Crosby Street Hotel Restaurant

On NYE we popped into the Crosby Street Hotel for lunch. It wasn't busy at all at 1:15 in the afternoon and perfect for escaping the frost. The room was colorful and cozy with puffy pillows on the banquette, and eye candy all around: red felt animal-shaped cut-outs affixed to the backs of charcoal grey felt chairs; the Queen's face inside a grid of shadowboxes on the wall; and a bizarrely playful fixation with vintage telephones. The ultimate reason to come back (besides this being one of the handful of restaurants in greater-SoHo that inspires a shopping break): the duck springroll. It will make you very happy. The burger, made from three cuts of beef and ground freshly on the premises, is good (beware the avocado, you purists), and the cheddar mac n cheese is OK but a bit too runny for us. We didn't get dessert, but if you're lucky they'll swing by your table with those complimentary house-made mango, strawberry or choocolate sorbet cones. 79 Crosby Street, NYC, 10012

Photo from Apartment Therapy.