Smells

Illustration: Charlene Potts

Cinnamon and clove
Every spa is big on aromatherapy, but the intimate, eco-friendly Spa & Wellness Center in Bay Ridge gets into the holiday spirit by burning private-label cinnamon-and-clove vegetable-wax candles and essential oils throughout the space. “A lot of guests like the smell so much, they actually go for a treatment intertwining it,” notes the center’s creative director Maureen Brody. “We have the essential oils that match the aroma of the candles, so we add them right into masks or body wraps.” 8804 Third Ave at 88th St, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (718-921-6100, greenspany.com)

Frankincense and myrrh
Red Hook’s handcrafted-soap boutique and workshop, Saipua, greets customers with the warm, woody smell of a frankincense-and-myrrh creation, straight out of the New Testament. “People always tell us how great it smells in here, but we’re a little immune to it now,” says Susan Ryhanen, who makes all the soaps. Big apothecary jars are filled with aromatic cut-and-dried peppermint leaves and balsam needles. They get scooped into muslin drawstring bags for sachets to keep the scents going strong at home. 392 Van Brunt St between Coffey and Dikeman Sts, Red Hook, Brooklyn (718-624-2929, saipua.com)

Nutmeg and rum
Eggnog isn’t exactly glamorous when poured out of a jug found in the supermarket. At West Village restaurant Perilla, popular Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle makes his own fragrant eggnog from scratch with nutmeg and rum, and then serves it Sunday brunch–style on brioche French toast. Dressed with a mix of vanilla bean, mascarpone and butter, and topped with rum-raisin syrup, the scent of booze subtly says holiday revelry. 9 Jones St between W4th and Bleecker Sts (212-929-6868, perillanyc.com)

Spiced cider
Each evening through the holidays, at 5:30pm, the lobby of the 70 Park Avenue Hotel is perfumed with warm spiced cider. “The smell of apple cider feels like coming home for the holidays,” explains Ericka Nelson, the hotel’s general manager. “There is something nostalgic about enjoying a hot mug.” While only guests are treated to this complimentary concoction—made with nutmeg and smashed cardamom—those who straggle in can follow their noses into the adjacent Silverleaf Tavern for a $7 mug. 70 Park Ave at 38th St (212-973-2400, 70parkave.com)

Fresh-brewed coffee
The gas fireplace at the Mansfield Hotel’s Club Room may not leave the library-like hangout smelling warm and smoky, but the roasted bliss coming from the nearby coffee machine instantly transports you to a cozy cottage upstate. “When you smell that coffee it reminds you of a lodge,” says the hotel’s general manager, John David Agosto. Our best recommendation? Curl up by the fire, sip some joe and kick someone’s butt at backgammon. 12 W 44th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-277-8700, mansfieldhotel.com)

Pine
Barbara’s Flowers, in Harlem, always makes you want to inhale a little more deeply. It smells more like the holidays now, with the arrival of pine needles at the shop. As an alternative to stunning but aroma-free poinsettias, add the piquant boughs to a bouquet of holly and traditional Christmas berries. “You can put them in a vase. Or a lot of people use them for fresh wreaths on their door, to give it fragrance,” says manager Paul Chance. 2522 Frederick Douglass Blvd between W 134th and 135th Sts (212-234-3211, harlemflowers.com)

Gingerbread
Joyce Bakeshop in Prospect Heights smells good on an average day, but now, with its seasonal supply of freshly baked gingerbread, the aroma is definitely Christmas. Choose from dainty snowflakes or gingerbread men and women dolled up with painted faces. “They’re made of ginger and our mix of secret spices,” says manager Audrey Marsh. What spices? “It’s a family secret.” What’s the secret? “Can’t tell you that.” But what are the spices? “Come on now.” 646 Vanderbilt Ave between Park and Prospect Pls, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-623-7470, joycebakeshop.com)