Biden is tenderly led out of swanky celeb-friendly Italian restaurant Il Cantinori by his

Joe Biden‘s arrival in New York City caused traffic chaos on Sunday night as he took his family for dinner at a swanky Italian restaurant frequented by celebs like Alec Baldwin. 

The president’s Air Force One touched down at JFK ahead of the UN General Assembly conference next week, where climate change, poverty and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be top of the agenda. 

But his first port of call was Il Cantinori, where he enjoyed a meal with his family. They are believed to have been toasting his granddaughter Finnegan’s 23rd birthday.

First Lady Jill Biden and their daughter Ashley Biden were spotted at the family outing – although Finnegan’s father Hunter Biden, who faces three federal charges over his purchase of gun – was not pictured with them.

Biden’s downtown trip snarled traffic as police blocked roads in busy parts of Manhattan to clear the way for his motorcade to travel from the heliport to the fancy hotspot – where he received a standing ovation from patrons. 

Biden’s motorcade was spotted along 3rd Avenue as it made its way from the southern tip of Manhattan.  

Motorists blared their horns in frustration as they were stopped on nearby streets and several roads were shut down, causing stoppages throughout the island including inside tunnels and along the FDR highway. 

Il Cantinori sits along the busy East 10th Street between Broadway and University and the NYU campus. 

The Tuscan restaurant offers fancy dishes from broiled rack of lamb marinated with fresh herbs for $69 and grilled filet mignon in garlic cream sauce for $64, to cheaper options like the grilled seasonal vegetables for $25. 

Biden was spotted leaving the restaurant with daughter Ashley, 42, tenderly leading him by the hand as they were flanked by bodyguards around 8pm on Sunday. 

Jill Biden followed behind them wearing a baby blue suit, and she waved and smiled at members of the public who whipped out their phones to capture the moment.

The president’s scandal-plagued 53-year-old son was nowhere to be seen as he prepares to go to trial accused of lying about his drug addiction on forms to purchase a .38-caliber Colt Cobra revolver in 2018. 

Hunter Biden was indicted on the gun charges earlier this month, and he could face additional tax charges soon. 

Beyond his family struggles, Biden also faces a political war within his own party, as New York Democrats continue to fire criticism at him at every opportunity over the government’s handling of the migrant crisis.

Around 10,000 refugees are pouring into New York each month, and Mayor Eric Adams warned the problem is now threatening to ‘destroy’ the city. 

He blamed a lack of federal support, a ‘broken’ nationwide immigration system and Republicans bussing refugees from their own states into the city for the emergency.

Meanwhile, Biden’s administration have passed the humanitarian issue like a hot potato back to local officials, blaming them for having ‘no exit strategy’ for processing thousands of people.  

Former New York senator Hillary Clinton has also weighed in on the issue, urging Biden to do more to help the beleaguered Big Apple. 

Two sources close to Clinton told NBC New York she agrees with Adams’ assessment of the problem – that a lack of White House help is to blame. 

But the president’s attention will be on global issues at the UN summit, including the war in Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes center stage. 

For the first time in years, Biden will be the only leader from the five powerful veto-wielding nations on the U.N. Security Council attending in person. 

This has sparked private grumbling from developing-country diplomats that key global players won´t be listening to their demands, which need billions of dollars to implement. 

The conference also comes as a recent UN report warned members are not on track to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement climate targets. 

Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of New York on Sunday to call for increased action against climate change ahead of the meeting.  

Protesters from around 700 organizations and activist groups carried signs reading ‘Biden, end fossil fuels’ and ‘I didn’t vote for fires and floods’, following a summer marked by multiple climate change-linked disasters.

‘We are here to demand that the administration declare a climate emergency,’ said Analilia Mejia, director of the activist group Center for Popular Democracy.

‘We must wake up and take immediate action,’ she told AFP.

A UN climate report released this month named 2025 as the deadline for global greenhouse gas emissions to peak – followed by a sharp drop thereafter – if humanity is to cap global warming in line with Paris Agreement targets.

Later on Sunday, the streets of New York City were blocked again, this time by traffic gridlock as central highways were shut for the president’s motorcade to pass through. 

Motorists fumed over the traffic chaos on Twitter. ‘F*** the United Nations, NYC and crackhead Mayor Adams creating traffic chaos and complete gridlock on a Sunday,’ one man called Jonathan fumed. 

‘They block streets, bridges, and tunnels while they escort, fast lane and lay the red carpet for outsiders with a police note of ‘use mass transit’ to you peasants.’ 

Another man questioned how much more pollution shutting down the streets would cause ahead of the climate-focused summit. 

‘Maybe he should have taken the air train from JFK,’ he said. 

‘F*** YOU to the UN in NYC for DESTROYING the traffic along 1st and making 40 minute bus ride almost two hours,’ a frustrated passenger chimed in.