If you come to NYC looking to bang as many women as possible while ignoring the cultural merits of The City, then you're probably doing things wrong. If you come here and ignore the culinary merits of NYC, then you're definitely doing things wrong. Few things in the world make me feel manlier than enjoying a life affirming meal, and there's no better place to enjoy it than in NYC.
As a note, I have eaten in every restaurant you see here. While a place like Per Se is probably wonderful, I've never been there, so I'm not going to talk about it. Additionally, you can find nearly any country's cuisine if you look hard enough, especially in the outher boros. PM me if you need help with eating outside of Manhattan.
NYC can be expensive to eat, so I've tried to vary it by price and experience with some tips for keeping it cheaper. What I can guarantee is that at any of these places is that you're getting a damn good experience/meal.
One of the great ways to get into some of NYC's iconic restaurants is by eating lunch. These three restaurants are simply must do restaurants and in my opinion present the best value in all of NYC dining. Reservations are highly recommended for any of these restaurants, even for lunch.
Walk through Times Square and head north a few blocks to get ready for Le Bernardin. Eric Ripert's fish house is as expensive as it is iconic. The pre fixe lunch menu is the best seafood you'll have in your life. While $72 seems prohibitively expensive for a pre fixe lunch, consider it a good deal as dinner can easily run 4-5x more expensive if you decide to open a bottle of wine. You have never tasted fish until you've let Ripert cook it for you.
Take a stroll in Central Park the next day and spoil yourself silly once again for lunch at Jean Georges. More French cooking at another one of NYC's iconic restaurants. Pre fixe here is only $38, an excellent value for one of the world's premier restaurants.
My personal favorite however is lunch at Sushi Yasuda near Grand Central Station. I dare you to find fresher fish outside of Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market. Even though Master Chef Yasuda has moved back to Japan, the quality and minimalist decor remain the same. Pre fixe will run you about $29, an absolute bargain.
If you've hit these three places up your first few days in the city, it's time to move out of Manhattan and into Brooklyn and Queens for some exploring.
Out in the Midwood section of Brooklyn you'll find Dominic DeMarco's DiFara's Pizzeria. Now, a big fucking deal has been made in recent years about the quality of DiFara's, and I can absolutely tell you the hype is real. It's the best damn pizza you've ever had. Anywhere. Italy included. Frankly I didn't know dough, cheese, and sauce could taste this good. I'd also highly recommend L&B Spumoni Gardens and Lucali's for pizza if you're in Brooklyn, but I don't think either of them are worth the pilgrimage like DiFara's.
If you've been to Asia, a trip to Flushing is a good idea to rekindle old memories. If you've never been to Asia, then go to Flushing because, it's as close as you can get without going. Don't take the 7 train, take the LIRR Port Washington line to Flushing and save yourself 45 minutes. I'd highly recommend Biang!, Joe's Shanghai, Xi'an Famous Foods or Hunan House. I can provide you other recommendations in Flushing if you're looking for a specific regional Chinese cuisine. PM me.
If Korean is your thing, take the LIRR train two stops beyond the Flushing stop to the Broadway stop. From there walk two blocks to Sik Gaek for Korean Seafood BBQ. A bit pricy, but I highly recommend the experience of eating a live baby octopus among other seafaring Korean treats. Recommend for a group, as food is served family style.
Moving on to dinner recommendations:
No visit to NYC would be complete without a proper visit to a steakhouse. Really, there is only one option here. Peter Luger's is the clear play here. Williamsburg or Great Neck are both equally worthy. Old school, top notch Porterhouse steak. The waiters are older than your grandfather. Cash only, though they may allow debit cards to be used. It is, bar none, a place for a man to eat a steak. If you don't want to leave Manhattan for steak then I prefer Smith & Wollensky, however that tab can get huge very quickly. Smith and Woll's pours a very generous glass of wine at their bar, so it's absolutely worth checking out for a drink.
SoHo spot, The Dutch is a trendy, seen and be seen type of spot. A good spot for some dinnertime gaming. Food is damn good, New American-ish. Excellent vegetables. Can be hard to score a reservation.
Torrisi Italian Specialties is about as Italian as it gets, but it comes with a price. Old school tradition is blended with new ideas to get a mix of Italian that is delicious. Good luck getting a table, but I think they are now accepting reservations. If you're looking for high quality out of Manhattan, look towards Parkside in Corona where the mobsters are wider than the Cadillacs they drive or Don Pepe's in Ozone Park.
WD-50 is a pretty wild dining experience from Wylie Dufrense. Expect ideas of what food is, and what it isn't to be bent a bit. I preferred the experience over the food, but it was nonetheless excellent if a bit expensive.
In the East Village, The Mermaid Inn is an affordable spot for seafood, specifically happy hour oysters. They have a ton of oyster varieties for $1 before 7. Enjoy a dozen and then stay for an well-priced main.
Osteria Morini is absolutely another SoHo spot worth checking out for Italian. The bill will run steep, but the quality is undeniable and is another "scene" of a restaurant. I haven't been but, I've been told dollar for dollar this is a better bet than Michael White's other Italian restaurant Marea.
Uva is a very happening wine bar/trattoria on the UES. Really excellent bottles of hard to find wine at the right price. A hot staff, hot diners and a solid bar that has quick turnover where a number or two could be pulled if dressed well.
Cafe Boulud is a great spot on the UES for Boulud quality food at more reasonable prices. I prefer it for lunch.
For a quick bite, you can't go wrong with:
Katz's Deli. Open 24 hours, and world famous for a reason. A must. Tip the butcher a couple of bucks when you place your order and watch your sandwich grow. You'd be crazy to not order corned beef or pastrami.
Luke's Lobster. No it's not Cape Cod, but it's pretty damn close. A few locations throughout the city. If you've never had a lobster roll, it's a good bet for a high quality quick lunch.
For breakfast or brunch:
Balthazar. Yes, it's a wonderful dining experience and quite the scene. You will certainly not be the most famous person in there. Their bread and oeufs meurette are to die for. It is a bit hyped though.
Russell and Daughters. World famous bagels. Schmears to die for. A bit overrated. Living off their reputation a bit. If bagels are your thing and you have access to a car the best bagels in the world are wayyyyy out in the middle of nowhere Queens at Utopia Bagels. People religiously wait outside in the middle of winter on a line out the door for a taste of carb heaven.
Hundred Acres. Excellent brunch. A bit off the radar, but I've loved it the few times I've been there. IIRC bloody mary's with an oyster in them. Goodbye hangover after one or two of those.
In all seriousness, I could go on all day with this list. This is just a basic introduction to some NYC dining spots the world knows about as well as some spots I'm sure fellow New Yorkers might not know about. There are plenty of signature restaurants that I haven't been to and probably will never get to. What you see here is something that tries to touch on many different locations and price points. Feel free to contribute where you've been with some of your impressions.
As a note, I have eaten in every restaurant you see here. While a place like Per Se is probably wonderful, I've never been there, so I'm not going to talk about it. Additionally, you can find nearly any country's cuisine if you look hard enough, especially in the outher boros. PM me if you need help with eating outside of Manhattan.
NYC can be expensive to eat, so I've tried to vary it by price and experience with some tips for keeping it cheaper. What I can guarantee is that at any of these places is that you're getting a damn good experience/meal.
One of the great ways to get into some of NYC's iconic restaurants is by eating lunch. These three restaurants are simply must do restaurants and in my opinion present the best value in all of NYC dining. Reservations are highly recommended for any of these restaurants, even for lunch.
Walk through Times Square and head north a few blocks to get ready for Le Bernardin. Eric Ripert's fish house is as expensive as it is iconic. The pre fixe lunch menu is the best seafood you'll have in your life. While $72 seems prohibitively expensive for a pre fixe lunch, consider it a good deal as dinner can easily run 4-5x more expensive if you decide to open a bottle of wine. You have never tasted fish until you've let Ripert cook it for you.
Take a stroll in Central Park the next day and spoil yourself silly once again for lunch at Jean Georges. More French cooking at another one of NYC's iconic restaurants. Pre fixe here is only $38, an excellent value for one of the world's premier restaurants.
My personal favorite however is lunch at Sushi Yasuda near Grand Central Station. I dare you to find fresher fish outside of Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market. Even though Master Chef Yasuda has moved back to Japan, the quality and minimalist decor remain the same. Pre fixe will run you about $29, an absolute bargain.
If you've hit these three places up your first few days in the city, it's time to move out of Manhattan and into Brooklyn and Queens for some exploring.
Out in the Midwood section of Brooklyn you'll find Dominic DeMarco's DiFara's Pizzeria. Now, a big fucking deal has been made in recent years about the quality of DiFara's, and I can absolutely tell you the hype is real. It's the best damn pizza you've ever had. Anywhere. Italy included. Frankly I didn't know dough, cheese, and sauce could taste this good. I'd also highly recommend L&B Spumoni Gardens and Lucali's for pizza if you're in Brooklyn, but I don't think either of them are worth the pilgrimage like DiFara's.
If you've been to Asia, a trip to Flushing is a good idea to rekindle old memories. If you've never been to Asia, then go to Flushing because, it's as close as you can get without going. Don't take the 7 train, take the LIRR Port Washington line to Flushing and save yourself 45 minutes. I'd highly recommend Biang!, Joe's Shanghai, Xi'an Famous Foods or Hunan House. I can provide you other recommendations in Flushing if you're looking for a specific regional Chinese cuisine. PM me.
If Korean is your thing, take the LIRR train two stops beyond the Flushing stop to the Broadway stop. From there walk two blocks to Sik Gaek for Korean Seafood BBQ. A bit pricy, but I highly recommend the experience of eating a live baby octopus among other seafaring Korean treats. Recommend for a group, as food is served family style.
Moving on to dinner recommendations:
No visit to NYC would be complete without a proper visit to a steakhouse. Really, there is only one option here. Peter Luger's is the clear play here. Williamsburg or Great Neck are both equally worthy. Old school, top notch Porterhouse steak. The waiters are older than your grandfather. Cash only, though they may allow debit cards to be used. It is, bar none, a place for a man to eat a steak. If you don't want to leave Manhattan for steak then I prefer Smith & Wollensky, however that tab can get huge very quickly. Smith and Woll's pours a very generous glass of wine at their bar, so it's absolutely worth checking out for a drink.
SoHo spot, The Dutch is a trendy, seen and be seen type of spot. A good spot for some dinnertime gaming. Food is damn good, New American-ish. Excellent vegetables. Can be hard to score a reservation.
Torrisi Italian Specialties is about as Italian as it gets, but it comes with a price. Old school tradition is blended with new ideas to get a mix of Italian that is delicious. Good luck getting a table, but I think they are now accepting reservations. If you're looking for high quality out of Manhattan, look towards Parkside in Corona where the mobsters are wider than the Cadillacs they drive or Don Pepe's in Ozone Park.
WD-50 is a pretty wild dining experience from Wylie Dufrense. Expect ideas of what food is, and what it isn't to be bent a bit. I preferred the experience over the food, but it was nonetheless excellent if a bit expensive.
In the East Village, The Mermaid Inn is an affordable spot for seafood, specifically happy hour oysters. They have a ton of oyster varieties for $1 before 7. Enjoy a dozen and then stay for an well-priced main.
Osteria Morini is absolutely another SoHo spot worth checking out for Italian. The bill will run steep, but the quality is undeniable and is another "scene" of a restaurant. I haven't been but, I've been told dollar for dollar this is a better bet than Michael White's other Italian restaurant Marea.
Uva is a very happening wine bar/trattoria on the UES. Really excellent bottles of hard to find wine at the right price. A hot staff, hot diners and a solid bar that has quick turnover where a number or two could be pulled if dressed well.
Cafe Boulud is a great spot on the UES for Boulud quality food at more reasonable prices. I prefer it for lunch.
For a quick bite, you can't go wrong with:
Katz's Deli. Open 24 hours, and world famous for a reason. A must. Tip the butcher a couple of bucks when you place your order and watch your sandwich grow. You'd be crazy to not order corned beef or pastrami.
Luke's Lobster. No it's not Cape Cod, but it's pretty damn close. A few locations throughout the city. If you've never had a lobster roll, it's a good bet for a high quality quick lunch.
For breakfast or brunch:
Balthazar. Yes, it's a wonderful dining experience and quite the scene. You will certainly not be the most famous person in there. Their bread and oeufs meurette are to die for. It is a bit hyped though.
Russell and Daughters. World famous bagels. Schmears to die for. A bit overrated. Living off their reputation a bit. If bagels are your thing and you have access to a car the best bagels in the world are wayyyyy out in the middle of nowhere Queens at Utopia Bagels. People religiously wait outside in the middle of winter on a line out the door for a taste of carb heaven.
Hundred Acres. Excellent brunch. A bit off the radar, but I've loved it the few times I've been there. IIRC bloody mary's with an oyster in them. Goodbye hangover after one or two of those.
In all seriousness, I could go on all day with this list. This is just a basic introduction to some NYC dining spots the world knows about as well as some spots I'm sure fellow New Yorkers might not know about. There are plenty of signature restaurants that I haven't been to and probably will never get to. What you see here is something that tries to touch on many different locations and price points. Feel free to contribute where you've been with some of your impressions.
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