The Fall Sets In New York

The fall brings Monika Patel to the perfect cup of coffee, as she explores the best of New York bars, clubs and restaurants

The leaves are carpeting lawns, streets and parks. That means it will soon be time to discard those shorts and claim back the indoors. New Yorkers are packing in the last days of outdoor fun.

One such place is Dumbo House, New York's members-only club for the creative community, with an outdoor pool and a terrace with a view. It is a part of the Soho House brand, begun in London in 1995. The vibe is fun, energetic and cool. Sitting on the terrace, between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and looking out at Manhattan, it is easy to wish time would stop and the moment captured for posterity. When cocktails and meal match the setting, there is no denying why this place is popular. The chia seed crisp accompanying the Beet + Avocado + Chickpea Dip is good enough to eat by itself. Crispy celery, crunchy cauliflower, spicy radish and raw asparagus also complement this dip. The Roasted Baby Eggplant is served in long strips, with a cashew cream, garlic confit and cilantro. I greedily wiped the dish clean with the last piece. A big wood oven dishes out divine pizzas. We indulged in the Brooklyn Cured Spicy Salami Pizza topped with maitake mushrooms. Our table unanimously decided on the Smoked Beef Short Ribs, only to be told they ran out. The ribs must obviously be a delicious favourite. We had to settle for an equally delightful Beef Fillet served with a carrot jus. The giant prawns served with roasted garlic and chilli oil, looked like it was nestled in between burning coal because of the torched herbs. The subtle flavour is just enough not to overpower the sweetness of the prawns.

Hugh Jackman has said, "the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions.' Malaysia bo barista Chi-Sum Ngai and her partner, Kaleena Teoh, agree. Their coffee obsession and search for the best way to drink coffee, led to Coffee Project. Three years after changing the face of coffee in the East Village, they opened the Brooklyn location. At their caf&eacute, they share recipes, ensure water quality and make coffee brewing, a chemistry project. Their omakase concept personalises coffee for customers and the slow bar is like sushi for coffee. The caf&eacute is a playground for baristas; people who love drinking and making coffee. The signature coffee, a three-set Deconstructed Latte, turns coffee drinking into an art. Begin with a shot of espresso, made with a blend of beans from Brazil and Guatemala, chase it with milk, pasteurised at a low temperature and steamed enough to caramelise it's natural sugar and then let the creamy sweet latte play havoc with the mouth. If that's not enough, drink sparkling water to cleanse the palate and end with a crunchy biscuit. The sweetness of the milk made me thirst for more. The duo's passion is evident in every kind of coffee on offer. Non-coffee drinkers can try some of the chai and green tea options.

Melbourne native and founder of Bluestone Lane coffee, Nick Stone, believes in the merits of a well-made cup of coffee. While attending business school n New York, he missed going to a good coffee place. Influenced by Melbourne's thriving coffee culture, he quit banking and started Bluestone Lane. By offering high-end, artisanal coffee, the focus is on drinking quality coffee and less on getting a caffeine high. The company is expanding rapidly with countrywide locations offering coffee and artisanal food. Over espresso martinis, at a networking event, this former football player spoke at length about how coffee plucked him from the boardroom and into the hearts of people. Bluestone Lane provides coffee needs at the 1, World Trade Center location of co-shared work space company, Servcorp, pioneers in this service. Apart from the chic office space, the view from the 85th floor location epitomises New York City.

Sometimes you need more than coffee. Like maybe magnums of Veuve Cliquot or Grey Goose. Goldbar on Broome Street is the ultimate, extravagant experience. Walk into this Nolita venue and be prepared to be dazzled. Gold-bedecked ceilings, gold-flecked chandeliers and a wall of golden skulls dominate the decor. Over the last decade, this space has morphed into one of New York's most popular night clubs, with great food, cocktails and cutting-edge music. At the opposite end of the spectrum, but just as popular, is Cafe Wha, a dive bar in Greenwich village. Straight off the bus from Minnesota, Bob Dylan first performed here in 1961. So did the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix and Woody Allen, who performed at Wha as young musicians. The caf&eacute still nurtures amazing talent and has three of the best house bands in the city. Sometimes the line for entry goes round the block and it's better to book in advance. No one goes to the bar for the food and drink, but everyone eats, drinks and enjoys the music.

One of the best things about watching My Fair Lady is the music. The revived production at Lincoln Centre is lavish, with the most mind-blowing sets. You actually feel transported to the flower market at Covent Garden, or inside Professor Higgin's study, even to the races at Ascot and the splendid Royal Ball. One of the best scenes is Alfred Dolittle's number, Get me to the church on time.  It is vibrant, racy, full of colour and vigour. Dolittle is extremely well-cast and much better than Eliza Dolittle and Henry Higgins, whose singing is great but they are no Audrey Hepbu or Rex Harrison. Pre-concert drinks across the street at The Smith, Bar Boulud or Caf&eacute Fiorelo puts you in the right mood for the show.

An actress who blew me away is  Katrina Lenk. She won the Tony for her portrayal of Dina in David Yazbeks' The Band's Visit. The hit Broadway show received ten of its eleven Tony nominations. The simple story shows how an error of pronunciation took a visiting Israeli band to a sleepy Egyptian town. The band's unexpected, overnight visit wrought changes on the residents of the town as well as members of the band. The show is stunning with simple and effective sets, awesome live music performances and the underlying drama of hope, futility, despair, love, frustration, longing and simplicity.

You run the gamut of emotions while dining at Lilia. The popularity of this Williamsburg eatery means reservations are hard to come by but it was worth our six-week wait and late slot. There is an extensive wine list, though make sure you don't get arm-twisted into ordering an astronomically priced bottle. Hand-crafted pastas are a specialty as we realised with the delicious agnolotti with saffron. The Ricotta Gnocchi served with a broccoli pesto and pistachios is another winner. To end with Olive Oil Cake with blood oranges, soaked in grappa, is to go to heaven and back.

The Whitby Bar transports you to heaven. The hotel boasts stunning art work with each room unique in design, with floor to ceiling windows and some with private terraces. In fact, UK's Maddox Gallery, had a showing at The Whitby mainly because of the hotel's aesthetic style. The hotel is interior designer Kit Kemp's ode to quirkiness from basketry lampshades, to thread work dangling from the ceiling and Campbell soup art in the bathroom. The Orangery walls have traditional ceramic pottery with mode designer crockery and aztec like art on the walls. There's nothing like sitting at the bar, sipping rosemary-infused gin and tonics, nibbling on bacon-wrapped dates and wolfing down a juicy burger, while a jazz quartet entertains.

Leon Bridges is an entertainer but even better than his acrobatics on stage, is his soulful voice. His sold-out performance at Radio City Musical, had the Texan bo singer enthrall the crowd with songs from his hit album Coming Home which included the title track as well as the haunting River. His style is a throwback to the sixties and transports you to another era. It is particularly impressive to see younger folks bebopping and enjoying the show. Before a show at Radio City stop for pre-show drinks at Del Frisco, round the co er. You can avoid the snaking entrance lines and yet get to the show on time.

Old-world charm is in abundance at The Yale Club. With over 11,000 members, this is another one of those hidden NYC, members only gems. The club's prime location in the heart of midtown at 50 Vanderbilt Avenue, opposite Grand Central, makes it a popular venue for Yale graduates to host events, entertain guests or stay at one of the 138 rooms. The terrace of The Roof Dining Room is perfect on a summer evening. The food served is a mix of traditional and contemporary fare. The original premise, in 1897, was to create a space allowing Yale graduates to continue friendships begun on campus. It's popularity has not faded.

A genre that will always retain its popularity is comedy. It's interesting how kids of Indian immigrants are moving away from the traditional route of doctor, engineer, investment banker and making inroads into alternative careers like the culinary and performance arts. Desis breaking the mould include Hasan Minhaj, Aziz Ansari, Hari Kondabulu and Aparna Nancherla. Another performer holding his own is Nimesh Patel. A Brooklyn resident, originally from Parsipanny, NJ, he was discovered by Chris Rock and is the first Indian to write for Saturday Night Live. His blend of sarcasm, self-deprecation and subtle humour leaves you rolling on the floor.  With something like 80,000 comics, New York lends itself to this art form. As famous comic Dave Chappelle once said, "There's something about New York, man; you can do more comedy there probably, than you can anywhere in the world. If you're interested in being funny, New York is the place to go."

Hear, hear.