Soul of

The Venetian trattoria of your dreams, a restaurant at the end of the world, rent a floor of a sublime Renaissance palazzo on the Grand Canal, marvel at the interior of Saint Mark's Basilica after hours, sleep beneath a Tiepolo fresco, learn where to find the best gelato in Venice, pick up a pair of those famous gondolier slippers, and eat the best panini, get the Clock Tower on Saint Mark's Square all to yourself for an ultra-chic aperitivo hour, and rent a traditional boat without a license so you can cruise along the canals like a native...

Access a secret Malibu beach, relax at a gigantic Korean spa open 24/7, watch Tarantino's movie collection, eat your burger the Californian way, meditate at Elvis and George Harrison's peaceful getaway, shop a vinyl and a vintage dress in the same spot.

The world's smallest nightclub, an exceptional private collection of ancient Asian art, Berlin's best beaches, the most beautiful bike ride, a fabulous spa that'll make you feel like you're in Bali, exploring the city's underground spots, an ice cream shop that makes its own cones right in front of you, the city's best restaurants (not necessarily the ones you'd think), where to go kayaking just like in Venice, the best places to have lunch by the water, an outstanding burger, spending a night in a mattress workshop, some unique architectural curiosities and psychedelic metro stations...

Morrell's Soul of New York ricochets between the best of what's au courant and the hole-in-the-wall spots that have withstood the test of time. Combining high and low, posh and humble, raucous and peaceful, Soul of New York is a love letter to a city that was pummeled by Covid, but pushes on, as ever. Morrell's discerning taste as a food writer steers readers toward the city's finest dim sum as well as its delicacies and she's constructed her book as much around people watching and the pageantry of pounding the pavement from one place to the next as about the destinations themselves. Peppered with interviews with and recommendations from other interesting New Yorkers, and with sleek photographs by Liz Barclay, whose work has appeared in the New York Times, with lush original watercolor illustrations by artist Abbie Zuidema, the book is compact yet chock full of places that visitors should prioritize and locals should be reminded to seek out and support.

Groove to jazz on Gaudi's rooftops, taste tapas prepared by a grandmother who is inspiring all the young Spanish chefs, discover how to get to a secret beach, sink your teeth into the ultimate churros, take a hot bath at a spa beneath the city...