Meat you in NY

A FEW days in New York leaves you wondering – what recession? No point in chipping up to one of the hot restaurants without a reservation.

Many don’t take bookings anyway so you just resign yourself to queuing – it could be half an hour or longer but you might as well chill out and accept the inevitable wait. One can enjoy the camaraderie and cheery banter between fellow ‘hopefuls’.

This time, I stayed in a newish boutique hotel downtown in the Meatpacking district. The über-cool Standard Hotel has a procession of gorgeous young people in the edgiest new gear traipsing in and out all the time.