NYC Birthday Trip 12/2023
December is without question one of the best months to visit NYC! Everywhere you go is decked out with Christmas decor. If you truly love Christmas, you need to plan a trip to NYC in December. It is positively magical!
This past December Justin and I went on my annual birthday trip to NYC! We stayed at the Ritz. Inside the hotel there are two amazing restaurants, and the incredible bar on the roof overlooks the entire city! The views were stunning all around! Honestly there are so many good hotels in NYC, so definitely do your research before planning a trip. There are many lodging options for any budget. We have also stayed at 1 Hotel on a previous trip and loved it! It is in a great location right near Central Park.
After we arrived in town, we went to grab a late lunch at Nobu Fifty Seven. To be honest it was not my favorite. The food was decent, but our service was not good at all. Perhaps we just went on an off day. I’m not really sure. I may be willing to give it another go. However, based on that one visit, we were not impressed. https://www.noburestaurants.com/fifty-seven/home?utm_source=google&utm_medium=Yext
That evening we went to dinner at Quality Bistro. If you have never been, Quality Bistro is one of several restaurants that are all together. This was the French restaurant. I really loved my meal, but Justin did not care for his. Overall we are not huge French food fans. With that being said, my recommendation is that you should check it out, especially if you love French food. I thought it was so good! https://www.qualitybistro.com
Later that night we went to Frosty's pop up bar. Oh wow! It is so fun! Christmas decor was literally from floor to ceiling! You are supposed to purchase tickets online to get in; however, I did see them allowing people to purchase tickets at the door too.
After some much needed rest, we woke up the next morning and went to the rooftop restaurant at RH New York for brunch. That brunch was so delicious. We really loved the vibe, and the location was stunning! I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Immediately following brunch, we made our way to see the Rockettes. Jaw-Dropping. It blows my mind how they all manage to stay in sync! It was very cool to see in person. Obviously I would recommend it if you come into the city during the holidays. So iconic!
One of our favorite places to visit in NYC is the Summit. If you have never been, I would put it on your itinerary the next time you visit! We had planned to visit the Summit at sunset. In NYC the December sunset is at 4:30 pm. We arrived at 4:00 pm, but we ended up having a very long wait. Unfortunately, that made us miss seeing the sunset. So I suggest going at 3:00 - 3:30 pm instead if you want to be sure that you catch the sunset. There are so many places to take pictures! Every time I post pictures from the Summit I get so many messages asking about it because it really is so cool! https://summitov.com/visit/
After our tea, we walked through Central Park, which I love. I’ll never get over a park that size that is right in the middle of a huge city. Next we went straight over to Soho for some shopping! Everyone needs to do a little shopping when in NYC! This area is perfect for shopping and has some great places for lunch also.
That evening we were able to meet up with some friends that live just outside the city in New Jersey. We had dinner at Quality Meats. That was truly one of my favorite places. The food is so stinking good!! Wow. You must go check it out! https://www.qualitymeatsnyc.com
To finish out the evening we went to Oscar Wilde Bar NYC. Oscar Wilde is a unique, quaint place decorated in Victorian style with antiques from all over! They are known for having the longest bar in NYC, which is 118.5 feet! I would suggest checking it out at the holidays because it was completely decked out in Christmas decor! Absolutely stunning!
On our last day, we headed to Sarabeth's Central Park South for breakfast before leaving. We were pleasantly surprised with this cute little breakfast place! I would recommend giving it a try. After that we had to head out and get back home! There is just one additional thing I wanted to mention before I wrap this up. Whenever we go to NYC for my birthday, we usually forget to plan enough time to go shopping. So I would suggest giving yourself more time for that if are one who likes to shop as well! Hope this information helps you plan the best trip ever. Have fun in NYC!!