SEPTEMBER JOURNAL
NYC, Birthday dinner, rooftop views, and one very melted crocodile-shaped cake
September was a blur of birthday pasta, rooftop sunsets, and pretending to understand yachts. I flew to New York, floated through Monaco, melted a crocodile, and somehow ended the month back in Paris with pasta (again).
September started with a birthday trip to New York and a dinner that honestly set the bar way too high for the rest of the month. My friends (locals with incredible taste, obviously) took me to L’Artusi, and I’m still thinking about the cacio e pepe and mushrooms like they were people I once loved.
It’s one of those effortlessly cool places, open kitchen, bar seating, soft lights, and that buzz in the air that makes you feel like you’ve made it. Everything was warm, cosy, delicious, and just the right amount of celebratory. If I could have packed the restaurant in my suitcase, I would’ve.
At some point in New York, we were meant to go to a rooftop party. You know the kind, loud, crowded, too many people pretending they’re not tired. We were exhausted. So instead, we stayed on the quieter side of the 1 Hotel Brooklyn rooftop and had dinner overlooking the city. Best decision ever.
The view was amazing. Manhattan lit up in front of us, the Brooklyn Bridge glowing just enough, the kind of sky that makes you stop mid-sentence. The food was actually really good too, not always the case with places that have views like that. Definitely one of the most beautiful rooftops I’ve been to, add it to your list for golden hour dinners when the city feels like a film set.
While in Monaco, we stopped by the new Lacoste Café at the Hôtel Méridien. The indoor space was great, lots of cute details like branded tennis rackets, a good playlist, a fresh, sporty atmosphere that actually worked.
The outdoor terrace… not so much. I’ve never liked that part of the hotel, and even though it was a beautiful day, it still felt a bit off. But we sat outside anyway, ordered matcha lattes (mine was average), and a pistachio crocodile-shaped cake that was almost too cute to eat. But I did eat it. And it was so sweet I needed a moment. Also, it was hot enough that the poor crocodile started melting in under five minutes, not ideal. Still, a fun stop if you’re into branding and want a little tennis-core moment in Monaco.
I ended the month in Paris, and after all the travel and movement, it felt really nice to be there. I hadn’t been to Siena in ages, it’s pretty, cosy, and always has a good vibe.
We weren’t in the main dining room, we sat in the smaller room just next to it, and honestly, I preferred it. It felt more intimate, less loud. There was live music, which I usually hate during dinner, but this was actually good. A quiet singer, soft jazz, nothing over the top. The food was great too, I had tuna pasta because clearly I was making that my September personality, and it was exactly what I wanted. It was just one of those peaceful Parisian evenings that remind you why the city still has you wrapped around its finger, even when it’s exhausting.
I went to the Monaco Yacht Show with a few girlfriends, not for the scene, not for the Champagne (okay, maybe a little), but mostly because I was curious. I’ve been on yachts before, and some of my friends are in the industry, so it’s not exactly new territory, but I’d never actually taken the time to look at them properly, not just the lifestyle part, but the design, the process, the details.
And honestly? It was fascinating. I still don’t care much about boats themselves, I’m not suddenly dreaming of life at sea, but I loved seeing how they’re built and styled, how each designer approaches the space. It’s like a floating puzzle of aesthetics and engineering. The mix of materials, the lighting, the way they play with textures in such compact spaces… It’s very much my kind of rabbit hole.
Touring them was fun, but also slightly exhausting. Climbing on and off yachts in the heat, listening to technical explanations you half-understand while trying not to bump into anything, it's a full-body experience. Still, I left feeling like I’d learnt something new.
Would I go again next year? Honestly, yes. Maybe just with more comfortable shoes.
