New York City Restaurants $$$

    Isabella's, Manhattan
  359 Columbus Ave. - (77th Street) - New York, NY            
Isabella's has been hailed for over fifteen years as an "Upper West Side institution" by neighborhood regulars and serious diners alike. Once you walk through its doors, you'll immediately know you're somewhere special. Known for not only great food but for its reasonable prices and great service, Isabella's has earned its place among the must-do New York experiences.
Offering both creative renditions and dishes that are sure-to-please, Isabella's inventive Mediterranean cuisine melts perfectly with the quintessential Upper West Side setting, making it the ideal destination for any outing.
    Brasserie 8 1/2, Manhattan
  9 W. 57th Street - (5th-6th Aves.) - New York, NY           
Nestled in Skidmore, Owings' celebrated "Bell-bottom" building on 9 W.57th Street, in Midtown Manhattan, Brasserie 8½ offers notable "nouvelle" French cuisine in a super-plush atmosphere. Accessed by a spectacular sweeping staircase, the restaurant is accented by original works by Henri Matisse and a one-of-a-kind glass sculpture by Fernand Leger.
    Daniel Boulud Restaurant, Manhattan
  20 East 76th St. - New York, NY            
The restaurant offers a menu and ambiance combining the best of French food and design in a casually elegant style. Named for the local cafe Daniel Boulud's family ran on their farm outside Lyon, France at the turn of the century, Cafe Boulud reflects the same spirit of conviviality that made the original spot a regular village meeting place.
    Murals on 54, Manhattan
  65 West 54th Street - New York, NY           
Murals on 54 boasts a warm and elegant interior where fine art and history unfolds. Designed by Pierre Court, the concept of the dining room was to accentuate the historic murals painted by Dean Cornwell in 1937. The colours in the murals are radiant against the light background and natural light enters the room from the opening of the large, existing street-side windows, which creates the feel of an open terrace or a sun deck on an ocean liner.
    Eleven Madison Park, Manhattan
  11 Madison Ave. - New York, NY            
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Eleven Madison Park expresses the spirit of grand New York dining with a contemporary accent. Designed by architects Bentel & Bentel, with soaring 30-foot ceilings and windows overlooking beautiful Madison Square Park, the restaurant embodies an urbane sophistication that is at once relaxed and bustling. And the cuisine smartly follows suit. Executive chef Kerry Heffernan masterfully prepares French-inspired seasonal American food. Among his updated classics are Sweet Pea Flan, Tuna Cru, Prime-Aged Roast Beef for Two, Maine Lobster Pot au Feu, Terrine of Beef Shank and Foie Gras, Artic Char with Pea Shoots and Vinaigrette, and Seared Loin and Almond Crusted Shank of Lamb with Basquaise Peppers. Pastry chef Nicole Kaplan provides a sumptuous end to the meal with irresistible desserts such as her signature chocolate soufflé, chocolate dome, and an exquisite selection of cookies and confections. The award-winning, eclectic wine list offers 36 wines by the glass, available at your table or in the cozy wine bar set beneath a gold-leaded Art Deco ceiling. The bar also boasts a world-class selection of Calvados and an extensive array of cocktails. Opened in October 1998, the restaurant promptly earned a James Beard nomination as Best New Restaurant in America, and won a coveted spot in Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants. More recently, Eleven Madison Park won the 2004 James Beard Award for Outstanding Service in America.
    Le Perigord, Manhattan
  405 East 52nd Street - (1st Ave.) - New York, NY           
Le Périgord's fine appetizer display has lost none of its zip. A splendid plateful holds tangy terrines, various fish and shellfish and small salads--almost a meal.
The new kitchen team is as consistent as a Swiss watch, deft in meats as in seafood, and quickly developing a new dessert identity with pastry chef Serge Decrauzat. His light but lingering fruit-based specials augment Le Périgord's familiar and friendly trolley of tarts, mousses and floating islands. - Crain's New York
    Palm West Side, Manhattan
  250 W. 50th Street - (Broadway-8th Ave.) - New York, NY             
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The west side Palm will differentiate itself in some ways from the Second Avenue restaurants, with 1,200 square feet of caricature walls, a more spacious dining room of 9,400 square feet, and a large bar area, but will stay true to the original in its prime-aged steak-and-lobster-heavy menu. Alfred L. Thimm, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of the Washington, DC-based Palm Management Corporation.
The Palm has come full circle with the opening of its Times Square location. Right in the heart of the theatre district, the West Side Palm has become a hotspot for theatre-goers, celebrities, tourists and Palm regulars alike. Loyal Palm customers like Brian Dennehy have found their way to the West Side of Manhattan from the East Side to dine with the likes of Don King and Evander Holyfield.
    The River Cafe
  1 Water Street - (under the Brooklyn Bridge) - Brooklyn, NY            
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What began as the singular vision of Mr. O’Keeffe for an elegant waterfront restaurant took many years of lengthy negotiation with The City of New York before permission was granted to start construction. At the time, the notion of building a restaurant amid what was such an isolated and neglected part of New York seemed like a great risk. Since opening in May of 1977, however, The River Café has been the recipient of numerous awards including selection as one of the five best restaurants in New York by the French culinary guide “Gault Millau”. The restaurant will forever hold the distinction of being at the forefront of what has become the re-birth of the Brooklyn waterfront.
    Aska
  90 Wythe Avenue - Brooklyn, NY           
Aska, "Ashes", represents new and old, an ending and a beginning. Here, cooking is more than just a craft and chefs are constantly focusing on our ingredients. Vegetables and meats, fish and offal and weeds - all are valued equally. Aska chefs hand-pick the majority of produce served at the restaurant. All ingredients are sourced from humanely-raised animals, sustainable seafood, and local farms. Aska cooks with equal parts forward thinking and nostalgia. Aska always looks to our place in the Northeast while remembering its roots in Scandinavia, its traditions and its culture.
    Riverdale Garden, The
  4576 Manhattan College Parkway - Bronx, NY            
The Riverdale Garden welcomes you with a comfortable fine dining experience in the tree-lined Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. The restaurant features no-nonsense seasonal cuisine in a casual and elegant atmosphere, including a flower garden (for dining al fresco), terrace and a wood burning stove.
    Uncle Jack's Steakhouse - Bayside, Queens
  39-40 Bell Blvd. - Bayside, NY           
Specializing in 21 day dry aged USDA Prime meats, Kobe beef, Australian lobster tails and offering a wide array of seafood and wines. Join us for our old world charm and impeccable service.
    Peter Luger Steak House
  178 Broadway - Brooklyn, NY            
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Serving the finest steaks since 1887. The finest USDA PRIME meat available. The selection process is crucial and therefore is done only by members of the family who visit the wholesale markets on a daily basis. It begins with fresh sides of beef that usually come from the Midwest. The section of beef used is called the short loin. Only those cattle graded PRIME by the United States Agriculture Department are even considered. It is then important to examine the color, fat conformation and bones.
    Austin's Steakhouse
  8915 5th Ave - Brooklyn, NY           
Brooklyn's premier eclectic fine dining steakhouse, specializes in classic hearty fare of generous USDA Prime 21 day aged beef as well as fish, lobster, veal chops, lamb chops, pork chops, chicken and a 42 ounce porterhouse which is the house specialty for two people. The Menu is complemented by a wine list of 130 selections from California, Italy and Australia. We are "Professionals serving Professionals" with a commitment to excellence.
    Riverview Restaurant, Queens
  2-01 50th Avenue - Long Island City, NY           
Riverview Restaurant commands the most spectacular views of New York City's skyline. Directly facing the United Nation with Citicorp Center, Trumps International Hotel and the Queensboro Bridge to the north and the Chrysler and Empire State Building to the south, Riverview is unmistakably, " A Room with a View".
    Ponticello Ristorante, Queens
  46-11 Broadway - (46th-47th Streets) - New York, NY           
Whether you’re in the mood for one of the classics or something a little different, you’ll always find it on our menu. Whatever you choose, you’ll find it an enchanting experience. Ponticello Ristorante is more than just an unforgettable dining experience, it’s a place where memories are made… first dates, birthdays, engagements, etc.