It’s been almost 20 years since we met the leading ladies of labels and of love. Sex and the City is iconic for portraying single life in New York City and even though it was oftentimes okay mostly unrealistic it never lacked in glamour or drama. It also never lacked in swanky restaurants or hot nightclubs. Carrie and the girls were always heading to some new opening or chatting about life across a table of sandwiches at some anonymous bistro.
If you ever wondered if any of those restaurants are actually real, you’ll be in luck to find out that you can now eat at the same places as the ultimate single girls. While a lot of them have since closed down or changed into something else, many still remain. We’ve rounded up the top 7 must visits from iconic scenes of the first film.
Major fans of the show know you can take a tour around NYC of locations from the show and film as well as visit the steps of Carrie’s apartment. The ‘East 73rd Street’ address of Carrie Bradshaw is, of course, fictitious. The film uses the same location as the TV series: 66 Perry Street at West 4th Street in Greenwich Village.
But if you wish to take the entire virtual tour of both the film and the series you can head on over to cabletv and see restaurants and bars featured in certain episodes or the film, and you’ll see an image or YouTube video associated with each business so you can see the actual scene where Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte ate and drank in style.
1. The Modern
Photo courtesy of onthesetofnewyork.com
In this scene Carrie shares her engagement to Big with the girls, and Charlotte shrieks with glee then proceeds to share the news with the entire restaurant which is called The Modern. The Modern is a Michelin-starred contemporary American restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art.
2. Buddakhan
Photo courtesy of satcfan.com
The stunning place where Carrie had her rehearsal dinner and where Steve shows up unexpectedly is Buddakhan NYC. The restaurant houses a dramatic Chinoiserie Room, every bit as spectacular as it appears on screen. Two stories high, its banquet table seats 36 diners, and that’s not to mention the restaurant’s Library Room – with around 2,500 books.
3. Bemelman’s Bar
Photo courtesy of usmagazine.com
When Carrie is explaining the semantics of a bootycall to her assistant Louise from St. Louis, they’re in Bemelman’s Bar. The art deco bar’s whimsical murals are the work of Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the enormously popular Madeline children’s books.
4. Raouls
Photo courtesy of dollyranch.ie
In the scene that Miranda finally spills the beans on how she “ruined” Carrie’s marriage *cue eye roll* they’er at the 40 year old Raoul’s. Good news for you can eat at the French bistro and discreet celebrity hangout that resides in SoHo. You might also have seen this eaterie in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Boston’-set The Departed.
5. The Ladies Pavilion, Central Park
Photo courtesy of onthesetofnewyork.com
Here Miranda tosses over the idea of getting back together with Steve as she and Carrie have lunch by the water. Not exactly a restaurant but definitely one of the many hidden gems of Central Park brought to the forefront by the movie.
6. Cognac (Formerly Lumi)
Photo courtesy of onthesetofnewyork.com
Just after a very pregnant Charlotte sits down for a meal at Lumi, she sees Big on the other side of the restaurant. She runs outside to avoid him and Big follows her out, where Charlotte proceeds to yell at him, “I curse the day you were born!” and then goes into labor. You may not be able to eat at Lumi anymore (not that either of them did very much of eating) but you can still curse someone on the street.
7. Junior’s
Photo courtesy of onthesetofnewyork.com
Skip all the way to right after Carrie’s courtroom wedding, they have their low key reception over at Junior’s. A Brooklyn institution, founded in 1950, it’s the self-proclaimed home of the ‘most fabulous cheesecake’.