Agnes Birnbaum reveals how you can make the most of the Big Apple – without taking a big bite out of your wallet

HOTELS

The Excelsior Hotel

Located in a quiet residential neighbourhood of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, near the American Museum of Natural History, the Excelsior provides spacious rooms at affordable prices and a chic restaurant and bar, Eighty One. There’s an attractive wood-panelled conference room with a fireplace, and if you lose your mobile phone, the front desk will rent you one. PRICE: Rooms from US$229. CONTACT: 45 West 81st Street, tel 1 212 362 9200, http://excelsiorhotelny.com

Tudor Hotel New York

This neo Gothic-style hotel sits on 42nd Street near the East River, in the historic residential enclave of Tudor City. The hotel’s Midtown location means it is close to the headquarters of the United Nations, Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building and many dining and shopping options. The hotel offers 300 beautifully furnished rooms and suites, a gym complete with sauna and massage room, and a casual onsite restaurant called Tudor Neighbourhood Bar and Grill. PRICE: Rooms from US$199. CONTACT: 304 East 42nd Street, tel 1 212 986 8800, www.tudorhotelny.com

Novotel New York Times Square

This Novotel is not actually on Times Square, being 10 blocks north on 52nd Street, but the views of Broadway and the Times Square area from Café Nicole, the seventh-floor terraced restaurant, make up for this. The restaurant is open from 6.30am-10pm, and you can also order hot snacks from the 24-hour room service. The 480-room hotel offers Wi-Fi internet access charged at US$9.99 per day. All rooms have a desk, safe and minibar and are spread across floors seven to 33, with the lobby on the seventh floor. For the best views, ask for a Times Square View room. There’s a fitness centre and a “self-service” business centre with two computers. A couple of blocks north on Seventh Avenue are the famed Stage Deli and Carnegie Deli – worth a look. PRICE: Rooms from US$229. CONTACT: 226 West 52nd Street, tel 1 212 315 0100, www.novotel.com

Dream

The aptly named Dream hotel offers a welcome respite from the city that never sleeps. Entering the lobby, you will be transported to another world as the décor’s reliance on hues of heavenly blue and a large aquarium set a soothing tone. Rooms are equipped with hypoallergenic feather beds and, as part of the evening turn-down service, blue lights are turned on under the bed, while a “fruit of the day” awaits on your pillow. To continue the blissful experience, guests can enjoy free yoga and meditation and a 10 percent discount on spa services at the Chopra Centre and Spa (as in Deepak Chopra, its founder). The hotel has two restaurants – Serafina, which is Italian, and Amalia, which offers American-Mediterranean cuisine. PRICE: Rooms from US$259. CONTACT: 210 West 55th Street, tel 1 212 247 2000, http://preferredhotels.com

Affinia Manhattan

Nestled in a bustling area close to Madison Square Garden, Penn station, Macy’s, the Empire State Building and the theatre district, the all-suite Affinia Manhattan offers spacious rooms complete with kitchens – ideal if you want to save money on dining out – and a pillow menu. Guests can also make use of a grocery shopping service, a 24-hour business centre, meeting rooms, secretarial services and a trendy restaurant on the lobby level. In-room stress-busting spa treatments such as aromatherapy and hot-stone massages are also available, as are Affinia-branded podcast tours of Times Square, TriBeCa and Soho, and Chinatown. PRICE: Rooms from US$279. CONTACT: 371 Seventh Avenue, tel 1 212 563 1800, http://affinia.com  

RESTAURANTS

Le Rivage

Located on Restaurant Row, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, this authentic, cosy eatery provides French fare at stellar prices. Fixed-price lunch and dinner menus offer excellent-value three-course meals (including coffee with the dessert) and feature a wide selection of dishes, such as lobster bisque with saffron and sherry to start, pot roast “bourgeois” braised with red wine and mushrooms for the main, and New York cheesecake. If you dine after 8pm, three courses will set you back only US$25. PRICES: Lunch for US$22; dinner from US$25. CONTACT: 340 West 46th Street, tel 1 212 765 7374, http://lerivagenyc.com

Hill Country Barbecue and Market

Enjoy barbecued ribs with all the trimmings at this venue, voted “best barbecue in New York” by New York magazine last year. The Texas-themed establishment boasts a large selection of beer and bourbon, and live bands perform most evenings. There are various meal deals, but watch out for the tax on top. PRICES: Three specials including a drink for lunch from US$9; Pitmaster’s dinner combo for US$25. CONTACT: 30 West 26th Street, tel 1 212 255 4544, www.hillcountryny.com

SPQR

In the heart of Little Italy, this good-value eatery serves authentic Italian cuisine made with quality ingredients. Mains include pasta with fresh clams, trout with garlic and rosemary, and chicken breast with tomato sauce. For dessert, the ricotta cheesecake is delicious. PRICES: Two-course lunch from US$14.50; three-course dinner plus coffee for US$29.50. CONTACT: 133 Mulberry Street, tel 1 212 925 3120

Molyvos

The attractive décor and tasty food at this upscale Greek taverna is a winning combination. The owner grew up on the island of Molyvos and brought the recipes with him. Enjoy grilled octopus, lamb and baklava. Pre- and post-theatre specials are available. PRICES: Three-course lunch from US$25; three-course dinner from US$37. CONTACT: 871 Seventh Avenue, tel 1 212 582 7500, http://molyvos.com

Tea and Sympathy

This is where homesick Brits flock for comfort food such as Welsh rarebit. As owner Nicky Perry says: “In a nutshell, people come here for a cup of tea.” Perry also owns two adjoining shops – a British grocery and a fish-and-chip shop called A Salt and Battery. PRICES: Mains from US$7.50 for lunch and from US$11.95 for dinner. CONTACT: 108 Greenwich Avenue, tel 1 212 989 9735, http://teaandsympathynewyork.com  

FIVE THINGS TO DO FOR FREE

• Stroll Madison and Fifth Avenues for spectacular window shopping. • Take a round trip on the Staten Island ferry. It’s free and you get a good view of the Statue of Liberty. • Walk through Central Park, beautiful during all four seasons. • Visit art galleries in Soho, or the Dumbo section of Brooklyn. • Enjoy the many museums that offer free admission to visitors on particular evenings – the Museum of Modern Art (http://moma.org), for example, is free on Fridays from 4pm to 8pm.

FIVE TOP TIPS

• Pick up copies of the daily newspapers Metro and AmNewYork, available free at metal stands on corners throughout the city. They contain listings of daily events, some of which cost nothing to attend. • If you have not already reserved tickets for a Broadway show, you can still grab them at the last minute. The Theatre Development Fund (http://tdf.org) operates three TKTS discount booths at Times Square (day-of-performance tickets only). The South Street Seaport booth and the Downtown Brooklyn booth both sell tickets to evening performances on the day and matinee tickets the day before. • Taking a subway or walking will often get you there faster than sitting in a taxi during rush hour. • Consult the sightseeing magazines freely available at hotels for suggestions, or visit http://nycgo.com, New York City’s official tourism site, for useful information on every topic. • New York is comprised of five boroughs. Investigate things to do beyond Manhattan in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.