Why eat sub-par room service in the hotel with re-runs of Sex and the City on TBS, when the actual city and the actual places beckon outside those very windows? Sure, it might be more fun to hit up Tao with your gal pals, but it’s no excuse to hibernate because you’re alone on a business trip. And hey, if you visit these spots, you’ve got Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. Who needs anything else?

Lumi
Italian
963 Lexington Ave, New York 10021 (At 70th St)
Phone: 212-570-2335
A newcomer to the list of SATC hotspots, Lumi is as luminescent as it comes; even though a meal isn’t actually eaten there, by the girls anyway. That’s right, this is the place where a very pregnant Charlotte stops for lunch, runs from Mr. Big and then goes into labor, all before water is served. But Mr. Big had lunch at this sophisticated Italian restaurant, and by himself no less. An outdoor patio is great for the warmer days, or treat yourself to a delicious dinner in a gorgeous indoor setting, and keep your eyes peeled: you might even see Mr. Big himself, or some other star who favors the restaurant.

Payard Patisserie & Bistro
1032 Lexington Avenue (between 73rd and 74th Streets)
tel:(212) 717 5252 fax: (212) 717 0986
This Upper East Side staple is a favorite with the girls and crops up several times throughout the show, like when Miranda comes here for chocolatey consolation when she swears off sex. But dessert isn’t the only thing that the plush European café does well. There’s style, for one thing, but that’s to say nothing of the fab wine list and delicious French cuisine. The cheese soufflé is a must-try and the braised veal is noteworthy. Just save room for what Carrie calls “the best desserts in New York.”

Monkey Bar
60 E. 54th St., (nr. Park Ave.)
212-838-2600
Formerly a home of elicit entertainment, the now renovated, uber-swank lounge hosts the poshest of the posh, including Carrie and Mr. Big when they are trying out their new friendship. The 1930s-era piano bar has an array of primate paraphernalia from monkey light fixtures to monkeys crawling on the beautifully restored wall murals. Not to mention great, if a little music obsessed, gents (this is where Carrie met jazz musician Ray King).

Pete’s Tavern
29 E 18th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 473-7676
Historic Pete’s Tavern is not only a site of memorable SATC moments, but one of memorable New York moments as well. A New York staple since it opened in 1864, the pub still looks much the way it did upon opening, with the original wood bar and its very own beer, the 1864 Ale. Enjoy a beer and a burger or perhaps Pete’s famed Roast Prime Rib where O. Henry penned Gift of the Magi and where Miranda and Steve got engaged.

City Bakery
3 W. 18th Street
(212) 366 1414
For a quick and causal meal, try the (trendy) cafeteria-style City Bakery, where Carrie and Samantha run into Nina Katz, aka the “face girl,” who dated Aidan after Carrie broke his heart. What better way to cure Carrie’s worries over how she treated Aidan than with a delicious City Bakery brownie? (The pretzel croissants are pretty swell too.) The seasonal and oh-so-fresh food is not too shabby either.

Biltmore Room
290 Eighth Ave.
212-807-0111
Leave it to the girls to hold Miranda’s farewell-to-Manhattan soiree at this chic, uber-Manhattan Chelsea hotspot. The circa-1845 building itself has seem much Manhattan history, including its own former incarnation as a speakeasy. But now the Biltmore Room recalls the glamour of the opulent Biltmore Hotel, complete with iron gates and lavish bronze salvaged from the hotel itself. Treat yourself like a lady with a fancy dinner in the opulent dining room, or take your evening tipple in the plush bar, but whatever you choose, take a moment to check out the cell-phone booth, housed in a former dumb waiter.

Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 462-2572
Sure, the line might be around the block, but to leave New York without getting your cupcake fill may just be the worst idea ever. Do as Carrie and Miranda do and sit in the park with one of these decadent confections, so good they were Carrie’s go-to vice when she was trying to kick the cigarette habit for Aidan.