Bamford Haybarn Spa

1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge has taken full advantage of their location—a thin strip of land jutting into the water, right at the base of the bridge—and constructed the building entirely of reflective glass and steel. A locally and sustainably driven project, much of the maritime-themed interior furnishings were made right here by Brooklyn artisans like Uhuru, even using reclaimed wood from the beloved Domino Sugar Factory. Each of the 194 rooms have a Scandinavian-style vibe, many with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across the water onto Manhattan. The rooms—and next-level lobby, conference, and meeting spaces—are outfitted in chic greenery that lends an expansive, nature vibe to 1 Hotel's urban oasis. Another highlight is the rooftop pool, which overlooks the East River, and of course the Bamford spa.

This is one of the better Aces. The guest rooms are a good size for NYC, with huge bathrooms. Some rooms have a nice view, too. The lobby bar turns up on weekend nights—people dance all around the bar and lobby, spilling into the elevator space.

Communal tables, rich velvet sofas (nab a seat by the fire), dependable Wi-Fi, and floods of natural light make the Hoxton a freelancer’s dream. As for the guest rooms, they are labeled as “cozy” or “roomy.” But size really doesn’t matter when you can lie in an insanely comfortable bed piled with pillows and stare at the Manhattan skyline (while devouring the chia puddings delivered every morning). An unexpected delight was the dining scene: The food at the Hoxton's restaurants is absolutely top-notch. You cannot go wrong with the blistered chicken and a bowl of ridiculously indulgent cacio e pepe with a side of roasted cauliflower, eaten sprawled out in the plush, textural lobby with a friend as we did—made better only by a few glasses of Beaujolais.

The Arlo Williamsburg is in the same few-block radius as the Wythe and William Vale. The rooms all have floor-to-ceiling windows—the best of which come with private balconies and views of the Manhattan skyline. The bedrooms are mostly done in reclaimed oak, cool brown tones, and brass furnishings, with little pops of color, like a mustard throw blanket or a plush teal couch. The lobby restaurant and bar have plenty of space for laptops during the day and then stay busy well into the night. There is a rooftop bar, too.

At the Wythe Hotel, owned by the masterminds behind Marlow & Sons, you’ll find an outpost of Le Crocodile, a French bar, and views of both the Brooklyn and Manhattan skylines. The building has a plethora of spaces to rent for parties, including a full-fledged screening room. Oh, and if you're traveling in a band, as one does in Williamsburg, you can book their "Band Room," complete with bunk beds.

Despite identifying as a primarily Middle Eastern spot, the menu at 12 Chairs is fairly broad, and you’ll always spot something you want. The hummus is a must-order—smooth, tangy, garlicky, and served in a giant bowl topped with even more chickpeas and a side of crunchy pita. On weekends, the chefs make Jachnun (a Yemenite bread spiked with complex date honey, cooked overnight, and served with a jammy boiled egg). The stuffed cabbage is available every day, as are the pillowy pelmeni. It all feels light and fresh. The wine selection is a thoughtful list of several Israeli labels, among others. The place does pack out daily, but the wait is never too long.

This homey, casual, and very popular neighborhood trattoria doesn't take reservations, but you can wait in their charming wine bar next door. The menu hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1998—it’s pretty much perfect Venetian fare, with particularly excellent pastas. They only take groups up to six, FYI.

The co-chefs and owners at Café Mars, who have dubbed their genre “unusual Italian,” have something special here: The menu features riffs on traditional Italian entrees—garlic-knot monkey bread, extraordinary pastas, and meat and fish entrees that defy your entire table’s expectations (ciao, smoked pork-rib parm!). And the space itself—a former pasta factory and Italian grocer—is atmospheric, with deluxe banquets, a gorgeous bar, custom-made chairs by Studio Apotroes, and the prettiest al fresco courtyard where you can scarf down some of Brooklyn's best Italian food under twinkling string lights.

Come to this quiet corner in Greenpoint for incredible fries with aioli, transcendent roast chicken, and an epic Caesar salad—they make the classics like almost no one else. The decor is spare, the lighting flattering, the service kind, and the drinks fantastic. It’s less of a scene and more the perfect setting for a great conversation.

Operating out of a renovated 1920s train car, this quirky little spot from Andrew Tarlow has served Williamsburg since the late 90s. In the past few decades, it’s lost none of its appeal—thanks to a menu of American classics, from one of the best burgers in Brooklyn to a solid roast chicken. The atmosphere gets downright rowdy the later it gets; people roll up for late-night dinner to a soundtrack of old-school hip-hop. Come with some time before your reservation to drop by Marlow & Sons—it's just next door–for a glass of wine.

Pretty much everyone we know gives the Detroit-style pizza at Emmy Squared in Williamsburg rave reviews, although there’s a nice line-up of Italian sandwiches here, too: spicy chicken and chicken parm served on pretzel buns. It's run by the same couple behind Emily, the duo’s original, widely loved pizza-centric spot in Clinton Hill. And while they have outposts all over the country now, this one's the original.

Chef Eric Tran, who trained at Blue Hill at Stone Barns under Dan Barber, does Vietnamese-Mexican fusion. It’s super untraditional, but it’s very him—and very good. Go for fried rice and egg rolls (Tran’s dad’s recipe), honey-glazed pork shoulder, Prince Edward Island mussels swimming in soupy red curry, and sticky, tender duck neck. The five-spice lamb neck, which comes with tortillas and salsas, is massive. Come with friends and order one of everything to share. Or bring someone you want to impress—Falansai is effortlessly cool—and go for the set menu. (Tran calls it đặc biệt, Vietnamese for “special.”)

Fausto had big shoes to fill when it opened on a busy block of Flatbush Avenue in Park Slope a few years back. The space was formerly occupied by Franny’s, a much-loved neighborhood pizza place that had been a staple of the area for almost fifteen years. Luckily, Fausto quickly became a new favorite for chef Erin Shambura’s house-made pastas (like buckwheat rigatoni with shiitake mushrooms, dandelion greens, and Parmesan) and a clean-lined, sophisticated mid-century modern dining room. The wine list is as close to flawless as a wine list can be—which makes sense given that it was conceived by sommelier (and co-owner) Joe Campanale, the restaurateur behind popular NYC Italian spots Dell’Anima and Anfora.

While Five Leaves is tucked into a particularly cute corner of Brooklyn, it mimics the café culture of Paris: The tables outside are packed, no matter how cold it is, with friends sipping wine or coffee and splitting orders of perfectly crispy fries. This is not a get-in, get-out kind of place—you’re here for the long run. Get something like spicy coconut broth mussels and finish with the rose water Pavlova. We also like to drop in alone for an affogato at the bar—the most perfectly creamy caffeinated treat to tide you over until dinner.

This place isn’t fancy, but we like it for vegetarian Mexican food and soaking up sidewalk-cafe atmosphere. The squash-blossom quesadillas and fresh memelas (toasted masa cakes) are our favorites, and the hibiscus agua fresca is so refreshing.

A passion project of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, the Four Horsemen is one of our favorite places for natural wine not just in New York but anywhere. Show up early for a seat at the bar or make a reservation ahead of time—this teeny spot packs out every night. The by-the-glass section is tightly edited, while the wine list itself is akin to a small leather-bound novel. The staff are really good about making suggestions if you don’t know where to begin. The food menu is short, concise, and unapologetic—they don’t do substitutions here, but you probably won’t want any. To warm up, split an order of beurre-blanc-saturated carrots. Then get pasta with Meyer lemon, bottarga, breadcrumbs, and parsley for yourself, and budino for dessert. The good vibes are a testament to a loyal crowd of regulars who are comfortable in the space and enthusiastic about the food.

Whether you head to the Carroll Gardens original or the West Village outpost, you can expect a home-style Italian meal in a casual, neighborhood setting from Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo. We love their vegetable-centric offerings, house-made pasta, and hearty meatball parmigiana, which is pretty great for lunch.

Gertie is a cute, feminine riff on Jewish diners, and they serve great bagel sandwiches, challah French toast, latkes, matzo ball soup, and other New York–Jewish classics at breakfast, brunch, and lunch. They do drinks and snacks on weekend evenings, too: Come for fried dill pickles, pastrami on rye, and brine-y cocktails.

Chef Elmdad Shem Tov’s heritage influences Glasserie's menu. It's Mediterranean and Middle Eastern through and through, with plates of heirloom cauliflower and tahini, grilled flatbread with labneh, and lots of falafel.

Regulars of chef Souhi Kim’s Red Hook spot will tell you to start with the homemade pork dumplings—they don’t disappoint. While there’s plenty to choose from as far as mains go, her other specialty is the steak and eggs—they used to serve it Korean-style with kimchi rice cakes, but now they make it as a sandwich. The same warmth that Kim puts into her cooking is palpable in the space—the dining room is vaguely maritime, with a curved wood ceiling and small booths that feel cozy.

Chef Yara Herrera and the team behind Rolo’s (right down the street) dreamed up this chic cocktail bar with a Mexican menu. There’s no dearth of exceptional artisanal margaritas. The name (an homage to the hellbender salamander, the largest in North America) might reel you in, but it’s the sumptuous flavors, moody vibe, and spot-on drinks that make it an instant classic.

Known throughout Japan for its delicious tonkotsu (a Japanese broth made from eight- to twelve-hour simmered pork marrow), Ichiran opened in Bushwick with lines around the block. (There are also locations in Midtown and Times Square.) Beyond the umami-bomb tonkotsu itself, which comes in a variety of intensities, and the fresh noodles, the full experience involves sitting in school-desk-like individual booths for dining, which is weird but fun. Especially after a matcha beer or two.

Go to Junior's for old-fashioned entrees (tuna melts, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken fingers) and legendary cheesecake. (The cheesecake really is where it's at.) There are two city-centric options (one in Times Square, one in Grand Central), but if you have time, head to the original on Flatbush in Brooklyn, which still retains its 1950's aesthetic—red booths and banquettes, formica countertops, old-school uniforms, the works—and its friendly, neighborhood feel.

In the year since it opened, Kings County has become known for its pretty perfect spin on classic Chinese dishes. The fun back garden patio and the excellent cocktail list also help the cause.

On top of the Williamsburg Hoxton hotel overlooking the waterfront, Laser Wolf would probably have been popular even without the spectacularly delicious food. But with it, it’s an understandably tough reservation to get: Gigantic trays come crowded with incredible Mediterranean salads, all an accompaniment to amazing grilled skewers of meat (or vegetables, if you prefer). The spritzy cocktails are perfection—there’s one with tequila, sour cherry, and lime for less-sweet-cocktail lovers everywhere—as is the salted-tahini soft-serve.

Expect Mexican street food specialties like "esquites," tacos of every kind imaginable, and delicious guacamole. Go with a few friends and order lots, as portions are snack-sized.

Go to La Vara with a few friends, because you’re going to want to order everything on the menu, starting with the fried chickpeas and working your way through everything that looks good—it all is. Chef Alex Raij serves up southern Spanish cuisine with Jewish and Moorish influences, so house-cured salt cod is served with citrus, olives, egg, and pomegranate, and a half chicken is served with spiced onions and cumin.

Leland's menu, whipped up with high-quality local ingredients, is a list of hits: They pickle their veggies, dry-age their meat, bake pillowy focaccia and exquisite sourdough (which comes with a salt-flecked pad of luscious room-temperature butter—heaven), and even make their own lavender-infused tonic water. Eating al fresco among the potted plants is a warm-weather pleasure; otherwise, the dining room is cozy, convivial, and vibey enough for date night. Arrive early for your reservation to explore their organic and biodynamic wines, a collection of 40 rare vermouths from small batch producers (your drink arrives on a beautiful little vintage tray), and their famous-in-the-foodie-ring frozen negroni-margarita cocktail. And if you've ever felt called to butchery, they do a monthly whole-animal butcher class—choose from pig, duck, or tuna—that culminates in a decadent 5-course tasting dinner.

It’s still pretty hard to nail down a reservation at Chef Missy Robbins’ first solo venture, an Italian restaurant set up in what used to be an auto garage. Pasta is the move here, but people also love the grilled seafood—the menu is separated into big fish and little fish, but the truth is, they’re all standard mains size-wise. Should you find yourself in this part of Williamsburg during the day, go to the takeaway Lilia Caffé attached to the main dining room for strong espresso and house-made pastries in the morning, and delicious soft serve gelato and focaccia midday, both good for a quick refuel.

Arguably one of Brooklyn’s best pizza joints, you’ll find rustic, wooden tables surrounding a brick oven here, which is the perfect stage for the pie-throwing theatrics of chef Mark Iacono. Lucali doesn’t take reservations, so get there at around six to snag a table—the thin-crust pizzas and calzones are absolutely worth the wait.

This South Brooklyn institution has been slinging their Sicilian-style "squares”—red sauce-smothered pizza with the Mozzarella cheese baked right into the fluffy, crust-y dough and sliced into, you guessed it, squares—since 1938. The only menu item that eclipses the pizza is the spumoni: a rainbow of vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio ice cream served old school, in a paper cup, and best enjoyed on the bustling outdoor patio. The L&B Italian ices (the lemon is a summertime essential) are slightly lighter than the spumoni and definitely worth sampling.

The waitstaff sit at your table and take your order, while cute guys shuck oysters behind the bar. What makes this cozy, friendly spot so unique and so well-loved is that these small gestures make you feel like you're just there hanging out with good friends over a bottle of wine and a few delicious small plates. Don't miss the deli at the front for great take-away sandwiches, meats, and specialty ingredients.

Hearty, meaty sandwiches and Montreal-style deli food (house-smoked meats, poutine, brisket, and more) are served here, deluxe. Make sure to get a pickle on the side and wash it all down with a good glass of wine.

Sunday nights belong to Williamsburg—specifically to the corner booth at Misi. Chef Missy Robbins’s handmade spinach-stuffed tortelli, marinated leeks topped with crunchy pistachios, and charred-pepper crostini are the reason Brooklyn became the coolest borough.

Miss Ada does some of the most inventive Mediterranean food we’ve ever had, hands down, in a convivial space a block or two from the park in Fort Greene. From the sweet potato hummus with creme fraiche and halloumi with green tahini, onions, and lemon to the tender harissa short rib and—we’re not kidding—the kale salad, the menu is 100-percent winners (natural wine list and cocktails, too).

The lighting is dim (great for date nights), the vibe is casual (the long communal tables are a striking flourish with lots of room to stretch out), and the sushi, hand rolls, and maki are out-of-this-world. The handmade vegan gyoza are succulent little dumplings stuffed with oyster mushrooms and chives, while the heritage pork buns and Japanese fried chicken explode into all sorts of heavenly flavors. The Philli maki—a roll made with salmon and tofu cream cheese—balances the Spicy MC Bomb. (Bombs are beautifully crafted dollops of sticky rice topped with any manner of fish, tempura flakes, and wasabi creams). The veggie, meat, and seafood noodles are also an excellent option here. But really, you can’t go wrong.

You can go to this tiny, charmingly spare Williamsburg storefront for ramen in the evenings, but the best thing is their Japanese breakfast: Incredible fish and vegetables, beautifully prepared and presented. Make a reservation or get there extra early—waiting outside on the tree-lined street is actually its own lovely experience.

For many years, New Yorkers flocked to this 100-year-old steakhouse for its famously perfect cuts of meat and excellent service. The space is old-school, with dark wood paneled walls and bentwood chairs. Many come just for the atmosphere and the “Luger-Burger,” which is one of the best in the city. Famously, they don't take credit cards (though they do accept debit).

Great fried chicken, end of story. Owned and run by three women who met while working at Diner, this is a super casual spot that offers an authentic spin on Southern food. The wonderful savouries are matched only by their sweet, down-home American pies. There's a new location on the Lower East Side.

When Grand Banks opened on a 142-foot wooden sailing ship on the Hudson River in 2014, it became an instant warm-weather hit, as much for the novelty factor as for the oysters and lobster rolls. Last summer, the same team (brothers Alex and Miles Pincus) brought their concept to Brooklyn, on a 140-foot 1924 schooner docked just off Brooklyn Bridge Park, with views of the famous bridge and all Lower Manhattan. Like its sister ship across town, Pilot offers everything you’d expect: In addition to the oysters and the lobster roll, there is a softshell crab po’boy, a tomato and watermelon salad, and a big selection of refreshing cocktails. Try the Life at Sea, a house cocktail of vodka and bitter lemon syrup.

It’s hard not to go into rapture over the luscious pastries (something called a “bolus” is a cross between a sticky bun and the best doughnut you’ve ever had), pillowy breads (the country pan loaf, a blend of whole wheat and rye sourdough, is delectable eaten in hunks on the sidewalk or as toast days later), and perfect lunch sandwiches (we love the feta and tomato, but really you can’t go wrong) at this Greenpoint bakery from the team behind the excellent Rolo’s. Everything you order is fresh-out-the-oven, gobsmackingly great, and made with the highest-quality ingredients.

Roberta’s has been warmly flourishing for years. Camouflaged by an industrial, kind of uninviting exterior, this gem of a spot offers a succinct menu includes a few wonderful pizzas, plus seasonal veggies and pasta dishes. There’s an indoor, primarily communal seating area where you can watch the pizza-making go down in the open kitchen. The vibe is casual and the ambiance always lively, as it routinely draws big crowds. While you can expect to wait, it’s a good place to have a drink.

Dreamed up by Gramercy Tavern alumni, Rolo’s is purely excellent. The polenta bread is fluffy, perfectly charred, perfect for sopping up decadent salt-and-pepper shrimp drippings or the tahini chickpeas small plate. There’s a major steak moment on the menu, glorious pastas, tender chicken that transcends any expectation of chicken, and more. The team’s talent is that they’re not reinventing the wheel with their menu, but rather taking rustic, wood-fire-grilled deliciousness to new heights. Don’t skip the homemade ice cream for dessert—and be sure to visit their other outpost, Radio Bakery, in Greenpoint.

Andrew Tarlow and team have a tight grip on the Williamsburg dining scene, and so they've finally made their first foray deeper into Brooklyn. At Roman’s, the short menu of simple Italian dishes changes daily, making it the kind of neighborhood joint you can hit on repeat. As the food is delicious, there’s always a crowd—if you’re looking for a quiet meal, opt for earlier on in the week.

Sey is a beautiful spot for sipping a morning cappuccino in solitude, catching up with a friend, or working on your laptop. (Not to mention it's a hub for some of the best street style– and people-watching in Brooklyn.) The space is industrial, with tons of potted plants. And in summer, they open up the street-facing windows so buckets of light stream in. The coffee is next level—they roast it themselves—and the savory croissants, sausage rolls, and almond cake are a whole other reason to post up here.

This is the best new-wave steakhouse in the neighborhood, as evidenced by the fact that it's usually at capacity by 6pm. It's worth the sometimes two hour wait (we leave our number and head next door for a drink) for an insane aged steak for two or four, not to mention a perfectly-dressed bibb lettuce salad, lush truffle oil mashed potatoes, and delicious, seasonal options from the grill.

This is the closest you’ll come to SoCal in BK. The avocado toast, the breakfast sandwich, the quinoa bowl—they’re all here. There are also malted pancakes served with brown butter and seared mushrooms and ramp kimchi atop flaky grilled flatbread, so something for everyone. The interior is minimalist Scandinavian with blonde wood, pretty ceramics, and lots of greenery, but warmed up by a terra-cotta tile floor, chic marble-topped tables, and a wooden bar that wouldn’t look out of place in a ski chalet. There’s not a bad glass on the entire (all natural, all delicious) wine list. If you can’t handle the weekend crush, pick up the perfect flat white from the to-go hatch out front.

Soul-warming noodle bowls and spicy butter wings are expertly balanced with crisp salads, addictive fish tacos, and snacks like Spam musubi and blistered shishito peppers. The bar/restaurant is cozy yet somehow never cramped, even though it’s in a buzzing area of Williamsburg blocks from McCarren Park. Do not leave without ordering Ginanjuice, an infusion of just-juiced carrot-beet-apple-ginger, gin, and Lillet that tastes healthy and bracing—but is also stronger than you think. Pace yourself.

This restaurant redefined its namesake neighborhood. Here, the cozy, low-lit décor is as appetizing as the solid, well-prepared, seasonal menu. We love their brunch, especially the sourdough pancakes and Bloody Mary’s.

Come here for excellent Taiwanese comfort food (spicy lamb noodles, fried eggplant, pork bao), cocktails inflected with East Asian flavors, and a lively, hip vibe at dinner and weekend brunch. Catty-corner from the restaurant, Win Son has an all-day bakery and café that attracts long lines on the weekend for mochi donuts, black sesame lattes, and bacon-and-cheese scallion pancakes. (Come on a weekday; it’s tamer.)

The name of this restaurant is actually pronounced "shiksa," a nod to (Jewish) chef Jason Marcus's (non-Jewish) wife Heather Heuser, with whom he owns the restaurant. Located under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in a cozy, dimly-lit space scattered with several bar-height tables, the casual vibe is a bit deceiving, as this is a serious foodie destination. While the menu is somewhat Mexican-inspired, Marcus takes a lot of liberties, with dishes like grilled carrots elote, a corn flan tamale with blue crab and poblano-garlic cream, and grilled quail with cantaloupe, pomegranate-walnut salsa, herbed yogurt, and arbol chile.

Local restaurateur Andrew Tarlow (who brought you other old-school-Brooklyn-inspired destinations Diner, Marlow & Sons, and the Wythe Hotel) opened this low-key neighborhood gastropub in an early-1900s bar facing the East River that was once frequented by the workers from nearby shipyard docks. Chef Lee Desrosiers designed a menu of light, gently cooked fare—think poached fish, beef tartare, or heirloom veggies in broth—sourcing ingredients, naturally, from its sister business, Williamsburg butcher shop and artisan grocer Marlow & Daughters.

This is the morning-to-evening place every city needs more of. It’s great for a cappuccino, people-watching, and sitting with a book in the morning, and it stays open late—until 2am—on weekends.

This warmly-lit, cozy, wooden house offers an excellent selection of wines and a small menu of casual small plates. Brimming with charm, this is a great spot for a laid-back date or for meeting up for a drink (and then just never leaving).

Take a tour of the winery—a truly unexpected but welcome addition to the neighborhood—or grab a carafe of their house varietal in the attached old-Brooklyn feeling wine bar. In addition to the wine, there's a small but mighty menu of small plates, which can be expanded and built upon to accommodate large parties from weddings to office parties.

Cafe Erzulie—named after the Haitian Voodoo goddess of love, beauty, and dance—is a lush indoor-outdoor tropical event space and cocktail bar. They're currently open for public and private events: There's often live jazz under strings of lights in their outdoor space, and on the weekends, the dance floor opens up for some of Brooklyn's up-and-coming DJ’s.

Like many of its brethren, this bar has a hint of speakeasy décor and the usual cast of suspender-clad and bearded bartenders. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the cocktails they make are good, old-fashioned stiff drinks and inventive combinations. Brunch here is also delicious—great eggs, fried chicken, and perfect pancakes.

This Brooklyn saloon, with a limited “bill of fare” of simple and homey food, including a great burger, is perfect for a late supper and whiskey cocktails with friends. On weekends, the boozy brunch has locals flocking from all over the borough. Photo: Daniel Krieger

There’s no place like Honey’s—and not just because you feel like you’ve stepped out of Bushwick into some other realm as you sit in one of the wooden booths surrounded by cinder blocks and concrete. (Fun fact: The space, once a restaurant-equipment repair shop, was designed by one of the set designers for the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild.) Honey’s is a meadery/mead bar—the only one we’ve come across in Brooklyn—and it serves exquisite cocktails infused with the ancient alcohol. (Made from honey fermented with well water and mixed with various spices and herbs, mead figures strongly in Norse mythology but is much older than that.) The herbalist owners pick many of their ingredients upstate, which is reflected in fresh, always-inventive drinks.

Slide into one of the leather banquettes or the long marble bar at this tattoo-parlor-turned-cocktail lounge for one of the best cocktails on the north side of Williamsburg.

This restaurant/bar feels like an old-school New Orleans club that’s been recently rediscovered. Distressed walls, gas lamps, a deco bar, and Thonet bentwood chairs just add to the effect. With a raw bar and a menu of seafood classics, it’s a solid choice for a weekend brunch or dinner, but we prefer it later in the evening for an old-fashioned drink at a dimly lit table. There’s also a long list of absinthes to choose from, which is fitting for the epoch this spot evokes.

There’s no dearth of awesome tiny bars in New York City—but Nowadays is something else entirely. With its sprawling outdoor space that easily fits DJs, dance parties, and picnic tables, it’s the ultimate spot to while away summer Saturdays sipping cocktails and grazing on incredible food (the White Rhino sandwich is cauliflower-caper-Gruyere heaven). On the border of Bushwick, Brooklyn, and Ridgewood, Queens, the breezy hangout is a fantastic time day or night. In colder months, everything moves indoors—you lose the whimsy of partying with friends under the night sky, but you gain a dance floor that goes all night on Saturday evenings—from 10 p.m. until the next afternoon.

With rustic wall-hangings and candles tucked into cozy corners, and a curio-shop feel, the atmosphere at Pearl’s is a draw in and of itself, but the cocktails are incredible. There are shots of bone broth (the same broth also infuses their perfect Bloody Mary) or tequila-spiked kombucha; beers galore, and wine, much of it served in adorable Mason jars. The bartenders dole out delicious snack bowls with pretzels, sesame-crunchy-things, and other savory crisps to accompany your drinks. This is the sort of place that compels you to stay and sip into the night—unless you happen to be there on a sunny day, of course, when sitting outside with a bone-broth Bloody Mary is heaven on earth.

At the Three Diamond Door, the tattooed bartenders look as imposingly cool as they are friendly and easygoing. There’s no bar in the area more festive on Friday and Saturday nights, when every inch of the place is packed, including the yard and back bar room where amazing dance music blares. There’s prosecco on tap, an excellent selection of beers, leather booths to sink into, and incredible people-watching.

The walls here are clad in distressed wood that contrasts nicely with the room's main feature: A long, sleek, white marble bar. In short, this is exactly what you'd imagine a great bar in Denmark might look like. To complete the concept, the chef is a Noma veteran, and bar snacks include the requisite rye breads and Nordic-style pickles and smoked fish. The food and the great selection of rare craft beers attracts a pretty hip, Greenpoint crowd. Meanwhile, in the 25-seat back room known as Luksus, it's a decidedly more formal affair, with an oft-changing tasting menu of Scandinavian-influenced fare.

White subway tiles, a relaxed bar, and great music sum up this bar in Prospect Heights, worth traveling to for a drink (or many). Another bonus? You can still hear yourself speak. To make a night of it, grab dinner at The Vanderbilt, a very solid, lively restaurant across the street. There's another outpost in Tribeca.

Located on the rooftop of the William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn, Westlight is a go-to for after-work drinks (and after-after-work drinks) thanks to incredible views of New York's skyline and a great food and beverage program by Andrew Carmellini's Noho Hospitality Group. The menu has a few great small bites, like oysters, duck carnitas tacos, and tequila-cured salmon, but you really come here for the cocktail list: Our favorites are the Ruby Spritz for a hot afternoon, or the In Bloom, a vodka and cava drink that comes with fresh beet juice. Photos: Noah Fecks & Andrew Boyle

The line always snakes out the door of this exquisite bakery, deli, and grocery on a cute corner in Williamsburg. The wait is worth it: Inside, Chrissa Yee and pastry chef Abby Swain churn out fresh-baked delight after delight. The breakfast sausage and egg sandwich (they even bake the bun) is something to dream about all week. The coffee is excellent and adorably packaged if you buy a bag to go. And A&C's homemade granola is the perfect blend of nuts, oats, peanut butter, maple syrup, and crunch. Other pantry staples we’re in love with: their homemade ice cream, the canned fish, fancy olive oil...everything really.

In business since the '60s, this old-school, family-run operation has cracked the code on how to smoke fish in an all-natural way. Their line, Blue Hill Fish, is so popular that they've opened up a West Coast office to keep up with demand. If you can make it to Greenpoint on a Friday morning, you can snag smoked goods at half price until 1pm. Preorder strongly suggested.

The specialty here is handcrafted ice cream and sorbet done in small batches—made extra-delicious by the fact that Ample Hills gets its cream and eggs from local farms upstate for the freshest (and most sustainable) product possible. Offering 24 flavors that change with the seasons, they also do really delicious and beautiful custom ice cream cakes.

A tiny café in the heart of Williamsburg, Bakeri is one of the original neighborhood hangouts in this ever-evolving slice of Brooklyn. All of the bread and pastries are made in-house, but locals also swear by the breakfast items, like organic Eggs Provencal, baked in tomato sauce and served with a side of sourdough rye, and the lunch salads, like grapefruit avocado with kale, red onion, fennel, pepitas, and sea salt. Most people take their food to go, but the main dining room is small, cozy, and highly recommended in winter, while the backyard is a shady, cool escape in the middle of hot, humid NYC summers. There are also outposts in Greenpoint and the East Village in Manhattan.

An industrial swath of Greenpoint isn’t the first place you’d think to find this charming curiosity shop dedicated to specialty teas, but the hidden, unexpected location is part of the fun (ring the doorbell for entry). Once inside, you’ll find a quiet retreat, with plants hanging from the ceiling and large canisters lining the purple-painted walls, filled with whole-leaf organic teas from everywhere far away: China, Japan, India, Nepal, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Malawi. The staff is passionate and knowledgeable about any tea-related question, and aside from tea itself, there are a handful of accessories for sale—sticks of Japanese sandalwood incense, Bellocq’s own line of candles inspired by various tea blends, and all thing tea-related.

From the Franny’s gang comes this small gourmet grocery shop with great specialty and pantry items, including an excellent cheese and salumi selection from small-batch producers. Their yummy comfort-focused prepared foods (turkey meatloaf, roast chicken) are a great alternative when you don’t feel like cooking, plus they also do great cheese classes and gift boxes for the holidays.

In this town, coffee culture is taken very seriously—layered this, caramel notes that—while the world of tea often takes a backseat. But tea has a deep complexity and global culture all its own. Alfonso Wright and Jamila McGill, the duo behind Brooklyn Tea, get it. Their tea room on Nostrand Avenue is the spot for a steaming pot of Japanese sencha or single-estate Assam. The owners are incredibly knowledgeable about tea farming and emphasize the importance of choosing loose-leaf over industrially produced bagged tea. (Tea bags are generally bleached, and the crushed, dusty tea leaves they contain are often of an inferior quality compared to whole, loose-leaf options.)

B’klyn Burro was operating out of food trucks and other kitchens before they landed in their permanent, order-at-the-counter spot in Clinton Hill. Their specialty is S.F. Mission District-style Mexican food. The menu is tight: There are burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and suiza.

Dépanneur is the general store we all wish we had on our block. Part café, part grocer the inventory ranges from the necessary (fresh-baked bread, newspapers, eggs, three types of yogurt) to the indulgent (a series of canned sardines, unusual grains, wildly expensive chocolate). The coffee is expertly made and always hot, the range of to-go snacks behind the counter is meant to satisfy every state of hunger with mini ham-and-cheese baguettes, croissants, and slabs of pound cake. Pick up a coffee or an obscure bottle of kombucha and sit at one of the round tables outside, perfectly placed for people watching.

For many years Mark Israel’s plain glazed doughnut recipe was enough to draw crowds to this Lower East Side foodie destination, but more recent additions, like Mexican churros, house-made jelly filled doughnuts, and cake doughnuts have made Doughnut Plant legitimately legendary. You can find Doughnut Plant on the menus of many hotels and restaurants throughout NYC, and there are now locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Everything in this next-level grocery is fresh, local, and exquisite. The whole-animal butcher counter stocks a variety of meats, as well as incredible kale-chicken and other veggie-blended sausages (the gracious men and women behind the counter are quick to oblige your spatchcocking needs). The cheeses are stupendous, ranging from creamy Humboldt Fog to intense Von Trapp Oma, beautifully merchandised within a profusion of za’atar, fresh-milled local flour, handmade pastas, beautiful produce, nuts, small-batch chocolates, and some especially delicious potato chips. There’s a coffee bar and a full food menu that makes one of the most excellent brunches in the area. The Ham ‘n Honey Biscuit gives us chills: griddled ham, melty cheddar, and lush buttermilk bread made on premises.

The pies at this out of the way Gowanus bakery are hands-down amazing, from the distinctive crust to the unusual ingredient combos.

This beloved neighborhood grocer attracts locals for excellent provisions, great coffee and a snack during the day, and wine and craft beers at night. We love its light and airy design (it's helmed by two Domino magazine vets), and its wide span (there's a wine shop, a provisions store, an ice cream parlor, and the café, Annex. All are arranged along Fulton Street.

Harvest & Revel is that dreamy catering company that, in addition to food, handles all the event details—beverages, bar packages, staff, flowers, and photographers—that make party planning sort of maddening. Now back to the food. Founder Sara Elise and her staff don’t abide by the set menus typical in the catering space. Instead, you collaborate with them to design a menu that embraces the season and suits the particulars of the event you’re hosting. Every bite prepared by the Harvest & Revel team is sustainable, locally grown (when possible), health-forward, and exquisitely presented.

If BBQ lovers had their own paradise, this would probably be it. Hometown draws a steady line of people who don't mind that the Red Hook spot is out of the way, or that it might entail a bit of a wait. Or, rather, people who know that the food, which is ordered at the front counter and served on individual, butcher paper-lined metal trays, is worth it. While the brisket, pulled pork, and ribs get a lot of the attention, don't miss out on the sides (i.e. cornbread and mac 'n' cheese) or the banana cream pudding. Once you get your food, it's usually easy to find a spot at one of the long picnic tables in Hometown's expansive, warehouse-like space. There's also two bars inside, serving craft beers and whiskey (plus some wine and cocktails).

There's a really great story behind this staple Bushwick lunch spot: Head Chef Johnny Huynh was actually raised right in this neighborhood by his grandmother (Lucy). The pared-down menu—there's just pho and banh mi—is an ode to her fresh, straightforward Vietnamese cooking style.

Andrew Tarlow’s burgeoning Brooklyn food empire (Diner, Reynard, Marlow & Sons) also includes this quality, nose-to-tail butcher shop. Besides house-made sausages and great cuts of steak, you’ll find all the fixings, from gourmet olive oil to mint sauce and side salads. The breads and sandwiches, courtesy of She Wolf Bakery, make this a favorite takeaway pit-stop, too.

This place roasts their own beans, which are responsibly sourced from all over the globe. All five Partners locations (the other four are spread out between Flatiron, the West Village, and Midtown) are consistently simple and comfortable in design—think communal tables, couches, and excellent lighting. Yes, it’s a great set-up for work, but also worth stopping by on your day off for a simple and hearty lunch. (They also offer a random assortment of classes in everything from art to cupping.)

Poppy’s has long been a favorite catering spot—everything is good, seasonal, and thoughtful. It opens up its doors as a neighborhood market and café, serving up Poppy’s beloved sweet treats (chocolate babka, carrot pistachio cake), plus tartines and grain salads.

We’re big fans of Sunday’s Smorgasburg on Pier 5, where over 70 local food and beverage vendors (like Dough, the ideal doughnut) roll out every Saturday. Situated right on the water facing downtown Manhattan, this is the perfect family pitstop, thanks to plenty of seating and green space.

Sweatshop was opened on a busy stretch of Williamsburg’s Metropolitan Avenue in 2014 by Melbourne natives Luke Woodard and Ryan De Remer. The menu is full of Aussie classics (including a killer flat white and Vegemite-enhanced sandwiches), and their version of avocado toast is done with chunks of ripe avocado mixed with feta, citrus, and herb oil on a thick slab of sourdough, topped with flaky sea salt and chili flakes.

For years, Van Leeuwen was instantly recognizable by its sunny yellow truck. Since then, they've taken up permanent residency in storefronts across NYC, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Connecticut, Philly, and Washington DC. They’re particularly famous for their vegan ice cream, a combination of cashew milk, coconut milk, cocoa butter, and carob beans that’s incredibly creamy and indulgent (and a major victory for the dairy-sensitive).

Ask any in-the-know New Yorker where you might score the best vintage in the city and you’ll likely get this answer: Beacon’s Closet. A goldmine of sorts, Carrie Peterson’s legendary consignment store has a little bit of everything—from au courant pieces by Proenza Schouler, Isabel Marant, and Acne to one-of-a-kind finds that walked straight out of 1970 (where do you think all those epic Hawaiian shirts Zoë Kravitz wears in High Fidelity came from?). Now with four locations (Greenpoint, Park Slope, Bushwick, and Greenwich Village), this vintage mecca continues to reign supreme. (Also see: the recent mass upcycling following the Kondo craze). Give yourself ample time to dig around—who knows what you might end up walking away with. Images courtesy of Carly Rabalais.

If you’re hosting (or looking for a hostess gift), this is the store to count on for colorful martini glasses, pretty cocktail napkins, and nice olive oil in a cute bottle. They have two stores: This one’s in Greenpoint and the other is in the West Village.

Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and Boerum Hill residents were rightly bummed when one of the best independent bookstores in all the boroughs (and arguably the country) announced it was closing at the end of 2016. After thirty-five years in business, whatever was to come after BookCourt had big shoes to fill. And it did. Novelist Emma Straub (The Vacationers, Modern Lovers) swooped in with her husband, designer Michael Fusco-Straub, to open the immediately adored Books Are Magic. The monthly lineup of book talks and signings brings out the brightest of the literary world (of which Straub is a clear darling). If it’s your first time, take a picture by the awesome mural before you head inside. There's a second location in Brooklyn Heights.

Sure, the main draw of the Brooklyn Flea is the opportunity to shop from the hundreds of vintage and antique vendors, but we also go for the awesome street food. The markets take place outdoors from April through December.

This bookstore-slash-café’s name sums up the kind of Saturday morning we all want: one filled with coffee and books. Settle in to this Crown Heights spot for a slow morning of too many cortados and a few chapters of something recommended by the store’s exceptional staff. The women behind Café con Libros run a stellar book club that meets every month, with an emphasis on titles that reflect an intersectional feminist viewpoint.

Sohrab Bakhshi opened his antiques collection shop cityFoundry in 2000, becoming a trailblazer in the now established design scene in Brooklyn. The cityFoundry collection is comprised of mid-century modern and industrial-influenced furniture, lighting, and artifacts—some of which they rent for staging needs. They also provide custom upholstery and furniture restoration.

This sweetly curated home goods shop in Brooklyn Heights stocks artisan-made goods with a slightly nordic bent, from Mid-century style furnishings to ceramics, lighting, throws, and more. The art on the walls changes frequently, as does the stock—while it's named for the fire fighter's term for a hopelessly cluttered home (after the Collyer Brothers who collected north of 140 tons of stuff), the stores are anything but.

While the selection here is small, it's exquisite enough to draw a Manhattan crowd to Red Hook, one of Brooklyn's more far-flung neighborhoods. Owner Russell Whitmore has an unerring eye for the types of estate and auction pieces you won't see elsewhere: You'll find diamond cluster rings from the late 19th century and Etruscan revival bracelets inset with tiny drops of pearl and turquoise.

Haricot Vert is best known for their necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with charms made from colorful collage cut-outs. Maybe you’ll take home a pair of perfectly mismatched earrings (one radis, one beurre?) or have the staff help you design something custom. Or if you give them a photograph—of your dog, perhaps, or your best friend’s face—they can turn it into a unique piece just for you. Their Williamsburg shop hosts DIY workshops in jewelry-making and collage, and you can book them for private events, too.

What started as a coffee and tea shop with flowers and small succulents for sale has quickly become much more of lifestyle shop, carrying a mix of mostly local-made ceramics, books, magazines, and small design goods. Stop in for a Blue Bottle coffee, or a Bellocq tea—their studio is next door—and walk out with a couple of small indoor plants, a Postalco notebook, and a Grain Edit beeswax totem candle.

Owner Alayne Patrick has spent years traveling back and forth to India, cultivating relationships with a handful of trusted craftsmen from whom she stocks cushions, textiles, and jewelry. The brightly patterned towels she imports are so popular that they're now stocked in their own shop across the street.

You'll only find Caitlin Mociun's eponymous jewelry collection on her site—but should you go to her new, Williamsburg store, you'll see the work of her friends, too, including hexagonal brass necklaces by Iacoli & Macallister, and Chen Chen and Kai William's marble bangles. You'll also get to shop Mociun's full line, from her signature eensy, triangular turquoise pendants to her custom rings, which feature a mismatched—and stunning—combination of stones.

There’s really no better option than this beloved Australian brand’s take on paper-thin, rough-hewn porcelain, turned out in everything from large serving platters to everyday dishes and flatware. While each piece has a hand-made quality, they come in a vast array of smooth glaze finishes, from off-white to bright peach, blue, and yellow.

This lifestyle shop kits out the guys who surf, like to dress well, and have a passion for hard-to-find LP’s and coffee table books. There are a few great options for girls, too. They also have two outposts in Japan: one in Tokyo, and one in Kyoto.

Helmed by fashion stylist Lauren Snyder (she’s worked for Bergdorf Goodman and Glamour), The Primary Essentials revolves around goods that feel hand-worked—but never crafty. Gorgeous indigo-dyed textiles and simple quilts mingle with Earth Tu Face body washes, simple canvas carryalls from Joshu + Vela, and blue ceramic studs from Jujumade.

Open for almost two decades, this independent Williamsburg bookstore is one of those places we can lose an afternoon in. The excellent edit of fiction, nonfiction, art, niche magazines, and cool stationary is imaginative and always surprising. On the walls, there’s a rotating selection of work from local artists for sale, and the calendar is packed with incredible events.

We love this boutique, which is stocked with clothes from Baserange, Deiji Studios, and Saks Potts, plus indie jewelry brands, boutique magazines, and all sorts of home goods and gifts. Their selection feels so fresh—if you’re looking for something fun and unique, start here.

A vintage-clothing mecca if there ever was one, Urban Jungle is huge and brimming with all manner of treasures: Perfectly tattered Levis, t-shirts and sweatshirts from the ‘80s and ‘90s so soft from wear and awesome that most NYC vintage stores would get away with charging a cool hundred for them (Here, most of the t-shirts go for under $12.) You’ll also find vibrant Mexican blankets, army fatigues, cowboy boots, ponchos, fur coats, everything and anything, really—and all inexplicably reasonably priced. The one criticism, if you can even call it that, is that the place is truly sprawling (it spans almost a whole block), so just make sure you’re in the mood to do some serious rack sifting.

Ludlow Beckett's shop has seen the neighborhood change—but his offerings haven't changed all that much in the process. Look for tasteful and uncommon pieces, namely great glassware, pillows, and decorative knick knacks.

Tucked away in South Williamsburg, this is one of the best places to see up-and-coming indie bands. It's always a fun night out, particularly because there’s food (including lots of vegan and vegetarian options) by way of Bouley and Acme vet, chef Ronald Murray. Much to the joy of locals, they've recently introduced weekend brunch.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is one of our favorite green spaces in the city. Founded in 1910, it's home to more than 12,000 kinds of plants, organized into a series of distinct "gardens within the garden," each with its own character. What makes it stand out is how it embraces seasonality—there’s cherry blossoms in spring, lush greenery in summer, foliage in fall, and indoor exhibitions in winter—so it never feels static. That ever-changing sensation extends to thoughtful exhibitions, like the one a few years back where Yayoi Kusama's iconic dotted sculptures were placed throughout the grounds. The manageable scale lends itself to a few unplanned hours wandering from one corner to the next.

This adults-only bowling alley turned concert venue provides an entertainment trifecta, guaranteeing a pretty great night out, especially in a group. You can bowl to great music, dine on Blue Ribbon’s fried chicken and spiked milkshakes, and see the occasional big-name group.

One of the largest and oldest art museums in the country, the Brooklyn Museum is housed in a gorgeous Beaux-Arts building at the top of Prospect Park. Besides being one of our favorite Brooklyn landmarks, the exhibitions are great (and sometimes quite splashy). The colorful African exhibitions rooms and American design galleries are pretty spectacular. Don't miss Judy Chicago's classic 70's feminist installation, "The Dinner Party."

This gritty Williamsburg concert hall has debuted many an indie and new wave band. It's one of our favorite venues in the city, second only to the Bowery Ballroom (it's from the same family), as the sound is great and it's nice and intimate. You can stand and watch on the ground floor, but there's more low-key, tiered standing areas upstairs for those inclined to claustrophobia.

Artist Dustin Yellin opened this non-profit contemporary arts center, located in a large, brick and timber 19th-century warehouse in Red Hook, a few years back. It feels a bit like a young PS1, with one of the largest uninterrupted exhibition spaces in New York City, both indoor and outdoor exhibition areas, public programs, artists residencies, and a magazine, Intercourse. You can also rent the space for private events.

Prospect Park is one of Brooklyn's most special—and expansive—green spaces. Designed by the same landscape architects behind Central Park, it's often considered their more resolved work, with a stronger sense of cohesion and more seamlessly integrated landscapes. The borough's second largest park borders the Brooklyn Museum, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, with Grand Army Plaza serving as a grand entrance (reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in scale) and home to a standout greenmarket on Saturdays. Inside, the West Drive is ideal for running or biking, while the Long Meadow draws people for picnics, casual games, and afternoons on the grass. There's a carousel and the Prospect Park Zoo, but the real hub is the LeFrak Center at Lakeside—an ice rink in winter that becomes a roller skating area in warmer months, with a "Splash Pad" water area, seasonal yoga, pickleball, and a café and bar.

Think of Syndicated as a one-stop-shop for the dinner-and-a-movie date. In the front, there's a restaurant and bar area with a great seasonal menu and a fun, buzzy atmosphere. In the back, there's a movie theater (also with an excellent food and drink menu) that plays an awesomely curated selection of movies at a $9 ticket price, including everything from old black-and-whites to documentaries to cult classics. The whole operation is undeniably fun.

This impossibly lovely, holistic spa-grocery-apothecary is serious about skin—and offers some of the most exquisite complexion-perfecting treatments: The Integrative Therapy for Biome Rehabilitation balances the skin’s ecosystem with a bespoke pre- and probiotic mask, herbal compression, blue-light therapy, and more, while the Integrative Therapy for Reducing Redness and Reactivity incorporates infrared phototherapy, lymphatic drainage, and herbal treatments to soothe inflamed skin. If you’re not too blissfully relaxed post treatment, peruse the store, which stocks everything beautiful, organic, and small-batch you could ever want—local honey, health-supporting herbal teas (their chrysanthemum-infused Rest & Digest blend is next-level), the crispiest apples, and the brand’s own skincare line that’s hand-crafted right here. There's a second location in Carroll Gardens.

Lia Bartha’s signature workout, B the Method, is based in classic mat Pilates but cuts out most of the props. All you need to get started is a ball. From there, Bartha dials in on good form and strips away distraction. It’s challenging and engaging but not prohibitively hard; we tend to walk away from it sweaty and satisfied, but not sore. B the Method is mostly online, but you can book at the Gowanus studio by appointment and join for monthly group events. (Sign up for their newsletter to jump on the list.)

Credo stocks a wide range of non-toxic beauty brands from around the globe, including top skin and hair care products, makeup, fragrance, and devices from brands like Tower 28, Maison Louis Marie, Solawave, and Sidia. You can also get beauty treatments here: skin care consultations, mini facials, and makeup touch-ups.

Oula—a maternity center that combines midwifery and obstetrics for prenatal, delivery, and postnatal support—is an incredible option for pregnant people seeking low-intervention births. The staff of midwives is brilliant—friendly, vivacious, knowledgeable, supportive (there is zero judgment whether you want an epidural or drug-free delivery)—and visits feel unhurried and comfortable. The office is decidedly un-medical feeling. They take insurance including some Medicaid, and are committed to inclusive and equitable care to serve a diverse patient base. This location is in Brooklyn, and there's another Oula in Manhattan.)

At barely a month old, this eco-friendly and local-designer centric kids shop (educational toys, cute-and-functional gear, home décor) is fast becoming more than just a place to shop. Spearheaded by Sprout Home’s Tassy de Give and a collective of four local families, the adorable, light-filled space is meant to serve as a gathering space for both parents and their kids for seminars, mini concerts, and story time—coincidentally, the kid’s book selection here is really on point.

Originally installed in 1922 in Youngstown, Ohio, Jane and David Walentas bought the dilapidated carousel at auction in the 80s, before turning their attention to meticulously restoring it (Jane went so far as to scrape the layers of paint off with an Exacto knife, so she could color-match the artist’s original intentions). The carousel and its 48 horses are pristine now, and housed in a fitting all-glass, Jean Nouvel-designed pavilion. Meanwhile, there’s plenty of green space nearby to make a full day out of it.

This Brooklyn store is among our very favorite toy shops, and for good reason: Just about everything, from the wooden toys, to the hand-sewn cloth dolls, to the musical instruments and craft kits (of which there are many), is intended to ignite a kid’s imagination. And in keeping with their small, sustainable vibe, they feature the work of many small, local Brooklyn designers.

The space is an eco-haven, designed with renewable, sustainable flourishes (the walls are made of cork, seagrass, and recycled wood)—and the facials are healing, pampering, and just: beyond. The Custom Superfood Facial floods skin with nutrients from tamarind, acai, turmeric, and manuka honey, while the Light “Isun” facial features a miracle trifecta of microcurrent, LED light, and nurturing essential oil blend that thoroughly revives skin. The infrared saunas are each tucked into a cozy private room with a shower—and they aren’t hooked up to Bluetooth, which means the promise of a genuine digital detox, too.

Wagner, who also moonlights as a painter, is chill and wonderful, meaning that an hour spent with her skilled hands is kind of like hanging with a friend. A recovering tanning junkie herself, Wagner is nothing short of a magician when it comes to banishing sun spots and UV damage. Product-wise, the focus here is on holistic and organic ingredients–she uses her own skincare line made with a white turmeric and tiger grass stem cell complex.

This serene French-inspired oasis is tucked away in Beverly Hills. Caglia herself has over twenty years of experience and a touch that’s both soothing and assertive, and she customizes her facial to suit any concern. Microphoto treatment tightens pores, radiofrequency lifts, peels help tone and soften discoloration, and a massage with a rose quartz roller helps drive in Caglia’s beautiful botanical infusions. You amble out completely rejuvenated.

Legendary naturopathic doctor Nigma Talib approaches the skin through the gut, the mind, and some superstar clean skin essentials (we’re obsessed, more on those later). She’s starred on an episode of The goop Lab, and appeared in person at In goop Health. A session with her can start with face mapping, where she takes a long look at your skin to discover what’s happening within (dairy-, wine-, and sugar-face are all common diagnoses), along with blood tests, stool samples, and a deep but gentle line of questioning to get at underlying issues before she works her magic. What follows is customized to your skin and body: radiofrequency, bespoke peels, LED, oxygen-infused antioxidants, vitamin or peptide infusions, and more. You’ll walk out of the treatment room looking fresh and renewed, but note that these are no ordinary facials or one-off treatments. Talib gives each of her patients “homework”—lifestyle and dietary changes to make and maintain for long-term healthy, beautiful skin. (If you can't see her in person, you can also follow her tips on Instagram.)

Even one trip to skin guru Kát Rudu’s sleek Venice studio can change your skin. (The gorgeous Rudu, with her impossibly poreless complexion, is her own best advertisement.) Combining the purest healing botanical ingredients—soothing chamomile extracts, brightening papaya enzymes, hydrating aloe—with corrective modalities like CO2 lasers, microneedling, and radiofrequency, the facials here are deep and utterly transformative.

Mila has been taking care of many high-profile LA women for decades, all of whom swear by her skin and body treatments. More specifically, it's her European facials (tack on a dry contouring session for a bit of extra lift), "face-changing" line of skincare products, and discretion that keep everyone coming back.

Shani is a name you hear whispered around Los Angeles—usually by those friends who have particular glowy skin. The aesthetician opened a beautiful, neutral-toned studio in Beverly Hills to perform those dewifying facials as well as microcurrent and LED treatments.

Perhaps the most luxurious part of the exquisite, Kelly-Wearstler-designed Proper Hotel is the adjacent, also-Wearstler-design Surya Spa. The cleansing Panchakarma detox wellness programs that last anywhere from 3 to 28 days are the biggest draw: For up to four hours a day, you go for custom restorative treatments, detox, and healing experiences like private yoga, sound baths, Qigong, breathwork, energetic healing, and more. The Nasya treatment isn’t like any facial you’ve had before: You sit as your face, neck, and shoulders are cleansed and nourished with herbalized oils, vigorous massage, aromatic steam (to help clear nasal passages), and the wood and bone tools of traditional Ayurveda. The treatment can help relieve brain fog, stagnant energy, tension, headaches, and congestion. The spa shop is worth a few moments on the way out: The collagen cream is hands down the richest cream we’ve ever tried, the bath soaks are the ultimate luxury (the whole box equals one fantastic bath), and the almond-flour-based spa breads are the among the most delicious things you’ll ever eat.

The signature treatment here, the Tina•K facial, uses dermaplaning and a diamond-encrusted pad developed by spa owner Tina K. O’Brien to remove the topmost layers of your skin for a truly deep cleanse. Next, layers of oils, serums, and masks are massaged into skin, cocooning it in a deep layer of moisture and nutrients. You’ll walk out undeniably fresh-faced—skin looks even-toned and glowy.

Her laid-back personality and healing approach to skincare has made Vanessa Hernandez one of the most in-demand aestheticians in LA—so much so that she’s added five other expert aestheticians to her studio. The treatments range from microdermabrasion to oxygen therapy to vitamin infusions to customized facials.

Perched on a hill above an endless, undulating view of beautiful vineyards, Auberge du Soleil has set the standard in Napa luxury for thirty years. The property’s incredible spa is replete with light-filled treatment rooms overlooking an olive-tree-flanked courtyard. The Best of Auberge Facial spoils you for life, fortifying skin with nourishing, collagen-infused serums, hydrating masks, balancing botanical enzymes, a powerful dose of antioxidants via the deservedly obsessed-over Vintner’s Daughter, and pure olive extracts sourced from the property’s groves right outside.

We love this sleek, supremely restful spa. The facials are superb; the In Fiore Facial starts with a deep cleanse, followed by their coveted Slap, Tap, and Roll facial massage and a brightening peel.. And we’re equally obsessed with Bright Eyes, a powerful collagen-supporting therapy for the undereye area that soothes and tightens. The lounge has a cozy fireplace, as well as organic teas and delightful chocolates to nosh on while relaxing. The outside deck, with its lounge chairs and incredible view of the bay, is a blissful way to ease back into reality post-treatment.

Walk into this crisp white studio adorned with lush flowers, exquisite trinkets, and Monastery’s line of gorgeously scented, super-effective skincare, and instantly, you feel restored. A facial with founder and formulator Athena Hewett takes you to a new level, however: She customizes each step to your skin, deftly combining the traditional exfoliation, cleansing, and extractions with high tech treatments and ancient techniques. Athena’s personally trained every one of the expert estheticians on staff; you saunter out sculpted, glowing, and completely rejuvenated.

As a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and therapeutic massage practitioner for the past twenty years, Gia DiMatteo is impressively intuitive when it comes to skin, and so is the rest of her team. Their holistic approach even includes sound therapy: Aestheticians begin and end treatments with tuning forks, and the vibrations reverberate through your body, easing you into relaxation mode. They vet all the products they use and sell for synthetic fragrance and potentially endocrine-disrupting ingredients. The treatments, too, are serious business: There’s facial cupping, an ancient massage technique believed to support circulation and nutrient supply; facial acupuncture, in which ultrafine needles are inserted into the face at synergistic points to help support collagen production and wake up skin; and sessions involving extractions, calming LED light therapy, and potent masks for breaking up congestion.

A giant indoor lap pool set about with cushy chaises is where you wait for your treatments at this sleek, chic, Bergdorf- and Central-Park adjacent hotel and spa. They offer just about everything: Morpheus8 radiofrequency microneedling, total health resets with functional doctors, sessions with visiting wellness leaders, special “Banya Houses” where couples or groups can spend the day getting treatments together, access to plastic surgery services, vitamin and NAD infusions, cryo-therapy, and much, much more. The Advanced Aman Facial, which uses all Aman products specially made in Japan, combines ultrasonic exfoliation, electric muscle stimulation, face and scalp massage, cryo bulbs, a marine mineral mask, and Aman x 111Skin Nourishing Gold Algae hydrogel face and eye masks for the glow of your life.

Christine Chin is a celebrity in the realm of skin care, and with good reason. Her sessions are intense in the best way: She will target every pore on your face, delivering the sort of thorough cleanse that has some clients digging their fingers into their palms. Steaming, rigorously energizing facial massage, extractions, a variety of detoxifying masks, glycolic peels, and collagen treatments are her specialties.

Get a facial with aesthetician Crystal Greene at her serene Madison Avenue studio and walk out looking—and feeling—fantastic. Her treatments are a beautifully pampering haze of face massage, firming laser (she uses the obsessed-over LYMA), gentle exfoliation, powerful masks, and a custom blended serum infusion she concocts on the spot for clients’ specific skin concerns. She’s intuitive, radiates calming energy, and her hands—not to mention the results you see—are pure magic.

Louise’s skincare philosophy is straightforward—energize skin cells, tone muscles, and stimulate the lymphatic system—and translates to treatments that include stem cell application via micro-needling, firming galvanic current, lifting microcurrent, and sculpting facials. Every session, whether it's a cryo facial or a radiofrequency session, starts with an in-depth consultation. There's a lengthy waitlist to get in with Louise herself, but a session with a member of her team is an exquisite, skin-perfecting experience.

Legendary Hungarian skin guru Ildi Pekar draws on the healing botanical remedies her grandmother used to concoct with the herbs from her garden, along with high-tech therapies and treatments from all manner of traditions. Microneedling infuses skin with botanical stem cells and supports collagen, the acupuncture facial is as dramatically tightening as it is anxiety-easing, and Pekar’s magnetic cupping stimulates blood circulation.

The fact that sought-after NYC aesthetician Jessica Bowers never wears makeup is proof of her skill. Her hidden West Village skin studio (she refers to it as her “skin-care speakeasy”) opened in October 2020 and has been booked solid ever since. Bowers offers customized facials (we love the classic illuminating facial), as well as treatments like microcurrent, scalp massages, and lash tints, which can be booked alone or as an add-on to any facial. What’s surprising is not that she’s busy, but that her super-simple skin routine yields such incredibly glowy results.

Scoring a facial with the actual Joanna Czech is like hitting the skincare lottery—though one with any of her personally-trained aestheticians at her new, soaring downtown studio is, too. Famous for her signature, manual sculpting massage which includes intense massaging and “slapping” (which is more invigorating than painful), Czech’s seemingly-simple methods keep her extremely well-known clients’ skin glowing and healthy. Every facial focuses on skin support at every turn, starting by treating the lipid (top) layer of skin, and moving on to microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as needed. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in Dallas (and a residency at Blackberry Mountain in Tennessee).

Joanna Vargas first moved to NYC in hopes of pursuing photography, only to discover that she actually cared a lot more about skin. Perpetually on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest in skin-enhancing treatments, Vargas is brilliant at collagen mask therapies, resurfacing via nutrient-rich liquid exfoliation, cryotherapy, and glowifying oxygen modalities. The microcurrent-, microdermabrasion-, oxygen therapy-centric Triple Crown Facial, one of her hero treatments, smooths lines, brightens, lifts, and some clients say, accentuates cheekbones without ever having to go under the knife.

Every facial from Madalaina Conti really delivers. The esthetician specializes in inflammatory skin conditions and integrated wellness, so her treatments incorporate modalities ranging from gua sha to radiofrequency, microcurrent, buccal massage, and more. She’s best known for the Synergistic Signature Qi Facial, a treatment that uses 24K gold-plated micro magnets to create an electromagnetic matrix that helps sculpt, depuff, and repair. It’s brilliant for all skin types, but especially fantastic if you’ve got sensitive or blemish-prone skin.

Larissa Thomson was a fashion editor in her previous life, so her take on clean beauty is one of the more gorgeous we’ve ever seen. Everything from Vintner’s Daughter and Tammy Fender to True Botanicals and...goop skin care is beautifully laid out and easy to shop for. The treatment rooms are stunning—we want the wallpaper, the mirrors, everything. And the treatments themselves are next-level and nourish, detoxify, and tighten pores with transformative therapies like microcurrent, intense facial massage, and radiofrequency.

You walk out of this sleek acupuncture-massage-wellness studio feeling reinvigorated. There’s acupuncture for fertility support, pain and stress relief, gut health, and more. The 75 minute acupuncture facial starts with a health assessment and facial mapping, so the aesthetician can customize the facial, which always includes some combination of acupuncture, gua sha, microcurrent, lymphatic massage, and an adaptogenic tonic. In the red-light body treatment, you’re splayed out in your treatment room, bathed in red light as you’re guided through a tranquil meditation—and you might feel the calming, centering benefits for days.

Hidden on the top floor of a charming building in Tribeca (the elevator opens directly into an airy, high-ceilinged, all-white oasis), this sleek studio is where Raquel Medina-Cleghorn’s roster of famous clients go for sculpting, high-tech, skin-reviving facials and body treatments. Medina-Cleghorn employs ultrasound, intra oral massage, microchanneling, LED photobiomodulation, and more to bring skin to life. She herself is a calming presence, and when you walk out of a session, the difference in your skin is noticeable.

The duplex spa is enormous and luxurious, with high ceilings, plush couches, and a posh aesthetic that manages to be both modern and comfortable. There’s a hair salon, nail studio, and fourteen treatment rooms where you can get a variety of skin-perfecting therapies like the Fix-It-All facial, an over-the-top combination of micro-current, microdermabrasion, LED therapy, and more to lift, tighten, and smooth. A facial with founder/skin-whisperer Danuta Mieloch is transformative—her touch is exquisite, and you emerge looking beyond glowy.

The Skin Lab evokes a ramped up version of what you feel slathering on The Rich Cream (or any other totally amazing Augustinus Bader product)—luxurious, refined, completely innovative, and located at the intersection of indulgence and science. The studio is complete with the classic Augustinus Bader–blue, copper detailing, and the most high tech facials. You start off with a skin consultation with an expert and choose your preferred treatment. We love the Ultimate Facial, which combines customized skincare picks, exfoliation, micro current, oxygen therapy, ultrasound, and LED—all completely tailored to your skin’s needs. Even better, they have a three-treatment approach to help you find the best route for your glowiest skin ever.

Sofie Pavitt, a New York licensed esthetician and certified acne specialist, is famous for her no-nonsense approach, inspired by frequent trips to Seoul. So don’t expect sound baths or whispering receptionists: Pavitt personalizes every treatment with high-tech devices, light peels, LED, and many questions about your lifestyle and routine to get you to your glowiest skin ever. Her namesake product line offers the perfect balance between good-for-you ingredients and potency (the Clean Clean Cleanser is a fan favorite).

A boutique facial studio on the border of SoHo, Ställe Studios is one of the most sought out facials in NYC. Founder and head esthetician Elizabeth Grace Hand (she worked previously at L’Oreal and Dr. Barbara Sturm) knows how to transform skin into the glowiest, freshest-looking version of itself. Each treatment starts with an in-depth skin analysis to create a treatment exquisitely tailored to your skin. Whether it’s the buccal massage, sculptural facial, glass skin peel, or signature facial, each treatment is out-of-this-world incredible.

This stunning wellness studio is 13,000 square feet of soothing neutrals and light toned woods. We love the airy wellness cafe, and the seemingly unlimited menu treatments. The facials are some of the best in the city; their signature one, a totally custom, 90-minute experience, incorporates the LYMA laser and a series of Biologique Recherche products to cleanse, soothe, and hydrate. Plus, you bring home a personalized routine recommended by one of their master estheticians.

Many of the treatments here call on the power of Chinese medicine to heal, energize, and enhance skin. Founder, acupuncturist, and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu uses gua sha—an ancient Chinese medical massage technique that incorporates a jade skin-care tool to relieve tension, support circulation, and flush out toxins for a brighter, smoother complexion—in many of her treatments. The Acne Rehab is one of her most impressive: The aesthetician uses botanicals, gua sha, and facial cupping to break up stagnation in the underlying tissues and restore balance. (Chiu emphasizes that fantastic skin happens from the inside out—but that it’s also important to pamper the skin’s surface.) And we keep coming back for the cozy cups of licorice root tea, prized in Chinese medicine for its calming effects.

It’s hard to pull yourself out of your canopied, curtained, supremely cosseting bed at this chic, Celerie-Kemble-restored hotel to walk through the gardens to the Connecticut outpost of The Well spa, but do it. The spa’s airy, enormous and as luxurious as it gets. A gorgeously-tiled, soaring-ceilinged greenhouse surrounds a giant soaking tub; the treatments are next level (try the Reiki under a down comforter, atop a heated bed, in a grove of spruce trees by an ancient pond, for example); and it’s worth coming back just for the bone broth. The Triple Lift facial is epic, layering endless active serums with something called a Remodeling Machine and another called the Micropuncture Lab to help stimulate collagen production for pretty stunning, immediately visible results.

Enormous, airy, and right off Route 27 for easy access, this multi-level spa is famous for its massive blue apothecary cabinets stocked with organic herbs, health-supporting teas, exquisite skincare, and giant glass tincture dispensers. We love the soft linens, textured walls, and the impressive lineup of treatments, especially the facials.

The farm-to-face facials at this 9,000-square-foot, 3-level spa on Lake Massawippi at the exquisite Manoir Hovey in the countryside near Quebec sources ingredients directly from the land nearby. The Honey Bliss facial is our favorite, combining a delicate honey exfoliant (from beehives on site), crystal-infused moon water, snow and reishi mushroom, and botanical peptides for glowy, ultra-moisturized and super-nourished skin. Don’t miss the Nordic thermal experiences, either.

The 30,000-square-foot Seawater Spa at Gurney's Montauk has just been reimagined with help from the team behind AIRE Ancient Baths. This summer, they’re hosting a La Prairie pop-up from June 15 through September 11, with ocean-view facials and body treatments, plus they’re offering new VOYA thalassotherapy journeys built around the restorative power of the sea. The spa also runs a summer workout series with Pilates sculpt, bootcamp, restorative yoga, strength training, and sound baths.

The Eau Naturale treatment is completely restorative, reviving skin with layer upon layer of beta glucans (commonly taken in supplement form for glowy-skin support), fatty acids, ellagic acid (linked to skin elasticity), and antioxidants via beautiful, organic, botanical formulas.

The Faena Hotel's Tierra Santa is a burst of color: A rainbow-striped rug runs through the spa’s lobby, which is outfitted with bright Juan Gatti artwork and floral-printed poufs. Inspired by an array of South American (and some South Asian) healing traditions, Tierra Santa has a gorgeous Turkish-style hammam and offers a full wet spa experience (waterfall shower, herbal steam room, wet scrub, sauna, and ice parlor); many of the treatments include ritualistic wellness aspects. The Hammam Rose Ritual is one highlight: During the treatment, as you lie on top of a warm marble slab, a therapist will scrub your entire body for what is likely to be the most thorough exfoliation of your life. Following this, you’ll be covered in ridiculously soft foam and then a soothing clay and later treated to a massage. The Tree of Life Vibrations treatment takes place on a heated sand bed and incorporates handmade Himalayan singing bowls into another supremely relaxing massage. Other massage options are more conventional, as are the facials—the Triple Lift Advanced Facial concludes with the Remodeling Face Machine from French brand Biologique Recherche. The Hyper-Customized Facial uses Naturopathica, one our favorite clean, nontoxic brands, and begins with facial steaming and gentle extractions, followed by lymphatic drainage, a congestion-soothing calendula mask, and a glycolic peel. The glow you leave with is...unreal. Led by two doctors, Tierra Santa also has a holistic, preventive medicine program that includes digestion-focused health therapies.

Surrounded by the vintage stores and oyster bars of Magazine Street, Elisabeth Isbell’s cozy spa and salon is great for glossy manicures and pedicures, as well as blowouts—but the facials are especially fantastic. We love the Classic European facial and the super soothing Revitalizing Eye Treatment, which can be added on to any facial, and includes an undereye mask and a pressure-point massage.

Cocooning robes, a eucalyptus steam room (we recommend sweating it out there pretreatment), and Swarovski crystals lining the ceiling of the reception area set the decidedly plush tone that encourages you to (happily) disconnect. The popular Classic Court Facial is a mashup of rousing face massage, gentle exfoliation, plumping masks, plus add-on therapies like LED lights, microdermabrasion, and oxygen treatments.

This super authentic Ayurvedic spa and retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains is both rustic and luxe. Everything here, from the cooking classes to the yoga sessions, aligns with Ayurvedic principles. The beyond amazing, recently renovated spa has tons of different treatments, but we like the Signature Facial. All of the nourishing products are made on the premises and work to bring harmony to your doshas. Bonus: You can add on a warm-oil scalp massage to any treatment.

Set in the historic countryside of Franklin, just minutes from Nashville, Southall combines ancient therapies, the newest in tech, and a warm, personalized approach. They use only clean products, like Naturopathica and Seed to Skin, and they incorporate ingredients grown on their farm (just outside) into the treatments. A team of expert estheticians analyzes your skin to create a custom experience, no matter what your skin issue. And steam and sauna sessions—and/or dips in the mineral pool overlooking Lake Mishkin and the farm’s medicinal garden—are included with any service.

High up in the Great Smoky Mountains on 5,200 acres, Blackberry Mountain (the equally luxurious and rustic sister property to the Blackberry Farm resort) has incredible hiking, next-level fitness, relaxing sound baths, cozy fireside meditation, forest yoga, and more, but leave at least a day on your itinerary just for the gorgeous Nest spa. It’s the first ever Joanna Czech-certified spa in the U.S.—you can get Czech’s famous 80-minute Method facial which includes an incredible sculpting and lifting facial massage, exfoliation, extractions, and Czech’s serums, creams, and masks plus modalities like microcurrent, cryotherapy, radio frequency, and/or microneedling. Each facial finishes with rejuvenating LED light therapy and each esthetician is hands-on trained by Czech herself (Czech also does residencies)—amazing.

Owner Cleise Gomes moved to Chicago from Brazil in 2000, and has been working to bring traditional Brazilian beauty techniques to the U.S. ever since. Gomes is famous for her waxing techniques, but it's her facials that are actually one of the city's best kept secrets. There are glycolic peels, oxygen and LED light therapy, and a face massage-focused session that includes a rousing, heavenly scalp treatment.

Dr. John Q. Cook has 20 years of experience in skincare and has two beautiful Whole Beauty Institutes (one in Winnetka and another in Gold Coast) to show for it. What takes the clinical facials (they also perform fantastic medical-grade chemical peels) to the next level is the meticulously developed Whole Beauty product line; his team of aestheticians will send you home with a set of products specifically picked out to extend the effects of your time in the office. There's also a location in Gold Coast.

Mireille Hamon counts Oprah among her many makeup and skincare clients. The skin guru grew up and received her training in France, which explains her brilliant less-is-more approach. She’s a wizard at clearing blemishes via gentle steams, soothing masks, and careful extractions. Her LED light therapy and microdermabrasion sessions are stellar. And the woman is also an eyebrow genius.

The Few Institute is primarily a plastic surgery center, and a very well-respected one at that (he recently worked with us on our bestselling Youth-Boost Peptide Serum). The Skin Clinic inside is run by a badass team of aestheticians who specialize in seriously effective, medical-grade peels (which they'll customize to your specific skin type), and deeply restorative treatments like the Oxygenating Trio Facial in which skin is flooded with antioxidants to treat and prevent free-radical damage, as well as the 90 Minute Luxury Facial, a combination of steaming, deep exfoliation, microdermabrasion, and heavenly scalp massage. Afore, Few’s skincare line is brilliant; we love the absolutely next-level retinol.

There are only two facials on the menu, but each treatment is tailored entirely to you. Your session starts at their Ritual Bar where you meet with a holistic esthetician for a consult; after that, they mix up a totally custom mask and face oil to be used during the session. You can add on treatments like gua sha or jade rolling, but whatever you choose, you leave feeling (and looking) incredibly refreshed.

The only 5-star spa in Wisconsin and inspired by the rejuvenating properties of the mineral rich waters of the city’s neighbor, Lake Michigan, this spa is filled with deeply restorative amenities such as cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, and transformative facials. The signature is 80-minutes of intense hydration, firming, and toning. The treatment includes cleansing, toning, exfoliation, extractions, and facial massage as well as back, arm, and hand exfoliation. All their expert aestheticians are hydrotherapy and oncology trained.

The same way the spiritual vortex of Sedona draws seekers, it draws healers—and you can work with the best of them at Mii Amo. For 3, 4, 7, or 10 days—no more, no less—visitors follow personalized programs designed by a guide. Depending on a guest’s needs, a journey might include traditional spa offerings, like enzyme wraps and lymphatic facials, as well as specialty services, like shirodhara and Reiki healing. Spiritual treatments—meditation, hypnosis, past-life regression, and more—can be emotionally intense and incredibly cathartic. During downtime, you might explore intuitive watercolor, hikes in the canyon, dry sauna, or private pickleball lessons.

Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Miraval Arizona is a one-stop shop for all things wellness. This 400-acre desert retreat is the kind of place you can go on a friends’ getaway or a solo journey—and return home feeling totally reset. The rugged, cacti-dotted terrain is the backdrop for a huge variety of activities like horseback riding, the Miraval’s famous Equine Experience with Wyatt Webb, hiking, and botany-focused tours. The spa, with its army of healers, wellness practitioners, and massage therapists, is just as fantastic. The most popular treatment is the amazing Cara Vida facial, which starts with a gentle cleansing, exfoliation using chia seed husks, and two masks: one made of comfrey, green tea, citrus, and rose; the other of honey and cold-pressed chia seeds. All programs are fully customizable: Guests can begin their morning with reiki, try an aerial yoga session in the afternoon, and wind down with a hot stone massage in a temperature-controlled outdoor tent.

Forty minutes from downtown on a particularly spectacular bend in the river, Lake Austin is as amazing a day spa as it is an overnight retreat. Either way, you can use all the spa facilities, the restaurant (many ingredients come from an on-site organic garden) and participate in daily fitness activities from water yoga in the stunning, barn-enclosed warm pool, paddle boarding, and hikes to river-based workouts). There are more than 100 services on the extensive mind- and body-nourishing spa menu—everything from standard Swedish to Chinese-medical cupping treatments—with specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. The facials are particularly incredible: herbal enzyme peels, fractionated laser treatments, and luminizing vitamin C therapies, plus specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. Post-treatment, you can lounge by the series of swimming pools in the large hillside garden.

If you’re in need of a wax, a quickie facial, a mani/pedi, or just about any self-care treatment you can think of, milk + honey is the spot. It’s ideal if you need to be in and out, but it’s also a solid option if you want to spend an afternoon with friends thanks to the serene lounge area, where you can hang out between treatments. If you’re after a one-and-done style pampering, go for the “Spa Partisan” that packs in a body polishing treatment followed by a steam under a canopy, and a 60-minute body butter massage. (It’s as good as it sounds.) Facials—which are anywhere from 60- to 120-minutes long—are completely bespoke. The estheticians take the time to talk to you about your goals, then create a treatment with decongesting ultrasonic therapies, gentle extractions, fruit acid peels, and powerful peptide treatments. End your experience by wandering through the smartly curated shop, which includes milk + honey’s own line of products. They have several other locations throughout the country, but the 2nd Street District location is the flagship.

The chic, intimate Verbena spa is one of our favorite things about the Austin Proper. Get the Proper Facial—a skin-soothing 60 minutes of cleansing, exfoliating, masking, toning, and moisturizing with Monastery Made’s incredible products like the super rich, hydrating Attar balm, hyaluronic-acid-infused Flora Botanical Cream Serum, plus a custom detoxifying clay and hydrating masks (made specifically for the spa). You can also customize your facial with fantastic add-ons like Saint Jane’s featherweight CBD serum and body cream (the latter is for an epic hand-arm massage) or TheraFace PRO’s percussive massage, heat, and cryotherapy treatments.

There are excavated river rocks embedded in the floor of the lounge area, a tribute to the stunning mountains surrounding you. Treatments here incorporate everything your skin needs to thrive—antioxidants, vitamin C, kaolin clay, peptides, enzymes—and aim to support collagen, mitigate free radical damage, target hyperpigmentation, and illuminate.

This sprawling spa complex operates out of the Hotel Crescent Court, so a full day is well spent here: They offer private yoga and Pilates classes, a health-centric café, and treatments that range from the basic (manis and pedis) to the intense (hardcore lymphatic-draining treatments). We love that the spa is open to kids, too, with a full menu of kid-friendly treatments (and snacks in the café).

Dallas friends swear they’ve experienced the best facials of their lives at the hands of Joanna Czech, who incorporates LED therapy into her treatments. After studying biology in Poland, she made a name for herself in NYC before adding her studio here in Dallas in 2012. Instead of selecting a treatment from a menu, your aesthetician analyzes your skin, discusses goals with you (which could be anything from treating sun damage to glowier skin for an event that evening), and then gets to work. Every facial focuses on treating and supporting the lipid (top) layer of skin, and you can add on microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as you need. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in New York City.

The treatment rooms, as well as all of the massages and facials, are inspired by the sacred kiva rooms used by Pueblos for religious rituals. Start your experience with smudging, chakra balancing, or a mindful meditation while you look out over the serene desert. If your skin is having trouble adapting to the desert climate, try the Moisture Drench Facial which gives skin a bouncy, youthful glow.

Set in the foothills of Santa Fe, this Japanese bathhouse/spa/restaurant/guesthouse is one of the most beautiful, relaxing places on earth. The outdoor baths—an enormous communal one and many private individual tubs—are surrounded by pinyon pines and overlook stunning sunsets and moonrises. All of the facials incorporate a firm Japanese face massage aimed at encouraging circulation and contouring the face muscles. The Japanese Organic Massage facial uses fast, light strokes to remove impurities and encourage lymphatic drainage.

Every treatment at this stunning spa in the middle of the Colorado Plateau starts with a smudging ceremony—a nod to the Navajo, who have lived here for centuries. The swirling smoke clears your head, helping to set the intention for the rest of the experience. Next you get a custom-blended aromatherapy shower, and only after that does the facial begin. The Amangiri Signature is a classic cleansing facial, while the Zone Facial uses targeted pressure-point massage for toxin elimination, and the Hot & Cold Stone Facial, which includes a neck and shoulder massage, is supremely relaxing. Each treatment ends with an incredible crystal sound bath.

This spa’s signature facial isn’t your standard cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. Instead, it’s a four-step treatment that uses vitamins, minerals, electrotherapy, and some Hannibal Lecter–esque equipment to cleanse, brighten, and tighten skin. The sixty- and ninety-minute treatments start with cleansing and exfoliation. Next, a cotton fabric saturated with yucca-root solution is placed over the face. Over that hovers an infrared dome to encourage detoxification, after which the aesthetician does extractions with a small vacuum. Finally, your face and neck are wrapped in cotton soaked in an anti-blemish, anti-aging solution, and a galvanic current is run through the skin. The entire process feels a bit ticklish—and yields bright, bouncy skin.

The design at Löyly (which is Finnish for the steam that comes off hot rocks at a sauna) is distinctly Scandinavian, with beautiful hardwood floors and minimalist wooden lounge chairs set around the communal space. The facials, though, are decidedly unminimalist: There are nourishing masks; steamy, aromatic compresses to calm skin; layer upon layer of oils, creams, and hydrosols; detoxifying facial steams; and more. There’s a second location in Northeast Portland.

Set on a protected cove with gorgeous reefs and warm pristine water, this resort is luxe and deeply restorative—and so is their spa. There is only one facial on the menu, and that’s because the master aestheticians personalize everything to your skin’s needs. After a consultation, there’s cleansing, exfoliating, masks, and serums to get your skin silky-smooth and seriously radiant. The best part is the lymphatic-drainage massage that leaves you firm, sculpted, and walking out in a trance.

Surrounded by white-sand beaches and tropical rainforest, this resort is drop-dead amazing on all counts, but the spa—which uses much-obsessed-over Tata Harper products for all of its facials—is next level. The Remodelage Facial is 90-minutes of remodelage (a sculpting massage technique) and facial cupping that boosts skin detoxification, long-lasting hydration, and some pretty major contoured effects.

Perched on a raw, wild cliff overlooking the Pacific, Mukul Resort brings a dose of open-air luxury to a quiet stretch of Nicaragua’s coastline. The spa’s six gorgeous suites each incorporate a different ancient healing tradition, along with powerfully healing Nicaraguan ingredients. Treatments here are over-the-top 120-minute mashups of herbal steaming, honey-cucumber tonics, lymphatic drainage, craniosacral therapy, and soothing masks made with regional flower essences, volcanic clay, and potent herbs.

Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountains are home to two-toed sloths, vibrant pink hummingbirds, and hill after hill of coffee farms—and Auberge resort Hacienda AltaGracia. You could, if you wanted to, come here just to hang in the spacious casitas and enjoy the resort’s leafy, vivid-green surroundings. But we’d argue the real magic happens at the destination-worthy spa, The Well.

World-famous dermatologist Barbara Sturm’s work is incredibly high-tech—her endogenic blood therapy, for example, takes dermal fillers like hyaluronic acid and enriches them with regenerative elements taken from a patient’s own blood. At the same time, she’s passionately clean and nontoxic in her approach—a rarity among dermatologists. After researching both techniques and skin-care ingredients at her clinic, she’s come out with a line that manages to be super effective, luxuriously textured, and chic as hell all at once. Treatments at her clinic run the gamut from low-tech to super advanced, from lymphatic drainage and microdermabrasion to hyaluronic-based mesotherapy, nonsurgical face-lifts, and microneedling.

Right on the Bosphorus, the Peninsula Hotel overlooks Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace along with the wide river. There’s a buzzy rooftop restaurant, but our favorite is the elegant, airy, sublevel spa made with floor-to-ceiling marble, saunas, a luxurious indoor pool, lavish traditional Turkish baths, and calming relaxation rooms. The Holistic facial—60 minutes of brightening, smoothing, plumping magic with botanicals and antioxidants—is a must.

Right on the ocean near Palermo, Verdura Resort is serene, relaxing, and all out luxurious. The stunning Irene Forte Spa, surrounded by olive trees and orange groves, is a playground of thalassotherapy pools, Finnish saunas, steam rooms, and more, but the facials are next-level. Each one uses Forte’s luxe, clean skin care line—made with botanicals sourced on Verdura’s own organic farm. We love the Etna Age-Defying Facial—90 minutes of cleansing, toning, and exfoliation, face massage, lymphatic drainage (they use cold volcanic stones sourced from Etna mountain), and a moisture-bomb hyaluronic acid treatment to seal it all in. You’ll walk out totally relaxed, refreshed, with a luminous glow.

People have traveled to Fiuggi for centuries just for the natural spring water, which, legend has it, is healing. At Palazzo Fiuggi, you’ll drink it, soak in it, and shower in it. But the real force behind this destination spa is the medical team, who will tailor your experience according to your goals and the health evaluation you take upon arrival. Your results inform the rest of your stay: Will you spend long mornings trekking through the countryside and afternoons in the thermal baths? Or will you spend the week detoxing, following your doctor visits with lymphatic massage and cleansing rituals in the hammam?

This is the woman responsible for helping in-the-know Londoners achieve that glow-from-within radiance. Amanda Lacey's legendary facials are gentle and pleasantly old school—no lasers or needles in sight. Instead, she relies on time-honored facial massage, quality, natural products, and educating clients about preventing future damage. Clients swear by her eponymous product range for at-home maintenance.

Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home.

OG skin whisperer Linda Meredith has worked on everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kate Middleton, and she's one of the facialists local goop friends swear by. An appointment at her Knightsbridge salon is definitely worth the splurge. Her team identifies, treats, and eliminates skin conditions with restorative algae-oxygen therapy, plumping collagen treatments, and more.

Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. The salon started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets it apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session.

Coined “The Bradden Method,” Sarah Bradden’s signature cosmetic acupuncture facial is both a spiritual reset and a sculpting face treatment. Each treatment is tailored to your needs (and every visit is different) and includes a mix of acupuncture (for face, neck, ears, or body), Reiki, reflexology, massage, LED light therapy, and activated oxygen therapy. You’ll leave with a goddess-like glow and a restored sense of balance and relaxation.

London-based Fatma Shaheen’s treatments at the flagship Matchesfashion’s townhouse in Mayfair are booked months in advance (fans include Naomi Campbell, Naomi Watts, Candice Swanepoel, and Irina Shayk). Her most-popular facial, the SDL Facelift, is pricey, but worth it, with ultrasound, vitamin peels, radiofrequency, and something called a Glow Pen—which combines microneedling with electroporation, a form of microcurrent designed to deliver active ingredients into skin. The results—lifted, glowy, sculpted skin—are unmatched. Skin Design London also offers services at John Bell & Croyden and 180 Health Club in London. And in January, they will also be offering an exclusive treatment, called The Freeze Glowlift during a 3-month residency at Selfridges.

Using a mix of acupuncture, LED light, and even tuning forks (the vibrations have soothing, stress-easing effects), the facials here leave clients with a serious glow, balanced skin, and an even deeper sense of calm. We’re especially in love with the Chi Rejuvenation Facial, fifty minutes of acupressure, gua sha, and jade rolling, all of which energize skin by supposedly stimulating the flow of chi.

In 2002, pharmacist Margo Marrone and her husband, Francesco, created a beautiful, wildly successful chain of wellness dispensaries in London devoted to their ever-expanding, luxurious, certified-organic line of homeopathic remedies, skin, hair, and body care. Their flagship store also has a gorgeous spa where all of the products are used. The facials are amazing: We especially love the vitamin C and papaya enzyme peel, the express thirty-minute facial with microcurrent, and the amazing Rose Diamond Facial, which combines a diamond exfoliation with an oxygen-infused mask and lifting massage for super glowy skin.

This studio was founded by superfacialist Vaishaly Patel, and the skin-care treatments are incredible. The signature facial combines Patel’s famous techniques (deep cleansing, extraction, microdermabrasion, and high-frequency treatment) to create a custom plan to improve your skin on the day of your appointment. All facials include a craniosacral massage to treat tense areas at the scalp, brows, and jaw—heaven.

Much like his culty product range, Hervé Herau's dermatology practice is not widely publicized—in fact it's almost exclusively a word-of-mouth operation. We first heard about his restorative treatments (each one is 100% personalized, which explains why there's no treatment menu on his site) from a friend who swears that a session with him is like hitting the beauty jackpot.

Clients swear that Joëlle Ciocco’s blend of buccal massage (to stretch and tone facial muscles) and product (her eponymous line of cleansers and serums) will absolutely change your skin. What's truly remarkable is that she's actually a biochemist by trade, so there's real science behind her technique. An appointment with Joëlle is not cheap, but the results are priceless. That said, booking with a member of her team is the next best thing and much easier on the wallet.

This is one of those spots that doesn't feel like it could possibly be in a bustling city: Faced with a flowering courtyard, stone walls, and a glass ceiling, La Maison Dr. Hauschka is oh-so-quiet. Fitting really, because the facials and massages are relaxing enough to knock anyone out. Their signature facial, developed by Dr. Hauschka co-founder Elisabeth Sigmund, is two hours of pure bliss—deep cleansing, layers of masks, compresses, and incredibly effective skin care.

Surprisingly, Le Bristol is the only Parisian hotel allowed to perform facial treatments using La Prairie products. Much like the product line itself, the driving force behind the treatment menu is rejuvenation—as evidenced by treatments like the Caviar Lift Facial and the ultrasoothing Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation facial. The best part? You can drop off the littles at the Kids Club for the duration of your treatment.

While there are many reasons we love Douro Valley, the fantastic treatments at the spa are at the top of the list. Many use Seed to Skin products; others use scrubs and salves that are made on-site in the Alchemy Bar from botanicals grown on the property (you can book a session to make your own, too). The signature Warming Schist Vinotherapy, a full-body scrub (with a concoction of grape seeds, oils, and port) followed by a mini facial and a full-body hot stone massage using local schist, is pretty incredible. But don’t miss the Golden Aura Facial—both plumping and glowifying, it leaves your skin sculpted, refreshed, and radiant. (You can also upgrade several of the spa services with a Theragun add-on.)

This enormous spa in the middle of the Alps, high above Lake Lucerne has everything from an infinity pool and private spa suites to 3 different kinds of saunas and a series of Kneipp baths. It also has two facials that are hard to decide between: The Dr Burgener Repairing Gold and Green Caviar Facial, which uses ultrasound, green caviar, pulverized pearls, and gold trace elements to revitalize skin, and the 111Skin Signature Harley Street Facial, which calms and coddles skin to the nth degree. Originally designed to accelerate the post-surgery healing, it works to strengthen the epidermal barrier, tamp down irritation and redness, and super-moisturize skin (unsurprisingly, it’s extremely popular among skiers).

The famed wellness escape tucked in the rainforest of Bali, Shambhala Estate is as luxurious as it is supremely relaxing—especially in the fantastic, open-air spa. Acupuncture, Indonesian massage, and all manner of treatments are all on the menu but we’re especially obsessed with the facials, all which use the clean Ayurvedic brand Sundãri. Opt for the Intensive Healing Facial if you’re sensitive (the star ingredient is soothing neen oil) or if you’re looking for glow, choose the Essential Supplifying facial with nourishing oils and exfoliating—either way, you can’t go wrong.

This spa’s minimalist, plant-filled waiting room is an antidote to the hyperactive Bangkok streets, and the hospitable staff gives you lemongrass tea while you wait for your treatment. And the treatments are efficient: After less than an hour, we left with brighter, glowier skin than we arrived with. It’s a medical spa, so you can choose from basic treatments, like a sensitive skin facial, or more clinically advanced ones that incorporate medical-grade injectables, microdermabrasion, and lasers. You can meet with a staff dermatologist for a skin consultation and help navigating the menu. But the goldmine here is the classic rejuvenation facial—a fifty-minute lymphatic massage/marine collagen mask/radio frequency/oxygen mist hybrid—which leaves you with the kind of soft, springy skin that you can’t stop touching.

Kamalaya, on the lush Thai island Koh Samui, combines Eastern and Western medical treatments for as full a reset as you want. When you’re not busy with past-life regression therapy, Reiki, sound baths, herbal soaks, and massages for everything (head, hands, feet, you name it), spend some time floating around the verdant grounds: You’ll find coastal yoga pavilions, cold-water plunge pools, otherworldly steam rooms, and a contemplation cave once used by Buddhist monks.

Relaxing at a spa set on top of the world’s largest salt lick—the place is absolutely alive with wildlife—it’s hard to imagine wanting to do anything besides watch the animals and take in the incredible view, but the hour long “Afrique Arising” facial revives sun-baked, wind-whipped, safari-dry skin like nothing else. Ultra-moisturizing—it incorporates the organic, omega-rich, Africa-sourced Terres d’Afrique line—and peppered with fantastic massage techniques, the facial works to restore elasticity, hydration, smoothness, and glow.

The white marble spa in the exquisite boutique hotel Riad Farnatchi in the center of the medina is just incredible, and the facials are especially great. The Ananda Face Therapy involves an aloe vera and pomegranate cleanse, honey exfoliation, and detoxifying green clay mask, then you’re smoothed down in nourishing sandalwood and rose otto oils during a luminizing marma face massage. Other therapies couple traditional healing treatments with corrective technologies, incorporating essential oils like rare Ethiopian-sourced frankincense and sonic wave therapy.

Just off one of the busiest streets in Marrakech and hidden behind an ornate wooden door is one of the city’s most gorgeous hotels and hammams. The spa is bursting with bright, saturated colors, not to mention all sorts of fantastic treatments. The facials, all of which incorporate locally produced argan oil, are amazing. We love the Purity and Glow facial which deeply cleanses skin using gentle ingredients.

After spending the day driving around in the dry, dusty African bush, treat your skin to this full-on, rehydrating, ultra-moisturizing facial. Overlooking a lagoon of hippos, The Bush Spa offers relaxing facials and body treatments, combining both Eastern and Western techniques to revitalize skin, using products made with local extracts and botanicals. We love the Fresh Up facial to deeply cleanse and moisturize, or the Illuminating facial to wrap skin in a soothing, brightening pink clay.

Set on a private island in the Caribbean (it’s two miles off mainland Antigua and reachable only by boat) and enclosed in lush tropical foliage, Jumby Bay has 4.5 miles of powdery shoreline that are completely surrounded by crystal-blue coral-reef-sprinkled water. Every suite has a private plunge pool, and beautiful winding bike paths (the whole resort is brilliantly carless) take you right to the spa for sunrise yoga or breathwork or a treatment in a room with views of the ocean (you can actually hear the waves and breathe in the salt air). Get the facial (Tata Harper–designed, of course) with face-mapping therapy, exfoliation, massage, skin-reviving botanicals, and deep moisture.

There are just two facials on the menu at this quaint cottage-spa that’s perched on a serene lagoon (you can paddleboard right up to the entrance), and both are fantastic. Inspired by traditional Jamaican recipes and made with healing herbs and roots cultivated at the property’s own farm, the facials incorporate tension-relieving acupressure, cleansing muds, smoothing algae masks, and glowifying wild-harvested seaweed treatments.

The view alone will send you into raptures—the spa overlooks the Blue Mountains of Jamaica—not to mention the heavenly foot soak you get upon arrival. As you soak, an aesthetician determines the best treatment for your skin. They’re experts at tension-relieving face massage, deep pore detoxification, and revitalizing tired skin with island plant essences and unique lymphatic drainage acupressure techniques.

Every corner of this resort and spa on Paradise Island (yes, exactly) is beautiful. The eight private spa suites, all of which have both a lounge and a treatment room, are designed with Balinese accents like ornate wooden carvings and huge double doors that open so you can hear the ocean during your treatment. Facials fuse Asian beauty practices with Caribbean ingredients like algae, red coral, and lupin to nourish and fight sun damage.

We cannot get enough of this gorgeous hotel, especially the mostly-outdoor spa, where you’re surrounded by lush vegetation, palm trees, lava rock, and warm island air (there’s even an open air sauna). The treatments are all amazing, but the exclusive goop Glow facial is the ultimate: Layers of exfoliation, hydrators, and clinically-proven actives combine for a skin-boosting treatment that leaves anyone with the softest, smoothest, glowiest skin ever.

Joali Being, on its own private island in the Maldives, has a guiding philosophy of weightlessness. Here, that means letting go of your regular habits for a more intuitive way of life. It’s easier to sacrifice your attachments here, digital or otherwise, and it’s no mystery why: The island, covered in immaculate palm groves and dotted with modern Maldivian architecture, is so beautiful that you wouldn’t want to miss a moment. There’s an antigravity yoga pavilion, immersive wellness experiences, therapeutic and alternative healing therapies, an herbology center, a hydrotherapy hall that includes a sensory-deprivation room, sound therapy hall, and more.

A thirty-minute consultation determines the oil blends, herbs, food, and treatments most effective for your skin—and your Ayurvedic dosha. You arrive at the spa via a dhoni, a traditional Maldivian wooden boat that slices through turquoise waters. The facials combine high-tech medical therapies with ancient holistic practices; some treatments are even tethered to the cycles of the moon. The Ananda is particularly complexion-perfecting: Sixty minutes of marma massage (a traditional Ayurvedic technique) followed by light massage strokes that leaves you refreshed and drop-dead radiant.

It’s unlikely that you’d fly to New Zealand for the Healing Manuka-Honey Facial at The Spa at Kauri Cliff, but if you make it there, go for the 90-minute version, which is a fantasia of local Manuka honey, Rotorua thermal mud, and crushed paua shells from nearby Pink Beach, not to mention an incredible back massage. The spa itself, set amid fern glens and bubbling streams at the edge of the Totara forest, is pure Middle Earth. If you can, have your treatments done outside with birds singing all around you—heaven.

It would be impossible not to include Central Park—New York's most coveted green space and, in many ways, what the rest of the city orbits around. Stretching 2.5 miles from 59th to 110th Street, it offers a mix of open lawns, wooded paths, water, and formal gardens. See the iconic landmarks at least once: the cinematic Bethesda Terrace and fountain, Belvedere Castle, and The Lake—which is most memorably experienced by rowboat (rentable onsite). Seasonal moments make it worth returning to, from ice skating at Wollman Rink to Shakespeare in the Park at the newly renovated Delacorte Theater. But the real appeal is in the in-between: long walks around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir with its uninterrupted skyline views, quieter shaded paths that feel removed from the city, and the simple act of finding a bench or patch of grass to sit with a coffee. For kids, the Central Park Zoo, the petting-friendly Tisch Children's Zoo, and numerous playgrounds make for an enjoyable afternoon outdoors.

The High Line is a public park built on a former elevated freight rail line along Manhattan's west side, running from the Meatpacking District through Chelsea to Hudson Yards. It's a linear path with planted gardens, seating areas, and framed views of the city and the Hudson River. What makes it special is the design: The original rail tracks are woven into the landscaping, and the plantings shift with the seasons. Rather than escaping the city, you move through it from a different vantage point, catching glimpses of streets and buildings you'd never notice from the ground. We recommend it for a walk with a friend when you want to get your steps in, but be warned—it's almost always crowded.

We’re pretty smitten with the concept here: Founder Alison Cayne transformed a carriage house into a cooking school/supper club, where area chefs lead classes on everything from cooking Vietnamese food with fresh herbs to gluten and allergen-free baking. Once the meal is made, participants grab chairs and eat the spoils together.

Situated on a pier along the Hudson River, this gigantic sporting complex operates out of the "if you build it, they will come" mindset. And it’s true: Here, you’ll find year-round ice skating, a rock climbing wall, gymnastics, soccer, a driving range, and more, all situated under one sprawling roof.

There are now thousands of Citi Bikes in NYC, accessible via 500 ports spread out over every neighborhood. In short, you buy a 24-hour ($10) week-long ($25), or annual pass ($149), and then can pick up and drop off as many bikes as you need to get around the city. While there are plenty of designated bike lanes, ride with caution, as cab traffic moves fast!

New York City—a metropolis obsessed with eating—isn't short on restaurants, but Cook Space offers a totally novel, modern alternative to the classic dinner out. This multifunctional space in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights hosts cooking classes, catering opportunities, workshops, and even classes for kiddos. Whether you're an accomplished home cook or a newbie in the kitchen, the roster has a little bit of something for everyone: paleo, Ayurvedic, and Whole 30 classes, alongside New Orleans cuisine, classic Thai, or even vegan for carnivores—the list goes on. The best part? The lesson ends with a meal in the loftlike dining room.

Helmed by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, this airy, all-white space is a temple to inventive, seasonal, and local cooking, sourced from nearby farms and cooperatives. It doesn't come as much of a shock that the fare is GMO-free and also made without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, antibiotics, or hormones. It's not surprising because you can taste the well-sourced provenance on the plate, whether in the form of house-made ricotta ravioli or fried organic chicken in a hot sauce butter.

Little Park is actually huge. It has banquet and bistro tables, plush booths, and it occupies an entire corner in Tribeca (right below The Smyth hotel). For late-night revelers, the adjoining Evening Bar is a cozy spot to sip on mixologist Anne Robinson’s inventive cocktails. To craft the most seasonally sound menu possible, Chef Andrew Carmellini tapped local farmers, foragers, and ranchers for organic produce, grass-fed meats, and heirloom grains. Come here for traditional breakfast fare as well as lunch and dinner.

Chef Jonathan Waxman was one of Alice Waters' protégés, and after stints at Chez Panisse and Michael's in Santa Monica, he was one of the first to bring that hyper-fresh, California-style cooking to New York. His new restaurant at 1 Hotel Central Park resurrects the name of his first-ever New York operation, and brings that same seasonal cuisine to a spacious corner space with simple, Scandinavian-style design. Because it’s connected to the hotel, there are several private rooms available for events and celebrations as well. Obviously, get the chicken.

Chloe Coscarelli was fresh out of culinary school when she won an episode of Cupcake Wars with a vegan cupcake recipe: She was the first person to do so on that show or any other televised cooking competition. She’s since opened a casual restaurant in the West Village (followed by others), with an adorable interior (striped wooden floors, colorful tiles, hanging swing) and a little fridge with pre-packaged food. While the menu is focused on smoothies, juices, and great vegan burgers, you can still pick up her famous cupcakes.

Ask someone with a gluten allergy about the Little Beet, and you're bound to get an earful of praise—the entire, delicious menu is celiac-friendly. Chef Franklin Becker was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was in his 20's and devoted the rest of his career to rebuilding his cooking style; the menu is full of light, healthy meals with an emphasis on lean protein and tons of vegetables. The seasonal menu items are always a sure bet, as are the make-your-own-plate options. There are two other locations, on 50th and Park Ave.

This ice cream place is run by Nicholas Morgenstern, a classically trained pastry chef (he was formerly head pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern) who turned out to be a whiz at crafting elevated flavors. Using only the highest quality ingredients, if you're craving a creamy and non-processed—treat, this is the spot. Beyond the scoops, the shop is incredibly charming: The exterior is painted royal blue and the inside is set up like an old-fashioned parlor with counter seats and a window ledge.

A New York mainstay since the '70s, the prevailing theory at Soeun is an old-school Japanese-based macrobiotic one: there is no meat, dairy, or eggs on the menu and certain veggies are prohibited. One could argue that the cult of the macro plate began here, but there are plenty of other dark green veggies, grains, beans and fish on the menu to leave you feeling pleasantly sated. Salmon or black cod can be ordered with teriyaki sauce; the yuba, tofu "skins" are served with Chinese cabbage, carrot, and scallion in a tamari kombu broth. Both downtown spaces (the other is in the East Village) are light-filled and sparsely decorated. Bonus: They deliver.

Count on Joya Carlton, the former chef at Buvette, to help open up another stellar brunch spot. Set up on the corner of bustling Kenmare Street in Nolita, the Butcher's Daughter offers the kind of vegetarian fare you can feel good about—their version of a breakfast sandwich features an egg, cashew cheese, kale, and tomato jam on an English muffin; their organic muesli is topped with fresh fruit and almond milk. The cold-pressed juices are easy to make a habit of—the honey bee, with grapefruit, turmeric, yuzu, kumquat, honey, and bee pollen is good for fending off colds. The minimalist (but Instagram-ready) decor includes big-picture windows, bleached wood, and exposed brick; produce hangs from meat hooks and herbal infusions are lined up behind the bar.

Superiority Burger made a name for itself with chef Brooks Headley's (formerly the pastry chef of Del Posto) rakish take on vegetarian fast food. The menu is brief, but you can't really make a bad choice—the small-but-mighty veggie burger, a Sloppy Dave (their version of a Sloppy Joe), and burnt-broccoli salad are stand-outs. Daily specials range from soarana beans with parsley to kabocha squash with pea shoot pepita pesto. Grabbing one of the few seats is basically a competitive sport, so better take your food over to Tompkins Square Park and grab a bench.

You’ll hear a lot about how stylish Nolita's De Maria is (and Instagram-ready, too): The bright, sun-filled minimalist space enlists lots of soft earth tones and a beautiful bar to warm its sleek furniture and white-painted brick walls. From the pretty ceramic plates to the staff’s striped Everlane-designed uniforms, everything is as photogenic as the food itself—which is, of course, much more than just photogenic. Helmed by Camille Becerra (previously of Navy and Café Henrie), the menu is stacked with of-the-moment, elevated healthy favorites (think: chili-turmeric bone broth with milk-foam, herbs, and mustard seed oil; radish and jicama salad; sweet potato with beet borani, walnut, and mint). Their famed Fire Dragon Bowl—turmeric poached egg, heirloom beans, avocado, and tarragon tahini–is not to be missed. Photos: Nikki Brand

This Jean-Georges restaurant is all vegetables, all the time—the roasted whole cauliflower strewn with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and turmeric is justly famous—and the menu is almost pure all stars, from fresh green hummus and nasturtium-sprinkled avocado lettuce cups to featherlight, toasty dosas and inventive, bright-flavored salads and pastas. The pale-pink walls, brilliant woven banquettes, and Moroccan lanterns make a warm, modern room full of soul. You’ll leave surprised, delighted, utterly satisfied, yet feeling light and energetic.

For classic Aussie-style avo toast, or an insanely decadent banana bread topped with honey and mascarpone, look no farther than this charming, low-key café with outposts both here and Tribeca. The menu focuses on simple, health-centric food–and the space is bright (read: white-washed brick and string lights overhead) and totally relaxed thanks to its Aussie roots.

Avocaderia is—believe it or not—the world's first avocado bar, located appropriately in painfully hip Park Slope. The creamy, green superfood is celebrated here in its every possible form with toasts, salads, bowls, smoothies, and more. The brainchild of Franceso Brachetti—who made his way to NYC via an avocado-saturated stint in Mexico—with his cousin (a former architect) and best friend (a former journalist) import the freshest, most perfectly ripe avocados from Mexico's avocado belt to create everything from an avo burger (this one is for the purists, it's a lot of the green stuff, really), to flavor-packed salads and smoothies that will keep you going all day. The pretty, plant-filled space doesn't hurt either.

Broth really is one of the great culinary elixirs—how can something so simple and pure be so incredibly flavorful and essential? While bone broth is nothing new—many cultures from the Japanese to the Irish have been consuming it for centuries—the best broth is simmered for a good eighteen hours to release the collagen, glutamine, and minerals from the bones. Brodo (Italian for broth) offers the full spectrum of broths from spicy to almost sweet—try chicken, beef, or vegetable-based (seaweed and mushroom) broth and then spike the soup with add-ins like roasted-garlic purée, chili, turmeric, pickles, even butter. We're especially partial to the Tom Yum (chicken, chili oil, lime, curry, and coconut milk) when feeling under the weather. For even the laziest home cooks, a pro-tip is to buy a jar, throw in some shredded chicken, and some vegetables for a hearty soup, or add a ladle or three to pasta or grains for a delicious and truly nourishing meal.

Former financier-turned-pro-cyclist-turned-chicken-enthusiast Fields Failing converted his passion for the most perfectly cooked, crispiest-skinned bird into a business. With five locations across the city all serving up the same four styles of cooked chicken—herb grilled, grilled mojo, pulled bbq, or chicken salad—a good lunch is minutes away no matter where you are. The free-range chickens are sourced from Freebird family farms in Amish country, Pennsylvania, from sustainable farmers Failing has built relationships with. These protein-heavy bowls and salads (Christina's Kale, cobb, mo' miso) are filling, healthy and delicious, the perfect nutritious lunch to pick up on-the-go in the city.

Dimes is one of those perfect spots where you can order everything on the menu and feel really good about it. Breakfast could be matcha buttermilk pancakes or huevo kathmandu (spicy chickpeas, spinach chutney, and date relish on a corn tortilla), for lunch a watercress, farro, blood orange, shiso vinaigrette salad or togarashi salmon and pickled carrots—all of the above are the type of food so bright in flavor and color it jumps right off the plate. The space itself is a cozy, cave-like nook with simple wooden tables, bright whitewashed walls, and a sloping ceiling—all flooded with light from the near floor-to-ceiling windows out front. This is a Cali-centric place, where every bite is healthy but not necessarily health-food (there's a Dimes market retailing their favorite purveyors next door), chefs and founders Alyssa Wagner and Sabrina DeSousa have gotten the balance—and the aesthetic—just right.

Healthy fast food seems like an oxymoron—but Dr. Smood has cracked the code. The menu has six categories (power, immunity, beauty, detox, energy, and health) all of which are certified kosher. Whether you’re looking for a juice cleanse, a latte infused with anti-inflammatory turmeric, salads or sandwiches, this is an easy, super-delicious place to get something fast.

Assistant district attorney Chloe Epstein’s pregnancy had her craving ice cream—but a quick look at the nutritional label left her concerned with what she was feeding herself and her future child. She started to experiment with making her own at home, and settled on a satisfying recipe with only three ingredients—fruit, water, and organic cane sugar. Now a full time glacier, the flagship store has classic flavors like dark chocolate and strawberry, plus great seasonal options and sweet and savory toppings like gluten-free gingersnaps, fresh fruit, and warm peanut butter sauce.

COVID-19 update: Temporarily closed until the spring.

This is not your regular neighborhood mani/pedi joint. Set up above the bustle of the Financial District, the low-key space is outfitted with mid-century modern antiques (you won't find any oversized massage chairs) and the technicians are incredibly well-trained.

No goop wellness list would be complete without Tracy Anderson—Gwyneth’s longtime friend and trusted trainer. Opened in 2009, her Tribeca studio brings the world-renowned Tracy Anderson Method (TAM) to life through signature classes like muscular design,  dance cardio, and multitask Band (featuring her proprietary Iso-Kinetic Band System), along with private training. The space spans three levels, with signature Super G floors, private training rooms, women's locker rooms, and a retail area. As with all Tracy Anderson studios, classrooms are kept at controlled heat and humidity, meant to support performance and results.

Treatments at this spa (complete with semi-kitsch treatment rooms) can border on the gruff side—a plus in our books: The massages, acupressure treatments, and body scrubs are intense enough to work any stress-related kinks right out. (Don't be surprised when the therapist walks on your back during a massage.) Plus, they have all the pools you need to further the detoxification process.

This mini-chain of mega spas offers something called Sauna Valley: You’ll find every conceivable temple—gold, Himalayan Salt, infrared, far infrared, color therapy—and an equal number of pools to match. The Texas outpost is open twenty-four hours a day, while the Queens location is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, making this a fun pilgrimage (and a good girls-day activity). There’s an on-site cafeteria and even a kiddie pool.

Dr. Richard Ash, who tragically passed away in 2015, has set up an enduring integrative medicine center in New York City, where you'll be shepherded through an extensive series of tests. After they'll create a totally customized, preventative, and restorative roadmap to optimum health. While it's not necessarily about detoxing, their steps to a healthier lifestyle often involve just that.

Dr. Ilan Bohm is our man and the founder of OIM, which advocates looking beyond—while still using—Western medicine for well-being. Keeping in mind that every patient is unique and not one-treatment-fits-all, Dr. Bohm sees patients on an individual level and aims to prevent rather than just treat illness by incorporating acupuncture, nutritional therapy, and chiropractic into any healthcare routine. They facilitate detoxes, and also offer hydrocolonic therapy.

As its name implies, Gravity East Village specializes in gravity-based colonics, which means that the in-flow and out-flow of water is simultaneous. Gravity also has a far infrared sauna, which is a nice complement for a full detox.

While hydrotherapy colonics are the specialty here, SanaVita also offers lymphatic massage, acupuncture, and Reiki. They even have an on-staff astrologer.

An appointment at this no-frills day spa (there are seven throughout the city) is wonderfully personalized: You choose the duration of your treatment and set your goals with your skin therapist. Every treatment comes with a deep cleanse, exfoliation, custom mask, and hydration, then ends with sunscreen protection. Upgrades include peels, microdermabrasion, and light therapy, and if you need monthly treatments, there is a membership program.

Founder Tracy Piper brings more than twenty years of experience in Chinese herbology and colon hydrotherapy, which she believes can aid in everything from digestion to skin health in her one-stop cleansing center. For those in need of a recharge, there's also dry-skin brushing, a lymphatic draining detox wrap, and infrared sauna sessions.

Not your run-of-the-mill intuitive, certified herbalist Deganit Nuur uses acupuncture, essential oils, and cupping to open the meridians before every reading, which means that sessions are restorative on multiple levels. Her readings are spot-on—and you might not see it coming. Nuur’s personality is so easygoing and bubbly, it at first feels like you’re settling in for a light chat. But when she starts channeling, it’s ka-pow. These days, it's easier to book Nuur for a virtual session than in-person, but if you're regularly in NYC or in LA, a session with Nuur at either of her Four Seasons' practices is life-changing.

Morgan Yakus' first career was in fashion (she co-owned the NYC boutique No. 6, the creator of the downtown ubiquitous clog boot), until she felt a strong pull to explore hypnosis. While most of her practice revolves around inducing the brain into a theta state (not fully under) to help influence and re-train the brain around blocks, anxiety points, and obsessions, she also trained (and is certified) in past life regression with Dr. Brian Weiss, the author of Many Lives Many Masters. She helps clients with everything from insomnia and weight loss to stress, trust, and intuition opening. She operates out of both New York and Los Angeles.

Maria was our in-house intuitive for the goop Shiso Psychic pop-up in NYC when we launched our latest fragrance, and needless to say, she dropped jaws with her eerily accurate readings. She is extremely calm and uses meditation at the beginning of each session to create a relaxed state before diving straight in. She also analyzes handwriting and uses Tarot to establish a framework. Keep in mind that she is a straight-up psychic who doesn't hold back, so if you'd prefer someone who soft-pedals, she probably isn't the right choice for you.

As serious Côte devotees, we cannot get enough of their relaxing manicures and pedicures, all of which happen inside a space that evokes a clean, nontoxic, lazy dream beach house vibe. Like Côte’s adored Brentwood salon in LA, the new NYC location offers meticulous service for one of the best mani-pedis around, free from major toxic ingredients and allergens commonly included in mainstream polishes (the same goes for their eponymous line of polishes). Go once and you'll be hooked.

A sort of choose your own wellness adventure, this light, bright, Lower East Side spa has a luxe nail salon with 5-free options, massages, and a café all under one roof. Start your experience with an adaptogen-spiked turmeric latte (they have their own line of Chillblend powders to help you relax, energize, and detox) while you check out the nail-art menu that changes seasonally—we’re totally obsessed with the Matisse- and Yayoi Kusama-inspired designs. Massages range from the short Express (25 minutes of deep tissue work) to the more-intense, aptly named hourlong Chill Pill. Photos: Dillon Burke

You won’t get pedicures here, but the full-body cryotherapy session—in which you stand, in the buff, in a chamber that’s chilled to roughly -240°F for two to three minutes—is bracing, but more bearable than, say, an ice bath, since there’s no moisture in the liquid nitrogen-cooled air. We left feeling less stressed and more centered, and we slept better, too. Started by doctors to holistically treat patients with arthritis, cryotherapy is believed to stimulate the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems and reduce inflammation, improve mood, lower anxiety, and enhance overall well-being. If you’re super worried about chattering teeth, start slow with a brightening cryofacial.

WeWork—the round-the-world network of comfy, breezy (decidedly un-corporate) workspaces rented out to people and businesses—has always been an ideal HQ with its meditation rooms, retreats, and fitness class offerings. And now with Rise by We, its new holistic wellness club in NYC's financial district (more locations to roll out down the line), the brand’s dreamed up a respite from the swivel chair where you can get up and move in any number of workout classes (from kickboxing to yoga to personal training sessions), as well as stoke some serious relaxation vibes at their Superspa. There are steam and sauna rooms, amazing massages, a circulation-rousing cold water plunge, and a communal—and coed—hammam area. The spa’s café makes killer juices—and come evening, healthy-ish cocktails. And if you can’t commit to a full-on membership, Rise’s $100 four-class access pass option is a solid option.

If you’ve never had a massage dedicated to relaxing the muscles in your jaw, forehead, scalp and entire face...it’s insanely relaxing. FaceLove’s three signature treatments—FreshLove, PureLove, and WholeLove—all focus on massage, exercise, and acupressure to stimulate circulation and release inflammation. Not only will a clenched jaw or furrowed forehead feel miraculously released; you’ll emerge looking pretty amazing, too.

Wellness intuitive Deborah Hanekamp has over seventeen years of experience in the healing arts. Her Space by Mama Medicine brings this expertise to a new audience with aura readings, energy balancing, crystal and sound healing, and facial attunements. The rooms in which these holistic treatments take place are immediately soothing with an all-white palette lifted with greenery and natural fibers, flooded with natural light, and so divinely scented you'll struggle to leave post-treatment. In performing the therapies, Hanekamp uses healing techniques like Chinese medicine, LED, and Ayurveda bolstered by an all-natural herbal skincare line.

Erin Telford is an incredible breath-worker, healer, acupuncturist, herbalist, and Reiki master who has spent the last few years developing her two main therapeutic programs: breath-work and guiding light sessions (mentorship and therapeutic counseling). It's worth noting that Telford performs these therapies virtually, with clients in New York and further afield who can participate from the comfort of their own homes. Both the breath-work and guiding light programs are ideal for those who feel stuck and have difficulty opening themselves up to love, or for those of us who hold on to pent-up emotions of grief, rage, and resentment.

Perhaps the chicest yoga studio in NYC, Sky Ting was designed in part by Courtney Applebaum—who collaborated with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on The Row's Melrose Place store—and has an airy, effortlessly cool aesthetic. The foundation of their signature Sky Ting class is pulled from Vinyasa, Katonah, Iyengar, Kundalini, and Hatha yoga traditions—but each instructor brings their own perspective, so no two sessions feel the same. They also offer specialty classes including infrared-heated and candlelit sessions. The studio also has an on-site spa, featuring two infrared saunas, a cold plunge, and a relaxing lounge with three day beds.

Up a nondescript flight of stairs on a well-trafficked stretch of the Bowery, the modelFIT Method relies on small movements using hand weights, a resistance band, gliders, and mini exercise balls to target small muscle grounds as opposed to more traditional jump squats, burpees, etc, in a bright light-filled space. Among the best offerings: modelFIT scuplt, which targets butt, thighs, and abs, and a dance cardio version featuring follow along-style dance moves. The classes generally fill up quickly, so best to get there a little early to get a good spot.

Having a tough time choosing between a boxing class and yoga? Now you don't have to thanks to this new mashup studio which opened its doors in Noho last year. Their 50-minute classes set to music from the likes of Eminem, Pearl Jam, and even Ella Fitzgerald, include a high-intensity warm-up before shadowboxing with both weights and a bag. Class winds down with a restorative a vinyasa flow.

We had to include both Tracy Anderson studios—it wouldn't feel truly goop without them. The Midtown outpost is located inside a 6,000-square-foot restored historic movie theater, with the full lineup of dance cardio and muscular structure classes, plus custom programs and personal training. Two studios with her patented Super G spring-loaded exercise floors anchor the space, alongside men's and women's locker rooms.

This OG yoga center has a bare-bones aesthetic—but the workout, not to mention the mental benefits, will blow your mind. There’s chanting, lectures, and vigorous asana practice in every class (most are “open”, meaning all levels, which is great for all but the newest beginner); every pose is held for five breaths, so you’ve got time to figure out what you’re doing. Beyond the fantastic, transformative yoga in the three large studios, there’s a vegan café, massages, and a boutique stocked with clean beauty all-stars, sustainable yogi fashion, and books. “The classes are packed because they’re so good,” says goop beauty director Jean Godfrey-June. “I am a functioning human being because of them!”

“The Class” is a workout like no other: People regularly laugh, cry, and scream during it, so intense is the release (not to mention the workout itself). Developed by former Dior exec Taryn Toomey, the 75-minute session is an exhilarating mix of yoga, aerobics, and strength training as well as chanting and mental work). In addition to sculpted muscles (Toomey’s incredible body is the best advertisement) and an excellent dose of cardio, the aim is to free yourself from “the sludge,” as Toomey says, meaning everything that weighs you down, both emotionally and physically.

One session at this airy, light-filled studio—a slice of heaven among the rickety lofts that line the Bowery—and you’re hooked. They use the Reformer (versus mat-based Pilates), a machine that adds resistance to exercises using springs to sculpt, tone, and strengthen the body. The instructors are dynamic and personable, not to mention lithe and statuesque (Pilates is known for its elongating, posture-improving benefits). They sell kombucha on tap, as well as an assortment of gluten- and refined sugar-free cacao balls (the turmeric-dusted variety is insane) that are delicious, nourishing, and supremely satisfying after an intense class.

To give you the best sculpt and tone in the business, Erika Bloom Pilates has three New York locations, one in Connecticut, and a new studio in Los Angeles. Each space is flooded with natural light, making it a relaxing and—oh yes, we’re going to go there—fun workout. The studio’s knowledgeable staff curates personalized routines that borrow from Pilates, yoga, Alexander technique, Feldenkrais, and weight training. There are also programs for pre- and postnatal women, osteoporosis, injury prevention, acupuncture, bodywork, and holistic health consulting.

This beloved neighborhood center for spiritual nourishment is connected to one of the best health-food stores in the West Village. Varied yoga classes take place in sun-filled studios, all with gorgeous wood floors—the vibe of the place is more beautifully rustic than polished: Yoga and Qigong focuses on harnessing energy to your advantage, while Yoga for Arthritic and Chronic Pain teaches self-soothing techniques.There are also incredible workshops (topics range from eye health to the importance of eating seasonally to how to how to give a Thai massage), and the wellness spa offers cranial therapy, acupuncture, myofascial release, spiritual counseling, and more—and there’s an excellent book alcove-boutique that sells blankets, stones, mats, and grounding yoga paraphernalia.

Nestled in Alphabet City, this cozy herbal apothecary stocks every health-supporting botanical one could dream up, no matter how obscure. The shelves are lined with organic herbs—ones we’ve heard of like ashwagandha and comfrey, as well as ones we haven’t like bladderwrack and bloodroot—gorgeous flower essences, nourishing roots, bath salts, gem elixirs, organic mushrooms, and essential oils.

A facial here involves amazing acupuncture, collagen-infused masks, ghee-powered face oils, and, perhaps most incredibly, face cupping. Practitioner Aimee Raupp, besides waking up your entire face (your whole body feels good after a treatment), can talk to you about diet, hormones, and many other aspects of women’s health—her book on fertility and pregnancy, Yes, You Can Get Pregnant, was a bestseller, and she has a new book on health and autoimmunity coming out next month. Her treatments were a huge hit at the recent In goop Health Summit for a reason—they are absolutely transformative.

Melanie Herring’s small studio in a Greenpoint brownstone is deceptively modest, but her facials will help change your skin, whether it’s breakouts that bother you or dullness and wrinkles. Massage, aromatherapy, all manner of nourishing oils and mists, plus a one-on-one discussion (sometimes assisted by animal-spirit cards) might happen before you begin.

Barbara Close studied therapeutic herbal therapies and integrative medicine before founding Naturopathica—so it’s equal parts healing center and spa. There’s an apothecary-like boutique hung with giant glass tincture-dispensers in front where you can sample the brand’s gorgeous, botanical-spiked skincare, health-supporting teas (our fav: the Skin Tea to promote a vibrant complexion), herbal-infused honey, and, of course, said tinctures. There’s a tonic bar serving cold-pressed juices, kombucha (the grapefruit mint flavor—omg), and frothy herbal lattes. The spa itself is a huge, dimly lit, atmospheric sanctuary with a plush consultation space (the wallpaper is unforgettably cool), sound-bath alcove, and absolutely incredible massages, facials, and scalp treatments. The Chill Facial incorporates acupressure techniques and magnesium to release facial muscle tension, the Clear Facial helps revitalize and clarify skin with chlorophyll, colloidal silver, and high frequency technology while the Nourish Facial uses lymphatic brushing, calendula, oats, and honey to hydrate and calm sensitive skin.

In a neighborhood that's primarily serviced by grand, historic hotels, the Park Hyatt offers an experience that's very modern. The Christian de Portzamparc-designed skyscraper, One 57, sits directly across from Carnegie Hall and offers some of the biggest rooms, square-footage-wise, in the city. Meanwhile, the contemporary interiors by design firm Yabu Pushelberg strike the perfect balance between modernism and comfort.

The hotel offers a wonderfully secluded and private stay, while the on-site restaurant, Locanda Verde, is one of our favorite Tribeca haunts. Subtly Mediterranean in vibe, the simply decorated rooms here are cozy and airy, plus there's an incredible Shibui spa, a pool and steam room, and a pretty courtyard that's the perfect destination when you just want coffee and the morning paper. The real crown jewel though, is the Penthouse Suite. Axel Vervoodt spent two years renovating it, and the end result is absolutely stunning: In his signature way, there's stone and wood accents, rough-luxe textured walls, wooden floors, and chic simplicity throughout.

Towering over Central Park in the Time Warner Center building, the Mandarin Oriental's location is within striking distance of Fifth Avenue, Broadway, and Lincoln Center. That's all overshadowed by the view. The décor is typical of the Mandarin's modern, Asian-inflected style, the spa is excellent, and there's a pretty insane 75-foot lap pool.

This 60-room boutique hotel sits on ground that was actually an apple orchard in the early days—though the federally protected historic building (formerly the General Theological Seminary) wasn't built until the 1800s. The rooms themselves are modern but very comfortable, furnished with antiques and one-of-a-kind pieces that were sourced in and around the city. As for the downstairs amenities, you'll find a cozy little cocktail garden protected from the street, and Chelsea Market just a few steps away. As the name indicates, you're also right near the High Line—we like to pick up a coffee from the on-site Intelligentsia to nurse during the walk.

We’ve been fans of the 1 Hotel group since it first set up shop in Miami; New York quickly followed with two locations—one near Central Park and the other on the Brooklyn Heights waterfront. Blurring the line between luxury and sustainability, every corner of the space is considered in terms of design, from the locally made tables to the greenery and reclaimed wood walls. The rooms are minimal but comfortable, outfitted with hemp-blend mattresses and organic cotton sheets. Another major draw is the food: Chef Jonathan Waxman’s beloved NYC establishment Jams was reprised here, and he hands down serves one of the city’s best kale salads and asparagus tortellini.

For our second brick-and-mortar venture, we brought a bit of West Coast to New York: Taking inspiration from 1930s Hollywood homes designed by Billy Baldwin and Paul Williams, we tapped LA design firm Commune to bring the Noho space to life. The 2,100-square-foot shop echoes a private residence—enter from cobbled Bond Street into to a large room stocked with a curated selection of pieces from brands like Officine Générale, Matteau, Ciao Lucia, and our own G. Label by goop. A clean beauty apothecary is stocked with goop-approved products, and a fully-functioning kitchen showcases wares from our favorite home goods lines, and plays host to cooking demos.

This shop has been around forever, and they can help you find literally any healthy, impossible-to-get ingredient you can imagine. There's a vegan bakery, a juice bar, and plenty of organics.

CAP stands for “clean and pure,” which describes everything you’ll find at this tightly curated shop in the West Village. The gang’s all here as far as clean beauty brands go—they carry Kjaer Weis, Odacité, Tata Harper, and a great selection of dusts and potions from brands like Moon Juice, Four Sigmatic, and Urban Moonshine. They’re also known for excellent facials—for a holistic anti-aging package, look at the CAP Lift, a series of facial-rejuvenation acupuncture treatments that takes place over several weeks.

Conveniently located next door to the restaurant iteration of Dimes—if you're looking for the ingredients to recreate one of the bursting-with-flavor, health-centric dishes you've just consumed and can't stop thinking about, look no further. Dimes Market is a narrow, small but mighty, galley-style grocer, filled with all the provisions one needs to churn out delicious meals, snacks, and smoothies from the average tiny NYC kitchen (or if you're no home-cook, make your kitchen look pretty instead with the selection of linens, ceramics, and premium-grade olive oil also lining the shelves). A tight edit of only-the-best food purveyors, quality produce, all manner of powders and supplements, pretty utensils and, last, but not least, clean beauty products fill the space. Dimes market is the modern apothecary for the thoroughly modern shopper—because sometimes we need to pick up a side of aluminum-free deodorant alongside that bunch of greens and crate of grapefruit La Croix.

The fabled Dr. Cow sells precisely the opposite of what you might imagine: the best tree-nut cheeses, and the most delicious golden milk (turmeric, nut milk, etc.)—its thick luxuriousness reminds us of the best kind of hot chocolate (think: Angelina in Paris, City Bakery in NYC), without the sweetness. Plus, you can pick up some Sun Potion adaptogen powders while you're there.

Part holistic café, part beauty and wellness boutique, The Alchemist’s Kitchen has everything from delicious matcha milkshakes and an array of beautifully health-supporting detox teas to adaptogenic mushroom powders (Sun Potion galore!) elixirs for sweet dreams, the best ghee butter on the planet, and tinctures for every ailment under the sun (menstrual cramps, stress, and more). Founded by three female herbalists, the studio offers workshops and informative panels on herbalism and the healing powers of botanicals, as well as one-on-one consultations with their in-house herbalists. (Bonus: Infrared studio Higher Dose shares the space, occupying the lower level.)

New York is no stranger to coffee shops and teahouses, but Chalait is the first one to feature such a matcha-heavy menu. For the uninitiated, our favorite matcha latte—creamy and not too bitter—is a good intro to this potent, antioxidant-rich green tea. For nonbelievers, there’s Counter Culture coffee and a variety of loose-leaf teas. While there is no Wi-Fi, it's a good spot to get some work done.

This small vegan café/juicery in the Financial District is one of the only places in the area where you can find 100%-organic, raw, cold-pressed juice—all made fresh in-house daily. We like the Fearless Cleanse, a line-up of six juices. Though they all have a green component, they're varied enough to make it interesting: In addition to the standard kale/spinach mixes, there's one with wheatgrass and one with E3Live. Even on the first day, we were feeling the effects of the detox, most notably in a runny nose and an energetic euphoria around 3 p.m.

We’re Jack’s Coffee loyalists in Amagansett, and you can find all the same magic—perfectly roasted beans, egg breakfast sandwiches, simple salads, a smattering of good juices—at the slightly-above-street-level space in the Seaport. There are also two locations in the West Village. While this outpost doesn't have Wi-Fi, it's a low-key place to get non-internet-dependent work done.

This is truly a place for the matcha-obsessed: In addition to standard fare like a coconut matcha latte (made, of course, with Japanese ceremonial matcha), you can order their ginger turmeric version (the combination of assertive ginger, earthy spice, and matcha works surprisingly well), plus matcha pastries, and matcha soft-serve. While this NOHO spot is their latest space, the OG Cha Cha Matcha is just around the corner on Broome Street.

The OG Williamsburg location may have recently closed, but this Chelsea location offers the same seriously good matcha, sourced from an independent farm in Nishio. (There’s a MatchBar outpost in Silver Lake in LA now, too).

Food Matters is a collective of experienced chefs and nutritionists who work as a team to offer busy New Yorkers a two-pronged approach to wellness: A nutritionist maps out your dietary needs then passes the info off to a chef, who’ll customize delicious, locally sourced meals to meet them. All dishes fit the detox bill (no gluten, refined sugars, or dairy) and are prepared fresh daily.

Scrolling through the Provenance site is kind of like taking a virtual walk through your local farmer's market, which makes sense since the fresh ingredients used for the clean, detox-approved meals (functional medicine guru and goop contributor Dr. Frank Lipman is an advisor) are sourced locally from organic farms. Deliveries are based on a twice-weekly schedule and can include any combination of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks to meet a number of dietary needs; the whole food detox bundle is particularly appealing this time of year.

This one is for anyone curious about clean eating but too busy/cooking-averse to do the goop detox from scratch. As gorgeous as the presentation may be, it’s what’s inside Sakara's pretty packaging that counts: expect to find three or five day’s worth of 100-percent clean, organic, nutritionally sound meals—water and detox tea included. A menu might read something like this: gluten-free bagel with cashew cream cheese for breakfast, mango veggie burger for lunch, and vegan chopped salad for dinner. The program was launched in NYC by ex-Wall Streeter Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise, a former model, and has quickly expanded to offer deliveries across the country.

While it's not exactly a full-on meal delivery service, what Daily Harvest does—deliver pre-measured organic smoothie and/or soup ingredients and super-food add-ons that you store in the freezer until blend time—is just as useful to anyone looking to take their eating habits to a healthier place. And don’t let the freezer bit trip you up: fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries retain both their taste and nutritional value better when cryogenically frozen at their ripest point, which is exactly what these guys do best.

Short of having a professional camped out in your kitchen, Personal Chef really lives up to its name: The small but mighty operation takes your food preferences and dietary restrictions into account, and uses ingredients from local farms to design a menu for you that perfectly suits your needs. You can sign up for varied regularity, like a week’s worth of dinners, or three meals a day (plus snacks)—or just work with them to create exactly what you want.

Offering some of the most superlative catering in New York City since 1985, Peter Callahan is a master at executing the perfect event. With a full team of event producers, artists, and most importantly, chefs, he customizes each menu and drinks offering to the client's specifications irrespective of whether the event is a gala dinner, an intimate baby shower, or rustic wedding (the team are adept at creating kitchens in the field to cater to every type of location).