When you think of the biggest celebs in New York, there’s tough competition. You’ve got your billionaires, like Bezos, Ackman, Tisch, Rockefeller. Then you’ve got your celebs, where outside of LA, NYC has the highest concentration. But we couldn’t think of anyone bigger than Jay Z and Bey. So here are their NYC spots.
Hudson Clearwater Restaurant
If you’re important enough to get a reservation for dinner at Hudson Clearwater, you’re probably going to be upset when the hostess comes up to you and whispers politely to ask whether you could move your table to another nearby. But you’ll probably understand when just a few moments later, Beyonce and Jay Z walk through the doors and sit where you were sitting at what has been told to you is their usual table. The speakeasy style restaurant (the door is still hard to find) is just hidden and hipster enough to be romantic, which makes it a longtime favorite of Bey and J. Before heading to their friend, Steve Martin’s Coldplay concert, the couple visited for a dinner of small plates.
One thing about Bey and J is that they do not compromise on the food. Though they could have chosen a higher end restaurant in the West Village, they picked a spot where the food is guaranteed to impress every single time. With a kitchen that is virtually in the dining room, guests can watch as chefs prepare each meal. They make their Hanger Steak, sea bass and short ribs in small, succulent portions that are packed with flavor. And the noisy crowd of bar hopping young people and Village dwelling regulars creates the perfect ambiance for a cocktail pre-show.
Mamo
There’s a theme here. Beyonce and Jay Z love Italian food. And like us, they are big eaters. So naturally, after the 2019 Met Gala, the couple took daughter, Blue Ivy to renowned Italian eatery, MAMO in Soho. The New York-ified version of the famous location in Antibes is a tried and true favorite of locals in the area and those chasing special celebrity sightings.
Because it is famous and french, MAMO choses consistency and comfort over flashy additions. Perhaps that is how they have retained a loyal crowd of regulars like Bey and J who come back ritually, despite sky high prices. The menu has gone virtually unchanged, with simple, recognizable dishes that highlight fresh ingredients like truffles and heirloom tomatoes. And the soft warm lighting and leather sofas make the environment welcoming enough for a family dinner. Regulars say that some dishes are outstanding, while others are just good, but the service is always attentive and makes you feel like one of the big Italian fam.
Lucali
There has to be only one dingy-looking pizza place in the world that Beyonce would helicopter in for and it is Lucali in Brooklyn. She’s not alone in her obsession, though. Featured in Vogue, The New York Times, and on TV shows, Lucali is famous for it’s pie. And it is so good, that Bey and J routinely come to New York just for a slice.
The oh-so-Brooklyn pizza place is sparsely decorated with uncomfortable looking wooden tables and only one thing on the menu: pizza. But outside, a velvet rope wrapped around the block guides guests towards the long line in which people wait hours, just to be called for the waitlist to get inside.
Lucali pies are favorites of the famous couple because the ingredients are perfect, and the technique is unmatched. Fewer and fewer spots in the city still make pizza the way it should be made. That is, the Brooklyn way, with bubbly thin crust and the perfect combo of cheeses and velvety sauce. It sounds simple, but the recipe and process have gone decades in the making, and have been perfected through generations of dough tossing, and topping testing experience. Though the pies are undoubtedly worth it, if you aren’t Bey and J who get the royal treatment, you’re likely going to have to plan around the hours you might stand in line waiting for your pizza. But according to the singers, you have to go at least once.
Related: Top NYC Pizza – The Real List
