The spirit of the place New York : Jonathan Schiffman

"Although I've been living in France for ten years, I still feel very much a New Yorker. When I go back home, I like to return to my favourite places and discover new ones. Despite the fast pace of concertsI've started writing a novel and I'm always trying to make time for the reading. In New York, my favourite bookshop is The Strandnear Union Squarewhere you can find thousands and thousands of second-hand volumes. It's really impressive.

To listen to music in a relaxed atmosphere, I like to go to the Barge Musica barge docked under the Brooklyn Bridge. This intimate venue offers both classical and contemporary programming. In summer, you can also take in the beautiful views over Manhattan and the East River.

Of course, I often go to the Metropolitan Opera or to Lincoln Center. And when I have an important appointment there, for lunch or dinner, I opt for the Lincoln Ristoranteset up in 2010 in an all-glass building facing the Julliard School. The dishes are subtly simple and the wine list is interesting. Whenever I'm in the area, I try to pop over to the "Met"This is especially true in summer, when the roof terrace is open and you can see Central Park in a single glance. There are always interesting art installations at this time of year, and you can enjoy a quiet drink.

But I also like to wander around lower Manhattan and meet up with my friends and family at the Union Square Caféfor its lobster omelettes or its Yellow Fish Tuna Burger. This is one of the restaurants of the famous Danny Meyera leading New York restaurateur, known for Terrace 5, on the roof of the MoMAor Untitled at the Whitney Museum. And when you want to make a serious business mealA private lounge can be booked. Just a stone's throw from Union Square is my Lower East Side HQ, Roasting Plant. We serve a quality coffee, a far, far cry from what the big American chains can offer.

what I love most about New York is meeting up with friends in one of the city's best beer gardens: Eataly Birreria

For an unusual gift, I like Mayo EmpireA shop in Brooklyn devoted entirely to mayonnaise. There are all kinds: truffle, lemon, rosemary, paprika... The concept is humorous, chic and, above all, delicious.

In the same 'very Brooklyn' spirit, I recently discovered the wallpaper designers Flavor Paper. They play on New York motifs such as water tanks, recycled bicycles and large letterboxes, and turn them into funny, quirky and daring old-fashioned canvases de Jouy.

But I have to admit that what I love most about New York is meeting up with my friends in one of the best beer gardens in the city: Eataly Birreria, on a rooftop near the Flatiron, above a giant Italian grocery shop. It's totally surreal!