Red Hook, NYC: Where To Eat, Stay & Play

This subway-free, waterfront neighbourhood is an inner-urban oasis in New York City. Here is our round-up of Red Hook in the backstreets of Brooklyn.

It’s hard to believe that a neighbourhood like Red Hook exists in a city like New York, which has a population of 8.5 million and is the largest urban area in the US. Red Hook is compact. It’s walkable. It has a community feel. It also has green space, a community garden and killer waterfront views towards the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline, clearly visible in the distance against a blue-grey backdrop of sky.

an illustration of the Red Hook Map — Map of Red Hook, NYC (Illustration: Mike Rossi)

Called Ihepetonga by the Indigenous Lenape and Roode Hoek (red point) by the Dutch after the red clay found on the peninsula, Red Hook is one of the first areas in Brooklyn to be settled. It was also the inspiration for Marlon Brando’s On the Waterfront. While the area was once a prosperous shipping port, limited public transport options mean there are pockets of the isolated enclave that still feel more like a seaside town, albeit with an indie attitude.

the street scenes at Red Hook, NYC — Red Hook gives off a laid-back vibe. (Image: Marley White and NYC and Company)

Although major retailers such as Ikea and Amazon have moved into the precinct, it still exudes charm. It’s dotted with dinky rowhouses and dive bars, graffiti-clad streets and industrial-era warehouses that continue to attract creatives who are reinvigorating the neighbourhood.

a cyclist roaming around Red Hook, NYC — Roam the bustling streets on two wheels.

And right now, we’re loving exploring its higgledy-piggledy cobblestone streets lined with museums, galleries, cafes, restaurants, bars and boutiques.

an exterior view of the Fairway Market in Red Hook, NYC — Red Hook is a seaside neighbourhood set amidst shipping yards.

Eat and drink

A Noble Pursuit

Nobletree Coffee is a vertically integrated coffee company in Red Hook with some of the best seats in the house for viewing the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The small-batch roastery is housed in a charming mid-19th-century industrial brick building and hosts coffee courses for budding baristas.

A fork in the road

The Good Fork Pub has long had a cult following for its Korean-style steak and eggs, fried wontons and bar snacks designed to complement beer, wine and cocktails. The Red Hook institution was recently reimagined as a more casual public house and remains a hip, happening and community-focused spot to hunker down.

Keep on truckin’

Head to the Red Hook Food Vendors Marketplace to slurp down street-style tacos, huaraches and quesadillas that are considered some of the most authentic in New York City. The food trucks converge in Red Hook Park between April and October.

Claw and order

There’s no better place to indulge your love of crustaceans than at the landmark Lobster Pound.

a photo of Susan Povich, the co-founder of Red Hook Lobster Pound — Susan Povich is the co-founder of Red Hook Lobster Pound. (Image: Timothy Fadek)

Have a stack of serviettes ready for the New England Seafood Boil, or keep it lowkey with the signature lobster rolls around rustic tables in the industrial-chic space. Seafood shack Brooklyn Crab should also be on your radar.

a table top view of two plates of lobster at Lobster Pound — Dine sensational lobster rolls and seafood dishes.

Dawn to dusk

A day out in Red Hook Morning

Red Hook has one of the first large-scale public housing developments of its kind, the Red Hook Houses. You can sign up to volunteer at Red Hook Farms, a youth-centred urban agriculture and food justice program designed to support the residents of the precinct.

Afternoon

Fossick through the sale bins at Record Shop to find new records to give a spin. The aptly named Record Shop has a solid range of jazz, rock, hip-hop, blues and gospel titles.

Address: 360 Van Brunt St, Red Hook

Evening

Sunny’s has been in the same family since 1890, during which time it’s morphed from restaurant to longshoreman’s bar to its current iteration as a waterfront saloon. Expect bluegrass jams, local eccentrics and absolute bedlam to ensue. The glorious saloon bar was saved after Cyclone Sandy. We’ll join locals in toasting to that.

a woman sitting outside Sunny's Bar, Red Hook, NYC — Head to Sunny’s bar at dusk.

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Shopping there

You won’t need to worry about blowing out your baggage allowance when you visit hidden gem Erie Basin. But you may well blow the budget on bracelets, brooches, engagement rings or earrings. Owner Russell Whitmore has a keen eye for vintage pieces and has also launched a fine jewellery line called EB.

Staying there

The Wythe Hotel is one of the best places to stay near Red Hook. It’s housed in a converted 100-year-old factory on the Brooklyn waterfront. The building was originally designed to manufacture barrels for sugar refiners and has become one of the best boutique places to stay in the Big Apple.

More to explore

Be spirited away

Van Brunt Stillhouse is a ‘farm distillery’ located in the heart of Red Hook. It sources organically grown corn, wheat and rye from a single farm in nearby Ithaca for its range of small-batch whiskeys and bourbon. Take a tour of the distillery and book in for a tasting.

What’s the hook?

Residents of Red Hook pay homage to the precinct by hanging red hooks around their homes and businesses. Walk around the neighbourhood to try and spot the red hooks, which are in keeping with the neighbourhood’s nautical theme.

Keep your eyes peeled at the Four Corners intersection for a new giant red hook sculpted by Dominican-American artist Wilfredo Morel who turns scrap metal into art.

a Red Hook signage printed on an antique red bollard — Red Hook is a tight-knit creative community.

Performance Review

Steal a few moments of reprieve from the hurly-burly of the Big Apple to visit Pioneer Works, which bills itself as a centre for research and experimentation in contemporary culture. This centre for performance art has an exciting program of concerts and performances in a space where alternative ways of thinking are celebrated.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Your guide to the backstreets of Red Hook, NYC