World City Guide

Restaurants

The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

Visitors to New York who wish to dine in that special restaurant should make a reservation well in advance. It is not unreasonable for patrons to call for a table in the trendiest eating places a few months in advance. Sales tax of 8.625% is automatically added to the bill but service charges are only standard for large groups.

The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal for one person and a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include VAT but they do not include tip.

Gastronomic

Chanterelle
Not even the respectful din of other guests can distract one from the exquisite meals at what must be the most unfussy of the city’s top French restaurants. Its décor is simple - Austrian shades, crystal chandeliers, fresh flowers and bare walls except for the etchings in the entranceway. It gives diners more of an opportunity to concentrate on the delicacies put before them. Grilled seafood sausage is a perennial favourite on the ever changing menu that often features a lush duck consommé with duck and foie gras dumplings, roast squab with black truffles, crisped sweetbreads. Service is excellent.

2 Harrison Street (at Hudson Street) in Tribeca
Tel: (212) 966 6960. Fax: (212) 966 6143.
E-mail: information@chanterellenyc.com
Website: www.chanterellenyc.com
Price: US$95, tasting menu US$105. Wine: US$30.

Daniel
Named after the renowned chef-owner, Daniel Boloud, this restaurant is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best venues for classical French fare, with a decor that exudes classical opulence yet contemporary flare. Seasonal masterpieces have included Maine sea scallops layered with black truffle in golden puff pastry or morels with duck and foie gras stuffing, each dish accentuating the ingredients to their best. Jacket and tie are required for gentlemen.

60 East 65th Street (between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue)
Tel: (212) 288 0033. Fax: (212) 396 9014.
E-mail: info@danielnyc.com
Website: www.danielnyc.com
Price: Prix fixe US$88, lounge offers a la carte menu. Wine: US$24.

Gramercy Tavern
Danny Meyer’s contemporary American restaurant never goes out of fashion. A place New Yorkers take out-of-town guests, the restaurant offers two kinds of dining experiences – the airy first-come-first-serve bar serves delicious but uncomplicated meals, while the formal dining room presents extraordinarily skilful fare, such as duck foie gras and roasted cod. Those on an expense account should go all out on the market (fixed-price) menu and get a little taste of nearly everything. Those who cannot get enough of chef Tom Colicchio’s wares should try his spectacular second restaurant, Craft.

42 East 20th Street (between Broadway and Park Avenue)
Tel: (212) 477 0777. Fax: (212) 477 1160.
E-mail: info@gramercytavern.com
Website: www.gramercytavern.com
Price: Prix fixe US$72. Wine: US$24.

Le Cirque 2000
With tongue firmly set in cheek, designer Adam Tihany transformed the stately Villard House into a circus as imagined by Salvador Dalí. The presentation of the food is just as overstated, from the enormous gilt-edged plates for entrées to the Venetian-glass fantasies that hold devilishly delicious desserts. The real reason for one to come here, however, is the food. Diners can taste duck with seared foie gras or veal mignon with potato gnocchi. The restaurant will be relocated to One Beacon Court at the end of 2005. Check website for new address.

455 Madison Avenue (between 50th and 51st Streets)
Tel: (212) 303 7788. Fax: (212) 303 7712.
E-mail: None.
Website: www.lecirque.com
Price: US$75. Wine: US$25.

Business

‘21’ Club
Cole Porter sang the praises of this place nearly 70 years ago and it is still worthy of song. With a clientele that has included every president since Teddy Roosevelt, this former speakeasy has a history few New York venues can match. Diners enter below a line of lawn jockeys (21 of them, naturally) to reach the string of intimate dining rooms. The ‘21’ burger is the classic choice but chef Erik Blauberg has updated the menu of classic American fare to include dishes such as oven-roasted veal chops and hickory-fired filet mignon.

21 West 53rd Street (between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue)
Tel: (212) 582 7200 or (800) 721 CLUB. Fax: (212) 974 7562.
E-mail: info@21club.com
Website: www.21club.com
Price: US$59, prix fixe: US$37. Wine: US$22.

Gotham Bar & Grill
They work miracles at Gotham Bar & Grill. Tables are as tightly spaced as in any New York restaurant but the various levels and the soaring ceilings hung with lighting fixtures resembling parachutes give the illusion of space. The staff are harried yet always seems to anticipate the diner’s every whim. What is more, Chef Alfred Portale, who pioneered the gravity-defying entrées that everyone now emulates, does American food like nobody else. Dishes include the Maine lobster tails or grilled Atlantic salmon.

12 East 12th Street (between Union Square and Fifth Avenue)
Tel: (212) 620 4020. Fax: (212) 627 7810.
E-mail: gothamgm@aol.com
Website: www.gothambarandgrill.com
Price: US$75. Wine: US$25.

Jean George
As they are so often set in basements and backrooms, restaurants in New York rarely get to brag about their view. Jean George lets its location in the Trump Hotel speak for itself. Diners can sit on the terrace facing Central Park or enjoy the same view from the Art-Deco influenced dining room. The decor is subdued, allowing chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s French fare to shine. Few diners will forget dishes like the sliced sea scallops, which sit atop sautéed cauliflower. The wine list is vast and the sommelier is happy to help select a bottle.

1 Central Park West (between 60th Street and 61st Street)
Tel: (212) 299 3900. Fax: (212) 299 3914.
Website: www.jean-georges.com
Price: Prix fixe US$87. Wine: US$28.

The Palm
The original New York City classic looks much like it did in the 20s when cartoonists from the then nearby King Publications plied their craft on the restaurant walls for a meal. The cartooned walls, simple wood setting and tile floors are still a popular venue for large and succulent steaks, giant lobsters (some as big as 1.8 kilograms or 4 pounds), homemade chips, creamed spinach and cheesecake. It is often crowded, but there are two other New York Palm restaurants. Reservations suggested.

837 Second Avenue
Tel: (212) 687 2953. Fax: (212) 697 5198.
E-mail: customercare@thepalm.com
Website: www.thepalm.com
Price: US$54. Wine: US$34.

Palm Two
840 Second Avenue
Tel: (212) 697 5198. Fax (212) 983 4584.

Palm West Side
250 west 50th Street
Tel: (212) 333 7256. Fax (212) 333 3044.

Tavern on the Green
This is perhaps the most famous restaurant in New York – with good reason. It is a fantasyland hung with thousands of twinkling lights. Inside is a maze of dining rooms, each more extravagant than the last. Any night of the week there is a movie première party, a reception honouring a local dignitary or a political fundraising event. In terms of food, diners should stick with the old favourites, such as the sirloin steak or the rack of pork.

Central Park West at 67th Street
Tel: (212) 873 3200. Fax: (212) 580 4265.
E-mail: Via the restaurant’s website.
Website: www.tavernonthegreen.com
Price: US$46, pre-theatre US$32. Wine: US$32.

Trendy

Florent
No longer alone in the trendy Meatpacking District, this late-night bistro refuses to be outshone by its showier neighbours. A savvy West Village crowd packs the tables and diner-style counter stools for French-influenced fare – the steak-frites is great, as are the moules (mussels). The sassy message board above the bar and fictitious hand-drawn wall maps are always good for a chuckle. No credit cards. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

69 Gansevoort Street (between Greenwich Street and Washington Street)
Tel: (212) 989 5779. Fax: (212) 645 2498.
E-mail: askflorent@restaurantflorent.com
Website: www.restaurantflorent.com
Price: US$30. Wine: US$16.

71 Clinton Fresh Food
The Manhattans here are the tastiest (and strongest) in the city, so guests should sample one as they wait for a table at this instantly popular hangout for Lower East Side hipsters. There is no sign on this tiny shop front – diners must look for the stainless-steel façade. Its modern, miniature space means that visitors dine closely among the chic clientele, locals and tourists, most likely along the banqueted wall. The handful of tasty options on chef Jason Neroni’s daily changing menu are subject to availability, but some form of duck is always a main course. Open for dinner Sun-Thur from 1800.

71 Clinton Street (between Rivington and Stanton Streets)
Tel: (212) 614 6960. Fax: (212) 614 9426.
E-mail: None.
Website: www.71clintonfreshfood.com
Price: US$46. Wine: US$27.

Nobu
Lovely birch trees line the dim dining room at this long-standing favourite in the TriBeCa neighbourhood. The food is most accurately labelled ‘Japanese-inspired’, which means that chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa lets his imagination run wild. Newcomers should sample the black cod with miso. Diners who cannot get a seat should try the appropriately named Next Door Nobu.

105 Hudson Street (at Franklin Street)
Tel: (212) 219 0500. Fax: (212) 219 1441.
Website: www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com
Price: US$64, tasting menus US$80, US$100 and US$120. Wine: US$28.

Next Door Nobu
105 Hudson Street (between Franklin Street and North More Street)
Tel: (212) 334 4445.

Pastis
Diners belly up to the bar and wait their turn to sample the steak-frites, fresh fish or the croque monsieur at this picture-perfect recreation of a slightly faded French bistro. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily and there is a communal table that can seat up to 25. One of the best options is to head here early for brunch – the basket of warm breads is well worth the trip. Reservations accepted and take away available.

9 Ninth Avenue (at Little West 12th Street)
Tel: (212) 929 4844. Fax: (212) 929 5676.
E-mail: frontdesk@pastisny.com
Website: www.pastisny.com
Price: US$45. Wine: US$22.

The Red Cat
Moroccan lanterns hanging overhead illuminate this long, narrow restaurant in the newly chic gallery district of Chelsea. There is no pretence here – the warm, welcoming staff guides diners through a menu featuring pan-crisped skate with a marinated cucumber and artichoke salad and char-grilled pork chop with olive purée.

227 Tenth Avenue (between 23rd and 24th Streets)
Tel: (212) 242 1122. Fax: (212) 242 1390.
Website: www.theredcat.com
Price: US$45. Wine: US$24.

Budget

Fluffy’s Café and Bakery
Located steps from Broadway, this small snack shop, with a few tables and a counter that faces the street, has quick service, delicious bakery goods, wraps and fresh fruit, all very reasonably priced. It is a perfect breakfast, lunch and snack stop for someone on the go or for take away.

855 Seventh Avenue (between 54th and 55th Streets)
Tel: (212) 247 0234. Fax: (212) 247 4116.
E-mail: FluffysCafeNYC@aol.com
Price: US$14. Wine: No.

Mamas Food Shop
American comfort food has been on the rise in Manhattan for a while, but this East Village spot has been serving it long before New Yorkers insatiably craved the stuff. Diners can choose from helpings of fried chicken, roasted salmon and ‘mac ‘n’ cheese’, which derive from the 1950s TV dinner era. There is also a large array of oh-so-satisfying vegetable sides – broccoli with garlic, roasted brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes, to name but a few. Diners select a combination of three dishes at the counter and then find a table in the flea-market furnished space. A microwave for re-heating the goods and the tattooed staff are the only reminders of the present era. No credit cards.

200 East Third Street (between Avenue A and Avenue B)
Tel: (212) 777 4425.
E-mail: mamafood@hotmail.com
Website: www.mamasfoodshop.com
Price: US$14. Wine: US$6 per glass.

Max
Everyone knows how much a box of pasta costs in the market. And this link in the chain seems to respect the intelligence of its patrons by not charging a fortune. The house rigatoni and eggplant topped with mozzarella cheese is a mere US$9.95. Similarly, the owners could get twice the asking price for the melt-in-the mouth gnocchi. Although the restaurant, which also serves scrumptious salads and fish and meat dishes, now has three outposts, the original East Village space is always packed with hipsters getting more than their money’s worth. Country-style Italian table and chairs are crammed together in the main dining space, with barely room for diners to move between them and a sideboard teeming with pepper grinders and bowls of parmesan cheese. A walk through the kitchen, which bisects the restaurant, takes one to the narrow bar area and another small dining space. No credit cards.

51 Avenue B (between Third and Fourth Streets)
Tel: (212) 539 0111.
E-mail: info@maxrestaurantny.com
Website: www.maxrestaurantny.com
Price: US$23. Wine: US$26.

Max Soha
1274 Amsterdam Avenue (at 123rd Street)
Tel: (212) 531 2221.

Max Cafè
1262 Amsterdam Avenue
Tel: (212) 531 1210.

New York Noodle Town
Although other places will charge more, the noisy and fluorescent-lit New York Noodle Town never fails to feed its guests properly. Diners can choose from roasted fowl, salt-baked crab or soups and should be sure to get an order of the city’s best Hong-Kong-style noodles. The shared tables are full at almost any hour (the restaurant closes only briefly in the early morning) sometimes with celebrities.

28½ Bowery Street (at Bayard Street)
Tel: (212) 349 0923.
Price: US$15. Beer but BYO wine (no corkage fee).

Second Avenue Deli
New York’s Lower East Side was once overflowing with outstanding Jewish delis but this is one of the last remaining. Diners can eat in the Molly Picon Room, filled with memorabilia of the famous Yiddish theatre star. Portions are huge, so guests might want to try half a sandwich (corned beef, naturally) with a bowl of the city’s best matzo ball soup.

156 Second Avenue (at Tenth Street)
Tel: (212) 677 0606. Fax: (212) 353 1836.
E-mail: 2ndavedeli@2ndavedeli.com
Website: www.2ndavedeli.com
Price: US$28. Wine: US$16.

Personal Recommendations

Do Hwa
The West Village is blocks away from the city’s Little Korea and yet the upscale spin on Korean menu favourites does not leave diners feeling like they are missing anything. On the contrary, the comfortable yet semi-industrial space lends a special something to the bibimbop (rice, vegetables and sometimes meat served with kochujang, the ubiquitous red pepper paste condiment, with a fried egg) or meat-heavy tabletop grills, served with a platter of spicy kimchi and a dozen other condiments. An East Village sister restaurant, Dok Suni, is always crowded and more casual, much like the neighbourhood itself.

55 Carmine Street (between Bedford Street and Seventh Avenue)
Tel: (212) 414 1224. Fax: (212) 741 1387.
Price: US$28. Wine: US$26.

Dok Suni
119 First Avenue (between Seventh and Eight Streets)
Tel: (212) 477 9506.

Gobo
Perhaps the first of its kind, Gobo is nearly an upscale vegetarian restaurant. Perhaps this is because the creators of this Zen-like space have given the kind of attention to tofu, tempeh and vegetables that other restaurants give to meat dishes. And to many a patron’s surprise, the ingredients are not all that different from other Japanese inspired or contemporary meals. Meat-free meals have never looked this good.

401 Sixth Avenue (between Waverly Place and West Eighth Street)
Tel: (212) 255 3242. Fax: (212) 255 0687.
Website: www.goborestaurant.com
Price: US$30. Wine: US$30.

Il Corallo Trattoria
A local favourite, this Italian bistro is cosy, inexpensive and delicious. In the summer the French windows are open to allow dinners to catch a breeze and watch the passers-by. Everything is good but try the Rigatoni Pugliese – pasta, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and eggplant in garlic and oil. There are always chicken, meat and fish specials plus homemade desserts.

176 Prince Street (between Thompson and Sullivan Streets) in Soho
Tel: (212) 941 7119.
Price: US$24. Wine: US$17.

Le Périgord
The huge appetizer display of small salads, tangy terrines and several varieties of fish and seafood is the first thing that catches your eye as you enter this 40 year-old French restaurant, but it is the main course of Dover sole that gets the most kudos. Wall murals and soft lighting accent its newly renovated dining room.

405 East 52nd Street by First Avenue
Tel: (212) 755 6244. Fax: (212) 486 3906.
Website: www.leperigord.com
Price: Prix fixe US$62. Wine: US$24.

Lupa
Although his upmarket restaurant, Babbo, and the new affordable enoteca, Otto, span the price-range of Italian cuisine, it is Mario Batali’s medium-priced restaurant that is just right. To the rustic dinner tables waiters rush crusty bread and such succulent items as a ricotta-filled eggplant involtini appetiser, linguini with walnut pesto primi, and a veal saltimbocca (with prosciutto and sage leaves) secondi. Diners who do not deny the importance of ordering the incomparable tartufo dessert leave happier than Goldilocks.

170 Thompson Street (between Houston Street and Bleeker Street)
Tel: (212) 982 5089. Fax: (212) 982 5490.
Website: www.luparestaurant.com
Price: US$35. Wine: US$18.

Prune
Despite its old-fashioned name, the creative rustic American fare at this tiny East Village bistro competes with some of the city’s best restaurants. In summer, a wall of French doors opens, to allow for semi-sidewalk dining. Although it is small, many mirrors and sufficiently bright lighting help counter Prune’s diminutive size. However, it can be very difficult to get a table here and guests should book reservations early, for a chance to sample the stellar and sometimes eccentric, decadent fare. Top choices include the sardine and avocado sandwich and fried sweetbreads with bacon and capers. Popular entrées, such as the roast suckling pig and a meaty yet juicy capon on garlic bread, have guests coming back for more. Simple vegetable sides are also raised to their highest potential under the guidance of Chef Gabrielle Hamilton, whose childhood nickname gives the restaurant its sweet name. Prune also serves a weekend brunch.

54 East First Street (between First Avenue and Second Avenue)
Tel: (212) 677 6221. Fax: (212) 677 6982.
Price: US$40. Wine: US$23.