To me, hands down the clear winner here is Jean Georges for lunch. Forget the fixed price menu “deal” if they are still doing it–order off the regular menu and you will be thrilled. I believe JG is the best restaurant in NYC right now. I said this recently to my friend Gael Greene, and she replied, “I believe its the best restaurant in the country.” Many, of course, would disagree with her, but you won’t find a better dining experience and food than Jean Georges.
Marea is fantastic and I always love going there, but there’s a reason JG has *** Michelin stars and Marea has **. Its a wonderful, outstanding ** experience, but its not at the top top, IMHO.
I’ve never been thrilled by Le Bernardin. I know everyone raves, but I’ve never had a consistent experience there. I once had a tasting menu there for dinner and my dining companion and I asked if an a la carte item could be added to our dinner (for additional $ of course) and they initially refused! Only when I said that it was unusual for a Michelin *** to refuse a request like that from a customer did they acquiesce. I don’t like it there, really, and I’m never prone to return.
If you go to JG, if Jean Georges is there, or his brother (who runs the dining room) or Alex Wolf, the GM, chat with them and let them know your preferences and you’ll have an absolutely stellar experience.