolute meltdown as soon as we sat down, and we had to abort mid-meal as four French men rushed in and out with bread and cold towels trying to make it better.

We ended up spending the afternoon at the Château Saint-Martin pool, which was amazingly kid-friendly (they have a series of steps to enter that are perfect for toddlers), and my daughter became buddies with an Australian family’s two daughters.

That evening, my husband and I drove to a Michelin-star restaurant in Biot, a town known for its centuries-old craftsmanship, particularly its signature “bubble glass” and historic terracotta jars: Les Terraillers, whose name refers to the clay once used by the potters.

The Fulci family has upheld the restaurant’s Michelin star for 31 consecutive years, with young Michael Fulci now at the helm, having taken over for his father. The dinner was one of my very favorites of the trip. Highly recommend going for a fine dining experience if you find yourself in the surrounding area.

Day 15 - The Grand Finale

In one of my many conversations with the hotel concierge, I mentioned we might want to spend a day in Monaco and asked if there was a lunch spot they’d recommend. It turned out a former member of Château Saint-Martin’s concierge team now works for Monte-Carlo Beach Club, and was able to pull some strings to book us a cabana for the day, if we were interested.

Absolutely.

We saved it for our final day. The beach club has been going since 1928, it’s got an awesome old school, retro feel, opening right out onto the sea with several docks you can swim out to, and an epic view up the cliffside toward Monaco from the water. We had a delicious lunch at La Vigie Zanoni, a vibey new restaurant that opened this past June, helmed by Michelin starred chef Simone Zanoni, set on a terrace at the tip of the Monte Carlo Beach peninsula.

We topped off the evening with dinner at Spelt, one of my very favorite restaurants, located in Tourrettes-Sur-Loup, a small village about 15 minutes outside of Vence.

The restaurant’s name comes from the nutty ancient grain featured in their acclaimed lobster risotto. Head chef Raphael opened Spelt near his hometown after training under several Michelin starred chefs in Paris and London, and I’d loved my meal and the ambience of the place when we first visited a couple of years back. This second time around was just as good as I remembered.

Tourrettes-Sur-Loup is a very lively little town, where kids play bocce with their parents and families eat dinner and play cards spilling out into the street with glasses of wine, soaking up the late summer light which burns until 10pm in July.

Spelt is housed in a two story building with old, exposed stone walls and a beautiful terrace overlooking the scenic hills and the Provencal village below. From our table we spotted an idyllic sun-baked limestone house with French blue shutters and a beautiful pool and ivy covered guest house that we became quite captivated by, so much so that by the end of dinner we both had an urge to rent it for a couple of weeks over a future summer and live life immersed in this little town.

I took in my last sunset in France for a bit as I sank into a little daydream about how different life can look from my fast paced NYC world, relishing how vibrant the stars were that evening. You could see Venus immaculately with the naked eye over the hilltop, and I reflected on what a special trip this had been.

My husband and I had made a pact in that very same restaurant when I was six months pregnant two years prior that we wouldn’t stop traveling even after having a child, and I’m really proud of us that we haven’t.

I’ll leave you with one final traveler toddler tip, if your toddler is nearing two, book her own seat before the flight home. We learned the hard way on our nine hour flight back that “infant in arms” definitely has an expiration date.

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Have a great weekend! Happy to answer any trip or South of France questions below!

This is Part I of two dedicated notes highlighting my thought process in planning elements of the trip and a little post-mortem reflection on how the experiences panned out.

I typically plan trips based on hotels I want to experience. For me a great hotel stay requires a property to have a genuine sense of place, unique design that feels authentic, and proximity to a town or city with real energy, somewhere I actually want to explore and eat.

We flew in and out of Nice and divided the trip into three stops: four nights at Villa La Coste outside Aix-en-Provence, nine nights in Saint-Tropez (split between Château de la Messardière and La Réserve Ramatuelle), and three nights at Château Saint-Martin in Vence. This was my third summer in Saint-Tropez, and somehow I keep staying longer each time.

Day 1 - Land in Nice, Check into Villa La Coste

Toddler Travel Note: Fresh off a red eye with a toddler, I like to keep the first day pretty chill and always priortize “dining on campus” if available.

We drove a little over 2 hours from Nice and arrived at Villa La Coste.

Talk about a special-feeling property — Villa La Coste is meticulously run by the art-obsessed Irish legend Patrick McKillen, or "Paddy" as he's known on-site. Funnily enough, he's close friends with Bradley Cooper — we actually caught the two of them (plus Gigi Hadid) having drinks in the lobby at one point, right before they flew home for Taylor Swift's wedding, haha!

Paddy acquired the 600-acre estate in 2002, from a family who'd owned it for 70 years prior. The land included vineyards, olive tree fields, and an original 17th-century rose stone bastide manor house, which now houses guests, along with a collection of traditional barns that now function as galleries featuring a rotating cast of artists.

McKillen not only conceptualized the entire remodel and design of the hotel, alongside several French architects, but also curated all of the art on its walls from his private collection. The result is a spectacularly intimate yet sprawling feeling property with very interesting design details and four on site-restaurants.

Many of the guestrooms have pools, so on this first (106 degree) day we hung out at our little plunge pool and had a great dinner at the Argentinian steakhouse on property, Francis Mallmann. One aside: I think the property is still working out some kinks at their fine dining restaurant, Louison, which has had some turnover, mixed reviews, and no Michelin recognition yet.

Day 2 - Explore Lourmarin and Aix-en-Provence

Toddler Travel Note: When we went to France last summer, my daughter was 9 months old and more resilient about where she could sleep — we loosely kept her on her normal 7am–7pm schedule, and if we took her out to a late dinner, she'd often just sleep in her Doona. That wasn't the case this summer at almost 2 years old. Given how late dinners run in St Tropez (and how much later mornings start too), we shifted her to a 9/10pm bedtime with a 2:30pm nap.

We didn’t rent a car this leg, so we booked a driver — if you’re in the region, Pierre is wonderful — to take us into town, since Villa La Coste is remote enough that everything off-property is about a 30-minute drive.

We had a toddler-friendly lunch at Bacheto, inside the boutique hotel Le Moulin in Lourmarin, then wandered into a couple of shops: Atelier Buisson-Kessler, a colorful ceramic shop (where, much to my husband’s chagrin, I bought several pieces of pottery too fragile to ship, so they got wrapped in reams of bubble wrap instead), and Le Petit Gris Piedra, an adorable kids’ shop — you guys know my weakness for European kids’ clothes by now.

We then spent a quick 90 minutes in Aix, biding our time as our daughter started to melt down in the heat. Aix is a fairly big city, so if there are specific things you want to see, I'd recommend having more of a plan than we did — we didn't really get a feel for the place between the heat and limited time with our driver.

That evening we had a lovely child-free dinner at Le Art, overlooking the formal gardens of Château de la Gaude. The entire drive out was stunning, bathed in golden light — Pierre even made a quick detour so we could catch the local lavender fields, which were at the height of their season in late June. Dinner at Le Art — which definitely skewed more formal and traditional French than Mediterranean — was fantastic; you could build your own three-course meal from the à la carte menu, which I always appreciate.

Day 3 - Art Tour on Property and Dinner in Ventabren

We enjoyed a slow start to the day, as slow as one can have with a toddler adjusting to a new time zone, had breakfast at the hotel, and went on Château La Coste’s expansive art and architecture property tour.

Funny enough, our West Village neighbor, Julian Schnabel, was one of the featured artists in the property gallery. That afternoon we hung out at the pool and had lunch at the hotel’s garden restaurant, Les Jardins.

That evening Pierre picked us up and drove us to the hilltop village of Ventabren, a lovely little suburb where many Aix families choose to live. We had dinner at the Michelin-starred Dan B.

If you've been to Post Ranch Inn or Nepenthe in Big Sur, Dan B had a similar feeling in terms of views and design: strikingly modern (for such an ancient village), Scandinavian style with angled mirrors on the ceiling, and sweeping panoramic views from the terrace. The cooking was awesome and casual, colorful local produce served in wooden bowls with incredible, bright sauces you were encouraged to sop up with nutty spelt bread.

Dan B himself came out to mingle with guests, and out of the blue mentioned that Bradley Cooper had his first wedding at the restaurant. He noted his French was excellent, since he’d studied in Aix and was clearly a huge fan of the area. We told him we’d actually seen Bradley at our hotel just a few hours earlier (whether in Aix or the West Village, Bradley is always around!).

Day 4 - Drive to St. Tropez and check into Château de la Messardière

This was our third summer staying at the Airelles Château de la Messardière (abbreviating to “the Chateau” for ease of reading), and maybe our favorite stay yet. The 19th-century pink palace sits on a hilltop between Ramatuelle and downtown St Tropez, surrounded by 25 acres of cypress trees, stone pines, and exquisitely manicured gardens brimming with lily of the valley and oleander. It’s the oldest and largest of St Tropez’s hotels.

The Chateau boasts the best of both worlds in many regards — elevated yet extremely kid-friendly, with an epic dedicated kids’ club and pool, plus a relaxing, palatial property with magnificent views. It’s also just a quick 15-minute Rolls-Royce ride away from the town center or the various Ramatuelle beach clubs (yes, this is how the Chateau carts you around). Your stay includes the Chateau’s epic lunch buffet, complete with a room full of Cédric Grolet pastries, as well as lunch and day beds at their beach club, Jardin Tropezina — in our experience, that’s not always the case at other hotels in the area. The clientele, from my observations, skews younger and more family-centric than what you find at Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, La Réserve Ramatuelle, or Cheval Blanc St Tropez (we had lunch here, loved the property but I would prefer to stay there without children,it has a bit more of an intimate, romantic feel).

After checking in, we drove 40 minutes to Lily of the Valley for dinner. Beautiful views, but not worth the trek from St Tropez, in my opinion.

Day 5 - Day Beds and Lunch at Les Palmiers, Family Dinner at BeefBar

Toddler Travel Note: We typically book babysitters for our daughter directly through the hotel. I book in advance and ask them to assign the same sitter for the entirety of our stay, for continuity — that way you don’t have to re-explain things to someone new every time, and your child gets to know them.

To balance relaxing with spending time with our almost 2-year-old, we usually get one coverage window a day. I alternate between a daytime window (bringing her to dinner with us) and a dinnertime window (spending the day doing something kid-friendly together).

The beach clubs in Ramatuelle all follow a similar schedule: an early, chill family-friendly lunch seating at 1:30pm, and a more party-oriented seating at 3:30pm. Some clubs allow kids at the later seating, others don’t — it depends on how wild the club gets. Music follows the same pattern: early seatings often have light live music, while later ones lean toward louder DJs, though it varies by club. If you book daybeds at a club, you typically have to be there by noon to secure your spot before lunch.

This was our first time at Les Palmiers. Energy and ambiance-wise, it was probably the most chill of the beach clubs we went to (we also went to the 1pm seating mid-week), but it had some of my favorite beach club food of the trip (my go-to beach club order is truffle pizza for the table, a personal paccheri, and tarte tropézienne with espresso).

For dinner that evening, we took our daughter to Beefbar, housed at the adorable boutique hotel Lou Pinet. Beefbar is a perfect kid friendly restaurant with great food served family style. We sat outside — there was live music to entertain my daughter, and plenty of space in the hotel gardens for her to run around when she got antsy mid-meal. (I’ve written about this before, but this toy — which my daughter has lovingly named “Buckles” — is truly a sanity saver for dinners and long plane or car rides, cost per minute of peace - toddler math - it takes the cake.)

Day 6 - St. Tropez Town Day

We spent the day shopping around St. Tropez. (Pro tip from a pro shopper: always bring your passport with you shopping so you can file the VAT paperwork at the point of purchase — when you get to the airport, you can just scan the paperwork at the Global Blue kiosk and it will be refunded back directly to your original form of payment.)

Downtown has the typical designer shops — I always prioritize places like Eres, Bonpoint, Rimowa (great excuse to buy an extra suitcase to have ample room for new purchases - Lily packing math), Brunello and Bottega, where you can find the steepest international discounts. But there are also some cute boutiques worth seeking out: Marc Le Bihan, the only sunglasses shop in the area carrying Jacques Marie Mage; Re Boutique; By Marie; and the Airelles hotel boutique Vanille & Lilas, which has locations both in town and at Château de la Messardière and carries a fresh curation of brands, including the Milan label Fortela, plus unique jewelry. Viltier even set up a special event there one evening, where I got to meet co-founder Thomas Montier Leboucher — incredibly talented and such a doll.

We had lunch and people-watched under Sénéquier’s iconic cherry-red awning, a fixture of St Tropez’s marina since 1887, then grabbed cones from arguably the best gelateria in the south of France, Barbarac.

That evening we had dinner at a local favorite, Chez Camille — a family-owned restaurant tucked into a waterfront cove in Ramatuelle, famous for their wood-fired bouillabaisse. They also had a great selection of grilled local-caught fish and fresh sides. I loved the authentic, laid-back ambience and the feeling of eating right on the beach.

Day 7 - Cybele Beach Club and Dinner at Chateau de la Messardiere

Our final day at Château de la Messardière! We woke up, enjoyed one last Chateau breakfast, and headed to Cybele Beach Club for the day. We booked sunbeds and the 1pm lunch seating. The day beds were plush, the food was fresh, and I ended up meeting Daniella Kallmeyer — I happened to be seated across from her at lunch, wearing her cover-up, no less.

I’d put Cybele in the same category as Les Palmiers in terms of chillness — they had some light live music at lunch, the energy was upbeat, but it was by no means a day party. A great option for kids, or if you just want to relax.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing by the hotel pool to the incessant hum of cicadas, the real soundtrack to a South of France summer — is there anything better than that sound?

We made the most of our last night with drinks at Bar 1904, where they insist on serving a complimentary personal-sized pizza and the most insane truffle cashews (our room was actually stocked with these daily too — I tracked them down here) alongside drinks. We capped off the night with an easy dinner at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Palladio.

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Please leave any South of France questions below! Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts if they have been to the hotels or restaurants above!

Happy Summer Weekend!

These days, I often walk into a store with a very specific agenda in mind, usually just wanting to try something on for sizing. But there is still nothing more thrilling than discovering an unexpected piece in person that feels entirely original and unmistakably you. Sometimes we want to be delighted as shoppers, not simply catered to.

If you live in NYC, I'm hoping there's at least one store on this list you haven't heard of yet. And if you don't, save this for your next visit. Many of these boutiques also happen to be in some of my favorite neighborhoods to wander through, making them a lovely anchor around which to build an afternoon.

1. La Garçonne - Tribeca

465 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013

La Garçonne was founded in 2005 as an e-commerce website by Tribeca husband-and-wife duo Da and Kris Kim. Nearly a decade later, they opened their women’s store in the neighborhood: an all-white, Japanese-inspired loft designed by architect Solveig Fernlund. Last year, they expanded again, opening a men’s store a block away as well as a Hamptons outpost in Amagansett Square, just around the corner from The Row.

“La garçonne” directly translates to “the boyish girl” or “the tomboy,” which feels fitting for the store’s understated, effortlessly cool point of view. The serene space carries pieces from a variety of brands including Arts & Science, École de Curiosités, Auralee, Labo Art, Album di Famiglia, Dušan, Casey Casey, Sofia D’Hoore and Lemaire, as well as an extensive selection from The Row — including, dare I say, an even greater selection of shoes than the Madison Avenue flagship itself — and an impressively large assortment of Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses.

La Garçonne’s edit is tonal, minimal, and rich in texture—a treasure trove of European designers you may not yet be familiar with. It’s the kind of clothing that doesn’t fully translate online; pieces whose price tags only begin to make sense once you feel the sumptuous fabrics in person and appreciate the brilliance of the cut and tailoring when you try them on.

2. Dot Reeder - West Village

436 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

Unlike La Garçonne, which started with an online presence, Dot Reeder has none at all, operating solely through its brick-and-mortar locations in the West Village and Montclair, New Jersey.

Like La Garçonne, Dot Reeder carries tonal, minimal pieces from contemporary European and Japanese labels, but at a more approachable price point. If La Garçonne is the sophisticated older sister, Dot Reeder is her fun, slightly younger counterpart.

The store carries many brands you may already be familiar with if you're anything like me and spend too much time on Substack, including Deiji Studios, Rue Sophie, Róhe, Jamie Haller and By Malene Birger, alongside names that were new to me the last time I visited, such as Mijeong Park, Tanaka, Nicholson & Nicholson and No.6.

On my most recent trip, I walked out with a pair of barrel pants from Mijeong Park, a great pair of long line shorts from No. 6 and yet another colorway of my favorie Malene Birger button down style.

3. Outline - Boerum Hill

365 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

While the location may seem daunting, it really isn't. For anyone with a running list of spots in the Brooklyn Heights / Boerum Hill area they've been meaning to visit, it's an easy subway ride from Manhattan via the A/C/E or 1/2/3 lines (exit at Hoyt Street for either). I promise this boutique is worth the trip, and it also sits in close proximity to a handful of other gems along Atlantic Ave: Porta, the charming home store featured below; Darling, a recently opened vintage children’s boutique founded by two Brooklyn Heights mothers with backgrounds in fashion who also offer bespoke children’s bedroom design and decorating services (step inside and you’ll immediately want to hand them your entire nursery vision); and Salter House, a café–homeware–clothing shop known for its in-house line of cotton nightwear.

Outline is a three-year-old multi-brand boutique founded by two best friends who, in their words, had become “exhausted by online” shopping and decided to build something more tactile and intentional. The shop originally launched with an online presence as well, but last year they replaced it with a beautifully produced printed catalogue, shot four times a year and mailed to customers. Today, clients in New York City and beyond can shop by calling, emailing, texting, or even DM’ing the store on Instagram.

Inside the light-drenched 1,200-square-foot space, made even brighter by a small outdoor terrace, you’ll find a tightly edited mix of NYC cult favorites and European staples: Dries Van Noten, Attersee, High Sport, Lemaire, Flore Flore cotton basics, Lauren Manoogian, The Row, and Jil Sander, alongside more niche labels like Grey’s, Margaret Howell, and Engineered Garments. Jewelry comes from local Brooklyn artist Je Refuse, who works with rare vintage beads and pearls, while sunglasses from Thistles complete the mix.

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4. Porta - Boerum Hill

360 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

A colorful homeware store located just across the street from Outline, Porta was a pandemic baby founded by London-bred duo Alice Russotti and Francesca del Balzo, who wanted to bring the spirit of roaring family dinner parties to the US while showcasing creative European craftsmanship. The shop focuses on bespoke tableware and whimsical decorative objects, created in collaboration with artisans across Europe who reimagine traditional handicrafts for a New York audience.

Think hand-embroidered tablecloths and napkins from Northern Portugal, reworked in a simpler, more muted one-tone floral motif. The result is a collection of tableware and entertaining accoutrements from Italy, Portugal, and Spain, with much of Porta’s collection sitting somewhere between minimal and maximal design. Alice and Francesca are careful to highlight detail without overwhelm, creating pieces that can sit comfortably in even the most casual everyday setting.

Porta’s homeware is designed to be mixed, matched, and used daily. The shop carries a core collection year-round, alongside seasonal pieces that rotate throughout the year. Items are available both online and in store, though there are always small, in-store-only runs designed to invite in person browsing, inspiration, and playful experimentation.

5. Ludivine - UES

24 E 73rd St, New York, NY 10021

An Upper East Side womenswear boutique (right across from the panini outpost Via Quadronno) located in a multi-story townhome with a design edit that skews more feminine, colorful, printed, and formal than that of an Outline or La Garçonne, with designers including Loretta Caponi, Gabriela Hearst, HEIRLOME, Etro, and Luisa Beccaria.

The shop was purchased in 2018 by Madison Dowd at just 22 years old after she found it listed for sale on BizBuySell.com shortly after graduating college. Since then she has made it her own, and as my best friend and I recently discovered, she is also a very fun follow on Instagram and TikTok, where she regularly documents her outfit of the day and showcases various designers carried at the boutique.

6. 180 the Store - Tribeca

180 Duane St, New York, NY 10013

Owner Denise Williamson opened 180 The Store in the same building on Duane Street (next to Laughing Man for those familiar with Tribeca), where she also runs her fashion PR agency, with the original idea of showcasing her clients alongside other brands she admires. The result is a 2,500-square-foot loft-like space that feels simultaneously warm and modern. She also opened a second location in Amagansett in 2024, set inside a charming cottage.

Upstairs in Tribeca, 180 features clean, streamlined designs and leather goods from Christian Peau, Nitto, Sono, Dries Van Noten, Chimala denim, Smart People for Smart Hats, and Evelyne de Clercq, alongside beautifully formulated lotions and soaps from St Paul’s Apothecary, and lightly scented, rain-like fragrances from Arpa, as well as woody, incense-inflected scents from Aoriro.

Downstairs, Denise has an assorted selection of mid-century-inspired modern furniture from brands like Herman Miller and B&B Italia, glassware from Vogel Studio and R+D Lab, and ceramics from Jonathan Cross.

7. William White - Tribeca

325 Canal St, New York, NY 10013

Don’t let the Canal Street address scare you.

William Cooper founded William White as an emporium encompassing everything he believes “you need to live well in life.” Think coffee bar, artisanal grocery, newsstand, and boutique all rolled into one. The store is predominantly white, but in a warm, Hamptons whitewashed clapboard kind of way, and is filled with elevated yet practical versions of life’s daily staples.

You’ll find everything you need to throw a dinner party, from recycled glassware, Will’s signature Zodiac dinnerware, and linen cocktail napkins to design magazines like Cabana, Milieu, and Frederic, alongside bespoke city itineraries, handwoven baskets, and a capsule-like collection of wardrobe essentials in unisex silhouettes, including striped button downs and canvas painter’s jackets.

The perfect pit stop between Tribeca and the West Village to grab a shot of espresso and a hostess gift!

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8. Two Minds - Meatpacking

68 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014

Currently residing in a temporary space a few doors down from its permanent, more spacious Meatpacking address, Two Minds is a contemporary menswear and womenswear boutique started by Jesse Dong, who was craving an in person multi brand retail experience in the midst of the pandemic and decided to take a chance on Gansevoort Row when it was just beginning its transformation into the high end luxury retail destination it has become today.

If you’ve walked into the Meatpacking Sweetgreen over the last four years, chances are you’ve been greeted by a friendly man standing outside the boutique next door telling you to enjoy your salad. That is, in fact, Jesse’s father, who greets customers and passersby in the best and worst of weather in support of his son. He brings a smile to my face every time I walk by (which is almost daily).

Two Minds carries brands like Renggli, Nili Lotan, Éterne, Khaite, The Row, Dries Van Noten, and Christopher Esber. They also have an impressive denim selection, ranging from TWP to Agolde, as well as a significant assortment of bags from Savette, Toteme, and The Row.

In my opinion, the curation skews a bit edgier and more streetwear oriented than the other boutiques in this edit, but it’s a great place to go if you’re looking to try on denim or see a range of leather accessories in person that you would otherwise only encounter online.

Happy shopping, and if you have a favorite boutique to browse in person around the city, I’d love to hear about it!

It took the New York Knicks winning their first NBA championship in 53 years for me to stumble upon the sociological term that perfectly pinpoints the energy I’ve spent the greater part of my life chasing.

Collective effervescence.

A term coined by sociologist Émile Durkheim more than a hundred years ago, who argued that when individuals gather around a shared emotion, a “sort of electricity is formed by their collecting which quickly transports them to an extraordinary degree of exaltation.”

I don’t think anyone — Knicks fan or not — could watch the now-famous videos of the 10,000-plus people gathering on the corner of West 4th and West 10th Street to watch Games 4 and 5 projected onto the back of Ruby’s brick façade and not feel even a hint of that electricity.

My dad always argued that college is such a special time in life because there are very few opportunities to live in such close proximity to a group of people who are all within four years of age and largely share the same goals, schedules and rhythms of life. Classes, sports teams, Greek life, concerts, orientations — the structure of college breaks down individual isolation and creates a psychological unity.

It fosters, you guessed it, collective effervescence.

The interesting thing about collective effervescence is that it can be felt regardless of the emotion involved. Joy, excitement, grief, uncertainty — the key is that it is shared.

I don’t know if anyone remembers sticking their head out of their New York apartment window at precisely 7 p.m. during those dark, lonely, isolating days of the pandemic, banging pots and pans in support of healthcare workers. Despite the uncertainty and heaviness of those months, there was a brief moment each evening where you felt a pang of camaraderie. The idea that we were all going through it together.

For just a few minutes, hearing and feeling the life around you, it felt like the city would prevail.

I couldn’t help but think of those days this past Sunday morning as I walked down Hudson River Park from the West Village to Tribeca, the running path abuzz with various forms of orange and blue. The energy was electric.

There was a period when people declared New York City dead. That city living was no longer necessary. Why would anyone choose to live in a city, work in an office or attend a group fitness class if they could do it all remotely?

But we are human and, at the end of the day, we crave the energy that comes from sharing and hoping around the same experience. Peak happiness lies mostly in collective activity.

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Sometimes I reflect on what makes me love this city so much and why I became obsessed with moving here from as young as I can remember and it’s really because of the feeling of communal energy and excitement you get the opportunity to feel here regularly.

When I lived in a college dorm freshman year, I was obsessed with hanging out in the hallway with a bunch of 18-year-olds from far-flung parts of the country. Now, as a 36-year-old mom, I still delight in lingering on the front stoop of my apartment to chat with whichever neighbors, children or dogs happen to walk down Perry St on a given summer evening.

In the early, all-consuming days of postpartum, while my husband was in London, my neighbors knocked on my door and invited me over for their Sunday family dinner.

That connectivity, that feeling of shared energy, is what fills me up in life. It’s what gives me such a high.

For me, joy shared is joy sustained.

While there are few moments in life that will rival the scale of an entire city celebrating a championship, there are countless smaller opportunities to experience collective effervescence every day.

For me, it’s as simple as becoming a regular at my neighborhood coffee shop, striking up spontaneous conversations with strangers (a golden retriever is the best icebreaker), doing jumping jacks in a Soto Sweat class (taught by Hilary Hoffman of course!), bonding with another mom at a playground, chatting with a random family on a ski lift or even a rambunctious LIRR train ride out East at 4pm on a summer Friday. When I worked in finance, I lived for the camaraderie that came from late nights in Midtown — brainstorming, poring over decks, and ordering take out with fellow analysts in the bullpen.

Collective effervescence is really what I’ve been chasing all along. Not happiness, per se, but the feeling of being part of something larger than myself. A shared energy. A sense of belonging. Blame it on the Aquarius in me!

Banana Park. Toddler Park. Sprinkler Park. Dog Park. Fish Park.

I am absolutely on the downtown park circuit.

In between going blue in the face from blowing a continuous stream of bubbles (my daughter wakes up talking about them) or preventing her from launching herself off a questionable rope bridge, I inevitably find myself chatting with a fellow park mom.

We commiserate over the sheer physicality of the toddler stage, marvel at how absurd the 7th Avenue Myka fro-yo line has become, and compare notes on the optimal sunscreen (+ this tinted moisturizer) -and sun hat combination in an effort to avoid undoing thousands of dollars' worth of winter skin lasers. After all skin is made in the winter (looking at you BBL, Moxi, Clear + Brilliant, Fraxel, LaseMD) and maintained in the summer!

Park preferences are highly specific and dependent on a variety of considerations including age, weather, energy level and caffeine proximity.

It's good to mix things up and keep everyone interested. So, in the spirit of variety, here is my guide to some of my favorite downtown parks, along with the best pre- and post-playground stops for a little morning or afternoon delight.

And if you don't have kids, skip the parks and go straight for the treats :)

First Off — What are We Wearing?

Poplin pants, jelly flip flops (honestly ideal for sandboxes and sprinklers), longline shorts, breezy midi skirts, striped long sleeve shirts, fun beads, shrunken tees, Flore Flore cotton, checked button downs tied around our waists and barrel leg trousers.

Recent Park Looks

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The Parks

The Toddler Park at Washington Square Park

Just West of the Washington Square Park Arch

A shady little playground (for sunny people) with swings, a slide, and a small bronze cat statue we have lovingly named Simon.

Ideal For: Hot days, toddlers, cautious climbers, and babies just learning to walk. There is no towering playground structure requiring you to run the perimeter on high alert, which makes this my go-to when I'm in the mood to relax a bit (relatively speaking).

Favorite Surrounding Treats & Eats: A pistachio milk matcha latte and salted tahini chocolate chip cookie from L’Appartement 4F, any taco from Santo Taco and Mimi’s Frozen Yogurt (best enjoyed back-to-back), the chicken sandwich and homemade Ring Ding from Olive’s, the Buddha Bowl at SunLife Organics or the Ollie sandwich at Court Street Grocers.

Pier 25 in Tribeca “The Fish Park”

227 West Street

Pier 25 is home to several large play areas, including playgrounds built into two giant fish structures, sprinklers and splash pads, an enormous sandbox, plenty of swings, and a sprawling green lawn. The pier can get chaotic on the weekends, and shade is limited so it is best for early mornings or weekdays.

Ideal For: All ages, especially kids who love the sandbox and older children who can confidently navigate taller playground structures. The surrounding grassy area is perfect to lay out a blanket and picnic or park newborns for tummy time.

Favorite Surrounding Treats & Eats: The breakfast burrito, chicken tenders or LA Chop Salad from Meadow Lane (which I love taking across the street to the Hudson River Park picnic tables), the homemade mint lemonade and pistachio cookie from GoTan, just about anything from Rigor Hill Market - I love their matcha, overnight oats and croissants or the black and white doughnut from Laughing Man.

Green Street Playground (“Banana Park”)

38 W Houston Street

Lovingly known as “Banana Park,” this is one of my favorites and a true local IYKYK spot. Tucked just off Houston Street between NYU graduate housing, the playground features whimsical play structures, including its signature giant banana slide, along with soft, spongy ground cover ideal for wobbly toddlers. The park is typically clean, shaded, and surprisingly usually not too crowded.

Ideal for: Hot days, all ages, and kids who need room to run. There are plenty of benches and tables, making it one of the more comfortable parks to settle in for an extended stay.

Favorite Surrounding Treats & Eats: The Super Greens smoothie and sesame chocolate tahini cookie from Pura Vida, the miso salmon bowl from ThisBowl or the taco quinoa salad and chocolate chip cookie from Chloe’s.

Pier 51 Playground (“Sprinkler Park”)

Pier 51 at Hudson River Park, West Village

Named one of NYC’s best playgrounds, Pier 51 is a summertime institution. The expansive play space features several large climbing structures, slides, sand play, and plenty of opportunities for kids to get wet.

Ideal for: Hot summer days. Located directly on the Hudson River, the playground often benefits from a refreshing breeze and features an elaborate sprinkler system along with a shallow water canal that kids can splash through. During peak summer months, most kids arrive in water shoes and a bathing suit.

Favorite Surrounding Treats & Eats: The chicken salad wrap or egg salad sandwich paired with an iced Cin-full latte from The Elk or a homemade muffin from Bonberi.

Bleecker Playground

Bleecker St &, W 11th St

A recently renovated neighborhood park with separate sections for older and younger kids. It can get very chaotic on weekends or right after school. If it’s too busy, I usually walk a bit north to Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground on Hudson.

Ideal for: Kids of all ages. There’s a good sandbox, swings, and enough variety to accommodate both toddlers and older kids. It also works well as a stop on a little Bleecker Street loop—perfect if you want to weave in a bit of shopping before or after. My favorite kids’ stores in the area are Balloo and Yoya.

Favorite Surrounding Treats & Eats: Cold brew from Oslo (my favorite in the city), sparkling yuzu matcha from Rhythm Zero, or a slice of burrata pizza and cantaloupe soft serve with olive oil and sea salt from L’Industrie. If the L’Industrie line is wrapped around the block, pivot to a Drunken Grandma slice from Made in New York Pizza and eat it at the outdoor tables in the Meatpacking District, or grab a scoop of gelato from Gelateria nearby.

James J Walker Park

St. Luke’s Pl. & 7th Ave.

A pretty run-of-the-mill neighborhood playground, but a solid option if you find yourself in the area. It has swings, standard playground apparatus, a decent amount of open space for kids to run, and a sprinkler for warmer days.

Ideal For: All ages, especially kids who want room to kick a ball, burn energy, or monopolize the swings.

If you’re in the mood to extend the outing, a favorite nearby detour is Dot Reeder, a multi-brand women’s boutique on Hudson. They carry brands like Deiji Studios, By Malene Birger, Róhe, Tanaka, No. 6, Rue Sophie, and more.

Favorite Surrounding Treats & Eats: An iced lavender latte or matcha from Merriweather (they make their own syrup), fro-yo from Birdie’s (don’t skip the Biscoff sauce) or Myka, Swedish candy from BonBon — I am mildly addicted to their blackberry sour fish, or a cupcake from Little Cupcake Bakeshop on Bleecker (the Cookies & Cream is my go-to).

Happy start to summer!! xx

Meadowood

I love staying at a hotel that fully embodies the organic energy of a place, sits on a sprawling peaceful property, and still feels connected to a vibrant local town with good shopping and restaurants. For me in Napa, this is Meadowood, a wooded 250-acre estate tucked into its own private valley just off the scenic Silverado Trail, yet only five minutes from downtown St. Helena and fifteen from Yountville.

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Meadowood began life as a country club before a family of local vintners bought and converted it into a hotel in the 1980s while preserving the club component. The property offers croquet, a nine‑hole golf course, outdoor tennis courts, three swimming pools (including a kids’ pool), five miles of hiking trails, and one of the most beautiful spas I’ve visited with treatments that range from vibrational sound therapy in the Treehouse Retreat, to a 60‑minute milk bath, or heated basalt‑stone massage.

The rooms come in the form of “tree houses” and suites that quietly blend into the native oaks, grasses, and shrubs covering the surrounding hillside. My favorite are the Treeline Suites, tucked high into the landscape with cottage-like interiors featuring lofty beamed ceilings, wainscoting, starched linens, and small decks furnished with Janus et Cie outdoor furniture and textiles that make you feel like you’re staying in a Nancy Meyers–imagined version of summer camp.

The property was designed by the late Howard Backen, the renowned architect whose style of simple agrarian structures built from reclaimed wood, stone, concrete, steel, and glass became synonymous with Napa Valley design. Backen was a genius at combining materials that could otherwise feel raw, harsh, or cold in a way that embodies the warmth of the region and allows the viticulture of the land to take center stage. He captured the essence of the American farmhouse while integrating Scandinavian and French influences in a way that feels modern yet rustic.

We first stayed at the property back in August 2020 and dined at the estate’s three‑Michelin‑starred restaurant, then helmed by Christopher Kostow, just weeks before the Glass Fire destroyed nearly half the property.

The hotel is now operating Forum, a more casual restaurant, while plans move forward to rebuild the burned back estate later this year—including a new fine‑dining restaurant, revitalized croquet lawn and clubhouse, additional tennis courts, and reconstructed guest rooms and cottages—with a full reopening expected over the next two years.

Favorite Napa Valley Restaurants

Napa Valley has an incredible culinary scene, driven in large part by its Mediterranean climate, which allows almost anything to grow and gives fruits and vegetables time to ripen slowly and fully develop flavor. St. Helena is also home to the Culinary Institute of America, which has helped turn the region into a magnet for some of the best chefs in the world.

On this trip, we had the opportunity to eat at The French Laundry, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant that Anthony Bourdain once called “the best sit-down, multi-course, white-tablecloth meal of my life.” The menu was exactly the kind of food you want to eat — striking this perfect balance between approachable and elevated, decadent yet bright and restrained. There were oysters and pearls with caviar and tapioca, black truffle macaroni and cheese, Japanese wagyu served with Thomas Keller’s famous pommes écrasées, and jack fish in a vivid green asparagus sauce.

By the end of the meal, around a dozen different desserts arrived in what felt like the culinary equivalent of a Fourth of July fireworks finale, including the restaurant’s famous cappuccino semifreddo and doughnuts, which have apparently been on the menu for nearly forty years and are never leaving. Dinner ended with a box of hand-painted bonbons in flavors like apple cider and s’mores, followed by a tour of the kitchen.

From start to finish, the meal took about three hours. We went for the 4:30pm seating and finished just as the sun was starting to set, making for a beautiful drive home along Silverado Trail.

Other culinary standouts in the area include the English muffins from Model Bakery in downtown St. Helena (also conveniently available to order on Meadowood’s breakfast menu). They’re made from a rich, focaccia-like yeast dough that yields an airy interior and a perfectly crunchy crust, achieved with a dusting of yellow cornmeal before being griddled in butter. They’re large, with substantial crevices that are ideal for holding a generous amount of butter and jam.

I’m obsessed with them. Every other English muffin feels inferior in comparison. I hadn’t really had an English muffin since the six years I was in Napa prior— absolutely worth the wait!

Christopher Kostow, who formerly led the three Michelin starred restaurant at Meadowood, also operates the more casual Charter Oak in St. Helena. The restaurant is known for its burger, but my favorite is their simple bowl of just plucked garden veggies from their neighboring farm served with a side of fermented soy dip. We also enjoyed the chicken with preserved lemon and rice finished with house cultured butter, and ended the meal with their Jersey cow’s milk soft serve swirled with pecan oil.

Charlie’s is a relatively new addition to the St. Helena food scene, housed in an airy white house across from Gott’s Roadside and helmed by Elliot Bell, a Gramercy Tavern and French Laundry alum who named the restaurant after his son.

Bell cut his teeth frying thousands of pounds of chicken a day at Ad Hoc early on in the pandemic, to the point that he reportedly swore off cooking it altogether…I’m glad he eventually reversed that decision, because Charlie’s fried chicken is some of the best I’ve had - make sure to order it with the “Fancy ranch” — Bell’s proprietary take on the staple served with caviar.

I first read about Charlie’s in The New York Times “Best Desserts We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025,” which featured their campfire pie — a nod to Napa’s food scene trailblazer of a chef, Cindy Pawlcyn (some joke that Cindy walked so Thomas Keller could run), who served an Oreo s’mores–style pie for nearly 20 years at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, the restaurant that previously occupied the space. Bell’s version layers three types of chocolate ganache finished with toasted meringue and, my favorite part, what they call “almond ding,” a homemade toffee of sorts.

We visited the iconic “deluxe truck stop,” Mustards Grill known for “classic American dishes transformed by technique and ingredients into something special”. Mustards is Cindy Pawlcyn’s first and still-standing restaurant, now celebrating more than 40 years in operation.

Everything we tried was excellent, but Mustards is best known for its hoisin-and-black-bean–marinated pork chop grilled over almond wood, honey‑glazed cornbread, a towering stack of onion rings, and the famously “unnaturally tall” lemon-lime tart.

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What I Wore

Napa Packing List - Day & Night

Stay foggy!

That’s how Karl the Fog introduces himself online… if you didn’t know, Karl is the unofficial personality of San Francisco’s perennial marine layer, which locals simply call “Karl.” The name comes from the anonymous Twitter account @KarlTheFog, which appeared in 2010 as a joke and quickly took on a life of its own.

I had the pleasure of paying Karl a visit last week to celebrate my brother’s wedding.

There’s always something mysterious to me about San Francisco’s general aura. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in NYC for over a decade and forgotten the daily hum of other cities or the lack thereof, but SF is so quiet. Wandering through the Marina mid-day almost feels like walking through a movie set backdrop — hushed, immaculate and barely a soul in sight, save for the occasional driverless Waymo gliding passengers across town.

Energy aside, it felt good to be back in SF.

What the city arguably lacks in fashion, it more than makes up for in food, weather, and natural splendor. The sheer beauty always amazes me.

If you’re a consistent reader here, you know how much I love a boutique hotel imbued with local charm, and after years of visiting the city, I’ve found just the spot, Hotel Drisco, tucked among Victorian-era homes in the rarified Pacific Heights neighborhood, a stone’s throw from Lyon Street Steps and short walk to the Presidio.

The stately rooms benefit from the hotel’s hillside perch, with sweeping views across the city. Each night I went to bed feeling vaguely like I was living inside the Steiner Street mansion from Mrs. Doubtfire — forever my favorite San Francisco reference. I can still hear Robin Williams to Sally Field: “Steiner… oh, how lovely, dear.”

Drisco’s daily complimentary breakfast was delicious featuring made-to-order eggs, insane granola (remarkably light yet shatteringly crisp) from local Pac Heights favorite, B. Patisserie and the hotel’s specialty coconut milk quinoa porridge.

In the days leading up to the wedding, I had the chance to connect with some close SF friends, we had a fun group dinner water-side at Le Garage in Sausalito, coffee at SF’s hot spot Saint Frank (reassuring to know it’s not just the West Village that enjoys block-long Saturday morning lines), and a breezy outdoor lunch of fresh pasta and pizza at Piccino in the Presidio.

I dipped down to Cow Hollow to indulge in my favorite sandwich, the San Franpsycho (honey-roasted turkey, gouda, bacon, fresh pesto, remoulade, and garlic spread layered on Dutch crunch bread, the bread is critical here) from Golden Gate Market, the unassuming little deli on the corner of Lombard and Lyon.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it there this trip, but Cotogna is a phenomenal Italian restaurant in the Financial District that I usually make a point of visiting for lunch or dinner.

My brother lucked out with the weather and got married under a spectacularly blue California sky at JAR Farms in Tiburon, officiated by his favorite yoga teacher. If you find yourself in San Francisco, Leslie Gleser teaches an incredible heated vinyasa class at YogaFlow in the Marina.

Karl approved outfits

Additional Photos from the Weekend

Travel under the age of 2 is always hard, but in my experience, always worth it and tends to leave me feeling accomplished and more empowered in the ordinary facets of motherhood upon return. Shout out to this circuit board and beanie buckle buddy who were the true MVPs of the trip… funny what gets a 1.5-year-old going.

A Few Days in La Jolla

We spent the weekend in La Jolla visiting my best friend and her 6-month-old daughter, and took the girls to the San Diego Zoo, where we had some incredible panda sightings and met Karen, the famous orangutan who was the first to undergo life-saving open-heart surgery and now endearingly rolls rather than walks from spot to spot. We also had a lovely lunch at Albert’s, which I have to believe is the most luxe restaurant option at the zoo. Think full-service open-air dining in a tree house in the middle of the Lost Forest overlooking a private waterfall, with a full kids’ menu.

We sipped rooftop spritzes at Il Fornaio while the girls cycled through an hours-long rotation of silicone toys and crinkle books, and managed a few evenings out without kids — including a sunset dinner on the ocean terrace at George's at the Cove (I still need to figure out how to recreate their smoked chicken, broccoli, and black bean soup) followed by drinks at Le Coq . One of our favorite meals was the almond-crusted Dover sole for two at Fluerette, the newly opened restaurant from San Diego chef Travis Swikard. The concept is French-meets-Southern California think more olive oil, citrus, and poached fish than heavy cream or gluten.

The food and cocktails were exceptional — light, bright and refreshing, exactly the type of food I love to eat. The restaurant feels like a floating little glass jewel box, with feminine, gem-toned interiors housed within a modern glass office complex. The layout is such that every table has a view and can see directly into the open chef kitchen, reminiscent of Café Boulud and clearly inspired by Travis’ time training under Daniel.

A Gem of a Boutique Hotel

I stayed at the Orli, a 13-room boutique hotel in La Jolla run by siblings and local natives, Hailey and Max Waitt. Opened in 2022, it’s housed in a beautifully restored 1913 Spanish Colonial home tucked right into the heart of La Jolla Village. Each room feels distinct and surprisingly spacious for a boutique property, with generous layouts and especially large bathrooms.

Given the young ownership, the hotel is stocked with Millenial appreciated touches like xBloom Studio pour over coffee machines, Vital Proteins collagen creamers, Flamingo Estate bath products and cold brew on tap, perfect to enjoy with the fresh morning croissant delivery. There’s also a charming courtyard that works equally well for a pre-dinner glass of Chablis as it does for letting your toddler run laps to burn off steam before bed.

The hotel offers a personalized text concierge service I was initially skeptical of, but ended up really appreciating. Communication was seamless and unobtrusive, with daily check-ins about housekeeping timing, quick answers to questions, and recommendations on request. The service went above and beyond — I coordinated Amazon packages, groceries, and baby gear rentals (BabyQuip is great for this), and everything was already unpacked and organized in the room when I arrived, with groceries stocked in the fridge.

It was an especially wonderful place to stay with my daughter. The hotel sits directly across from a public park and just a two-minute walk from coffee shops and restaurants in downtown La Jolla I could stroll to. It’s also near one of my favorite neighborhoods to wander through, the Beach Barber Tract, where twisting streets of historic spanish style homes and english cottages lead to various access points to Windansea Beach.

Transitional Layers from Coast to Coast

The weather in La Jolla ended up feeling pretty similar to what we’d just left in NYC, so below I leave you with a mix of recent outfits worn coast to coast in temperatures ranging from the mid-60s to low 70s during the day, and 50s to 60s at night. Basically my ideal weather to dress for.

CA Layers

NYC Layers

And finally, Charlotte’s layers at NYC’s Greene Street Playground lovingly known as “Banana Park”.

Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day to all of our incredible moms!!

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I’ve always been someone who really feeds off my environment aesthetically. One of my favorite things about spending time in Europe is how considered even the smallest details of everyday life are. Little things that elevate basic routines and make otherwise monotonous moments feel a bit more special. It can be something as simple as an interesting coaster or carafe for table water, a handwoven basket for a farmer’s market bounty, a salt cellar you picked up on a special trip that now sits beside your stove, or a vintage crystal vase that catches the light just so and elevates a simple bouquet of bodega flowers.

Before becoming a mom, I was a little worried I’d have to forgo all aesthetic considerations in favor of ease and function. Not to pick on Americans, but I do think the default mindset here tends to favor convenience, scale, and excess, and for some reason garishly colored children’s apparel, over quality, sustainability, and craftsmanship.

Now, 19 months into motherhood, I can say that while a million things in my life have changed, and you do have to be selective about what you care about and how you spend your time, I haven’t felt like I’ve had to give up surrounding myself, or my daughter, with things that feel beautiful and well made.

That said, it’s not always easy to find aesthetically pleasing baby gear and clothing. So I started keeping track of the brands and shops I keep coming back to. This is my ongoing edit of the ones I’ve discovered and genuinely love as a mom living in New York City.

Stroller Bag

Changing Station

Bath Time

Beautiful Books

Travel Necessities

Brand Spotlight

Hello Simone

A Parisian clothing line for babies and girls founded by former fashion journalist and mother, Tifenn Duchatelle. The brand’s vintage inspired mix-and-match prints and “neo-retro” patterns are inspired by Tifenn’s grandmother and the imagined travels of a young French girl named Simone.

Gooselings

A hygge inspired textile brand started by a NYC based mom of 3 during the pandemic. Gooselings is my favorite place to purchase beautiful crib sheets, toddler duvets, pillows and play mats, as well as custom embroidered pouches, towels and organic cotton knit blankets. A great place to look for baby gifts, kids room accessories and unique toys.

MarMar Copenhagen

A Danish brand founded by Marlene Holmboe, known for beautiful, classic pieces made from organic cotton and linen in soft colors and elegantly muted prints. I love their baby onesies, the cotton is so soft and the kind of quality that does not pill or deteriorate, even after countless washes. In my experience the brand runs slightly larger than many European children’s brands so size accordingly.

Bebe Organic

Founder Birgit Kadak never intended to start a baby brand, however she struggled to find organic kids clothing after her child was diagnosed with contact dermatitis and saw a hole in the market. This led to Bebe Organic, a vintage meets modern style children’s brand with a focus on romantic old world prints, that prioritizes working closely with family owned factories in Portugal and Estonia to develop sustainable fabrics free of chemicals and synthetic fibers. Runs true to size.

+1 in the Family

“One more in the Family” is a Spanish brand for babies and toddlers up to two years of age. Pieces tend to be simple and neutral in color with a focus on softness and comfort. Runs true to size.

Tartine Et Chocolat

An elegant French brand founded in 1977 to create chic clothing for babies and kids inspired by the joy of snack time (“tartine” is a slice of bread with toppings). As with many French brands, Tartine et Chocolat runs very small, so I definitely recommend sizing up to get the most wear out of their clothing.

Minicoton

If you see a cool mom in NYC, odds are very high she has a Minicoton stroller basket (don’t forget the leather straps and charm!) snapped to her handlebars. Minicoton is a Barcelona based brand known for their whimsical prints and a wide variety of functional accessories, including the stroller bag, but also burp cloths, bassinet sheets for strollers, diaper station organizers, blankets and more.

Flöss

A Copenhagen-based children's clothing brand specializing in sustainable, organic, and Scandinavian style prints for children aged 0-10 years. In my experience Flöss tends to run slightly larger so size accordingly.

Favorite Kids’ Shops in NYC

Yoya NYC - West Village

338 W 4th Street

An absolutely stunning children’s boutique with a small but thoughtful selection of vintage womenswear. Yoya was founded in 2002 in the West Village by Cristina Villegas, a fellow golden retriever owner and dog lover who is also a talented interior designer. She truly has a tremendous eye for everything! After a five year hiatus following the pandemic, she has reopened the store with her now adult daughter, Mila.

Yoya has an incredible selection of brands, many of which were new to me, like the playful Belgian label Morley, known for its puff sleeve dresses and voluminous ruffled skirts, Anna Wallack’s vintage inspired knitwear line Misha & Puff, based in Brooklyn, and the Spanish family owned Mipounet, which makes imaginative pieces, often with ric-rac trim, for “little dreamers.” They also carry many of my favorites, including The New Society, Hello Simone, and Tartine et Chocolat.

If you are in the city, I highly recommend stopping by, Cristina is exceptionally lovely to visit with. If not, her website is beautiful and well worth exploring - she takes online orders!

Makie - SoHo

109 Thompson Street

Makie is a tiny children’s clothing store on Thompson Street that Makie Yahagi opened in 1999. Originally from Sapporo, Japan, she grew up inspired by her mother’s work as a seamstress. Her shop began with handmade designs using Italian and Japanese fabrics, and to this day all of her pieces are still made in New York’s Garment Center.

Makie is a wonderful place to go for beautiful cotton basics, cashmere winter accessories, hand knit cardigans, and playful poplin printed trousers and blouses. One of my favorite purchases for my daughter as a newborn was this fleece snap jumpsuit - I bought it in every size available. It was the perfect weight for layering, easy to snap over an outfit, and never too bulky to wear comfortably in a carrier.

Shoppe Balloo - West Village

353 Bleecker Street

Started by mother of 3, Emma Portnoy, Shoppe Balloo is a little children’s store with clothing from newborn to six years. Shoppe Balloo carries a variety of European children’s brands including a large selection of MarMar Copenhagen, Bebe Organic, Konges Sløjd and +1 in the Family.

Darling Shop - Brooklyn Heights

149 Atlantic Avenue

Mothers Rachel and Michelle opened this children’s boutique in 2025, filled with a beautiful selection of baby and toddler vintage sourced from France. Darling also offers bespoke children’s bedroom design, from sourcing vintage pieces to custom furnishings, textiles, and commissioned artwork.

If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by their new mother meetups in the courtyard garden every Tuesday at 11am.

Playing Mantis Toy Store - Tribeca

32 N Moore Street

Playing Mantis sells a beautiful collection of handmade, eco-friendly toys and crafts from around the world, including wooden toys, felt animals, musical instruments, and puppets.

Kidding Around Toys - Chelsea

60 W 15th Street

Christina Clark’s independent toy store has been a downtown Manhattan staple for nearly 40 years. All of my neighbors’ now college-aged children still remember shopping here. Kidding Around feels like a true wonderland of toys that don’t require batteries—dolls, puzzles, instruments, science kits, and games that appeal to a wide range of ages. There is a warm sense of community in the store that you feel immediately upon walking in.

Spiral Books - SoHo

147 Sullivan Street

A neighborhood shop in SoHo dedicated to “books that are a work of art” with “truth, beauty and humor” says former English teacher, mother and shop owner, Mallory Neidich. Kids can settle into a custom built reading nook or join storytime on Sundays with local authors, librarians, artists (they often host drawing and craft classes).

Words on Warren - Tribeca

52 Warren Street

A recently opened Tribeca bookstore that already feels like a vibrant little community hub, with a wide selection of books for kids of all ages. The space is owner Jean S. Maeng’s first bookshop; the longtime Tribeca resident previously hosted pop-up events and curated book selections before opening her permanent brick-and-mortar. The shop offers weekend storytime, special guest appearances, and book launch events.

Books of Wonder - Chelsea

42 W 17th Street

A huge, nearly 50-year-old children’s bookstore with a very storied history, including serving as inspiration for Meg Ryan’s “The Shop Around the Corner” in You’ve Got Mail, as film producer Nora Ephron was a longtime friend and customer of the store. Meg Ryan even spent a day working in the shop to prepare for her role in the film. The store has also hosted many standing-room-only events with authors such as J.K. Rowling and Eric Carle.

A Directory of Favorite Children’s Websites

Willkies

A Bronxville, NY based children’s boutique with a great selection of brands online including some favorites - Bebe Organic, Flöss, Emile et Ida, Louise Misha, and Wren.

Poppy

A Montecito based children’s boutique you can shop from online with a great selection of La Coqueta and one of my favorite casual shoe brands for toddlers - Cienta.

Maisonette

A website with an almost overwhelming amount of baby, toddler, and kids clothes, shoes, toys, gear and nursery accessories. Maisonette now offers free shipping across brands and tends to have great promotional sales a few times a season. I love it for discovering new shoe brands —they have a great selection of Age of Innocence and clothing brands like Trotters London. It’s also especially good for sleepwear (I love Colored Organics for newborns) and everyday basics like Flora and Henri (dare I say, the Flore Flore of childrenswear haha!)

Danrie

An extensive but highly curated selection of toys and clothing. They have a large assortment from the wooden toy brand Le Toy Van, along with plenty of beach and pool toys for summer (I especially love the water toys from Konges Sløjd). There’s also a great clothing edit, including Lali, Sophie & Lucas, and Luli & Me.

Baboushkini

A tight curation of clothing, including their own brand as well as other favorites like Lalaby Denmark. They offer the option to monogram their towels, linens and pajamas, which make for a great gift, their wrapping and packing are also beautiful!

Calisson Toys

Offers a variety of clean toys, including options for newborns. They also let you sort by tight age bands, which is so nice.

Spilled Milk

A lovely edit of clothing, toys, and nursery items with an emphasis on natural materials and European design. They carry a wide variety of the brands mentioned above, from newborn through age 10.

Bla Bla Kids

Inspired by villages of expert knitters they met while traveling in Peru, Blabla is a children’s brand started by two good friends with a focus on handmade rattles, dolls, mobiles, and blankets crafted from fair trade, high-quality Peruvian cotton.

Nellapima

In my experience, onesie pajamas for newborns were easy to find, but well-fitting, soft, pretty two-piece pajama sets for toddlers were surprisingly hard to come by until I discovered Nellapima, carried at a small children’s boutique in Jupiter, Florida. The brand has become my favorite for soft, high-quality, well-fitting kids pajamas. Everything is made from 100% Peruvian Pima cotton and doesn’t pill in the wash.

Minnow

Great high quality swimwear for babies and kids in pretty prints with a focus on sun protection. Love their rashguards and sun hats.

Oli & Carol

Known for their playful, highly textured fruit and vegetable-shaped rattles, teethers, and bath toys, Oli & Carol is a Barcelona-based brand founded by sisters Olimpia and Carolina when they were just 21 and 16. Rooted in sustainability, the brand uses 100% natural rubber sourced from Malaysian Hevea trees.

Hope this list is helpful and something you can save to reference later or when you may be looking for a gift. I am always excited to discover new kids brands so please let me know your favorites below!

The best part about living in a place with four dedicated seasons is the palpable change of energy that comes twice a year, at the brink of fall and spring. Unlike Los Angeles, or my hometown of Boulder, Colorado, which absolutely takes sunshine for granted, New York City does not. Come April, we are so starved for warmth and so ready to light any form of black down on fire that the first string of 70-degree days feels truly euphoric.

There’s a collective energy in the city during these transitional windows that provides its own kind of high, the kind you can only earn after wading through months of slushy blizzard aftermath.

I have come to love the pinnacle of seasonal pain in NYC (i.e., February and late July) because I have fallen in love with the feeling that follows it. I guess it’s alot like exercise in that respect. You learn to love the earned post-workout feeling long before you love the exercise that precedes it (said by a very wise woman and the founder of Soto Method, Hilary Hoffman who has made me absolutely love working out).

While the warmth this time of year comes in fits and starts, the flowers have a specific cadence. First come the crocuses, typically breaking ground in mid to late March, then the daffodils, followed by several rounds of cherry blossoms (there are actually around 15 varieties in New York City, all with their own blooming window—peak tends to hit in mid to late April, marked by the explosion of deep pink Kwanzans). Then come the tulips, and finally the azaleas and alliums, ushering in the first bit of summer.

I can’t wait.

You will be seeing plenty of pictures from me — I just did a quick iPhone search and I have taken over 2,600 photos of flowers over the past 8 years!!

As we wait for the first daffodils and tulips to break ground I will leave you with a few transitional outfits and a couple recent notable bites.

Transitional Outfits

Spring Sweaters

Breezy Jackets

And a Little Color

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Notable Bites

Breakfast Burrito at Croft Alley - SoHo

Beverly Hills’ Croft Alley has landed in SoHo, taking over the former Lola Taverna space. The menu spans sweet and savory across breakfast and lunch. Everything I’ve had has been very good, but the breakfast burrito is my favorite. It has the perfect little hash brown crunch and is served with a bright, refreshing homemade green cilantro sauce and hot sauce on the side.

Cinnamon Croissant at Birley Bakery - Upper East Side

Birley Bakery is a French-inspired, London-based bakery that opened its first U.S. location on the Upper East Side this past fall. The space spans two floors, with a more formal sit-down lunch upstairs and a downstairs grab-and-go counter for coffee, pastries, and specialty chocolates. I’m addicted to the cinnamon croissant, which reminds me a bit of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Swedish Pancakes at RH Guesthouse - Meatpacking

RH Guesthouse—not the rooftop spot atop the store, but the restaurant outside the RH Hotel in Meatpacking across from Pastis—has become a Sunday family favorite. The food is excellent, the outdoor seating lovely, and it’s both kid- and dog-friendly—a total white unicorn in NYC dining. My daughter and I are obsessed with the Swedish pancakes, which have a delicate, crepe-like texture.

Taco Quinoa Salad & Chocolate Chunk Cookie at Chloe’s - Greenwich Village

This meal always makes me nostalgic because I first had it in the same spot on Bleecker Street the summer of 2015, when byCHLOE opened its first store. After a legal battle in 2017 which ousted owner and chef Chloe Coscarelli and renamed the chain Beatnic, Chloe has returned, reopening her vegan restaurant in its original form.

I’ll leave you with a picture of Washington Square Park this past Saturday

and my daugther in a transitional spring jacket of her own!

Happy Spring!

I’ve also included notes on the surrounding areas, because a hotel’s magic is never just about the property itself. It’s the mood of the town, the food, the people, the pace, all the small details that give a place its character.

So let’s get into it!

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Passalacqua – Lake Como, Italy

A new—but also very old—hotel (my ideal combination), Passalacqua opened in 2022 and was named World’s Best Hotel the following year. Set within an 18th-century private villa, the property was purchased in 2018 by the DeSantis family, who also own nearby Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

The hotel has just 24 suites spread across three distinct buildings. The Main Villa houses the most formal rooms, where lake views are paired with frescoes, paintings, and ornate Baroque details. Just behind it, the Palazz—converted from former stables—offers a more relaxed, rustic feel, with exposed beams and a quieter charm (we stayed here and still had a lake view from our bathroom). Closest to the water, the Casa al Lago suites are larger and come with private gardens, though their location on the property makes for a fairly steep walk back up to the main villa for breakfast, something to keep in mind if traveling with children or older adults.

Highlights

Authentic Design
Passalacqua’s interiors feel incredibly unique and true to the villa’s history. The DeSantis family spent years hunting for antiques at auctions, exhibitions, and fairs across Italy, and worked with local artisans to source textiles. Every square inch of the property feels highly considered.

Spectacular Setting

What I loved most about Passalacqua was the tranquility of the setting. Mornings spent sipping coffee overlooking the lake, wandering through the gardens, and afternoons lounging by the pool beneath the iconic floral parasols by La Double J designer JJ Martin were easily the highlights of the stay.

Perched high above Lake Como on seven acres of terraced gardens, Passalacqua feels like a true retreat from the region’s summer crowds. The contrast with Grand Hotel Tremezzo is striking: where Tremezzo sits directly on the lake and can feel busy and exposed, Passalacqua offers a sense of privacy and calm. After visiting Tremezzo for lunch, I was surprised by how crowded and compressed it felt and found myself appreciating the quiet privacy of Passalacqua even more.

Drawbacks

Crowds in the Region

Lake Como gets incredibly busy during the summer. We visited the first weekend of June, not even considered peak season, and the towns of Varenna and Bellagio already felt unbearable.

Americanized Atmosphere

This may not be a drawback for everyone, but compared to other European hotels I’ve stayed in, Passalacqua had a noticeably higher number of American guests. That could’ve been because we visited shortly after it won Hotel of the Year, or simply because Lake Como, in general, draws a very American crowd. We were there mid‑week, but I imagine weekends feel a bit more local, with Italians driving up from Milan, just forty‑five minutes away.

Food – At the Hotel and Nearby

Passalacqua’s dining was expensive and underwhelming. The menu tried too hard to be inventive but missed the mark. Even the Aperitivo snacks were obscure and a bit odd. The restaurants in the surrouding area didn’t wow us either. Most felt overpriced and very geared toward American tourists.

If you go…

• Skip dinner at the hotel and venture off property instead, my favorite meal was at nearby Una Finestra sul Lago (pizza and pastas with a lake view).

• Book a boat through Lake Como Boat Tours versus the hotel, it’s a fraction of the price, and we had a great experience. Make time to stop at Villa Carlotta to wander its beautiful botanical gardens.

• Two or three nights is plenty.

• Consider visiting in the shoulder season (early fall seems ideal) to enjoy the area without the crowds.

• Base level rooms are generously sized, so I don’t think it’s necessary to pay for an upgrade unless you need more space or feel strongly about a proper lake view.

Belmond Splendido Mare – Portofino, Italy

We originally booked the Belmond Splendido, Portofino’s iconic hilltop hotel set in a former monastery overlooking the harbor. But I got pregnant and we had to change our plans, and the Splendido ended up being under renovation during our dates, so we booked its smaller, port-side sister, Belmond Splendido Mare, instead.

While I’d love to go back and experience the full splendor of the Splendido (the pool, the panoramic views, the Michelin-starred restaurant), we really enjoyed the Mare. The rooms are definitely on the smaller side, but waking up and having breakfast overlooking a quiet Portofino was pretty special.

Highlights

Location

Given how crowded Portofino gets during the day, staying right on the Piazzetta is a fun experience—you get to enjoy it early in the morning and again in the evening when things quiet down, with the added bonus of being able to walk to dinner or do a bit of shopping and feel like you have the town to yourself (similar to staying in Capri).

Access to Bagni Fiore Beach Club

This was easily the highlight of our stay—and something Belmond didn’t really emphasize when we booked. Guests get access to a private section of Bagni Fiore in Paraggi Bay, a beautiful little swimming cove just outside Portofino, with transportation from the hotel included. The whole setup is fantastic; when we were there, Dior had taken over part of the beach club, and the food was excellent—I ordered the paccheri and homemade popsicles both days.

Authentic Décor

The Mare has just 14 rooms, set in what was once a fisherman’s guesthouse. It was fully renovated in 2021, and the interiors feel thoughtful without being overdone—Murano glass lamps, Rubelli fabrics, and vintage furniture and artwork throughout.

Drawbacks

Midday Crowds
Portofino can feel chaotic in the middle of the day, with tourists coming in from boats and nearby towns. We also found most restaurants to have very similar menus—so while quaint and undeniably beautiful, you probably only need 2-3 nights here (I might feel differently if we had experienced the full Splendido property.)

Small Rooms

The trade‑off for being in the center of everything, rooms were cozy but compact.

A Slightly “Performative” Vibe

I find there’s a bit of a performative, cheesy element sometimes at Belmond hotels, we felt a bit of that while grabbing lunch at the hotel restaurant, Da V Mare, the food is good, but the presenation leaned a bit over the top and theatrial at times (haha!)

If you go…

• Splurge on a balcony room—having coffee overlooking the harbor in the morning was my favorite part.

• Take advantage of Bagni Fiore (even if you’re not staying at Belmond, it’s worth booking a day at one of the beach clubs in Paraggi Bay).

• Walk to the Portofino lighthouse for a sunset aperitivo.

• Have dinner at Da ö Batti, a long-standing family-run spot for traditional Ligurian food.

• Order paccheri wherever you can!

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France

Considered the Grand Dame of the Four Seasons portfolio for a reason, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat sits on a rocky precipice at the tip of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Unlike Antibes, the town surrounding the stunning Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc which can feel a bit more crowded and urban, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a very quiet, secluded residential area with beautiful villas and scenic coastal walking paths that wind around the peninsula. We stayed at the property after a week in Saint-Tropez and it felt like such a respite.

The hotel lives up to its reputation. The service is tremendous, and the property quite literally sparkles. It feels fresh and modern in the ways you want it to, while still maintaining a beautiful old world Riviera glamour.

Highlights

The Crowd

Incredible people watching. The crowd didn’t feel too American when we were there. We ran into multiple European families who had been coming for a month plus every year for the past two decades (imagine!).

Club Dauphin

Given the hotel’s rocky perch, there’s no traditional sandy beach, but the seaside pool club more than makes up for it. You’re whisked down to Club Dauphin via a glass funicular built into the cliffside, where you’ll find one of the most beautiful settings I’ve seen on the Riviera.

Design and Setting

Everything about the hotel feels grand yet elegant. The muted interiors balance a mix of textures, soft pastels, and gentle blue tones that let the surrounding Aleppo pines and the brilliant Mediterranean sea beyond take center stage. In summer, bursts of pink bougainvillea weave through the grounds, adding just the right touch of color to the view.

Lots to Explore Nearby

I tend to prefer hotels set within vibrant local communities. I like eating off property and getting a feel for the area. While Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat itself has a small downtown, it’s close to Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer, so there’s plenty to explore nearby.

Drawbacks

Room Size

Rooms leans small, especially for families. We stayed in Les Terrasses du Cap (the newer garden section), which felt more private and had larger rooms with outdoor terraces—very helpful when traveling with a toddler, particularly one throwing solids (IYKYK).

Steep Grounds

The property is quite hilly and not ideal for strollers or anyone with limited mobility. When we visited, the funicular to the pool wasn’t working (I’m sure this is a very rare occurence), which meant carrying our daughter up and down the steps—not ideal (though manageable with a baby carrier).

If you go…

• Upgrade to a larger room with a terrace if you’re travelling with kids (there is also an awesome kids club at Club Dauphin)

• Go into Villefranche-sur-Mer, a colorful old port town with some great restaurants. We ate at Olivula one evening and really enjoyed it. You can even take a morning walk along the coast from the hotel into Villafranche.

• Dine al fresco at Michelin-starred Le Restaurant des Rois at La Réserve de Beaulieu (a beautiful, more affordable alternative to Hotel du Cap-Ferrat)—one of our favorite meals of the trip. After dinner, the hotel staff even ferried us home in a complimentary Maybach.

• Walk the coastal paths around the hotel—it’s the best way to soak in the coastline and sneak peeks of the stunning villas around Saint‑Jean‑Cap‑Ferrat.

• Stop by the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild—the gardens alone are worth it

• If you want to spend an afternoon at the beach, there are a few low-key beach clubs in the area including Plage de Passable.

• Don’t miss the homemade yogurt at Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat’s breakfast—I still dream about the coconut yogurt with their house chocolate granola.

Château Saint‑Martin – Vence, France

A gem of a hotel I’ve recommended to countless friends—many of whom have gone on to book it and fallen in love. Château Saint-Martin sits in the hills above the quietly charming town of Vence, just 30 minutes from Nice Airport and a short drive from the better-known artist’s haven of Saint-Paul-de-Vence (often considered one of the most picturesque medieval villages in France). From its stunning vantage point, the hotel offers sweeping views of both the surrounding mountains and the Mediterranean.

Part of the Oetker Collection (the same family-owned group behind Le Bristol in Paris and Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc), Château Saint-Martin embodies the brand’s signature warmth and ultra-luxury hospitality, while maintaining a more understated, almost hushed appeal compared to its buzzy Antibes sister.

Highlights

Great Overall Value for the Region

As far as hotels in the South of France go, Château Saint-Martin is relatively well-priced, more in line with inland Provence than the marquee seaside properties of Saint-Tropez, Antibes, or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The property’s 40 rooms, many with terraces overlooking the Côte d’Azur, are generously sized and feel thoughtfully laid out.

Stunning Grounds and Pool

The infinity pool sits tucked within century-old olive groves and a traditional English rose garden. The grounds feel less like a hotel and more like an extension of a private Provençal estate with meandering pathways, quiet corners, and little vignettes of tables, sculptures, and benches where you can pause and take in panoramic views stretching from the mountains to the Mediterranean. While my daughter wasn’t yet born when we visited (I was actually pregnant with her at the time), it struck me as an ideal property for families. There’s plenty of flat, open space for kids to run, and the room sizes and terraces easily accommodate all the usual baby apparatus ie. high-chair, crib etc.

Retains an Understated, Warm, Authentic Feeling and Crowd

From what I’ve observed, Europeans tend to a be a bit more price sensitive when it comes to booking hotels. This is obviously a generalization but I have noticed that ultra-luxury properties at the very top-end of pricing skew heavily American, whereas slightly more reasonably priced hotels tend to draw a more European mix.

Chateau Saint Martin’s price point combined with the hotel’s quaint village perché (perched village) location allow the property to feel refreshingly local. We often found we were the only ones speaking English when dining in the surrounding towns which makes me feel like I have truly discovered something authentic (an increasingly rare feeling these days).

Drawbacks

If you’re craving a more sceney, party-oriented Saint-Tropez-style vacation or a sleek, recently renovated hotel, this likely isn’t your place. In true Oekter fashion, the room furnishings lean quite classic and simple in a muted color palette that lets the surrounding views take center stage.

This said, this hotel pairs perfectly with a stay in Saint-Tropez, offering a dose of serenity to balance the Côte d’Azur’s more electric, high-energy, party side.

If you go…

• Take advantage of the tremendous culinary scene including one of my favorite restaurants of all time Spelt, named after the nutty ancient grain found in its acclaimed lobster risotto, and Alain Llorca, located in a little farmhouse in La Colle-sur-Loup, whose gorgeous terrace looks out over Saint Paul de Vence

• Take a day trip to the picturesque little hilltop town, Mougins, originally home to Pablo Piccaso.

• Book lunch at Eden Roc Grill at Cheateau Saint Martin’s sister property. Often times, the hotel will also allow you to book sun chairs at the Eden Roc pool for the day given both are in the Oekter collection.

I hope this roundup was helpful. I’m happy to share additional thoughts or answer questions if you’re considering a stay at any of these hotels. If you’ve visited them yourself, I’d love to hear what you thought and what you enjoyed most in the area.

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Linking a few notes from last summer below, including more hotel reviews and travel highlights.

My Saint-Tropez favorites and a review of the stunning Château de La Messardière

A few days at the lovely Casa Newton, located just outside of Pienza

My thoughts on Rosewood’s Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany

Happy Summer Travel Planning!

Vacation Dressing Without Losing Your Personal Style

For me there’s no greater urge to shop than in anticipation of a vacation. So much so that I feel like I can’t truly look forward to a trip until I’ve purchased several new looks that will enable me to psychologically thrive in the imagined setting I’m travelling to.

The problem with giving into anxiety fueled vacation purchases is that I return home with highly specific, occasion-driven pieces that don’t translate to my everyday life. They end up sitting in my closet, too memorable or too context-specific to wear again even on a subsequent trip. Over the years, these have easily been some of my most regretted purchases with the worst cost per wear.

Now, when the inevitable pre-vacation, pre-event “I have nothing to wear” panic sets in, I challenge myself to sit with my current closet. I try things on, play with combinations and attempt to build a few outfits I would be genuinely excited to wear. Almost every time, I rediscover a piece or two I’d forgotten about or find new ways to style things I already own that fit into my “vacation vision” .

Only at this point do I consider filling any gaps — usually with something fun, like a bag, a shoe, or a piece of jewelry to give my outfits that fresh little vacation spark.

Before purchasing, I ask myself questions like:

• Could I wear these sandals out to dinner in NYC as well as in Miami?

• Could I wear this from day to night without having to change?

• Is this shearling coat something I would only wear in a ski town?

• How many seasons would I be able to wear this sweater in?

These questions help me test an item’s potential versatility beyond a one-dimensional setting.

Really teasing out the various use cases for a piece has allowed me to still have fun with vacation and event dressing while staying true to my personal style and investing in things I can consistently and cohesively wear.

What I Wore on a Recent Trip to Florida

We flew to visit my in-laws in Jupiter last week and drove up to Miami for a couple of days. I packed exclusively from my existing wardrobe and found I had more than enough pieces to play with - a sign the above mindset shift is working.

I snapped a few pictures of outfits where I could.

Notable Bites

Two new restaurants opened up in Palm Beach since we were there over Thanksgiving. The team behind Tutto Il Giorno in the Hamptons opened up a waterfront location in Royal Ponciana Plaza called Tutto Mare. We popped by on a Thursday evening for a drink and were greeted by a lively scene and the same light and breezy interiors Donna Karan so beautifully designed in the Sag Harbor and South Hampton locations.

The restaurant features a large bar and lounge area with vaulted ceilings and a restored 1950s tromp l’oeil mural overhead, featuring caricatured portraits of 125 actors and celebrities, including the likes of Clark Gable and Fred Astaire, along with a handful of Palm Beach locals such as Lilly Pullitzer. The space was originally home to the famous Palm Beach Celebrity Room.

We had dinner at Nacho Figueras’ new restaurant, The Polo Room located around the corner from Cucina and the White Elephant Hotel on Sunrise Ave. The restaurant, which was still buzzing at 9:30pm on a weekday, features a classic Hillstone-esque menu. We split the tuna tartare, a French dip sandwich, spicy rigatoni topped with burrata, and a slice of key lime pie— everything was delicious!

In Miami we had dinner at Thomas Keller’s Surf Club, located inside the Four Seasons Surfside Hotel. The restaurant has an old-world, Art Deco, Gatsby-era glamour to it and is housed in the original Miami Surf Club, built by tire tycoon Henry Firestone during the Great Depression. From the 1930s through ’70s, the Surf Club served as Miami’s playground for the rich and famous. In 1946, Winston Churchill spent time at the club painting seascapes and is believed to have created an oil painting of the beach titled The Surf Club, Miami from the deck of one of the pool cabanas.

We shared the Dover sole and a gorgeous piece of their famous coconut chiffon cream cake with lime zest.

The Surf Club Then

And Now

I waited in line for over 20 minutes to try Myka’s frozen Greek yogurt. Well worth the wait and delighted to discover they’re opening up a location in the West Village soon on 7th Ave near Waverly!

I also had the chance to enjoy a delicious sandwich at La Sandwicherie, a French-inspired outdoor sandwich counter, served on one of the best baguettes I’ve ever tasted.

A Few More Pictures from the Week

All in all, a great little trip! We arrived back just in time to enjoy NYC’s version of ‘seventy and sunny,’ which has been absolutely delightful. To my fellow New Yorkers—cheers, we’ve made it!

Maybe it’s because I just turned 36, or because I’ve watched my 17-month-old daughter grow up in what feels like the blink of an eye, but the idea of time slipping by, leaving me with fewer vivid memories, really hit me.

I dug in further…

Most of our sense of time is retrospective - and our sense of retrospective time is driven by awareness of the past, by memory. The more we remember of a certain period, the longer that period feels in retrospect and the slower time seems to have passed.

Vacation is a great example. Though time may feel like it’s flying while we’re on holiday and stimulated with new experiences, in retrospect it feels longer because we have made such strong, specific memories outside of our core routine.

Social media has the sinister ability to speed up time in the moment, impairing our awareness of the present as well as our retrospective memory of the past. Ugh!

Another interesting thing I learned about memory is that we typically have more concrete memories from the beginning of our life as many notable “firsts” happen during childhood and early adulthood. As we get older, we tend to have fewer significant experiences which leads to fewer encoded memories. As a result, subjective time can feel like it’s moving faster the older we get.

So, what are some ways we can continue to build memories and allow life to feel expansive as we age?

• Intentionally seek out novel, distinct experiences and savor them using a variety of senses.

• Spend mindful time outdoors, embracing the Scandinavian philosophy of Friluftsliv, the practice of living an open-air life year-round, regardless of weather. Cold conditions can even sharpen awareness and enhance memory formation - no wonder family ski trips make up some of my happiest, most vivid memories!

• Break monotonic routines that no longer add value but persist simply because they’re comfortable. Simple shifts like rearranging a room, choosing an alternative route, stopping at a new coffee shop or trying a different restaurant can break the familiar and mundane and lead to deeper memories.

• Rather than reflexively checking social media, try to have a clear intention of what you want to see or experience when reaching for your phone…I am so bad about this one and have been really curious about the Brick (has anyone tried it??)

On that note, I’ve spent the first couple of weeks of 36 actively looking for little ways to step outside of my comfort zone and mix up my routine —trading (a bit of) social media scrolling for reading (Belle Burden’s Strangers is an incredible read!) and cooking (a winter favorite), and challenging myself to spend time outdoors consistently, even in the bitterest NYC temps.

Below are some highlights, with outfits!!

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Celebrated my brother’s engagement skiing with family at Heavenly Lake Tahoe over President’s Weekend.

A Birthday Lunch at Eleven Madison and an afternoon at the Met followed by dinner at Chez Fifi - a truly fabulous day of eating!

Rang in 36 with chocolate chip pancakes at Bubby’s, followed by the healing birch massage at Shibui Spa in the Greenwich Hotel - a fabulous, albeit unconventional, pairing.

Ventured up to Midtown to get drinks with my coworkers from 2020!

Took many frosty walks along the Hudson River with Poppy.

And took my daughter to the adorable new children’s bookstore, Spiral Books, on Sullivan Street and Houston in Soho.