Here is a list of hip Manhattan hangouts from snobby New Yorkers. I really can't take much credit for more than gatheing what other people recommended. I have only been to a few, and those I liked better than others are marked with ***.
Restaurants
Soho
Balthazar *** (for brunch)
subMercer
The Mercer Kitchen
Omen ***
Blue Ribbon Sushi
Downtown Cipriani
Giorgione
West Village
Bar Pitti (I personally wouldn't recommend it)
Joe The Art of Coffee
Mary's Fish Camp
The Spotted Pig
Wallse
Waverly Inn
Chelsea
La Bergamote (Bakery)
Tia Pol
The Empire Diner
Bottino
El Quinto Pino
Tribeca
The Odeon
Upstairs at Bouley Bakery
Nolita
La Esquina ***
Cafe Gitane
Lower East Side
Freemans
Schiller's Liquor Bar
Falai
Katz's Delicatessen
Gramacy
Pure Food and Wine *** - finally a place that treats the high-heeled vegetarians with respect!
Flatiron
City Bakery
Shake Shack
Hell's Kitchen
Market Cafe
Esca
Midtown
Keens Steakhouse
Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
The Four Season's Restaurant
Zibetto Espresso Bar
Bergdorf Goodman BG Restaurant
Upper East Side
Kai
Bemelmans Bar
E.A.T.
Cafe Sabarsky
Spanish Harlem
Rao's
Shops
Soho
Dean & Deluca
Opening Ceramony
Ted Muehling
BDDW
Pearl River Mart
Jonathan Adler
Kiki de Montparnasse
MoMA Design Store Soho
Seven New York
3.1 Phillip Lim
TASCHEN
Moss
Rick Owens
West Village
Murray's Cheese
Greenwich Letterpress
Strand Book Store
Chelsea
Diane von Furstenberg
Jeffrey New York
Printed Matter
Tribeca
R 20th Century
Lower East Side
Russ & Daughters
Freemans Sporting Club
Nolita
Eillen's Cheesecake
Midtown
Bergdorf Goodman
Upper East Side
Barneys New York
