Illustrated by Hannah Minn.
Last week, Meghan Markle took a surprise solo trip to New York City to spend time with her close friends ahead of the birth of her first child. While in town, the Duchess of Sussex did celebrate her forthcoming bundle of joy with a fancy, star-studded baby shower, but she also ate at some pretty luxurious restaurants. From Michelin-starred spots to celebrity-favorite hangouts, here's your guide to dining in Manhattan just like Meghan Markle.
The Mark Hotel calls itself "New York's Most Boldly Lavish Hotel," which means many of us may never be able to afford staying even one night at this place. However, snagging a very special meal at The Mark Restaurant or enjoying a cocktail at The Mark Bar isn't completely out of the question. Located inside the hotel, the Mark Restaurant features seasonal menus created by world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who catered Meghan Markle's recent baby shower that took place in The Mark Hotel's most extravagant suite. While you won't be able to order baby shower-themed iced sugar cookies like Vongerichten made for Markle and her friends, you can order from The Mark Restaurant's raw bar and add black truffles to any dish on the menu.
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It seems that Meghan Markle spent quite a bit of time inside hotels during her recent trip to New York City. On Tuesday, February 19, the Duchess of Sussex met her former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer to explore some modern art at The Met Breuer followed by lunch at Café Boulud, which is located inside The Surrey Hotel. The restaurant told E! News that the two women enjoyed a "lovely lunch" here. In addition to chef Daniel Boulud's celebrated modernized French cuisine and the spot's Michelin star, Café Boulud also offers a private and intimate atmosphere, which Markle clearly liked, as she and Spencer headed here after a failed stop at the too-public Flora Bar inside The Met Breuer.
A favorite spot among so many celebrities, Ralph Lauren's polo-themed restaurant offers classic American fare from corned beef sandwiches to kale salads. Markle dined here last week with tennis legend Serena Williams, stylist Jessica Mulroney, and Soho House membership director Markus Anderson. Though we don't know what Markle and her friend ordered, Vanity Fair reported that the group was at the restaurant for three hours, which is plenty of time to enjoy more than one of the spot's famous $20 RRL hot dogs.
During her recent pre-baby visit to NYC, Meghan Markle seemed to mostly hang out on the Upper East Side. She did, however, venture below 50th Street at least once to pop in at the SoHo location of Ladurée. Though the French patisserie is known primarily for its colorful macarons, Markle ate more than sweets here last weekend. According to Us Weekly, the Duchess met a friend at the spot's tea room for lunch. Beyond pastries, Ladurée serves egg-forward breakfast and brunch items until 5 p.m. as well as signature dishes like Chicken Vol-au-Vent and filet mignon with mushroom duxelles.