{things i did} clement at the peninsula new york

Last weekend m​y boyfriend and I lunched at Clement, a fairly new restaurant (it opened last fall to great reviews) in a fairly old hotel, 1905's The Peninsula New York. Even though it was late afternoon on a Saturday, the place was fairly empty, which shouldn't scare you away if you find it the same way–the food and service were impeccable and the quiet, elegant atmosphere was a welcome relief from the tourist-laden bustle of Fifth Avenue. Everyone there was polite and helpful, and followed up cheerfully about the quality of the food and drinks. Each course was a highlight, from the unique drinks to the freshly-flavorful tomato gazpacho (which I'm dying to replicate at home) to the divine passion-fruit cheesecake. Of course the brightest star is probably the location: sitting atop Fifth Avenue in a historic building just never gets old.