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John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy left their mark on New York City’s bustling dining scene — one effortlessly cool table at a time.
Before their love story tragically ended in a 1999 plane crash, Carolyn and the only son of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis embodied a certain downtown duality: as comfortable slipping into a low-key neighborhood spot as they were holding court in an impossibly chic, downtown dining room.
Several of their favorite haunts have been spotlighted in FX and Hulu’s 2026 drama, “Love Story,” while other intimate moments were immortalized by the relentless paparazzi that followed their every unpredictable move.
First-hand accounts obtained exclusively by Page Six depict how the couple moved through Manhattan’s most storied establishments with an ease that felt both aspirational and accessible — from the red-sauce sanctum of Harlem’s Rao’s to cozy Tribeca standby Bubby’s — leaving behind a breadcrumb trail of their star-crossed courtship that ended far too soon.
Bubby’s
Bubby’s — the Tribeca institution beloved for its pancakes and comfort-food classics — was one of JFK Jr. and Carolyn’s most frequented neighborhood spots
Owner and chef Ron Silver exclusively spoke with Page Six about how the pair — who lived just a few blocks away — treated Bubby’s like their home away from home.
“Bubby’s was like a living room for those guys, and they were in all the time,” he shared. “It was a place where they would come together and also separately with their friends and have meetings or different things like that.”
“I feel like it was very much a part of their living environment in a certain way,” he added.
Silver recalled John coming into his restaurant on the second day it opened in 1990 and being a fixture in the years that followed.
“He was like family,” Silver said of John. “He would just walk in and nobody ever made a giant thing about him being in there. I feel like, for both of them, that it was a place where they could feel completely at home and comfortable and not harassed for being celebrities, which I think was very unusual for them.”
A very smitten Carolyn would join John for brunch at Bubby’s in the early days of their relationship.
“I saw them right when they started going out, and they certainly were very fond of each other and super sweet,” Silver recalled.
The duo didn’t have a table preference and liked being in the mix.
“They could park their celebrity-selves outside and just relax,” Silver said. “They did their best to be regular New Yorkers.”
As for what they ordered, we’re told Carolyn liked the soup and salad, and John preferred pancakes, bacon and eggs.
The paparazzi photographed the pair leaving the low-key pancake house on several occasions —cementing the restaurant’s prominent place in their love story.
“I’m happy to have participated in that story,” Silver said.
Nobu
John and Carolyn were known for having sushi date nights at the ultra-trendy Nobu New York Downtown.
Drew Nieporent — who co-founded the Japanese gem with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro in 2017 — recalled John’s “extremely easy-going” nature in an exclusive interview with Page Six.
“At Nobu, and a lot of other restaurants, people are finicky about where they sit and [John] had no problems sitting all the way in the back,” Nieporent said.
“He never never never caused any problems whatsoever,” the restaurateur continued. “He was the ultimate customer.”
John and Carolyn were spotted holding hands while dressed in casual attire as they exited a Nobu dinner in February 1996.
Nieporent also recalled attending a 150-person dinner party on Lafayette Street hosted by De Niro in the early ’90s.
“I was seated right next to John and my wife was at another table seated next to Carolyn Bessette,” The “I’m Not Trying to be Difficult” author said.
After being served Osso Buco, a bone-in braised veal shank dish, Nieporent remembered John talking to the waiter.
“John asked for a doggy bag [for his dog Friday] because Ossobuco has this huge bone,” he said. “I thought that was amazing — very memorable to me,” he reminisced.
The Odeon
Another local go-to for the late couple was The Odeon.
The iconic American brasserie became a playground for Manhattan’s artists and creatives after opening in 1980.
The Calvin Klein publicist loved ordering the hamburgers with a side of sautéed spinach instead of fries, People previously reported.
Tim English, the author of “The Kennedys’ New York,” claimed that John and Carolyn rekindled their relationship at The Odeon after a brief split.
“By the early summer of 1994, John Jr. had been seeking to reunite with Carolyn for some time. It finally happened one evening when Carolyn was working a private event for Calvin Klein [at The Odeon], to which John showed up,” English wrote.
“Carolyn intervened before he could be turned away at the door, and the pair then spent the rest of the night talking. But by the end of the summer, they were going steady.”
In the Hulu drama, The Odeon served as the backdrop for a high-stakes scene in which Carolyn meets Kennedy’s friends for the first time.
Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant
John and Carolyn were “regulars” at Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant, owner Bashir Khan told The Post last week.
Colorful festive lights are draped from every corner of the East Village mainstay that serves dishes like chicken tikka masala and vegetable biryani.
The Ryan Murphy-produced series depicts a fictional first date for Carolyn and John in the spicy spot. While it’s unclear if Panna II was truly their first date destination, the couple were definitely frequent patrons in the ’90s.
The dazzling scene — starring Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr. — has since spurred an influx of reservations for city-dwellers seeking a full Kennedy experience.
Indochine
Indochine, the French-Vietnamese outpost in Noho, hosted the Kennedy scion and his wife on numerous occasions.
In 1994, Carolyn attended a dinner party at the leafy lounge that was thrown by Calvin Klein’s then-wife, Kelly Rector. The fashion guru was photographed sitting with Kelly (who was married to the designer from 1986 to 2006) at a table topped with glasses of wine and martinis.
Carolyn also reportedly had dinner with John at Indochine shortly after they tied the knot, Vogue reported.
Originally founded by Brian McNally — who also co-opened The Odeon — and music producer John Loeffler, the breezy hideaway hit the scene in 1984.
The cultural hub quickly became a meeting place for fashion bigwigs and artists, including Jean‑Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Julian Schnabel.
Tribeca Grill
Tribeca Grill — which sadly shuttered its doors after 35 years in 2025 — was a cherished dinner spot for Carolyn and her husband.
Nieporent, who co-owned Tribeca Grill with De Niro, recalled to Page Six how he chatted with John many times at the legendary steakhouse.
In 1995, JFK Jr. celebrated his 35th birthday alongside Carolyn in the brick-walled dining room.
They dined with their close social circle on the menu — which was known for dishes like a roasted rack of lamb and housemade tagliatelle — before capping off the night at the divey Mudville 9 bar around the corner.
After Tribeca Grill closed, Executive Chef Scott Burnett celebrated the restaurant’s rich past, writing on Instagram, “A lot of years, a lot of history. Lucky to have played a part in a truly epic story. @tribecagrill you’ll be missed.”
Il Cantinori
John and Carolyn were repeat customers at the ultra-trendy Il Cantinori.
Art director Sam Shahid recalled bumping into Carolyn at the Tuscan trattoria many times in a 2026 interview with Town & Country, noting that she liked to dine “discreetly” with friends like designer Narciso Rodriguez.
“When Carolyn walked into the room, you always knew she was there, the presence,” Shahid shared. “I think Calvin just worshiped her as far as the style. He really depended on her for her taste and her style and her ideas and music.”
The Italian institution, which opened in 1983, is known for its pappardelle al cinghiale, veal chop milanese and panna cotta. Regular celebrity diners include Jennifer Aniston, Richard Gere, and Dolly Parton.
Sarah Jessica Parker, who dated JFK Jr. for roughly six months in 1991, was also a notable patron. Her “Sex and the City” character, Carrie Bradshaw, famously had her 35th birthday party at the Greenwich Village spot.
El Teddy’s
Before Tribeca’s El Teddy’s served its last taco in 2004, the Mexican restaurant welcomed John and Carolyn through its doors many times.
The casual taqueria played a major role in their rocky relationship timeline — serving as the location where they allegedly broke up before getting back together, according to Elizabeth Beller, the author of “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.“
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“Carolyn met John for dinner at El Teddy’s, where he presented Carolyn with a letter [from] a friend of his. The letter claimed Carolyn was a user, a partier, that she was out for fame and fortune [and] ‘dated guys around town,'” Beller wrote, according to People.
“John casually tossed the piece of paper at her, stood, and walked out the door,” she continued. “Carolyn stared in shock at John as he departed.”
The pair would eventually get back together, allegedly making amends at The Odeon.
El Teddy’s was a stylish setting for artists and socialites to gather over very strong margaritas.
Rao’s
Rao’s, arguably one of the hardest restaurants to get into in the world, was an easy reservation for John and Carolyn.
John would frequently ride his bike all the way from Tribeca to the East Harlem red sauce joint in the ’90s.
Publishing exec David Pecker recalled dining at Rao’s with John to celebrate the launch of George magazine.
“When we finalized the deal to finance George in February 1995, we had a dinner at Rao’s, at 114th Street and Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem,” Pecker told New York Magazine.
“After dinner, he just walked over to his bicycle and put his cap on,” he continued. “As he was going down 114th Street in the middle of the night, the photographers were all chasing him.”
From the exclusive 10 tables at Rao’s to the nonchalant corners of The Odeon, these restaurants weren’t just for dining — they were John and Carolyn’s escape from the flashbulbs and the comfortable places where they freely fell in love.
English (US)