Perfectly executed food and spot on service makes this restaurant a must visit. Plus pastry chef Vera Tongl’s Banana Pudding with Bacon Brittle is out of this world. -Zac Young, Top Chef Just Desserts
Michael White’s newest is one of our favorite spot for Grandma-style rustic Italian. Don’t miss the porchetta or the tagliatelle. Featured in Where to Eat 2011! Read more.
This upscale, Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant is sexy, expensive and totally worth it. The address is 10 Pennsylvania Ave – hence the name. – Adam Richman, Man v. Food
If you want the real New York-style steakhouse, it helps to actually do it in New York. You really can’t do any better or more authentic than Keens. – Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations Read more.
Grab a big booth or a secluded table at this cozy neighborhood Italian joint. The wine list is extensive, the décor inviting and the sea scallops are devine.
Hidden and romantic little bar serving delicious sangria, tapas (try the octopus), mojitos and caiphirinas – don’t miss the live music and dancers.
Stunning design, view of central park/columbus circle and the food!!! The tuscan soup and salmon are excellent - and I loathe salmon. Simply delish for lunch and dinner in midtown where options are li Read more.
Menu changes are afoot at this low-profile Latin American restaurant: Aureole chef Christopher Lee is now a partner, and he's installed his fine dining pal Kathryn Busch as executive chef. Read more.
The perfect special-occasion restaurant? Adam Platt says it’s “an experience that strikes that delicate balance between modern style, classic technique, and pure, old-fashioned gourmet pleasure." Read more.
Go through the Japanese restaurant and to the unmarked door that faces you as you get to the hostess stand. No parties more than 4. The specialty cocktails are impressive here.
Meals at this East Village hotspot wowed former NY Timescritic Frank Bruni into a praise-filled three-star review in 2008. Chang's food offers bold, Asian-inspired flavors with a rockstar attitude. Read more.
Old-fashioned barbershop meets vintage cocktail lounge at The Blind Barber, an East Village outpost promising hot shaves and a whole lot of hip people. Hint: try the "Sweeney Todd."
Keith McNally's reborn Minetta is a masterpiece—an old New York saloon, modern steakhouse and celeb haunt all in one. The problem: getting in. (The Black Label Burger is worth it.) [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
This upscale tiki lounge/restaurant have cocktails that come in coconut shells and beautiful tiki glasses. Try one of the Pu Pu Platters - definitely a must here!
Flying Dagger is ubber delicious. Music is hit or miss. Too sceney for it's own good. Friendly staff (but tough door).
Top Chef Harold’s new spot takes Thai flavors and marries them with hefty Western ingredients like Maine lobster and lobes of fatty bone marrow. Featured in Where to Eat 2011! Read more.
One of the most romantic restaurants in the city. A great place to go for an anniversary. Try the beef Wellington as part of the Prix Fix menu for $78.
Everything here is fabulous, from cocktails to kangaroo (seriously!). -Gail Simmons, Top Chef.
Try the Cavitini with Imperial Vodka made from wheat and rye served dry, chilled and up with 10-grams Hackleback Caviar and olives. It's a classic Russian cocktail and absolutely delicious.
Enjoy one of 53 different vodkas - $3 shots during happy hour. You’ll feel like you’re walking into a Russian mafia film.
The ambience? You couldn’t buy this for a million dollars or 10 million dollars. Delicious. – Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations Read more.
"Great for expensive drinks and celeb-watching!! ;)" - Lauretta, Setup Squad
Snag seats during the week at the top of the bar overlooking everything (bonus: you can sneak peaks into the kitchen!). Everything is delicious but the "must haves" are brussel sprouts & pork hock
The unofficial official First Restaurant of New York. Though its formal dining room is a bit too too for Eater 38 contention, the front room and its seasonal American menu wins. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Hating on this nouveau riche French resto is besides the point and will distract you from how much fun it is to get in on the party. The cajun chicken is as addictive as dishes come. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Solid food, an exciting wine program (choice bottles are served at cost weekly), and killer terrine. Hey, it's a Daniel Boulud joint, so what else would you expect? [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Very authentic Japanese comfort food. This Michelin recommended sushi bar turns into a fantastic ramen join from 11pm-2am.
One of the best date places in NYC. You want to make sure to get seated around the communal table so you can watch the chefs in action. Get the crab rice, it takes 30 min but it's worth it.
One of the most amazing spaces in NY: The original kitchen of an early-19th-c Bond St mansion, lovingly restored. Check out the two massive, original cooking hearths on the E wall near the rear.
French-leaning small plates can be cobbled together to compose an excellent & affordable meal here. Try the classic croque madame ($10) or the brandade ($9), a pot of featherlight whipped salt cod. Read more.
Paul Grecco is a mad genius. $6 happy hour & free fino sherry pair beautifully with the tasty small plates and panini menu. -Jacqueline Lombard, Top Chef
Get the $125 tasting menu here for bites like tableside antipasti and Mark Ladner’s legendary 100-layer lasagna. One of our fav Italians from Where to Eat 2011! Read more.
Lincoln Center's latest artist-in-residence is chef Jonathan Benno. His 150-seat modern Italian spot comes complete with grass roof and views of the reflection pool and Henry Moore sculpture. Read more.
David Chang’s latest is one of our favorite new restaurants, and the majestic, beef seven ways feast here is unforgettable. Featured in Where to Eat 2011! Read more.
Date night in TriBeCa means lobster to start and that chicken-for-two after, with lingering glances through the candlelight throughout. Read more.
The creativity of the presentation and flavor combinations of the food will make you wonder in delight. Bring a camera for sure. -Maria Hines, Top Chef
How can you not support an elegant restaurant that serves food from its own farm in upstate New York? It just doesn’t get any fresher than that. I love that you can get a simple egg dish on the dinner
Jewel Bako makes for a lovely date night over one of the intimate tables or perched at the expertly-staffed sushi counter. - Inspector
French-Mediterranean fare at chef Terrance Brennan’s famed uptown outpost. We say the chicken Kiev is a must-try.
The food is excellent and the menu is both nutritionally and environmentally conscious. Using locally sourced produce, the restaurant’s cooking techniques heighten the food’s nutritional value.
Its Web site advises, “Please be referred by someone who has already visited us,” and the lore is that its phone number is not listed. In reality, the number surfaces with determined Googling. Read more.
Enter through Cipriani on the balcony at Grand Central & you'll feel as if you have entered a bygone era. Drinks are expensive ($15 martini) but the atmosphere is worth it. Reserve a table in advance.
this West Village townhouse, once home to rocker Janis Joplin, was also the scene of Diana Ross's first live show. (She performed in the basement speakeasy.)
Sister to Italian favorite dell’anima, this West Village hotspot is a celebration of global wines—including the sustainable and the biodynamic.
for sure, get the meatballs. and the lamb chops too (with those strange potato fry things). share.
This Rustic Italian date spot have a variety of delicious home-made pastas. Maccheroni Di Busa Pork Ragu della nonna, goat cheese, fennel fronds is a MUST!
Old New York glamour – gentlemen must wear a jacket and no jeans allowed. The service is amazing. Try the ‘21’ Burger.
Kyotofu is the ultimate date night destination: a whimsical dessert bar in Hell's Kitchen that also boasts an incredible roster of savory dishes.
Dreamy, in the best sense of the word. The application of the delicate to the brutish elevates the experience of dining on ultra-lipids. Read more.
Great places to study quietly - Lehman lounge and the computer room in itg
Owner & Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s swanky new supper club is complete with a house band and a menu full of retro classic dishes. The luscious Lobster Newburg is chef Guarnaschelli’s favorite dish here
Mario always gets it right but I am hooked on the tapas here and always make a stop when I am in NYC. -Susan Feniger, Top Chef
The Lobster Ravioli (Entree) will blow you away!Save 30% off your entire bill by booking here: http://bit.ly/kPlNRZ
The restaurant is named after Marie Griffou—the woman who ran a boardinghouse at the same address. It's been said that Mark Twain used to frequent the Greenwich Village brownstone.
The East Village’s most unsuspecting and sexy speakeasy, where bourbon is laced with honey and hot dogs go gourmet. If prohibition hits again, this is where you’ll find us.
Cozy and sexy atmosphere with crazy inventive cocktails - “Grama ‘S Coming To Town” explodes in your mouth.
Madam Geneva is known for its fruity preserves—all of which can be served over ice with Beefeater gin or 42 Below vodka. Think: pineapple vanilla bean, pear ginger and cranberry orange.
One of the best mixology bars around, try the Earl Grey MarTEAni, with Earl Grey-infused gin and lemon juice.
This 7th floor bar has one of the best city views to go with an equally attractive crowd
A must-dine in the LES. Get the lobster tacos, but you might need two orders. They're scrumptious.
On The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Scott Conant is a kid again with the Cheesecake Lollipop Tree, complete with raspberries and bubblegum whipped cream, at David Burke Townhouse. Find more tips at FN Local Read more.
It took just a few years & some Petraske-schooled barmen to turn the Randolph into a hang of choice for bartenders, booze scribes & other industry insiders. Read more.
If you can tear yourself away from the Asian-Portuguese fusion, mixology at the bar is among the most precise and inspired in town -- seriously underrated. [BlackBook] Read more.
It just might be the coziest rooftop in Williamsburg—and with as much French spoken as in Paris. The happy hours rock with joie de vivre that is inimitably Juliette.
For Top Chef fans, this is Harold Dieterle’s place! He’s crafted a cozy restaurant serving asesome spicy duck meatballs, Crispy Wild Boar Belly, Hanger Steak or go for the Tasting Menu…and try six co
A swank cocktail den in the heart of the city with a cocktail menu by Julie Reiner that includes fresh fruit & top-notch spices & spirits in original drinks like the Lilikoi & the Hibiscus Swizzle. Read more.
Good place to take a date if you want things quiet, cute and definitely romantic. Read more.
In this intimate atmosphere of carefully considered details, romance luxuriates, especially in the private back room. To taste what’s in season that day, ask for the unlisted Chef’s Tasting Menu.
One of my favorite bar eating places. Mario’s food is just so good I still taste it a month afterwards. And he is a very funny guy. -Thierry Rautureau, Top Chef
Described as “last meal”-worthy, it’s the perfect place to take your confessor to show your appreciation for his dexterity with a cheese cutter. Quoted from Zagat.
Try the beer-braised tongue taco here, the brined pork tongue is cooked with bacon, chorizo, onions and a slug of Negra Modelo. It's one of NYC's 26 best tacos! Read more.
The most amazing selection of Italian cured meats in NYC. This place is a perfect first date spot to share some wine and small plates of deliciousness.
New spot! The bartenders here take their craft very seriously so order away. PS: it's not open on Mondays.
Underground sake bar and Japanese tapas (izakaya). Dark and intimate. Love this place. Claire and my first date. -Francine, The Real L Word
The lackluster Thor restaurant is out, replaced by CO-OP, a Cali-in-the-'70s-inspired spot with 30-foot ceilings and photographs of local studs/hotties like Moby and Debbie Harry covering the walls Read more.
An evening of charm on a dreamlike West Village corner. Owner/chef Joey Campanaro's meatball sliders are legendary. Try it for a date: there's a reason regulars call it "the closer." [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
This is the real thing. A place for Gotham insiders. Gold leaf ceilings and enchanting murals by Madeline author and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans. Arrive by 8pm and take a small table near the piano.
You will feel as though you stepped into a New England town, these cozy digs offer great and affordable seafood. The oyster selection is top notch, and you can’t beat their lobster roll!
One of Sifton's favorites of 2010 this small spot had a huge year. Jesse Schenker's is menu is always changing but some staples are the Salt Cod Fritters and the Berkshire Pork Belly.
Great energy, innovative cocktails, great place to unwind. -Tamesha Warren, Top Chef
Where to go? Lounge on the lush, leafy, Astroturf-floored Sky Bar roof, nibbling on small plates while sipping craft cocktails and point out that "they look like a bunch of little ants from here." Read more.
This decidedly old-school steakhouse is a rite of passage for Wall Street traders willing to shell out $88 for the signature porterhouse for two. Lunch reservations are doable, but bring cash. Read more.
It’s Washington to a T! Clubby, circa-1900 atmosphere. Around the corner from the White House. A well-supplied bar. Bounteous seafood. Cheerful service. Kind of touristy but still fun.
If you are lucky enough to know someone to get in to Rao's, go. The meatballs and sauce are worth the trip. Try the steak pizzaiola. If you can’t get in, buy their cookbook! -Jill Zarin, Real Housewiv
Completely lit in candles, this is a place to get cuddly with your plus one. Get the linguine and clams for a light and fresh meal.
Q: What is your favorite smell or taste in Washington D.C.? Ashley Wagner, 2010 US Ladies Bronze Medalist: "Chicken #1 at The Tombs in Georgetown. One of my favorites." Read more.
An East-West fusion restaurant on the hipster-intensive 14th Street corridor. wok-steamed mussels with chipotle-miso broth? Or pork belly/al pastor tacos served with a steam bun? It's a win-win.
The olives at The Jefferson are the best. Hands. Down. Go grab an off the chain drink and make a meal out of the cocktail olives!
D.C.’s Columbia Room is almost like a friend’s chic, inviting living room — assuming that your friend mixes up classic cocktails like a pro. This place is all about cocktail craftsmanship. Read more.
The Gibson, the sleek speakeasy that treats cocktails like extensions of the fine-dining service, not lubrications for it. With some added space the waits should now be shorter for this A-List place.
Order tumblers of chilled Beaujolais and a Lyonnaise salad; think about how much better life would be if this were your apartment. Read more.
Equine-inspired but certainly not equine-scented. Specializes in "Grilled Meats and Aquatic Delights." Try the Dom-paired seafood towers. Read more.
Catch ~ New Rooftop Lounge across from the SoHo House is the new Meatpacking District Hot-Spot, according to BFoxxx
Reminds me of Paris. Civilized. Sexy. Great cocktails. I'd even come alone to drink at the bar.
