When it came to planning our trip, Isabella sent a quick note to her friend Julia Jones, who replied with a text message of great recommendations. Hotels she noted included: Hotel Indigo, Sixty Soho and Sixty LES, Orchard Street Hotel, The Ludlow, The Standard, Soho Grand, The James, Hotel Hugo, W Hotel, and The Roxy. When it came to restaurants Isabella had her favourites and planned our 5-day restaurant hopping trip. Here's how our week went.

Orchard Street Hotel. 163 Orchard Street. Boutique hotel in the lower east side, a lively neighborhood surrounded by unique boutiques and bohemian energy. Rooms are small, more like dorm rooms, but with fashion week going on, we didn't have much to choose from. Stunning city views, luxurious towels and great coffee. 

Russ and Daughters. 127 Orchard Street. Just down the street from our hotel. Retro-style Jewish comfort food. One of the 10 Best Restaurants in New York. The timeless appeal makes it a perfect spot any time of day. Madly in love with their open faced sandwich board with smoked salmon, toasted sesame bagel, cream cheese and capers. We had it at the restaurant twice and take-out for an afternoon snack. Amazing!

Balthazar. 80 Spring Street in Soho. Serves traditional French bistro fare from breakfast through late-night supper. The atmosphere is loud and jam packed. Sandwiched between Gina Gershon and a Wall Street money manager, we enjoyed oysters and steak frite, delicious! And after waiting for over an hour for Victoria Beckham to arrive, we just missed her. But the paparazzi got her, and we later heard it was all in an effort to show off a dress from her Spring 2017 line. 

Chelsea Market. 75 9th Avenue. In the Meatpacking District, Chelsea Market has become one of the greatest indoor food halls of the world. Attracting 6 million visitors annually, it is one of the most trafficked, and written-about, destinations of any kind in New York City. We chose Fat Witch brownies, Southern fried chicken sandwich at Friedman's and a stop at the fish market.  

Fat Radish. 17 Orchard Street. A spot we had been longing to try, also happened to be down the street from our hotel. Trendy, brick-walled cafe with a hip clientele & innovative, vegetable-centric British dishes. We enjoyed their famous duck fat truffle fries, avocado toast with spicy eggs, and eggs benny. Delish...Would definitely go back!

Lombardi's Pizza. 32 Spring Street. Boasting best pizza in New York, we had to check it out. Relaxed atmosphere, paper plates, coal oven pizza. And we've tried many pizza's, we agreed the crust and the sauce made it a winner! Really good.

The Dutch. 131 Sullivan Street. Regional American fare (including oysters and much-hyped fried chicken) in a lively, modern space. Of course, we had to try both...and the lasagna. The lasagna was out of this world and the fried chicken the best we have ever had!

Santina. 820 Washington Street. A little slice of heaven. tucked under the Highline in the meatpacking district, is part Amalfi Coast, part Copacabana, sprinkled with a bit of magic. Beautiful, pastel colors of the chandeliers, dishware and artwork pop in the large glass structure. We ordered fresh Swordfish Dogana and a swordfish sandwich. Both were incredible, unique and delicious.

Momofuku Noodle Bar. 171 1st Avenue. The first of David Chang's Momofuku restaurant chain, we had been longing to try. We had the shrimp bun, house ramen with pork belly, pork shoulder, and a poached egg, roasted corn prawns and a Mexican coke. It was perfect!

A walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. The highlight of our trip. It is truly majestic and incredible. And brooklyn is a bright shining star. We fell in love and found our dream apartment!

We hope you enjoyed Isabella's Guide to New York. Where are your favourite spots in New York?