Where To Hang Out During New York Fashion Week

In the sea of Instagram locations tagged by Ganni-endorsed fashionistas, it can be hard to choose where to best invest your time during New York Fashion Week. Our pick of cafés, hotel lounges, bars and even workout classes will have you sorted for a week of peacocking and people watching in the Big Apple.

TO EAT

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restaurant

Balthazar

A New York establishment if there ever was one, Balthazar is a SoHo haunt for old-school New Yorkers and influencers alike. The fact that Leandra Medine, founder of Man Repeller, is known to frequent this restaurant for family brunch (alongside Elsa Hosk et. al. with their rockstar boyfriends in tow) is confirmation enough that this is a fashion week must.

Address

80 Spring Street 10012

restaurant

Mercer Kitchen

While it might feel a tad overdone, Mercer Kitchen is a stalwart on the fashion week circuit – in part because it’s a great spot to meet up with a group before a Saturday night on the town. Order a round of vodka thyme lemonades followed by sashimi salmon on crispy rice and truffle-tuna pizza for the table. From there, drift over to Gospel, a dance club just a couple of blocks away, to keep the night going.

Address

99 Prince Street 10012

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restaurant

La Colombe Noho

La Colombe’s Noho location is a hub for celebrities living in the area. Grab an oat-milk cappuccino or one of the chain’s famous draft lattes and snuggle into a corner seat by a floor-to-ceiling window to watch the fashion world strut by. To get the complete experience, start your morning with a class at SoulCycle or Barry’s Bootcamp, both of which have locations across the street from La Colombe, and join the army of Alo Yoga-clad fashionistas in the queue for a pure black.

Address

400 Lafayette Street 10003

restaurant

Gemma

A glamorous favourite among the celebrity set, the Bowery Hotel is a hub during fashion week, even if you’re just paying a visit to the bar. A NoHo gem, it’s steps away from workout studios galore, Reformation and dozens of our most-loved restaurants in the city. Gemma, the hotel’s in-house eatery, is at the top of our list, not least because it can multitask and morph from sophisticated breakfast-meeting spot to fashion-maven headquarters for dinner and drinks come sundown.

Address

7138 335 Bowery 10003

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restaurant

Café Cluny

New York, United States

A West Village favourite, this laid-back French bistro does casual-chic brunch just right. On the corner of West 12th and West 4th, it's right by a slew of adorable boutiques (Want Les Essentiels is just a few steps away), making it a great jumping-off point for a day of window shopping. Everything on the menu - from the stracciatella tartine to the brioche French toast - is excellent. Come for the homemade granola, stay for Emma Stone and Chloe Sevigny lookalikes on either side of your table.

Address

284 West 12th Street NY 10014

restaurant

Carbone

New York, United States

For an undeniably "extra" dinner that's a favourite among the Jenner-Hadid clique, book (as far in advance as possible) into Carbone. Piled-high plates of delightful fresh pasta and rich red wine is served in a chic Italian bistro setting, and the eye candy makes the experience all the more enjoyable. Expect to see tables of socialites dressed in head-to-toe Gucci and celebs playing it cool at corner tables.

Address

181 Thompson Street NY 10012

TO DRINK + DANCE

bar

Rose Bar at Gramercy Park Hotel

New York, United States

For a fun Tuesday or Thursday evening, check out Rose Bar's jazz nights. The bar is all about glitz and glamour, so it's the perfect excuse to throw on your more outrageous party dress and sky-high heels. Order a martini from the George Clooney-lookalike bartenders before dancing to the band of the night's tunes. Fashion week parties typically book out rooms upstairs for private events, so if you're not already on the list for an after-hours soiree, befriend your neighbours at the table next to yours to score an invite.

Address

Gramercy Park Hotel 2 Lexington Avenue 10010

bar

Socialista

New York, United States

If you're on the hunt for a models-only hangout, look no further. Housed above Cipriani's in SoHo, this bar is designed like a chic pre-Revolution Cuban home, kitted out with everything from velvet chaises to banana trees. Since Bella and Kendall will most likely be chit-chatting over Cuba Libres inside, make sure you pull out all the stops when dressing up before taking on the tough front door staff.

Address

376 West Broadway 2nd Floor 10012

bar

Jia

With silky floral divans and dusky mirrors covering the walls in line with the 1930s Shanghai theme, Jia is an interior-design dream. Modish opium-den vibes coupled with the gorgeous clientele make this intimate lounge the perfect place for the fashion set to let loose (most likely in their Olivia von Halle pyjamas and fluffy heels). Join the international crowd here after hours and boogie to the beats spun by one of the club’s favourite French DJs.

Address

105 Rivington Street 10002

bar

The Blond

New York, United States

Despite opening a few years ago, The Blond has managed to maintain its hype among New York's movers and shakers. An anomaly amid a sea of other shooting-star venues that quickly fizzle out, this sleek spot at the 11 Howard Hotel continues to draw in models and moguls every night. Come fashion week, it's a complete blow-out - expect to bump into everyone you know who's in the city. Grab a Moscow Mule and sidle up to the DJ booth alongside friends old and new.

Address

11 Howard Street NY 10013

bar

Paul's Baby Grand

A favourite among New York’s young jet-set crowd, Paul’s is popping from Wednesday to Saturday. Show up a little early for cocktails to avoid trouble at the door, and chat to the friendly bartenders donning floral-print aprons. From there, the place will start to fill up and look increasingly like an Alexander Wang runway. Much like The Blond, prepare to see a familiar face (or 10) and most likely stumble into Brooklyn Beckham in the queue for the loos.

Address

2 Avenue of the Americas 10013

TO WORKOUT

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Barry's Bootcamp

Unsurprisingly, New York Fashion Week and boutique workout classes go together like matcha lattes and almond milk. To jump-start your mornings during one of the most frantic weeks of the year, book in here to be among the fashion set come 7am. The studios also sell on-brand gear, should you want an army-print sports bra and gold-star-studded leggings for your next class.

Address

419 Lafayette Street 10003

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Dogpound

If you’re the type to follow Victoria’s Secret models on Instagram, you’ll know that many of them are devotees of Dogpound, the gym where you can #trainlikeanangel. With a dark, boxing gym feel, its TriBeCa location makes it the perfect spot to start the day before drifting over to Two Hands for acai bowls. Take note: private lessons are pricey, so book a boxing class or sign up for small-group training with a few friends.

Address

1 Renwick Street 10013

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Switch Playground

For those who get bored after five minutes on a treadmill, Switch Playground is the ultimate change to the standard routine. A HIIT circuit that rotates between 20-40 different two-minute stations is extremely diversified and great for those with a short attention span (or who want to work on every muscle group in one session). The live DJ lends the class another fun spin on the usual SoulCycle class.

Address

180 6th Avenue 10012