NYC - Manhattan Recommendations
I am going to NYC with family. I get to choose two "nice" dinners out - price really isn't an issue. I've been reading the lists of top NYC restaurants and, of course, they all sound fabulous. I am thinking of La Bernaden and Babbo - but I am not married to either of them.
and
What about small cafes for breakfast and lunch in Manhattan?
Thanks
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16 Comments:
Eleven Madison Park has been getting a lot of good reviews ever since Daniel Humm took over the kitchen. Tocqueville is one of my go-back-to places.
For brunch/lunch, Cafe Mogador in the East Village is terrific, assuming you like Morrocan food. Aurora, in SoHo, is very good also.
Ann Fisher at 10:25PM on 11/06/07
For lunch try:
City Bakery
Tisserie
Clinton St. restaurant and bakery
Momofuku noodle bar
Fatty crab
Pearl oyster bar
Go to Chelsea Market, and have a wide choice(soup, sushi, Thai, Italian,etc.)
Hill country(bbcue)
For dinner try:
Jean Georges
Daniel
Annisa
Anthos
Wallse
Have Fun!!!!!
Mich23 at 8:27AM on 11/07/07
LeBernardin is an institution and a must for top-shelf, fine dining seafood. My favorite restaurant in Manhattan is One If By Land Two If By Sea but it's known for its romantic atmosphere and probably won't be a good place for the whole fam damily if you've got young kids. If you love Peking Duck, go to the Peking Duck House on Mott Street. You will never eat duck this great and you don't have to order 24 hours in advance because it's the specialty of the house and always available.
I was recently at both One If By Land and the Peking Duck House and can personally vouch for both! Safe travels and happy Restaurant Hopping!
chiff0nade at 10:21AM on 11/07/07
Last time I was in New York my partner and I stumbled on Les Halles in Midtown and enjoyed dinner there so much we returned the next day for lunch. Of all my trips to Manhattan its the only restaurant that I been too twice. I only remembered when I got home that this was the last restaurant that Bordian was exec chef at.
shea at 11:06AM on 11/07/07
les halles is standard and consistent. there are much better places in the city to eat. if you want a nice dinner you can go somewhere for nicer. i guess it depends on what your "nice" is. le bernadin and babbo are on much higher levels then les halles. what type of place are you looking for?
jaf at 12:20PM on 11/07/07
I live on Clinton; if you want to spend two hours waiting on the street for your table, only to be surrounded by hipsters and tourists eating a very average meal, Clinton Street Bakery is your best bet.
Barbara Hanson at 1:20PM on 11/07/07
jaf, sorry I wasn't clear.
I am looking for two things -
great food to eat while we are seeing the city - and conscious of my mother-in-law's dis-inclination to go very far - so I kept it to Manhattan. What I remember about NYC is that there are a zillion spots to eat, but the local gems are not alawys obvious to the foodie visitor. Plus, with so much good food and only a few days, I want to find the best spots I can.
and
We are going to splurge on at least two nights out - thus the "price not an issue" comment. If we are going to spend $500+ on a dinner, where should we go?
Cynthia
BTW - I really appreciate all the suggestions - I am looking them up and making notes. I am a stickler about doing research on food when I travel, but there are so many variables with NYC - I am so glad for your input.
cmckenna at 1:46PM on 11/07/07
If you go to Clinton St. restaurant and bakery, go on a weekday, get there by 12, and all will be well. I've eaten lunch there a number of times, and have not been disappointed.
Mich23 at 2:41PM on 11/07/07
Okay - has anyone eaten at:
La Grenouille, Le Périgord, or JoJo?
cmckenna at 6:21PM on 11/07/07
Daniel is my #1 for a special dinner. We found it surprisingly affordable (relative to the scale of fine, world-class dining establishments). The food is truly top-notch, the room is beautiful and very comfortable, and the staff is beyond outstanding. Easily the best service I've ever had anywhere in the USA.
Babbo was delicious the last time I was there, but it's been a few years. The one thing I can say is it's not the most comfortable room. Quite cramped and tends to feel noisy.
If you can get a table at Per Se (good luck), that's one that shouldn't be missed. Le Bernardin and Gramercy Tavern are other good bets. Also, not as popular with the reviewers as it used to be, but I had a terrific time at Aureole a few years ago.
For casual, less expensive dining, my favorite is Blue Ribbon on Sullivan. It's a great lunch joint. Tasty, fun, creative food, and a staff that makes you feel like a guest in their home. You have to be willing to wait outside in line, but it is so worth it. Since MIL can't stand around, you might want to have a designated queuer with a cell phone, as it can run over an hour. We go there everytime we're in the city.
If you love burgers, go to the burger joint at Le Parker Meridien. Very reasonable, good burgers, and a memorably unique NYC experience.
LoCo at 12:33PM on 11/08/07
If you can swing it (reservation-wise and $wise) Per Se is the epitomy of fine cuisine and stellar service. Alfred Portale's Gotham Grill - to die for.
You can't go wrong at Veritas, Red Cat, Bouley, Mesa Grill. You'll get a great brunch at Eleven Madison or Jane in the village. They are big on brunch in NY so do try to get reservations for that as well. Had excellent lunches at BLT Steak and Haru uptown. Just try to shop in NYC with 2 or 3 Green Tea-ritas and sushi under your belt. Just enough alcohol to make you think you can afford anything and just enough fish on your breath to not have a sales person come near you! My kid lives in NYC and says the new Blue Ribbon Sushi is all that. Oh yes and Tabla is really really good. Go online and check all the menus first - it really helps if you want to get reservations at the upscale places at least a month ahead.
When we went to LesHalles midtown several years ago we asked jokingly if Tony was there and our waiter said "oh, he is much too fa-moos to be here anymore!" We had been to the Les Halles in DC and had a great experience so we wanted to try the original location. My husband was very happy but if you put a trough of frittes in front of a man, what's to complain about? We had a large late lunch so I just ordered dessert to be brought when the entrees were delivered to the table but it didn't happen. They weren't very busy and our waiter never came back for at least 45 minutes. Sorry but I thought the service really sucked. If you want French bistro fare I'm sure you can do better.
I wish I could remember the name of the great burger place a block or two from MOMA. It looked fairly small from the outside but it had an upstairs as well. Can anyone refresh my memory? It had really good food and when The Modern screwed up our reservations (and they were quite snotty about it) that's where we ended up to grab lunch. Sort of an upscale diner atmosphere with fantastic burgers.
Blue Smoke is fun too. You can eat smoked meat while you listen to jazz and the service is good if not a bit confusing. It's dark and the tables are kind of all mooshed together but we made it work.
When you get back I just want to hear where you went. I'm going to live vicariously through you since we can't go this year!
frederika at 2:39PM on 11/08/07
prune is good for lunch as is via emilia and . joe's shanghai is fun on a blustery day for soup dumplings and getting to know your fellow diners. maybe try lupa for lunch too.
wow if you have that kinda cash to spend on dinner you could really go wild in this city. any of the columbus circle "mall" restaurants would probably do you right. jean-georges is pretty phenomenal for dinner (and they have a $25 lunch deal); cafe bouloud and daniel are an occasion as is wallse, spice market is cool...del posto's food is good but the space sort of creeps me out--it's very funeral home-ish.
Lexie at 3:34PM on 11/08/07
frankie's sputino on clinton street is cool at either lunch or dinner--clinton street bakery is a rip-off except for those biscuits at brunch and the blueberry pancakes!
Lexie at 3:35PM on 11/08/07
I've never eaten at Daniel, but my mother has several times and swears by it...
I definitely recommend both Le Bernardin and Babbo, though Le Bern. probably comes first for me. Obviously, it depends on your tastes, but Le Bern. is several notches more sophisticated in my mind. The lamb and mint "love-letter" pasta and the salumi plate at Babbo are both great though. Definitely call waaaay in advance for reservations though!
If you find yourself on the Lower East Side, I would recommend Frankie's 17 Spuntino or Kuma Inn for dinner. Frankie's is basic but tasty Italian, Kuma Inn bills itself as Filipino-Thai. Be forwarned: both places are super-tiny, though Kuma Inn is not on street level and a little less cramped. (There is also a Frankie's in Brooklyn, so go if you find yourself there, since it's more spacious.)
Cafe Gitane is nice for breakfast or lunch, and Mamoun's has some damn tasty and cheap falafel. Go to Lexington avenue around 24th-28th streets for an Indian buffet lunch one day.
I worked at the City Bakery, so I have to give it a plug for lunch. It's basically an over-priced, noisy salad bar, but most of the food is quite good. Stick with the salads and get some hot chocolate, pretzel croissants, and cookies or mini-tarts to go.
Hope this helps!
Here are some locations:
Frankie's 17 Spuntino: 17 Clinton street between Houston and Stanton
Kuma Inn: 113 Ludlow street btwn. Delancey and Rivington
Cafe Gitane: 242 Mott street btwn. Prince and Houston
Mamoun's: 119 Macdougal street btwn. West 3rd st and Minetta Lane
City Bakery: 3 West 18th street btwn. 5th and 6th avenues.
emmab at 3:44PM on 11/08/07
Okay - reservations made for:
Babbo
Daniel
Spice Market
I don't think all 5 of us will want to eat at all three - but my partner and I certainly will be!! Thanks for the ideas and recommendations.
Now I'll start looking into your lunch and b-fast tips.
BTW - I tried for a long time to get a table at Per Se - I just did not start looking early enough. Maybe next trip - except it has been 30 years since I have been to the City and if it takes me another 30 to return, I might not be so concerned with what I get to eat.
cmckenna at 10:01AM on 11/09/07
PLATAFORMA!!!!!
This is the most casual well dressed restaurant in nyc,top service,all you can eat steak ,skirt,strip,eye round,ribeye,on and on,plus a full hot buffett,no not chinese overcooked garbage.Salad bar,oh did i mention steak,and more steak?It is the brazillian rodizo style,they serve all meats at the table,always fresh,
55 bucks per adult
11 per child,and beleive me,you would say its worth so much more 416 w49th,
sharky at 4:49PM on 11/14/07