restaurant recommendations NYC
 

Going to be spending a week in NYC in July with my wife and we're looking for a recommendation for one nice budget-buster meal. Limit is $300 for both of us, all in, including wine. What says PPOT?

SO many options... is there a specific cuisine you guys like?

Guess it would have been an idea to mention that, eh? :) The only thing that's out is fish/seafood - I'm not a big fan. But even then most fish/seafood specialty places have at least a few other things on the menu. But aside from that, really anything goes. A good wine list is paramount.

lived across street from this place so ive spent alot of time in here...i like it

Raoul's Restaurant - SoHo - New York, NY

you never know who youll be sitting next to....ive sat next to debbie harry, beck, gary oldman..etc..its very small and interesting crown, food is great and you should not have to spend $300 for 2 people

you might want to check out Anthony Bourdain's (No Reservations) episodes he has done regarding NYC...many good ideas....can get em off itunes for $2 per episode

$150 each? So Per Se, Le Bernardin, Joel Robuchon and Jean Georges are probably out - but you can probably do those for closer to $200-250 each with a decent wine, those would be amazing experiences.

One idea is to look at the top 38 on ny.eater.com - it's a restaurant insiders website. I just took my daughter back to Peasant, it's down in Nolita, hard to find, amazing Italian food and fits your budget. It's not white tablecloth fancy though, but a true NY experience. If you are focused on food, sit at the bar at Alto. If you are focused on a dinner with ambiance, then consider Bar Boulud or DB Bistro Moderne.

So many great places to eat, so little time.

how much is NOBU?

I think a friend of mine spent a little over a grand at nobu for two people including tip. IIRC, he said about half of the cost was drinks.
I suspect that's on the high side for nobu... I do know that he was trying to impress a girl.

So true - half the bill in any joint is drinks / wine.


A week of eating + one budget buster? In NYC?

So that's 17 - 20 meals + 1 fancy joint??

This could present a challenge.

If you were to save money the other days (and eat well) that would free up some $$$ - would it not??:D

holy!!!! i hope she touched his pecker!!

We've got a studio apartment rented for a week, so breakfast will be in "at home" (we usually travel this way - not just good for cost savings, but it's more relaxing, especially when we bring the kids). Other meals will be all over the place, we'll take each as they come. But we do want one nice meal while we're there.

Wife and I were there in March. Best meal we had was at "Becco" on West 46th Street. It's 2-3 blocks West of Times Square in a more residential area.

I can't recommend the Veal Chop highly enough.

The Four Seasons
 

My favorite restaurant in NY is The Four Seasons (not affiliated with the hotel). It is NOT just about the food, but the entire atmosphere of the Phillip Johnson designed room. It is very 50's modern and elegant - to me it screams Gotham.

The food is excellent continental cuisine - not innovative or exotic, but high quality. I have had duck, rack of lamb and steak - all were very good. One time I had a Key Lime pie dessert that was absolutely incredible.

Several years ago we ate their for about $300 - you'd want to double check the prices now.

David

Agreed. The Four Seasons resturant is in the Seagram Building on Park Avenue. The best commercial building of modern architecture in NYC, if not the world.

Seagram Building - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also great for a drink if your dinner is at another midtown place.

I spend time around Union Square with a big store - in fact I will be there tomorrow. Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill on 5th is very good & reliable (ditto his Vegas version too btw). And the Gotham Bar & Grill on 12th has seen my corporate VISA many times.

For lower budget Dos Caminos at 50th/3rd is great for Mexican.

Ian

The best restaurant I have been to in NYC is Blue Hill located 1/2 block from Washington Square Park. The food is spectacular along with the service and the Wine Vixen, Claire is absolutely spot on when recommending wines. Blue Hill | Blue Hill Farm The atmosphere is quiet and romantic, hard to describe it but I go there every trip to NY. Get reservations early as it is generally booked. Ask for a corner table in the front dining area.

Another place to go for lunch is the Shake Shack at Madison Square Park. Great burger and fries. The Shake Stack shroom burger is the best IMHO but all are great. The is just one of Danny Meyers successful restaurant. They sell $4 million a year from this location alone.
Shake Shack

Another place to stop is Pommes Frites and get some Belgian fries. Located in the east village. Had to go there several times during the week I was there. Pommes Frites Inc./Menu

One last place at least to look at is The Spotted Pig which is in Greenwich Village and is a gastro-pub. Great food in a pub atmosphere. It is one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants. The Spotted Pig - New York

I have been to all of these and have no reservations about recommending any of them.

Blue Hill is very good...

Any of Vongs places.. or Bobby Flays...

You can head over to Crooklyn (Williamsburg) and try Marlow & Son

There are so many good restaurants makes your head spin... and some are only open for a few months... others are open for years and nobody knows about them... hidden treasures

Gramercy Tavern is good too and there is a tiny tapas place in the Village called Las Ramblas which has a great selection of Spanish wine and a waitstaff that knows wine to boot, at least when I was there last.

Is that the really narrow restaurant with about 10 tables + counter seats? If yes, it is excellent but go early.

Ian

Yes, That sounds like the one, google them and it comes right up, glad I remembered that place since my better half and I are long overdue for a good meal and a few bottles of wine. That's what happened last time anyway followed by...well..:) a great evening.