• Mezzanine Spa

  62 Crosby Street, 212-431-1600

  Don’t be lured by the more exotic offerings at the Mezzanine Spa. The double-height ceilings and three-story waterfall create a luxe and tranquil atmosphere. But it’s quickly spoiled by the paperwork required to determine your Ayurvedic disposition for the signature Tan Lepa Wrap, a $200 indulgence that has you slathered with cream or yogurt by two aestheticians (neither of whom is actually a massage therapist)—and left chilly, sticky, and mummified in banana leaves. Also skip the Ancient Chiropody Pedicure ($100), which is supposedly extra-effective but involves frightening European medical tools. I’ve had an equally good job done elsewhere for $35, and it involved pleasant creams, too. Stick to the peppermint pedicure. —Beth Landman

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine