Chef Eric Ripert’s favorite places to dine this season

Unlock Editor’s Digest for free

FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to New York

In the winter, I like to stay in my local neighborhood, the Upper East Side. Of course, you can go somewhere hip and energetic downtown and listen to music, but for vacation I prefer somewhere that nourishes the soul. It’s not that I’m nostalgic, but I like the feeling of being in another dimension.

One of my favorite places is a French bistro called Quarantine. It’s an Upper East Side staple and serves hearty, classic French dishes like oignon soup and cassoulet. But I go there for the choucroute: sauerkraut with sausages and different pieces of pork, typical of Alsace. It is a very winter dish. I usually have dinner there with my wife, Sandra, but if I’m alone, I like to eat at the bar. The service is great. They make you feel like you’re a regular, and I especially like that I’m usually the youngest person in the whole place. It’s not great, of course, but it feels good to be there, like being in Paris, surrounded by old posters.

Across the street from my apartment is Sotheby’swhere they display works of art before auctions. I don’t normally buy art at Sotheby’s, but I enjoy looking. The same goes for the collections of Birkin bags and beautiful limited edition Rolex watches. Below is also an excellent and good price. wine shop. You could find a good rosé from Provence or a good white Burgundy, or go to the little café run by Saint Ambroeus. I like it because it is very simple. You can have a salad and a soup; It’s not a big commitment.

Another place that I love in my neighborhood is campagnolaan old school Italian, or rather a typical Italian-American restaurant, where Joe Biden recently went to eat for his granddaughter’s birthday. Entering Campagnola is like being transported back in time, to New York in the 60s or 70s. I like to go there on Sundays, especially in winter. It’s very nice.

When you arrive they bring you a plate of parmesan and salami. They have a list of specials, written on a blackboard, which has been the same for a long time. The waiters have also been there forever. They know what you are going to drink and what you like to eat; They always bring me a double Macallan 12 and they know I will order the buco bear. But they don’t rush you. This is a place where you can take your time and enjoy the music from the piano bar. There are two pianists, one on Sundays and one during the week, and both are legends who will do their best to sing any song requested of them. You can sing if you want, not that I like it. Sandra likes to dance and the bar is very lively.

Sometimes I want to transport myself to another century. And for that I am going to Bar Bemelmans at The Carlyle hotel, where the lighting is very warm and everyone looks beautiful, the pianist is very good, as are the old-school waiters. Not to mention the cocktails. They are really fantastic. I’ll have the martini or a Manhattan and usually try some olives or fries, or sometimes I’ll order the burger. I just enjoy the retro feel of the place, especially during the holidays. It is warm, cozy and embodies the charm of the winter season in New York. If it snows, go to Bemelmans.

At 93rd and Lexington, Cooking Arts and Letters is a store specialized in books related to gastronomy and wine. It’s very pretty and very dense, with an incredible selection of imported cookbooks, as well as vintage books by Julia Child and long before her, which can no longer be easily found in stores. I also love the smell of all the old books. I’ll go here on a whim to explore. Sailing calms me down and of course it is a great inspiration. At Le Bernardin we have a library of 600 to 700 books that I use for research, but I go to the store for fun and pleasure. I never go out without buying something. A book I bought there was by Heston Blumenthal. The Big Fat Duck CookbookFull of art, recipes and incredible photography – a true collector’s item.

Not far from Le Bernardin is Yakitori Tottoa Japanese restaurant I like to go to if I can get out a little before work, either alone or with a friend. It’s an adventure. To go up you take a steep and narrow staircase, and if you enter (they accept reservations) online), you must provide your name and number, and they will tell you how long you have to wait. They say they don’t know me, even though I’ve been going there for years, so there’s no way you can skip the line. But I only have time to go to McGee’sthe Irish pub across the street, and have a Guinness before getting the call to come back.

The highlight of my menu is the grilled chicken cartilage – it’s small and has a strange, crunchy texture. I always get the chicken hearts, liver and tsukune meatballs, made with different parts of the chicken, as well as shishito peppers and asparagus; I always eat vegetables. The kurobuta pork is also good and at the end the mochi ice cream. I feel like I’m in Tokyo when I’m there, sitting at the counter, where you can smell the meat cooking.

But there is one place I’m willing to leave the Upper East Side for and that’s Balthazar. The brasserie in SoHo is often my reason for heading downtown. I love having lunch there; The crowd is a good mix of tourists and New Yorkers, and there is lots and lots of energy; You really feel the pulse of the city. I’ll have a big plate of oysters, clams and shrimp, then an extra spicy steak tartare and fries, with a dirty martini or a nice bottle of red wine.

But I really love going to Balthazar for breakfast. It’s much quieter in the morning. They play classical music and it has a good vibe, especially during the holidays when they have all the decorations up. I’ll go around 9:30 or 10:00, sit in a booth and start the day slowly. I usually order a decaf coffee and a croissant, maybe hard-boiled eggs or bread, butter and jam. Afterwards, I often go for a walk Isabel Street. I like the shops in the Nolita neighborhood. stadium items (on Howard Street) for rare and limited edition sneakers, and streetwear at Unbeaten (on Kenmare Street). But it’s never long before I return north, to retreat to the homey atmosphere of the Upper East Side.

Eric Ripert is the executive chef and owner of the three-Michelin-star restaurant in New York. The Bernardine

What are your favorite places on the Upper East Side? Tell us in the comments below. AND follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter