Life in New York City can get a little overwhelming every now and then, which is why New-Yorkers are constantly in the look for new spaces to escape from the concrete jungle that surrounds us on an everyday basis. Miss Lily’s, a Jamaican beach hut in the heart of downtown Manhattan, is certainly one of the places that fit this task to perfection.
This unique hotspot is the result of the collaboration between Paul Salmon and Binn and Genc Jakupi, founders of the award-winning Rockhouse Hotel in Jamaica and several exclusive nightclubs in New York City, respectively; yet it is designer Serge Becker, the mastermind behind some of the coolest restaurant in the city, who puts the finishing touches into the tropical diner. Their expertise becomes clear with the great attention to detail there is in this place. Everything from the tropically cool music to the album covers on the walls, the plates and the fruit stand-like bar, takes you away from the fast-paced city, and into a traditional Jamaican beach house, (an extremely cool one) almost instantly.
As soon as you walk in, it’s nearly impossible not to be astonished by the assortment of exciting scents that merge with the warm colors, the friendly staff and the retro decoration of the place, in order to create a cool atmosphere suitable for one of the most diverse crowds in New York City, which includes A-list actors, musicians and fashion editors alike. Despite the eye-catching decoration and the great music played by different guest DJs, the true attraction of Miss Lily’s comes from their carefully edited selection of remastered Jamaican classics, which combines all sorts of flavors to truly capture the feeling of having dinner by the beach (I personally recommend the Steamed fish with coconut and bean rice).
However, you should expect a couple of spicy surprises throughout your meal, which is why I strongly suggest trying one of their distinctive cocktails that feature unique combinations of ingredients, such as soju, mint and passion fruit or sake and plum wine (my personal favorite), and maybe finishing up with their famous (and delicious) Miss Lily’s Banana Cream Pudding.
Miss Lily’s is certainly not the kind of place you would go for a quick lunch. This lovely restaurant involves an entire sensory experience combining music, scent, color and of course, food to provides a fresh twist onto the traditional, combining tropical joy with New York cool. In short, Miss Lily’s is a trip to the Caribbean without actually leaving the city.