John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy left their mark on New York City\u2019s bustling dining scene \u2014 one effortlessly cool table at a time. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Several of their favorite haunts have been spotlighted in FX and Hulu\u2019s 2026 drama, \u201cLove Story,\u201d while other intimate moments were immortalized by the relentless paparazzi that followed their every unpredictable move<\/a>.<\/p>\n First-hand accounts obtained exclusively by Page Six depict how the couple moved through Manhattan\u2019s most storied establishments with an ease that felt both aspirational and accessible \u2014 from the red-sauce sanctum of Harlem\u2019s Rao\u2019s to cozy Tribeca standby Bubby\u2019s \u2014 leaving behind a breadcrumb trail of their star-crossed courtship that ended far too soon.<\/p>\n John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette (seen here in 1997) dined all over New York City during their up-and-down romance. Getty Images<\/p>\n The late couple (photographed here in 1997) were known for hitting casual spots and trendy dinner destinations. Sygma via Getty Images<\/p>\n Bubby\u2019s<\/p>\n Bubby\u2019s \u2014 the Tribeca institution beloved for its pancakes and comfort-food classics \u2014 was one of JFK Jr. and Carolyn\u2019s most frequented neighborhood spots<\/p>\n Owner and chef Ron Silver exclusively spoke with Page Six about how the pair \u2014 who lived just a few blocks away \u2014 treated Bubby\u2019s like their home away from home.<\/p>\n \u201cBubby\u2019s was like a living room for those guys, and they were in all the time,\u201d he shared. \u201cIt was a place where they would come together and also separately with their friends and have meetings or different things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n John and Carolyn, seen here leaving brunch at Bubby\u2019s in 1997, were regulars at the pancake spot. Lawrence Schwartzwald<\/p>\n Bubby\u2019s owner Ron Silver recalled to Page Six how they were \u201csweet\u201d and \u201cfond of each other\u201d during their early dating years. Lawrence Schwartzwald<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like it was very much a part of their living environment in a certain way,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Silver recalled John coming into his restaurant on the second day it opened in 1990 and being a fixture in the years that followed. <\/p>\n \u201cHe was like family,\u201d Silver said of John. \u201cHe 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.\u201d <\/p>\n John was a regular at the Tribeca mainstay and dined there the second day it opened. Victoria Will<\/p>\n \u201cHe was like family,\u201d Silver said of John. \u201cHe would just walk in and nobody ever made a giant thing about him being in there.\u201d William Farrington<\/p>\n A very smitten Carolyn would join John for brunch at Bubby\u2019s in the early days of their relationship.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw them right when they started going out, and they certainly were very fond of each other and super sweet,\u201d Silver recalled. <\/p>\n The duo didn\u2019t have a table preference and liked being in the mix. <\/p>\n \u201cThey could park their celebrity-selves outside and just relax,\u201d Silver said. \u201cThey did their best to be regular New Yorkers.\u201d <\/p>\n Silver said the couple could enjoy each other away from the paparazzi. Lawrence Schwartzwald<\/p>\n \u201cThey could park their celebrity-selves outside and just relax,\u201d Silver said. Lawrence Schwartzwald<\/p>\n As for what they ordered, we\u2019re told Carolyn liked the soup and salad, and John preferred pancakes, bacon and eggs.<\/p>\n The paparazzi photographed the pair leaving the low-key pancake house on several occasions \u2014cementing the restaurant\u2019s prominent place in their love story.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to have participated in that story,\u201d Silver said.<\/p>\n Nobu<\/p>\n John and Carolyn were known for having sushi date nights at the ultra-trendy Nobu.<\/p>\n Drew Nieporent \u2014 who co-founded the Japanese gem with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro in 1994 \u2014 recalled John\u2019s \u201cextremely easy-going\u201d nature in an exclusive interview with Page Six.<\/p>\n \u201cAt 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,\u201d Nieporent said. <\/p>\n \u201cHe never never never caused any problems whatsoever,\u201d the restaurateur continued. \u201cHe was the ultimate customer.\u201d<\/p>\n John and Carolyn had romantic dinners at Nobu. Mike Coppola<\/p>\n Co-founder Drew Nieporent told Page Six that John was the \u201cultimate customer.\u201d Mike Coppola<\/p>\n John and Carolyn were spotted holding hands while dressed in casual attire as they exited a Nobu dinner in February 1996.<\/p>\n Nieporent also recalled attending a 150-person dinner party on Lafayette Street hosted by De Niro in the early \u201990s.<\/p>\n \u201cI was seated right next to John and my wife was at another table seated next to Carolyn Bessette,\u201d The \u201cI\u2019m Not Trying to be Difficult<\/a>\u201d author said. <\/p>\n After being served Osso Buco, a bone-in braised veal shank dish, Nieporent remembered John talking to the waiter.<\/p>\n \u201cJohn asked for a doggy bag [for his dog Friday] because Osso Buco has this huge bone,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought that was amazing \u2014 very memorable to me,\u201d he reminisced.<\/p>\n The Odeon<\/p>\n Another local go-to for the late couple was The Odeon. <\/p>\n The iconic American brasserie became a playground for Manhattan\u2019s artists and creatives after opening in 1980. <\/p>\n The Calvin Klein publicist<\/a> loved ordering the hamburgers with a side of saut\u00e9ed spinach instead of fries, People previously reported. <\/a><\/p>\n The Odeon was one of Carolyn and John\u2019s favorite go-to neighborhood restaurants. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n They allegedly rekindled their relationship after a brief split while dining at the revered American brasserie. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Tim English, the author of \u201cThe Kennedys\u2019 New York<\/a>,\u201d claimed that John and Carolyn rekindled their relationship at The Odeon after a brief split.<\/p>\n \u201cBy 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,\u201d English wrote. <\/p>\n \u201cCarolyn 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly potrayed John and Carolyn having dinner at The Odeon in \u201cLove Story.\u201d <\/p>\n The scene depicts Carolyn meeting JFK Jr.\u2019s friends. <\/p>\n In the Hulu drama, The Odeon served as the backdrop for a high-stakes scene in which Carolyn meets John\u2019s friends for the first time.<\/p>\n Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant\u00a0<\/p>\n John and Carolyn were \u201cregulars\u201d at Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant, owner Bashir Khan told The Post last week. <\/a><\/p>\n Colorful festive lights are draped from every corner of the East Village mainstay that serves dishes like chicken tikka masala and vegetable biryani.<\/p>\n FX\u2019s \u201cLove Story\u201d spotlighted their beloved Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant in the pilot episode. FX<\/p>\n The owner, Bashir Khan, told The Post that they dined there all the time in the \u201990s. FX<\/p>\n The Ryan Murphy-produced series depicts a fictional first date for Carolyn and John in the spicy spot. While it\u2019s unclear if Panna II was truly their first date destination, the couple were definitely frequent patrons in the \u201990s.<\/p>\n The dazzling scene \u2014 starring Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr. \u2014 has since spurred an influx of reservations for city-dwellers seeking a full Kennedy experience. <\/p>\n Indochine<\/p>\n Indochine, the French-Vietnamese outpost in Noho, hosted the Kennedy scion and his wife on numerous occasions.<\/p>\n In 1994, Carolyn attended a dinner party at the leafy lounge that was thrown by Calvin Klein\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Carolyn (seen here with Kelly Rector and other friends at Indochine in 1994) dined in the leafy lounge with John all the time. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images<\/p>\n John and Carolyn reportedly went to Indochine shortly after they wed in 1996. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Their love for Indochine was captured in the 2026 FX series. <\/p>\n Carolyn also reportedly had dinner with John at Indochine shortly after they tied the knot, Vogue reported. <\/a><\/p>\n Originally founded by Brian McNally \u2014 who also co-opened The Odeon \u2014 and music producer John Loeffler, the breezy hideaway hit the scene in 1984. <\/p>\n The cultural hub quickly became a meeting place for fashion bigwigs and artists, including Jean\u2011Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Julian Schnabel.<\/p>\n Tribeca Grill<\/p>\n Tribeca Grill \u2014 which sadly shuttered its doors after 35 years in 2025 \u2014\u00a0was a cherished dinner spot for Carolyn and her husband.<\/p>\n Nieporent, who co-owned Tribeca Grill with De Niro, recalled to Page Six how he chatted with John many times at the legendary steakhouse.<\/p>\n The now-defunct Tribeca Grill was a mainstay for JFK Jr. and his wife. Jonathan Baskin<\/p>\n Nieporent told Page Six he chatted with John there all the time. \u00a9 Marc Royce\/Corbis Outline<\/p>\n In 1995, JFK Jr. celebrated his 35th birthday alongside Carolyn in the brick-walled dining room. <\/p>\n They dined with their close social circle on the menu \u2014 which was known for dishes like a roasted rack of lamb and housemade tagliatelle \u2014 before capping off the night at the divey Mudville 9 bar around the corner.<\/p>\n After Tribeca Grill closed, Executive Chef Scott Burnett celebrated the restaurant\u2019s rich past, writing on Instagram<\/a>, \u201cA lot of years, a lot of history. Lucky to have played a part in a truly epic story.\u00a0@tribecagrill\u00a0you\u2019ll be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n Il Cantinori<\/p>\n John and Carolyn were repeat customers at the ultra-trendy Il Cantinori.<\/p>\n Art director Sam Shahid recalled bumping into Carolyn at the Tuscan trattoria many times in a 2026 interview with Town & Country<\/a>, noting that she liked to dine \u201cdiscreetly\u201d with friends like designer Narciso Rodriguez.<\/p>\n Il Cantinori hosted John and Carolyn for many stylish date nights. Julie Scarlet Stapen<\/p>\n Art director Sam Shahid said Carolyn \u201cdiscreetly\u201d dined there with friends. Neilson Barnard<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Carolyn walked into the room, you always knew she was there, the presence,\u201d Shahid shared. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Sarah Jessica Parker, who dated JFK Jr. for roughly six months in 1991, was also a notable patron. Her \u201cSex and the City\u201d character, Carrie Bradshaw, famously had her 35th birthday party at the Greenwich Village spot.<\/p>\n El Teddy\u2019s <\/p>\n Before Tribeca\u2019s El Teddy\u2019s served its last taco in 2004, the Mexican restaurant welcomed John and Carolyn through its doors many times.<\/p>\n The casual taqueria played a major role in their rocky relationship timeline \u2014 serving as the location where they allegedly broke up before getting back together, according to Elizabeth Beller, the author of \u201cOnce Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.<\/a>\u201c<\/p>\n They liked eating mexican at the former restaurant, El Teddy\u2019s. NYC Department of Records and Information Services<\/p>\n The taco joint closed in 2004. Pamela Duffy \u2013 Antoni Miralda<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cCarolyn met John for dinner at El Teddy\u2019s, 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] \u2018dated guys around town,’\u201d Beller wrote, according to People. <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cJohn casually tossed the piece of paper at her, stood, and walked out the door,\u201d she continued. \u201cCarolyn stared in shock at John as he departed.\u201d <\/p>\n The pair would eventually get back together, allegedly making amends at The Odeon.<\/p>\n El Teddy\u2019s was a stylish setting for artists and socialites to gather over very strong margaritas. <\/p>\n Rao\u2019s<\/p>\n Rao\u2019s, arguably one of the hardest restaurants to get into in the world, was an easy reservation for John and Carolyn.<\/p>\n John would frequently ride his bike all the way from Tribeca to the East Harlem red sauce joint in the \u201990s.<\/p>\n Publishing exec David Pecker recalled dining at Rao\u2019s with John to celebrate the launch of George magazine. <\/p>\n John and Carolyn delighted in Rao\u2019s red sauce dishes throughout their relationship. Christopher Sadowski<\/p>\n The Kennedy scion and publishing exec David Pecker hit Rao\u2019s while celebrating George magazine. Andrew H. Walker<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we finalized the deal to finance\u00a0George\u00a0in February 1995, we had a dinner at Rao\u2019s, at 114th Street and Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem,\u201d Pecker told New York Magazine. <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAfter dinner, he just walked over to his bicycle and put his cap on,\u201d he continued. \u201cAs he was going down 114th Street in the middle of the night, the photographers were all chasing him.\u201d<\/p>\n From the exclusive 10 tables at Rao\u2019s to the nonchalant corners of The Odeon, these restaurants weren\u2019t just for dining \u2014 they were John and Carolyn\u2019s escape from the flashbulbs and the comfortable places where they freely fell in love. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t