40 best romantic getaways

New York City

Photo: Max Kim-Bee

Urban Retreat
From uptown’s bustling avenues to the quiet, cobblestoned streets of downtown, New York is a study in contrasts. The greatest challenge is deciding where to stay. With its fireplace suites, Lafayette House (doubles from $395) feels like your own pied-à-terre. Uptown, On the Ave (doubles from $199) has a modern flair, including Italian black-marble bathrooms. Pay a visit to the restored Plaza Hotel, where you can browse for art books at Assouline or try on vintage-inspired baubles at Kenneth Jay Lane, in the newly expanded shopping area. At the spruced-up Oak Bar, the wood paneling still glows warmly and the Central Park views are as stirring as always. Three blocks south, check out the skyline from the Peninsula New York’s new rooftop bar, Salon de Ning. The vibe: 1930’s Shanghai, with daybeds and mandarin-orange–flavored cocktails. For dinner, Café Cluny (dinner for two $90) is a portal to a Gallic village, where waitresses wear Audrey Tautou pigtails. End the evening at Smith & Mills, a tiny TriBeCa boîte in a former carriage house. The cozy banquettes can accommodate only a dozen-odd patrons. Bright lights, big city? From this vantage point, New York feels like a small town.