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Victoria Beckham walking outside Balthazar with a bodyguard and people taking
Victoria Beckham at Balthazar in Soho.
James Devaney/WireImage

The Best Restaurants for Celebrity Spotting in NYC, According to @Deuxmoi

The pop culture Instagram account — which has been likened to the real-life Gossip Girl — breaks down where celebrities are dining across the city

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Victoria Beckham at Balthazar in Soho.
| James Devaney/WireImage

In September 2020, a follower on Instagram direct-messaged me with the first real-time celebrity sighting that my account had ever received. It read something like “just saw Hugh Jackman on Bleecker Street” accompanied by a picture of Hugh Jackman quite simply standing on the sidewalk. I am the anonymous creator behind Deuxmoi — a pop culture rumor mill on Instagram that people have likened to a real-life Gossip Girl — so, I guess it was a natural progression for the account to start posting actual celebrity sightings.

My first “SPOTTED” post of Jackman standing on a sidewalk in NYC was shared thousands of times. Within a week I started receiving tips of celebrity sightings all over NYC and LA. These sightings quickly started to include the restaurants where celebrities were seen dining out. Cut to almost two years later, and I think the followers of Deuxmoi have seen almost every single celebrity dining at restaurants all over the globe. My Instagram account has become an encyclopedia of which restaurants celebrities prefer to dine at. A heads up: One of the most frequently celeb-strewn restaurants in NYC, Carbone, was intentionally omitted from the map. At this point, it is a well-known fact that this is the most popular Italian restaurant in NYC for celebs and normies. Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, John Mayer, Kanye West, and Julia Fox are just a few celebs who my followers have seen eating spicy rigatoni at Carbone.

So, in true Deuxmoi “SPOTTED” fashion, and without having to wait until my Sunday drop, I compiled a list of celebrity haunts in NYC. The celebs listed for each of the 13 restaurants are based off of actual tips from the followers of the Deuxmoi Instagram account.

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The Leopard at des Artistes

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The Leopard at des Artistes, a sophisticated Italian restaurant located at the same address as former Upper West Side icon Café des Artistes, is just as beautiful and posh as its predecessor. Former New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton once wrote that the Leopard at des Artistes caters to those who seek “fame from power rather than the other way around,” which is probably why Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg and James Bond himself — Daniel Craig — have been seen dining here.

A dining room with tables covered in white tablecloths and large murals of women on the walls.
The Leopard at des Artistes’ dining room.
The Leopard at des Artistes

The Lobster Club

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Located in the former Four Seasons complex, this Japanese brasserie  — also run by the Carbone dudes, but less of a scene — is one of midtown Manhattan’s most impeccably designed restaurants. Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost recently attended a party here, where I imagine Johansson enjoyed their lobster dumplings, wagyu beef, and spicy toro rolls. If you go, don’t even think about asking if they serve California rolls.

A packed dining room full of people with large pieces of art on the walls.
The dining room at the Lobster Club.
Gary He/Eater NY

Barbuto

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I will literally go anywhere that angel Julianne Moore dines, and I think the readers of Deuxmoi feel the same. So you can catch me at Barbuto next week, nibbling on their smoked salmon pizza. This West Village restaurant, which recently reopened to rave reviews, has also served the likes of Andy Cohen and Bella Hadid. Its menu is not extensive, but it doesn’t really matter because everyone is basically there for one dish: the tender roast chicken with salsa verde.

A plate of roast chicken topped with salsa verde beside a glass of wine.
Barbuto’s roast chicken.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Morandi

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Like seemingly every other Keith McNally restaurant, Morandi is also a favorite among celebrities. Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden were seen here ordering a very expensive bottle of wine, Sarah Jessica Parker is a regular, and Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph is also a fan of Morandi’s rustic Italian fare. Expect dishes like hand-rolled spaghetti with lemon and parmesan and Sicilian-style meatballs studded with pine nuts and raisins at this West Village hot spot.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker leaves Morandi Restaurant on December 17, 2009 in New York City.
Sarah Jessica Parker leaving Morandi.
Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

Buvette

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It’s all so perfectly cliché, but sensitive French heartthrob Timothée Chalamet has been seen dining outside at this West Village French restaurant. Solo. While reading a book. (Insert the sound of Deuxmoi readers swooning here.) Buvette, which has also played host to the OG Gossip Girl herself, Blake Lively, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. However, in this New Yorker’s humble opinion, they are most popular for their brunch menu, which includes buttery croque madames and monsieurs, and an assortment of flaky French pastries.

A plate with two cheesy, grilled slices of bread stuffed with mushrooms and a white coffee cup in the background.
A croque forestier at Buvette.
Erika Adams/Eater NY

Altro Paradiso

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Why do I automatically feel like I’m part of the cool girl club when I dine at Altro Paradiso? Probably because this upscale Italian restaurant is a favorite amongst Hollywood’s Confident Queens Jennifer Lawrence, Zoe Kravitz, and Lily Rose Depp. However, my favorite Altro Paradiso regular is Girls hottie Christopher Abbot, who has been spotted here dining alfresco (and yes, he has been seen on Raya, according to my followers, so if you are single and think Christopher is as hot as I do, linger on the corner of Spring Street and Sixth Avenue to shoot your shot).

A sunny dining room with large windows and a tan banquette curving around the room.
Altro Paradiso’s dining room.
Khushbu Shah/Eater NY

Lure Fishbar

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I am beginning to think that the cast of the Gossip Girl revival is more Gossip Girl in real life than the characters they play. The actors are trendsetters in their own right, so when you see Evan Mock and Eli Brown dining at Lure Fishbar, you know you can add it to your list of cool-kid NYC restaurants. The seafood spot — which is also a favorite of Hailey Bieber and Saweetie — has an extensive raw bar and sushi menu, plus lobster rolls, clam chowder, and miso-glazed salmon.

A metal rack filled with three tacos stuffed with tuna and green garnishes.
Tuna tacos from Lure Fishbar.
Lure Fishbar

Fanelli Cafe

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Succession’s Nicholas Braun, also informally known as NYC’s boyfriend, has been spotted at this 175-year-old Soho institution with his bestie McLovin from Superbad (yes, he has a name — Christopher Mintz-Plasse — but only his mom calls him that). Also, NYC’s original downtown It Girl Chloe Sevigny has been spotted here and I’d like to imagine she ordered the Pat LaFrieda hot dog, because, just like hot dogs, Chloe is a NYC staple. But Fanelli’s most frequent celebrity patron might be Chris Rock. He has been seen here eating solo at the bar (we love an Independent King), and perched at one of their outdoor tables a couple hours before they even opened. Maybe he wanted to be first in line for their bacon, egg, cheddar, and arugula breakfast sandwich?

Customers are seen eating outside Fanelli Cafe in SoHo as the city moves into Phase 2 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
Fanelli Cafe in Soho.
Gotham/Getty Images

Balthazar

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If you don’t dine at Balthazar, are you even a celebrity? I think literally every celeb who passes through NYC has broken fluffy, sourdough bread at Balthazar, including Zoe Deutch, Awkwafina, Sienna Miller, Jared Leto, Mary Kate Olsen, Fran Lebowitz, Tom Hiddleston, and Meryl Streep. Balthazar is also a favorite of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has often been spotted here taking business meetings over a solitary cup of coffee.

Servers walk through Balthazar’s high-ceilinged dining room.
Inside Balthazar.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Ruby's Cafe

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Warning: Do not go to Ruby’s if you want your relationship to last. Just kidding, but this Australian-leaning cafe was a favorite of both Jacob Elordi and Kaia Gerber and Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello before their untimely breakups. Ruby’s, which has multiple locations in Manhattan, has a menu that includes Aussie staples like Vegemite toast, which could explain why this is one of Australian native Elordi’s favorite spots in NYC.

Customers sit at tables separated by dividers outside Ruby’s Cafe as the city moves into Phase 2 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on June 23, 2020 in New York City.
People eating outside at Ruby’s Cafe.
Noam Galai/Getty Images

Locanda Verde

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Is it the lamb meatball sliders that have celebs flocking to Locanda Verde, or are they there to support Hollywood heavyweight and restaurant co-owner Bobby De Niro? We may never know, but if Locanda Verde is good enough for Harry Styles, then it’s good enough for me. In addition to Harry, Drew Barrymore and pal Savannah Guthrie have been seen dining here. If you stop by, be sure to order their famous sheep’s milk ricotta. (I must know if Harry tried that.)

Hands reaching over a table filled with dishes of food and glasses of wine.
A dinner spread at Locanda Verde.
Locanda Verde

This is Pete Davidson’s “native NYC” and we are all just living in it. One of his go-to restaurants is Lilia, which has become a hangout for multiple celebrity couples, including Anwar Hadid and Dua Lipa, and Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay (although they are not a couple unless you dive deep into some fan theories). Pete even dined in one of the Italian restaurant’s outside yurts with his new-ish girlfriend Kim Kardashian. I’m dying to know what Kim K ate off of this menu — did she stick to her vegan diet and try the spaghetti with pine nuts sans parmigiano? If reservations are scarce, Lilia also offers takeout at a daytime cafe next door stocked with Italian pastries and breakfast fare.

A sunny, white-walled restaurant interior with a bar and stools on the right side and tables set up against a banquette on the left side.
Inside Lilia.
Nick Solares/Eater NY

The Odeon

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Attention to all celebs who have stepped foot in Tribeca: If you are in the area, you must dine at the Odeon. A celeb-only Bat Signal must be beaming from the restaurant, because, similar to Balthazar, literally every celebrity in America has dined at the Odeon at some point, including Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne, Katie Holmes, Naomi Watts, Ben Affleck, and Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff. The downtown celebrity magnet is even a fave of yours truly. Do not miss the salmon tartare drizzled with soy vinaigrette or the loaded country frisee salad, which is basically a deconstructed BLT.

A neon red lit sign spelling out “The Odeon” hangs above the restaurant exterior on a rainy night in NYC.
The Odeon.
Mark Peterson/Corbis via Getty Images

The Leopard at des Artistes

The Leopard at des Artistes, a sophisticated Italian restaurant located at the same address as former Upper West Side icon Café des Artistes, is just as beautiful and posh as its predecessor. Former New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton once wrote that the Leopard at des Artistes caters to those who seek “fame from power rather than the other way around,” which is probably why Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg and James Bond himself — Daniel Craig — have been seen dining here.

A dining room with tables covered in white tablecloths and large murals of women on the walls.
The Leopard at des Artistes’ dining room.
The Leopard at des Artistes

The Lobster Club

Located in the former Four Seasons complex, this Japanese brasserie  — also run by the Carbone dudes, but less of a scene — is one of midtown Manhattan’s most impeccably designed restaurants. Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost recently attended a party here, where I imagine Johansson enjoyed their lobster dumplings, wagyu beef, and spicy toro rolls. If you go, don’t even think about asking if they serve California rolls.

A packed dining room full of people with large pieces of art on the walls.
The dining room at the Lobster Club.
Gary He/Eater NY

Barbuto

I will literally go anywhere that angel Julianne Moore dines, and I think the readers of Deuxmoi feel the same. So you can catch me at Barbuto next week, nibbling on their smoked salmon pizza. This West Village restaurant, which recently reopened to rave reviews, has also served the likes of Andy Cohen and Bella Hadid. Its menu is not extensive, but it doesn’t really matter because everyone is basically there for one dish: the tender roast chicken with salsa verde.

A plate of roast chicken topped with salsa verde beside a glass of wine.
Barbuto’s roast chicken.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Morandi

Like seemingly every other Keith McNally restaurant, Morandi is also a favorite among celebrities. Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden were seen here ordering a very expensive bottle of wine, Sarah Jessica Parker is a regular, and Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph is also a fan of Morandi’s rustic Italian fare. Expect dishes like hand-rolled spaghetti with lemon and parmesan and Sicilian-style meatballs studded with pine nuts and raisins at this West Village hot spot.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker leaves Morandi Restaurant on December 17, 2009 in New York City.
Sarah Jessica Parker leaving Morandi.
Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

Buvette

It’s all so perfectly cliché, but sensitive French heartthrob Timothée Chalamet has been seen dining outside at this West Village French restaurant. Solo. While reading a book. (Insert the sound of Deuxmoi readers swooning here.) Buvette, which has also played host to the OG Gossip Girl herself, Blake Lively, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. However, in this New Yorker’s humble opinion, they are most popular for their brunch menu, which includes buttery croque madames and monsieurs, and an assortment of flaky French pastries.

A plate with two cheesy, grilled slices of bread stuffed with mushrooms and a white coffee cup in the background.
A croque forestier at Buvette.
Erika Adams/Eater NY

Altro Paradiso

Why do I automatically feel like I’m part of the cool girl club when I dine at Altro Paradiso? Probably because this upscale Italian restaurant is a favorite amongst Hollywood’s Confident Queens Jennifer Lawrence, Zoe Kravitz, and Lily Rose Depp. However, my favorite Altro Paradiso regular is Girls hottie Christopher Abbot, who has been spotted here dining alfresco (and yes, he has been seen on Raya, according to my followers, so if you are single and think Christopher is as hot as I do, linger on the corner of Spring Street and Sixth Avenue to shoot your shot).

A sunny dining room with large windows and a tan banquette curving around the room.
Altro Paradiso’s dining room.
Khushbu Shah/Eater NY

Lure Fishbar

I am beginning to think that the cast of the Gossip Girl revival is more Gossip Girl in real life than the characters they play. The actors are trendsetters in their own right, so when you see Evan Mock and Eli Brown dining at Lure Fishbar, you know you can add it to your list of cool-kid NYC restaurants. The seafood spot — which is also a favorite of Hailey Bieber and Saweetie — has an extensive raw bar and sushi menu, plus lobster rolls, clam chowder, and miso-glazed salmon.

A metal rack filled with three tacos stuffed with tuna and green garnishes.
Tuna tacos from Lure Fishbar.
Lure Fishbar

Fanelli Cafe

Succession’s Nicholas Braun, also informally known as NYC’s boyfriend, has been spotted at this 175-year-old Soho institution with his bestie McLovin from Superbad (yes, he has a name — Christopher Mintz-Plasse — but only his mom calls him that). Also, NYC’s original downtown It Girl Chloe Sevigny has been spotted here and I’d like to imagine she ordered the Pat LaFrieda hot dog, because, just like hot dogs, Chloe is a NYC staple. But Fanelli’s most frequent celebrity patron might be Chris Rock. He has been seen here eating solo at the bar (we love an Independent King), and perched at one of their outdoor tables a couple hours before they even opened. Maybe he wanted to be first in line for their bacon, egg, cheddar, and arugula breakfast sandwich?

Customers are seen eating outside Fanelli Cafe in SoHo as the city moves into Phase 2 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
Fanelli Cafe in Soho.
Gotham/Getty Images

Balthazar

If you don’t dine at Balthazar, are you even a celebrity? I think literally every celeb who passes through NYC has broken fluffy, sourdough bread at Balthazar, including Zoe Deutch, Awkwafina, Sienna Miller, Jared Leto, Mary Kate Olsen, Fran Lebowitz, Tom Hiddleston, and Meryl Streep. Balthazar is also a favorite of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has often been spotted here taking business meetings over a solitary cup of coffee.

Servers walk through Balthazar’s high-ceilinged dining room.
Inside Balthazar.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Ruby's Cafe

Warning: Do not go to Ruby’s if you want your relationship to last. Just kidding, but this Australian-leaning cafe was a favorite of both Jacob Elordi and Kaia Gerber and Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello before their untimely breakups. Ruby’s, which has multiple locations in Manhattan, has a menu that includes Aussie staples like Vegemite toast, which could explain why this is one of Australian native Elordi’s favorite spots in NYC.

Customers sit at tables separated by dividers outside Ruby’s Cafe as the city moves into Phase 2 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on June 23, 2020 in New York City.
People eating outside at Ruby’s Cafe.
Noam Galai/Getty Images

Locanda Verde

Is it the lamb meatball sliders that have celebs flocking to Locanda Verde, or are they there to support Hollywood heavyweight and restaurant co-owner Bobby De Niro? We may never know, but if Locanda Verde is good enough for Harry Styles, then it’s good enough for me. In addition to Harry, Drew Barrymore and pal Savannah Guthrie have been seen dining here. If you stop by, be sure to order their famous sheep’s milk ricotta. (I must know if Harry tried that.)

Hands reaching over a table filled with dishes of food and glasses of wine.
A dinner spread at Locanda Verde.
Locanda Verde

Lilia

This is Pete Davidson’s “native NYC” and we are all just living in it. One of his go-to restaurants is Lilia, which has become a hangout for multiple celebrity couples, including Anwar Hadid and Dua Lipa, and Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay (although they are not a couple unless you dive deep into some fan theories). Pete even dined in one of the Italian restaurant’s outside yurts with his new-ish girlfriend Kim Kardashian. I’m dying to know what Kim K ate off of this menu — did she stick to her vegan diet and try the spaghetti with pine nuts sans parmigiano? If reservations are scarce, Lilia also offers takeout at a daytime cafe next door stocked with Italian pastries and breakfast fare.

A sunny, white-walled restaurant interior with a bar and stools on the right side and tables set up against a banquette on the left side.
Inside Lilia.
Nick Solares/Eater NY

The Odeon

Attention to all celebs who have stepped foot in Tribeca: If you are in the area, you must dine at the Odeon. A celeb-only Bat Signal must be beaming from the restaurant, because, similar to Balthazar, literally every celebrity in America has dined at the Odeon at some point, including Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne, Katie Holmes, Naomi Watts, Ben Affleck, and Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff. The downtown celebrity magnet is even a fave of yours truly. Do not miss the salmon tartare drizzled with soy vinaigrette or the loaded country frisee salad, which is basically a deconstructed BLT.

A neon red lit sign spelling out “The Odeon” hangs above the restaurant exterior on a rainy night in NYC.
The Odeon.
Mark Peterson/Corbis via Getty Images

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