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Most popular
places rated by the folks who ate there, great restaurants when
on budget!
Tamara
Address: 643 Park Avenue
New York City NY 10023
Phone: 212-302-8270
Type: Dinner Theater
Tamara is a wonderful evening of passion, intrigue and fun. It
is a play where you work your way through the mansion of Il Vittari,
following the scenes from room to room. Special group discounts
are available. Dinner is presented by the restaurant, Le Cirque
and an open bar is offered.
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Acme Bar and Grill
9 Great Jones St., between Broadway and Lafayette St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/420-1934
East Village and NoHo
American
under $20
Chicago blues and jazz
blast from the sound system, and bottles of hot sauce line the
shelves at this boisterous NoHo eatery. The appropriately Cajun-influenced
menu embraces chicken, ribs, crab cakes, catfish, and shrimp--either
steamed in Old Bay spice, barbecued, or blackened. The coleslaw,
a mix of different colored cabbages and onions all coarsely cut
and blended with mayo, is worth a detour.
Credit cards: DC, MC, V.
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Alamo
304 E. 48th St., between 1st and 2nd Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/759-0590
Midtown
Mexican
under $20
The Alamo's creative
riffs on Mexican and Texas-style cooking are served in the unpretentious
main dining room, bright with piñatas and Mexican posters,
and the even more comfortable second level, with big comfy booths.
Chunky guacamole is made to order table-side. Chili relleno (green
chili pepper ahaffed with cheese and batter fried) is a vegetarian
standout.
Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Anche Vivolo
222 E. 58th St., between 2nd and 3rd Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/308-0112
Midtown
Italian
$20-$39
Austrian shades and big clay pots of fresh flowers help create
the feel of an enclosed garden in this restaurant, one of the
best deals in an expensive part of town. Huge portions of such
well-prepared dishes as linguine Francesco (with garlic, anchovies,
basil, tomatoes, and oregano) would cost at least 50% more at
most other restaurants on this Italianate block. The best entrée
is often a special.
Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Asia de Cuba
237 Madison Ave., between 37th and 38th Sts.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/726-7755
Gramercy Park, Murray Hill, Chelsea, and the Flatiron District
Latin
$40-$59
This remarkable space, designed by Philippe Starck, in the eclectic
Morgans Hotel, is the definitive lounge-cum-restaurant. Up front
is a striking bar area with slip covered chairs. A marble communal
"share-table" is the central feature of the main dining
room, which also has a huge color blowup of a Chinese waterfall
and bare marble tables. There are potent exotic drinks and a short,
well-designed wine list. Wonder of wonders, the food is very good:
A knockout foie gras with yucca-bread French toast, cashews, and
tropical salsa or a glorious whole fish, cooked-to-a-turn and
ahaffed with crab escabèche (pickled). Desserts have playful
names like "Latin Lover" (a chocolate-espresso mousse
with espresso-Anglaise). Two appetizers, one entrée, and
a side are more than enough food for two.
Reservations essential. Credit cards: AE, MC, V.
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Bar Nine
809 9th Ave., at 54th St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/399-9336
Times Square, Clinton, Hell's Kitchen, and Carnegie Hall
Italian
under $20
Period antiques and sofas, wonderful mix-and-match chandeliers,
and photos of saluting World War I servicemen create an offbeat
setting for simple yet contrasting food--it's basically American
with European overtones. Warm bread arrives with olive oil, salt,
red and black pepper, and a sprig of fresh rosemary that's meant
to be used as a brush. Caesar salad and sautéed skate are
perfectly done. In the evening a deejay spins contemporary music
till the wee hours, and on weekends it's a great place for an
inexpensive brunch.
Credit cards: AE, MC, V.
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Billy's
948 1st Ave., between 52nd and 53rd Sts.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/753-1870
Midtown
American
$20-$39
In this quintessential New York neighborhood restaurant, established
in 1870, straightforward burgers, steaks, fish, and pasta dishes
take second place to such down-home specials as chicken potpie,
turkey with real mashed potatoes, and corned beef and cabbage.
Billy's moneyed neighborhood means the people-watching is often
as satisfying as the comfort food and vintage setting.
Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Boonthai
1393A 2nd Ave., between 72nd and 73rd Sts.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/249-8484
Upper East Side
Thai
under $20
A warm greeting awaits at this mirrored, softly lighted charmer
full of pretty paintings and crisply set tables. The service is
accommodating--the heat of the food can be tempered to your taste.
If you like it hot, sample the deep-fried whole fish with chili
sauce. Or order the chicken in not-so-spicy masman (red Muslim
curry) sauce, the pad thai, or the obliging deep-fried duck.
Hours: No lunch weekends Reservations essential. Credit cards:
AE, MC, V.
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20 Mott Street
20 Mott St., between Bowery and Pell St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/964-0380
Chinatown, Little Italy, Lower East Side, and Nolita
Chinese
$20-$39
An excellent choice
for dim sum, this neat if nondescript three-story restaurant has
above-average service (though it helps to have someone who speaks
Chinese in your party). To get food that's authentic, you must
insist on it (look around and point); when you do, you may be
served fabulous steamed dumplings or deep-fried eel with orange
peel and spicy XO sauce (a Hong Kong specialty that's rare here)--or
different but equally novel dishes.
Credit cards: AE, MC, V.
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Akroyiali
33-04 Broadway, Astoria
Queens, NY
tel.: 718/932-7772
Queens
Greek
under $20
One of the best bets
in predominantly Greek Astoria, Akroyiali, with its walls entwined
with grape vines and the blue and white colors typical of the
taverns of Athens, has the feel of Greek islands, yet it's only
a quick subway ride from Manhattan. Hot and cold appetizers such
as grilled octopus, fried cheese, and taramasalata (fish-roe spread)
are standouts. There are also appetizing Greek salads and such
delicious entrées as moussaka, grilled quail, souvlaki,
whole grilled fish, and (surprisingly) a knockout double tenderloin.
The Greek red wines offer good value.
Credit cards: AE.
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An American Place
2 Park Ave., at 32nd St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/684-2122
Gramercy Park, Murray Hill, Chelsea, and the Flatiron District
American
$40-$59
Executive chef Larry Forgione, one of the original and most influential
practitioners of new American cooking, keeps An American Place
in the top class of New York's --and the country's--restaurants
by preparing classic dishes to perfection day after day. The menu
ranges from fresh Maine deviled crab spring roll to cedar-planked
salmon with seasonal vegetables. A high-ceiling room, Art Deco
brasserie-style light fixtures, colorful Mikasa china, generously
spaced tables, and Frank Stella paintings impart a sense of luxury
at its most effortless. Kindly service puts a finishing sheen
that makes this all add up to a stellar experience.
Hours: No lunch weekends Reservations essential. Credit cards:
AE, DC, MC, V.
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Ballato's
55 E. Houston St., between Mott and Mulberry Sts.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/274-8881
Chinatown, Little Italy, Lower East Side, and Nolita
Italian
$20-$39
A Mark Kostabi painting, red-oak floors, and an enclosed garden
create an atmospheric setting for the well-prepared food at this
old-timer. The menu's earthy pastas and daily specials give good
value; Ballato's tripe, prepared in a superb marinara sauce, is
particularly worth trying.
Hours: No lunch Sun. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V
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Balthazar
80 Spring St., between Broadway and Crosby St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/965-1414
SoHo and TriBeCa
French
$40-$59
This SoHo brasserie is currently one of the most difficult reservations
to score in town. Restaurant impresario Keith McNally (of Pravda
and the Odeon) has gone to extraordinary lengths to create a direct-from-Paris
appearance whose authenticity will stop you dead in your tracks:
red canvas awnings, gold-and-black decal writing on the windows,
wall-filling framed mirrors, marble-top tables. Despite the need
to placate a steady stream of celebrities, average diners are
treated quite well. Nightly specials are based on classic French
dishes; Tuesday it's choucroute garni (veal and garlic sausages,
smoked meats, sauerkraut, and spices, among other ingredients,
all simmered in white Alsatian wine). The chicken sauté
with spaetzle and vegetables is flavorful and generous. Wonderful
bread is baked in the restaurant's own bakery; you can ask to
take home what's left in your bread basket or buy some at the
tiny bakery next door. Prices are not exorbitant by today's standards,
and the wine list is fair.
Hours: No lunch Mon. Reservations essential. Credit cards: AE,
DC, MC, V.
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Bolo
23 E. 22nd St., between Broadway and Park Ave. S
New York, NY
tel.: 212/228-2200
Gramercy Park, Murray Hill, Chelsea, and the Flatiron District
Spanish
$40-$59
With its tile-edged brick oven, vivid gold, red, and cobalt color
scheme, open kitchen, and polished wood bar, Bolo's design fuses
Manhattan and Madrid. Bobby Flay's Spanish-inspired food aims
at New York palates: Oven-roasted baby shrimp with toasted garlic
is garnished with fragrant sprigs of thyme, and curried shellfish
paella unites bivalves with sausage, chicken, and rice. If you're
not in the mood for the perfect house sangria, select from the
well-priced wine list.
Hours: No lunch weekends Reservations essential. Credit cards:
AE, MC, V.
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Bouley Bakery
120 W. Broadway, between Duane and Reade Sts.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/964-2525
SoHo and TriBeCa
Contemporary
$40-$59
Under a vaulted ceiling, fresh flowers grace each of the 12 enormously
coveted tables at celebrated chef David Bouley's informally elegant
bakery-cum-restaurant. Service can be maddeningly slow, but the
results are often worth the wait. Bouley's devotion to the freshest
local (and often organic) produce is most manifest with the sparkling
clams and oysters. Unlikely combinations like a sautéed
skate with fennel and figs or thin rings of calamari with crab
meat exemplify his innovative style. A hot chocolate souffle is
not too calorie-packed to end a meal. The wine list, alas, isn't
as interesting as the kitchen.
Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Bouterin
420 E. 59th St., off 1st Ave.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/758-0323
Midtown
French
$40-$59
Baskets of apples and copper pans adorn the walls, adding a warm
touch to chef-owner Antoine Bouterin's (formerly of Le Perigord)
Provençal restaurant, just south of the Queensboro Bridge.
Unpretentious dishes dominate on the short menu--an old-fashioned
lamb stew, cooked for seven hours and best eaten with a spoon,
is a highlight.
Hours: No lunch Jacket required. Reservations essential. Credit
cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Brothers Bar-B-Q
225 Varick St., at Clarkston St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/727-2775
Greenwich Village
Barbecue
under $20
This huge bi-level barnlike space has a lounge decorated in the
style of the American South circa 1949, with hair dryers, tacky
period plastic furniture, signs from Texaco, Esso, and Shell,
even a garage door. On Monday night, it's all-you-can-eat; sample
puffy hush puppies with hot sauce, smoked sausage over black-eyed
peas, fried wings and smoked rib tips in bourbon sauce, shrimp
po'boy sandwiches, and terrific chicken and ribs. There's enough
of a selection of tequila shots to satisfy Pancho Villa, plus
11 bottled beers and seven on tap.
Credit cards: AE.
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Bryant Park Grill and
Bryant Park Café
25 W. 40th St., between 5th and 6th Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/840-6500
Midtown
Contemporary
$20-$39
Stone fountains, Parisian chairs, and a 200-seat outdoor garden
precede the more formal grill area, graced with rare lacquered
woods, slate floors, and velvet leaf-patterned banquettes. The
food is reasonably good, considering the volume demand on the
kitchen. A typical dinner: calamari salad, Joe's special (scrambled
eggs, sautéed spinach, ground sirloin, and mushrooms),
and chocolate soufflé. The outdoor Bryant Park Café
(open April 15-October 14) has a menu of light fare; after 5 its
bar overflows with raucous revelers, so if you visit in the early
evening, ask for a table at the 42nd Street end.
Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Café Bianco
1486 2nd Ave., between 77th and 78th Sts.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/988-2655
East Side
Cafe
under $20
White tables fill this popular meeting place with excellent coffee,
sinful desserts, and small meals; in warm weather, try the back
garden with its pint-size pond.
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Café Botanica
160 Central Park S, between 6th and 7th Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/484-5120
Times Square, Clinton, Hell's Kitchen, and Carnegie Hall
Contemporary
$20-$39
This glorious café, in the Essex House Hotel, airy as a
country garden with its high ceilings, wicker chairs, soft green
tablecloths, and ravishing Central Park views, serves inventive
and elegant food. The pretheater dinner is an exceptional value,
and the wine list is priced fairly. The fixed-price lunch and
Sunday brunch are as splendid as dinner.
Reservations essential. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Café Fès
246 W. 4th St., at Charles St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/924-7653
Greenwich Village
Moroccan
$20-$39
Named after co-owner and chef Drissa Rafael's hometown, this amiable
Moroccan restaurant is on one of Greenwich Village's most charming
streets. She and husband Jean Roger have created a perfect setting
for this sensuous cuisine, with peach walls, Moroccan lanterns,
a tin ceiling, and a small fountain. The cold mixed salad, made
with pureed eggplant and spinach, is a delectable beginning. Classic
couscous is served in three variations; tajine, is a delectable
stew made of lamb with prunes or artichokes and fava beans.
Hours: No lunch Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Café La Fortuna
69 W. 71st St., between Columbus Ave. and Central Park W.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/724-5846
West Side
Cafe
under $20
Weary Columbus Avenue strollers have long flocked to this comforting
refuge offering Italian pastries, serious coffee, and opera music.
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Café Lalo
201 W. 83rd St., between Broadway. and Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/496-6031
West Side
Cafe
under $20
Linger over cappuccino, liqueurs, and crossword puzzles at this
flashy, Lautrec-theme spot just off Broadway. Alas, some cakes
fall short of their menu descriptions.
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Café Luxembourg
200 W. 70th St., between Amsterdam and West End Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/873-7411
Lincoln Center
French
$20-$39
This bustling, sophisticated bistro with airy arched windows,
a zinc-top bar, and racks of newspapers brings a bit of SoHo to
the Upper West Side. The well-heeled clientele comes for steak
frîtes, soothing roasted free-range chicken with mashed
potatoes, and a robust cassoulet. Desserts are mostly fine, especially
the mouthwatering profiteroles. Several prix-fixe menus lower
the tab. There is a very good selection of wines.
Hours: No lunch Mon. Reservations essential. Credit cards: AE,
DC, MC, V.
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Picholine
35 W. 64th St., off Broadway
New York, NY
tel.: 212/724-8585
Lincoln Center
Mediterranean
$40-$59
Named for the small green Mediterranean olive of the same name
(and the house olive, brought to your table at the start of your
meal), this mellow restaurant is patterned on a Provençal
farmhouse, with soft colors, wood floors, and dried flowers. Chef-proprietor
Terrance Brennan's food is among the finest in Manhattan. Top
dishes include the signature grilled octopus with fennel, potato,
and lemon-pepper dressing; Moroccan-spiced loin of lamb with vegetable
couscous and mint-yogurt sauce; and tournedos of salmon with horseradish
crust, cucumbers, and salmon caviar. A cheese selection of some
30 varieties (the restaurant has its own cave in which they ripen
it), in prime condition and served at room temperature, is indicative
of Brennan's commitment to quality. The wine list offers outstanding
wines by the glass; there's also a small wine area seating up
to eight that offers special tasting menus.
Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Mon. Reservations essential. Credit
cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Remi
145 W. 53rd St., between 6th and 7th Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/581-4242
Times Square, Clinton, Hell's Kitchen, and Carnegie Hall
Italian
$40-$59
This stylish Italian restaurant--designed by architect Adam Tihany,
who co-owns it with chef Francesco Antonucci--is striking with
its nautical decor, sky lighted open atrium-garden, blue-and-white-striped
banquettes, Venetian-glass chandeliers, and soaring room-length
mural of Venice by Paulin Paris. The accompanying contemporary
Venetian cuisine is beautifully presented. Fresh sardines make
a lovely beginning, with their contrasting sweet-and-sour onion
garnish, and you can't go wrong with the expertly prepared rack
of lamb or any of the wonderful desserts.
Hours: No lunch weekends Reservations essential. Credit cards:
AE, DC, MC, V.
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Savann
414 Amsterdam Ave., at 80th St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/580-0202
Upper West Side
French
$20-$39
Executive chef Danforth Houle, formerly of Bouley, performs culinary
magic at what is possibly the best small restaurant on the West
Side. Among the superb entrées are cornmeal-crusted oysters
on creamy celery-root puree and pan-roasted medallions of salmon
with spaghetti squash in roasted tomato vinaigrette. Apple tarte
Tatin with cinnamon ice cream makes a wonderful finale. The dining
area is all exposed brick, with brass ceiling fans and track lighting.
Savann Est is at 181 East 78th St. (Phone: 212/396-9300).
Hours: No lunch Credit cards: AE, MC, V.
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SeaGrill
19 W. 49th St., between 5th and 6th Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/332-7610
Midtown
Seafood
$40-$59
Famous restaurants with extraordinary views are often suspect
when it comes to the food. But this famous restaurant, with a
spectacular view of the Rockefeller Center ice rink in winter
and captivating patio dining in summer, can stand tall. Master
chef Ed Brown (of JUdson Grill) turns out some of Manhattan's
best seafood dishes, including charred, moist sugar cane shrimp
on skewers with buttery rice. The key lime pie is the best this
side of the Keys.
Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat. Reservations essential. Credit
cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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The Park
109 E. 56th St., between Park and Lexington Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/750-5656
Midtown
Contemporary
$20-$39
Next to the Lombardy Hotel (once owned by William Randolph Hearst),
this restaurant has a spectacular setting: Baccarat chandeliers
and cool blue and golden-beet walls, accented with pale salmon
touches and plush green-velvet banquettes. Rudy Vallee once performed
in what is now the bar area, which now features cool jazz. Tamboril,
an elegant cigar lounge, is also under the roof. The cuisine,
under the direction of executive chef Fabrizzio Salerni (formerly
of Lespinasse), rivals the best in Manhattan. Begin with a crab
meat salad with bourbon-tomato dressing on a bed of avocado relish
and continue with ravioli filled with Portobello mushrooms in
a light sauce of parsley juice and tomato glaze. Desserts, by
Patience Dadz Kamen, are no less dazzling, especially the hazelnut
bomb with milk chocolate sauce, praline parfait, and accents of
chocolate on a nutty hazelnut cookie.
Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Uncle Nick's
747 9th Ave., between 50th and 51st Sts.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/245-7992
Times Square, Clinton, Hell's Kitchen, and Carnegie Hall
Greek
under $20
This inexpensive taverna's long room has a navy blue pipe-lined
tin ceiling, an exposed kitchen, and a wood floor, plus appetizing
displays of whole red snapper, porgy, and striped bass. Uncle
Nick's owners, Tony and Mike Vanatakis, prepare each fish selection
with simplicity and care. A few excellent appetizers--crispy fried
smelts, tender grilled baby octopus, marvelous sweetbreads, and
giant lima beans with tomatoes and herbs--make a satisfying meal.
In temperate weather there's outdoor dining in a quiet rear garden.
Credit cards: MC, V.
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Windows on the World
1 World Trade Center, 107th floor
New York, NY
tel.: 212/524-7011 or 212/938-0030 for Cellar in the Sky
Lower Manhattan
Contemporary
$40-$59
Pages dressed in rainbow colors and an impressive 38-ft-wide bead
curtain await on the 107th floor of One World Trade Center--a
fitting introduction to this monumental restaurant complex, with
several entertaining options. In the intimate Cellar in the Sky,
a prix-fixe dinner is served, accompanied by an optional selection
of good wines. The 240-seat main dining room has artwork by Milton
Glaser, banquettes upholstered in apricot, ceilings wrapped with
origami fabric, and panoramic windows with ahanning Manhattan
views. Executive chef Michael Lomonaco turns out updated American
fare: roasted vegetable salad ring with spiced walnuts and Winesap
apples encrusted with white cheddar cheese, North Carolina roasted
quail with black-truffle risotto and mushroom stew, and the decadent
chocolate dome with brandied cherries. Jacket required. Reservations
essential. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V. Broadway Joe Steak House
Address: 315 West 46th Street
New York City NY 10036
Phone: 212-246-6513
Fax: 212-977-5052
Season: Open Year-Round
Type: Restaurant
Best steaks, prime
rib and seafood in New York. Celebrating our 50th year on Broadway
in the Theater District. Open 7 days a week for lunch, dinner
and late dining. Celebrity and sports hangout. Group discounts,
driver/escort comp.
Location and Directions:
315 West 46th Street between 8th & 9th venues. On Restaurant
Row in the Theater District.
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Afghan Kebab House
#2
1345 2nd Ave., between 70th and 71st Streets.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/517-2776
Upper East Side
Afghan
under $20
At this cave-like Afghan
restaurant, scenic posters, copper platters, and Afghan rugs cover
the walls. Newcomers to this cuisine should enjoy the aushak,
or boiled dumplings, filled with scallions, herbs, and spices
and topped with yogurt; the spiced half-chicken, marinated in
fresh grated spices and hot peppers; and the vegetable combination
plate. Menus are similar at two other locations, in Clinton (764
9th Ave., between 51st and 52nd streets.; Phone: 212/307-1612;
no credit cards) and midtown (155 W. 46th St.; Phone: 212/768-3875),
but the decor at these is less dramatic.
Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Amarone
686 9th Ave., between 47th and 48th Streets.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/245-6060
Times Square, Clinton, Hell's Kitchen, and Carnegie Hall
Italian
under $20
Named after the lush Italian red wine, this unpretentious trattoria
is arguably the best Italian eatery on the Hell's Kitchen strip.
The antipasto doesn't just look pretty, as in so many storefront
pasta parlors--it's tasty, too. Inquire about such delectable
specials as the chef's grandmother's country-style cavatelli (pasta
shells) with sausage, carrots, and potatoes, or the excellent
rabbit cacciatore. The wine list is also noteworthy, emphasizing
numerous bottles of the namesake wine from top producers in fine
vintages.
Credit cards: AE, MC, V.
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Arturo's
106 W. Houston St., off Thompson St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/677-3820
Greenwich Village
Pizza
under $20
Few guidebooks list this brick-wall Village landmark, but the
body-to-body crowds teetering on the wobbly wooden chairs suggest
good things. The pizza is terrific, cooked in a coal-fired oven.
Basic pastas as well as seafood, veal, and chicken concoctions
with mozzarella and lots of tomato sauce come at giveaway prices.
Credit cards: AE, MC, V.
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Au Mandarin
200-250 Vesey St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/385-0313
Lower Manhattan
Chinese
$20-$39
One of the best bets in Manhattan for haute Chinese, this World
Financial Center restaurant has a courtyard-like setting, an exotic
fish tank, and classy furnishings. The dining experience combines
a polished atmosphere with careful service. You might start with
vegetarian dumplings or Shanghai buns, then move on to Shanghai
prawns, followed by Peking duck, tangerine beef, or delicate rice
noodles with julienne vegetables. Credit cards: AE, DC,
MC, V.
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Barbetta
321 W. 46th St., between 8th and 9th Avenues.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/246-9171
Times Square, Clinton, Hell's Kitchen, and Carnegie Hall
Italian
$40-$59
New York's oldest restaurant still operated by its founding family
(it opened in 1906) was one of the first to produce northern Italian
food in America, and it remains faithful to tradition. The carne
cruda (hand-chopped raw veal with lemon juice and olive oil) and
handmade agnolotti (pasta ahaffed with meat or vegetables and
folded in half like turnovers) are superb. Besides the well-priced,
carefully selected short wine list, there is a long version with
many bottles dating from 1880. Housed in two antiques-furnished
town houses on Restaurant Row, the restaurant has an enchanting
garden; it's an island of civility in the neighborhood.
Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Mon. Reservations essential. Credit
cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Blue Water Grill
31 Union Sq. W, at 16th St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/675-9500
Gramercy Park, Murray Hill, Chelsea, and the Flatiron District
American
$20-$39
A copper-and-tile raw bar anchors one end of this sweeping room
(formerly the central hall of a bank), with its warm hues of indigo
blue, sienna, and yellow and original 1904 molded ceiling and
marble. The menu is strong on seafood, served neat (chilled whole
lobster; shrimp in the rough), in various international styles
(Moroccan-spiced red snapper, Maryland crab cakes, warm shrimp
cocktail in bamboo steamers with Japanese and Shanghai sauces),
or in simple preparations from a wood-burning oven. For dessert
go for the brownie ice cream sundae.
Reservations essential. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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147
147 W. 15th St., between 6th and 7th Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/929-5000
Gramercy Park, Murray Hill, Chelsea, and the Flatiron District
Contemporary
$20-$39
If you managed to score
a reservation at Balthazar, it may be because the trendsetters
have moved on to this jazz-club/restaurant/cigar lounge in a former
firehouse in Chelsea. Caviar is the supreme devil-may-care starter,
but the freshly steamed crab cake or the light, chilled vegetable
rolls are fine substitutes. Filet mignon in a deep red-wine sauce
and roast chicken with mashed potatoes are both hearty entrées.
Desserts such as the remarkable mango cheesecake are a highlight.
The wine list is well chosen and affordable. Cliff Williams, the
charming maître d' hôtel (Nell's and Bowery Bar) will
probably greet you; if you're allergic to noise, ask him to seat
you away from the earsplitting front room.
Hours: No lunch weekends Reservations essential. Credit cards:
AE, DC, MC, V.
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Agrotikon
322 E. 14th St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/473-2602
East Village and NoHo
Greek
under $20
Designed by artist
Anna Lascari, this immaculate white, blue, and green dining room
with two fireplaces has been whimsically decorated with decals
of fruit and tiny blue fish. Owner and executive chef Kostis Tsingas
oversees the most inventive Greek restaurant in Manhattan. Baby
calamari meatballs and whole red snapper served with dandelion
greens are standouts.
Hours: Closed Mon. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Ambassador Grill
1 United Nations Plaza, at 44th St.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/702-5014
Midtown
American
$20-$39
If it's Sunday, head for the Regal U.N. Plaza for one of the city's
finest brunch buffets. Black-and-white tile floors, pink tablecloths,
abundant plants, and an open kitchen make an elegant, modern statement
within the greenhouse-inspired space. The char over wilted Atlantic
greens is a fine choice for your main dish if you indulge in the
appetizer buffet. Try the fruit tart of the day for dessert. An
early bird two-course prix-fixe dinner gives excellent value.
Reservations essential. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V
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Aquavit
13 W. 54th St., between 5th and 6th Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/307-7311
Midtown
Scandinavian
$40-$59
Although prices in the upstairs café are only half as much,
the striking downstairs room in the late Nelson Rockefeller's
town house--with its atrium, Roger Smith kites, and waterfall--is
Aquavit. The Swedish fare has been stripped of its homeyness and
decked out in contemporary garb, with impressive results. Roasted-lobster
salad and the more traditional herring plate are terrific appetizers,
cherry-crusted rack of lamb and uncommon tea-smoked duck breast
worthwhile follow-ups. New York's largest selection of aquavits
keeps company with the well-chosen wine list.
Reservations essential downstairs. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Aureole
34 E. 61st St., between Madison and Park Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/319-1660
Upper East Side
Contemporary
over $60
Charles Palmer's fashionable restaurant, with its alluring bas-reliefs,
striking floral displays, and swank town-house location, is one
of the town's toughest reservations. Appetizers are fetching:
the signature sea scallop sandwich (between shredded potatoes
and then deep fried) is always available and a fricassee of lobster
with Provençale artichokes or pepper-seared tuna on green
onion risotto will most certainly please. Desserts are visual
masterpieces--bittersweet chocolate and praline "opera"
with caramelized hazelnut nougats is a high-rise wonder that requires
some dexterity to dissect without destroying. The small garden
(seven to eight tables) is open in the summer.
Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat. Reservations essential. Credit
cards: AE, DC, MC, V.
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Ben Benson's
123 W. 52nd St., between 6th and 7th Aves.
New York, NY
tel.: 212/581-8888
Times Square, Clinton, Hell's Kitchen, and Carnegie Hall
Steak
$40-$59
Not only are steaks, chops, and accompaniments first-rate here,
there is also a real chef in the kitchen. Witness such contemporary
steak-house fare as cold lobster cocktail and Maryland crab cakes,
steaks, chops, and the fabulous prime rib, as well as such excellent
daily specials as Friday's crusted fish hash. Don't miss the horseradish
mashed potatoes or the home fries. The wine list improves with
each visit. This convivial spot has a masculine interior--brass
plaques inscribed with names of celebrities, framed pictures of
animals.
Hours: No lunch weekends Reservations essential. Credit cards:
AE, DC, MC, V.
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