My wife and I spend some time in Manhattan last week . Went to a few restaurants , as always the wine service was remarkable everywhere . Prices in NY remain high .
Pepolino : a nice Italian bistrot , nothing special .
Golden Unicorn : dumplings the size of a tennis bal , not my cup of tea .
Cosme : interesting food but they really rushed us : we ordered 3 different items ( to share ) which they brought within 5 minutes from each other : do they want people out in less than 30 minutes ? Modern style foodā¦
The Peak : the real deal , we thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant . The view is of course fantastic , the food surprisingly good . They give you 15 minutes between the first and second course to go out and enjoy the Edge . Great atmosphere . Excellent service . And not overpriced . One of my best meals in NY ā¦ Itās definitely not a tourist trap , so much fun .
Al Coro : this is a 2-star ? Not for me and I donāt think I am the only one : the restaurant was half full on a Friday night . They have one menu and are totally unflexible : we were 4 and had to take the same course . The dishes were elaborate but not very tasty . What was Michelin thinking ?
Al Coro had some good pr when it opened but reviews seem to show its not worth it. Iām guessing that whole complex (Melās, Al Coro) are in trouble considering the $$$ it took to build out.
As for Michelin in ny, they have watered down stars giving them to restaurants with the right pr rather than based on quality of experience.
This is my biggest restaurant pet peeve. There are two local places by me that bring all the food at once. To the point where there is no room on the table for some of the dishes.
Mine too! I had the same complaint about Atoboy. Food is great but I donāt want it all at once.
Pepolino is a name from the past. 10-15 years ago we did a lot of wine dinners upstairs. They were very corkage friendly. I donāt remember why we stopped going there. Iām glad to see they are still open.
Iāve been to each menu Al Coro has done since opening, and I agree it is overall disappointing. I want it to succeed because in my opinion NYC lacks a truly great Italian restaurant that checks all the boxes (food, wine, setting and service), but thus far Al Coro isnāt living up to that. Despite the # of Italian restaurants in the city, it seems to me thereās a hole in the market at the high end.
My last visit with the Piedmont menu was not perfect, but good and the best thus far. Theyāve tinkered with the portion sizes, for example, which are now appropriate for a 2-star, 7 course menu vs. the ridiculously heavy menus they launched with. The wine list, while highly priced, has expanded. The food was mostly a success, although it bears little resemblance to anything youāll eat in in Piedmont. The broth for the agnolotti in brodo was impressive, with a richness that you wonāt get elsewhere and has to be expensive to make. Their take on vitello tonato was much better than the original dish, in my view. The rabit ragu with tajarin had great depth of flavor, although the shape of pasta they cut is a far cry from tajarin, itās more tagliatelle, so thatās a head scratcher. The rest of the menu was in my view good but not memorable.
On other menus, especially the second menu they had after opening, I thought there were dishes that were not very good at all or not very balanced, and the menu construction and service was awkward.
The redesign of the space is a bit of a head scratcher. They clearly spent a ton on the remodel of the old Del Posto space, but not in a way that really enhances it, just changes it (in my opinion, I preferred the Del Posto ambience a bit). My guess is the investment is reflected in the menu price, which at $265 pre-tip for the 7-course, seems a good 10-30% higher than it should be for the caliber of the food and service, in my opinion.
Just got back from NYC, and visited some awesome spots.
Went to the Bar Room at the Modern, and was very impressed. The oysters were very good, loved the mignonette. A few different half bottle options for Champagne, which is always appreciated.
Atoboy was delicious. The egg custard and sea urchin opener was one of the better egg dishes Iāve had. Loved the gim flakes on top. Fried skate wine was fantastic, and so were the duck, and tuna dishes.
Airās Champagne is a favorite in town, and had another great time again. I think the next time I am back in the city Iāll have to try the restaurant they have downstairs. Looks really good, too.
Went to Terroir, which was really an awesome wine bar. Riesling focused with a spectacular list of BTG and BTB options. Not my exact vibes, think post punk and pop metal from the early 2000, but we had a very enjoyable time and drank delicious wine. I would check this place out if you like Riesling.
three stars from Pete for Torissi Bar & Restaurant. i think one of the best and most fun openings in recent NYC memory. thereās been a lot of sameness and safe openings lately - but still good and worthy. this feels special and unique.
Any suggestions for a casual business lunch in midtown east? Needs to be modest in price as my client has to pay for herself. So The Modern and its like are out.
Rockefeller Center is your friend for this type of occasion.
Lodi would be perfect for good food at a reasonable price. I will say you sit outdoors in a heated enclosure which is fine but a little odd.
Jupiter the restaurant from King is good / simple from what I have heard and I think they have lunch specials.
Naro from Atoboy / Atomix has a reasonable price a la cart option.
Just an fyi prices have gone up so much in NYC that some of these prices might look high but it is partially due to inflation. It costs me $25-30 for a take out soup and salad for lunch
Just had a business lunch at Jupiter last week. Very good food and a good atmosphere for the lunch, just a touch on the loud side at its busiest point.
Thereās Le Rock, Jupiter and Limani by Rockefeller Center. On the far side of casual thereās Pave, a coffee shop/bakery on 46th. Solid sandwiches, focacciaās and salads. Clean, ample and bright space with plenty of seating room
Good call on Le Rock I had not realized it opened for lunch.
Thanks everyone. Great suggestions. All this is new since I left NYC.
The pricing is up everywhere. The prices quoted in the Leaving Las Vegas thread seem typical.
iām not sure i would classify those rock center places as modest
u may want to check menu pricing online
Midtown restaurants:
Naro is good for French
Hatsuhana for Sushi
Avra for Greek
Avra is not a bad idea, they have the $36 pre-fix lunch special.
Just a nit Naro is Modern Korean.
Iāve been to the Avra in Beverly Hills and not loved it, but itās pretty safe.
Milos has a $45 pre-fixe lunch special. I find the food there to be a bit better than Avra.