Robert De Niro’s favourite New York spots: “You don’t want everyone else knowing”
The moment you set foot on the harsh New York concrete, for the very first time, you are inundated with a set of options as to how you begin your trip.
Crippled by the varying cultural opportunities of the Big Apple, you’re left to choose between the vibrancy of Midtown, the honesty of Manhattan’s surrounding boroughs, or the artistry of its downtown areas.
Naturally, as a first timer on my visit, I opted for the latter. Fluctuating between the East and West Village, I embraced the neighbourhood lifestyle of its nooks and crannies, enjoying every ounce of culinary and artistic history while I was there. A famous New York deli could stand shoulder to shoulder with an iconic music venue like the Bowery Ballroom, and suddenly, I was immersed in a culture I had simply read about.
Because the key to visiting any city, particularly on a short break, is to feel as though you live there. Sure, Midtown is fun, the Empire State Building is impressive, and Times Square is a quick and easy thing to tick off the bucket list, but do you stand alongside the city’s residents while there? No, instead you stand next to the guy at the front of the passport queue on your flight out who’s got a retractable selfie stick attached to his belt loop.
In order to feel as though you live in any given city, you need to break out of the internet loop in which your planning may centre around and take real-life recommendations. Ironic, I know, given the fact I am relaying one of those to you via the internet medium, but imagine this advice is being delivered to you by Robert De Niro himself, in the quiet whisper of a between-set conversation.
When it comes to Bob’s favourite New York jaunts, there are three that crop up, at either end of the city, which means that should you be so desperate, you can stop at Times Square on your way between them.
To begin, De Niro suggests “a restaurant I love to go to on the Upper East Side called Sistina. That’s a really nice place – old-school Italian”.
In true fashion, De Niro recommends you go there and give it the full Goodfellas treatment, by asking for the owner and shaking his hand. He said, “Ask for the owner, Giuseppe, he’s Neapolitan.”
Once you’ve got to know Giuseppe on a personal level, you can let the food go down with a long walk to the other end of Manhattan, where De Niro’s remaining tips remain, and in the true heart of the city, I might add.
He said, “I like going to Locanda Verde in Tribeca too, of course, and Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village. It’s that kind of situation where you don’t really want to talk about these places, though, as you don’t want everyone else knowing about them.”
Well, sorry Bob, that’s me ruining the secrecy in one fell swoop. By the time you’ve read this, all sanctity might have been ruined. Giuseppe may have left Sistina on the basis of his overwhelming fame, and Locanda Verde, and Minetta Tavern may now simply be overrun with the likes of me, the guy from the airport and his retractable selfie stick.
