50 Best Restaurants in New York City

[MylesBAstor]

Been to seven of the top ten. Never could get a reservation at Daniels.

11 Madison Park and Bouley got my vote for the best meals I've ever had. And both excelled in terms of service too. A three hour dining extravaganza! In fact, Bouley would get my vote for the best food and meal I've ever had.

Haven't been to Le Bernardin since it opened but you have to like fish to eat there!

[Ki Choi]

Now I know where to go next time when I am in NYC area.

[JCOConnell]

Could this also be titled as 50 most expensive?

[Alrainbow]

Nice list. I have eaten I a few. I used subscribe to them but I ended up being unhappy with some of there choices.
Jacks os much better he Lugaas or old home stead both use butter to cooks steak yuk. Uncle jacks or johnies is my choice. No boo or no no next door is good but the one on 57 is the best in the city.

[Alrainbow]

For NYC it's a actually not top 50 in price lol.

[Bill Hart]

I've eaten at many of these, or their earlier incarnations. Blue Hill up in the country is an experience, although it is a tad precious- it is situated on the largest tract of undeveloped land in Westchester County, essentially the Rockefeller family homes and compound, old stone barns restored to the max, probably the largest commercial kitchen I have ever seen. Haven't eaten in a Bouley restaurant in some time, the first one, years ago, was phenomenal. Daniel is exceptional in its level of attention to everything. Danny Meyer's Modern in MoMa, facing the sculpture garden, is very, very good.
At less than Mich 3 star prices, good meals can be had in Manhattan at the Trattoria Del Art near Carnegie Hall and that seafood place, Aqua Grill (mentioned in the survey) in Soho.
For incredible Italian food, travel to downtown Brooklyn- The Queen restaurant on Court St. Real Sicilian delicacies, everything home-made, more a local store front restaurant than a fancy place; Killer Szechuan food at Wu Liang Ye near Rock Center- dumpy walk-up, need reservations, if you know what to order, you'll be in heaven.
For pizza, finally got to try Motorino in Williamsburg. Phenomenal pizza and delicious appetizers- I had a beet, white anchovie and parsley salad. Four Seasons is gone, isn't it?
I rarely come into the city anymore, so I haven't sampled some the latest "hot" spots. One of the restaurants on the list-Mas- which regularly shows up on the "top of NYC" restaurants is owned (or co-owned) by a young lawyer who worked in my firm- I don't know if he still practices law.

[1morerecord2clean]

I'll offer Paul and Jimmys for Italian. 123 E 18th near Irving Pl. haven't been there in quite a few years but one of my faves from way back. The best gnocchi I have had outside of Italy. Veal used to be fanatastic. Great wines. And my favorite dessert, zabalgoni - the hot version mixed and made right at your table, not the cold 3 day old refrigerated garbage most places, even expensive ones, serve up with strawberries to cover up what they are serving you, still the original family so I assume still great food. Can't vouch for what were once modest prices by NYC standards.

pizza? Best for me are two locations, both Zaggats rated. Both Tacconelli's. Same family but run separately. Two locations. One in Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and the other in Maple Shade, NJ close to Cherry Hill. Pizza to die for.

The Zagat list? I just don't spend enough on food for it to be meaningful. I had a reservation once at Peter Lugar's. Two friends and me. They couldn't make it for some reason so I never had the pleasure.

[Bill Hart]

I think I know Paul and Jimmy's- if I recall you walked up stairs like a brownstone, and it was semi-fancy, but not formal. If it is the same one I'm remembering, it is very good.

[1morerecord2clean]

Bill I think the Italian place you are remembering is about 200' from Pauls and Jimmys. I don't recall the name but it is on Irving Pl at 18th and it used to be excellent. Don't know now. JImmys and Pauls is on 18th St west of Irving PL. no stairs as I recall. Just walk straight in. Nice inside but not fancy. I used to love going myself and sitting at the bar and having dinner and shooting the you know what with the bartender. I always left room for their Zabalgione.

[Bill Hart]

thanks, it's been a while. I always liked the tranquilly of that area, b/c the park broke up the through traffic. Nice little neighborhood.

[allenh]

Been to seven of the top ten. Never could get a reservation at Daniels.

11 Madison Park and Bouley got my vote for the best meals I've ever had. And both excelled in terms of service too. A three hour dining extravaganza! In fact, Bouley would get my vote for the best food and meal I've ever had.

Haven't been to Le Bernardin since it opened but you have to like fish to eat there!

My wife is a real foodie and Le Bernardin is her favorite restaurant. Rupert has a restaurant in a Ritz Carlton in the Grand Cayman, Blue I think it's called: exceptional.

My wife and I got engaged at Bouley when it was in the townhouse on Duane St. The smell of the fresh apples as you walked in was simply delicious. We returned to the new Bouley for our 20th anniversary and was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps our expectations were too high.

If you can't get into Daniel, try Cafe Boloud. Not as stuffy and the food is of comparable quality IMO. Absolutely delicious, and a little less expensive.

Per Se was really good, but a bit overrated and very overpriced.

Luger is a bucket list restaurant IMO, if not the food but the overall experience.

[allenh]

...

For pizza, finally got to try Motorino in Williamsburg. Phenomenal pizza and delicious appetizers- I had a beet, white anchovie and parsley salad. Four Seasons is gone, isn't it?
I rarely come into the city anymore, so I haven't sampled some the latest "hot" spots. One of the restaurants on the list-Mas- which regularly shows up on the "top of NYC" restaurants is owned (or co-owned) by a young lawyer who worked in my firm- I don't know if he still practices law.

Bill, have you tried Grimaldi's? We are planning a trip to NYC to try some real good pizza and was thinking Grimaldi's. Is Motorino better?

[lasercd]

I'm not Bill nor do I play him on tv but I have been to Grimaldi's and both Motorino locations (in fact the Williamsburg outpost with Bill). Its been some time since I've been to Grimaldi's. I recall it being an outstanding old school NY style pie. Motorino is very different - Neapolitan style. More of a smaller personal pizza style.

Many outstanding pizza joints in NYC. You couldn't go wrong with either Grimaldi's or Motorino but the later gets my vote.

[Bill Hart]

Bill, have you tried Grimaldi's? We are planning a trip to NYC to try some real good pizza and was thinking Grimaldi's. Is Motorino better?

Is Grimaldi's the old Patsy's down at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge? If so, we used to eat there when we lived in Brooklyn Heights. It was good. If not, I don't know it, though I recognize the name. The one everybody raves about is an old school one in Midwood called Di Fara- never been there. Used to go to the Tontonno's in Coney island- it was pretty famous- very standard pies- not even sure it is still around after the owner died.
Motorino is hipster pizza, to a high level. Made by lumbersexuals, using farm to table ingredients, hand-crafted in small batches, by folks wearing flannel and hemp.. It's pretty seriously good. Trattoria Del Arte, which I mentioned above in proximity to Carnegie Hall also has a great pizza, not traditional- very, very thin, you get this huge pie as a serving for one person. (Since they like me, they made me a white clam one last time I was there, though it isn't on the menu).

[lasercd]

That's Grimaldi's - right by the bridge.

[allenh]

Thanks, Bill. Maybe we'll try some of the ones you recommended as well.

[Bill Hart]

My wife is a real foodie and Le Bernardin is her favorite restaurant. Rupert has a restaurant in a Ritz Carlton in the Grand Cayman, Blue I think it's called: exceptional.

My wife and I got engaged at Bouley when it was in the townhouse on Duane St. The smell of the fresh apples as you walked in was simply delicious. We returned to the new Bouley for our 20th anniversary and was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps our expectations were too high.

If you can't get into Daniel, try Cafe Boloud. Not as stuffy and the food is of comparable quality IMO. Absolutely delicious, and a little less expensive.

Per Se was really good, but a bit overrated and very overpriced.

Luger is a bucket list restaurant IMO, if not the food but the overall experience.

Luger's is a trip. I used to eat there regularly. Best time to go is during the week, well after lunch. The "lull." Bring cash, unless they started taking credit cards. I have a lot of good stories from Lugers, the time the Donald took my table, the time Ray Liotta came in for dinner right after Goodfellas was a hit, and a few others- it is a piece of NY history, though I don't know that the waiters are as gruffly Germanic and rude as they used to be. But, folks that went there 75 years ago probably said the same thing. I was told it was always more expensive than the city steakhouses, even when a steak dinner with all the trimmings was $4.95, Lugers was $5.95. (Probably well before WWII).

[MylesBAstor]

I've eaten at many of these, or their earlier incarnations. Blue Hill up in the country is an experience, although it is a tad precious- it is situated on the largest tract of undeveloped land in Westchester County, essentially the Rockefeller family homes and compound, old stone barns restored to the max, probably the largest commercial kitchen I have ever seen. Haven't eaten in a Bouley restaurant in some time, the first one, years ago, was phenomenal. Daniel is exceptional in its level of attention to everything. Danny Meyer's Modern in MoMa, facing the sculpture garden, is very, very good.
At less than Mich 3 star prices, good meals can be had in Manhattan at the Trattoria Del Art near Carnegie Hall and that seafood place, Aqua Grill (mentioned in the survey) in Soho.
For incredible Italian food, travel to downtown Brooklyn- The Queen restaurant on Court St. Real Sicilian delicacies, everything home-made, more a local store front restaurant than a fancy place; Killer Szechuan food at Wu Liang Ye near Rock Center- dumpy walk-up, need reservations, if you know what to order, you'll be in heaven.
For pizza, finally got to try Motorino in Williamsburg. Phenomenal pizza and delicious appetizers- I had a beet, white anchovie and parsley salad. Four Seasons is gone, isn't it?
I rarely come into the city anymore, so I haven't sampled some the latest "hot" spots. One of the restaurants on the list-Mas- which regularly shows up on the "top of NYC" restaurants is owned (or co-owned) by a young lawyer who worked in my firm- I don't know if he still practices law.

I haven't been to the Blue Hill on the Rockerfeller estate but I understand it's sensational. I think they also have a high sustainability factor and raise much of the meat and vegetables themselves. Quite a bit was also organic.

Everyone I know who has gone to the Modern is similarly impressed. Danny's restaurant group prides themselves on the experience. Like you, I also enjoy Trattoria del Art and they also own Red Eye Grill next door.

I am am not sure about the Four Seasons as it was closing but not sure if reopening. Another good one on the list is Mas down in the Village but that too IIRC was closing and then remodeling. French farmhouse communal type dining fare.

One restaurant we recently ate at that both Heidi and I enjoyed relatively recently was Dirty French in the Lower East Side.

http://www.dirtyfrench.com

[MylesBAstor]

Is Grimaldi's the old Patsy's down at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge? If so, we used to eat there when we lived in Brooklyn Heights. It was good. If not, I don't know it, though I recognize the name. The one everybody raves about is an old school one in Midwood called Di Fara- never been there. Used to go to the Tontonno's in Coney island- it was pretty famous- very standard pies- not even sure it is still around after the owner died.
Motorino is hipster pizza, to a high level. Made by lumbersexuals, using farm to table ingredients, hand-crafted in small batches, by folks wearing flannel and hemp.. It's pretty seriously good. Trattoria Del Arte, which I mentioned above in proximity to Carnegie Hall also has a great pizza, not traditional- very, very thin, you get this huge pie as a serving for one person. (Since they like me, they made me a white clam one last time I was there, though it isn't on the menu).

I used to like Lombardi pizza on Spring St. But be warned, they don't take reservations and the line can be long. Their clam pizza was to die for!

[MylesBAstor]

Could this also be titled as 50 most expensive?

Some but not all. Especially once get out of the top 10 or 20. But remember NY is just downright expensive.

Per SE is very expensive, owned by the same people who own French Laundry in California. Price really depends a lot on the wine. One can easily drop $500 to $1000 on the wine with a group. Per Se will probably set you back with tax and tip on the order (without bottles of wine) $400-500 per person.

Last time we went to Bouley (we've been twice) for a special occasion we spent around $400 per person or so with two glasses of wine each. But you could go there just for the bread. They have a bread cart that comes around with something like 15 different types of fresh baked bread to die for!!! You really have to practice self control or can totally just fill up on the bread. And is is the best three hour dining experience of your life

[Alrainbow]

My wife is a real foodie and Le Bernardin is her favorite restaurant. Rupert has a restaurant in a Ritz Carlton in the Grand Cayman, Blue I think it's called: exceptional.

My wife and I got engaged at Bouley when it was in the townhouse on Duane St. The smell of the fresh apples as you walked in was simply delicious. We returned to the new Bouley for our 20th anniversary and was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps our expectations were too high.

If you can't get into Daniel, try Cafe Boloud. Not as stuffy and the food is of comparable quality IMO. Absolutely delicious, and a little less expensive.

Per Se was really good, but a bit overrated and very overpriced.

Luger is a bucket list restaurant IMO, if not the food but the overall experience.

Yes it is . old home stead is too . here s one not sure I am spelling it right , oldest rest in nyc chauncers or francers tavern . pearl st and water st. my companey renovated it after sandy . president Washington gave his inag speech there . good food and for me a great place to have gone too. irish owned some very wealthy group they own a bunch of flagsip rest throughtout the world