Manhattan Restaurants $$$

NYC's noted upscale Vietnamese restaurant. Beauty, romance and spirit of French colonial Southeast.

Club Macanudo is an elegant oasis nestled in the heart of New York’s Upper East Side. It has been highlighted by the Food Network, USA Today, and Time Out New York, among others. Outfitted with rich mahogany furniture, buttery-soft leather chairs and comfortable sofas, Club Macanudo is the ideal place to conduct business, enjoy a romantic evening for two, or catch up during a stylishly casual night out with friends. Complete with a state-of-the-art ventilation system, Club Macanudo offers the perfect environment for smokers and non-smokers.
Club Macanudo consistently offers you a warm, welcoming atmosphere, an attentive staff and a connoisseur’s selection of food, drink and cigars.
Dress Code: Club Macanudo requires gentlemen to wear collared shirts. Tee shirts, athletic attire/sneakers, shorts and flip flops are strictly prohibited. The staff of Club Macanudo reserves the right to deny entrance to any patron who does not meet the dress code requirements.

Tribeca Grill is co-owned by renowned restaurateur Drew Nieporent and legendary actor Robert De Niro. It opened to much acclaim in 1990 and was instrumental in helping put the Tribeca neighborhood on the map. Its all-star roster of investors includes such luminaries as Bill Murray, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Lou Diamond Philips, Russell Simmons, Peter Max, Christopher Walken and Harvey & Bob Weinstein of Miramax Films. http://www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com

David Rosengarten of Gourmet Magazine calls Il Buco "one of the best, most exciting restaurants in the whole of America ... Lately, after a string of spectacular evenings at Il Buco, I've been uttering the restaurant's name in response to the question 'What restaurant should I go to on my one night in New York?'. To my taste, Il Buco is that good, and that special ..." Mediterranean cuisine, using the best locally sourced and imported artisanal ingredients served in a warm and welcoming environment.

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.

Blue Hill restaurant opened at the end of April 2000. Blue Hill is dedicated to creating a new category of neighborhood restaurant that maintains the classic attributes of warmth and affordability, while delivering superior food and service.

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.

Lea, a 60 seat wine bar, reataurant-lounge adds an opulent quality of romance to Grand Central's typically professional ambiance. Behind dark wooden slats, nestled in the hollowed granite halls of the Helmsley building, Invoking a 19th century writer’s den of the romantic period, Lea is a seductive and secluded wine bar and lounge located near Grand Central.

Ride the tide to Atlantic Grill, our Upper East Side neighborhood favorite! Atlantic Grill is the place to go for your seafood and sushi fix. Bright, 200-seat space complete with bistro chairs, framed photos, baby blue walls and skylight might make you feel like you sailed into Cape Cod. You may not have left New York's harbor, but one thing is sure: our seafood is just as fresh.
Choose from among crowd-pleasing favorites from the Atlantic - or the Pacific - like our Maryland Crab Cake with Grilled Corn Salsa topped with Chipotle Remoulade, or the Cajun Lobster and Sea Scallops over Shrimp Risotto, Oven Dried Tomatoes, and Herb Nage.
Or sample our daily selection of Oysters and Clams on the Half Shell from our raw bar and our unique Sushi, Sashimi and Rolls. Our Sushi Chefs are constantly "rolling" out new creations, such as our Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass Maki Roll with Red Ginger or our BBQ Eel Roll with Crunchy Sweet Potato, Avocado, and Toasted Almonds.

Tom Colicchio's Craft received the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant nationwide in 2002, and has since spawned a host of imitators for its unique marriage of the finest ingredients, haute cuisine and family-style service.
Against the award-winning architectural design of Bentel and Bentel, and under the glow of filament bulbs, diners share from dishes that celebrate 'single' ingredients, expertly and simply prepared. "Simple doesn't mean simplistic," Tom says in his book, Think Like a Chef, and the food at Craft - under the execution of Chef Damon Wise - serves as proof. Favorites include Pan Roasted Day boat Scallops, Roasted Foie Gras, Braised Short Ribs of Beef, the famous Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms, and what many diners describe as the finest Porterhouse Steak in New York City.

Breathtaking harbor and city skyline views complement Sequoia’s savory seafood menu and wooded nautical décor. During the warmer months enjoy delicious food at an outdoor table on the terrace. Sequoia offers three nautically – designed private dining rooms for special occasions featuring spectacular views of historic ships and the waterfront.

Churrascaria is the name used to describe a restaurant that serves meat, mostly grilled, and Rodizio is a method of serving different cuts of meat that originated in the south of Brazil in the early 1800's.
The concept is to serve a wide variety of different cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, etc., in succession, to each diner individually right at their table, thus there is not a traditional menu. The restaurant features a fixed-price continuous tableside service. In 1996, New York City was finally gifted with Plataforma Churrascaria: The authentic Brazilian Rodizio...enhancing even more the options this incredible city has to offer.

Onieal's is well known for "Sex and the City." When Miranda's once and future boy-toy Steve partners up with Carrie’s ex Aidan to open the bar ‘SCOUT’, it is Onieal’s Grand Street in downtown NYC that serves as the backdrop for the casually hip New York bar.
The bar itself is directly opposite the old Police Headquarters and its former occupants, as a brothel, speakeasy and gambling parlor would seem diametrically opposed to the purpose of the Police Department. But see, that’s the corruption part. So endemic was this corruption (we’re talking the heyday of Tammany) that when the Police Headquarters was built in 1909, a tunnel was dug connecting the buildings.

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.

At The Palm, our philosophy is simple: Treat guests like family, serve great food, and always exceed expectations. That philosophy was born in 1926, when Pio Bozzi and John Ganzi opened the first Palm in New York City. From day one, Pio and John shared their commitment to quality and generosity of spirit with every guest who walked through their doors. What began as a restaurant became a legend – a place to not only enjoy an excellent meal but also catch up with old friends, meet new ones, close business deals, and celebrate family milestones.

Trends come and go, but apple martinis and Marlene Dietrich are here to stay. Inspired by the subtle glamour that is the everyday, the hide-away lounge is a place for cocktails with friends or dinner for two. Here, the allure of the past is a reminder that good food and great company are always a staple of the present.
The gloves come off for afternoon tea in the Deco Room. Whether it's a light salad at five, or an elegant private dinner at eight, the timelessness of this classic space is a perfect balance of old and new.

Levana, the premiere Kosher restaurant in New York City...and the country. This Home Page will serve as a guide to a huge array of information, not only about Levana, but about the world of quality kosher cuisine.
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A casual, stylish, full-service a la carte restaurant highlighting innovative Mediterannean cuisine and seasonal ingredients as well as local and global wine selections along with specialty cocktails and mocktails. Guests can dine at the bar, in the lounge, in the center room, or join us at Arpeggio Outdoors choosing from appetizers, main courses, artisanal cheeses and cured meats.

In 1762 an enterprising and ambitious innkeeper named Samuel Fraunces purchased a three-story brick mansion which had been built on one of Manhattan Island’s first landfills. Under Samuel Fraunces’ proprietorship the building became a well-known gathering place - - - a place for friends and strangers to meet, mingle and share a drink. But Mr. Fraunces tavern was frequented by the leaders of a revolution and thus became more than just a local watering hole.

Bobby Van's Steakhouse and Grill located across from the New York Stock Exchange uses the original 1898 structure to create lush and evocative dining rooms filled with dark wood, cream-colored walls and beautiful chandeliers. Pass through the glass entrance of the steakhouse into the grand dining room with 20' ceilings to face a gorgeous 20-foot bar and a floor-to-ceiling wall of wine and liquor. Dine under the soft lighting of the grand chandeliers and enjoy succulent 28-day dry-aged prime steaks and the freshest seafood.

The latest incarnation of famed restaurateur (and longtime Patina Restaurant Group CEO) Nick Valenti's commitment to bringing the ultimate in culinary experiences to the nation's leading cultural institutions. Lincoln combines high-concept design with the impeccable contemporary Italian cuisine of Chef Jonathan Benno. Valenti worked closely with the architectural firm of Diller, Scofidio + Renfro to create Lincoln's unique design featuring glass walls, signature sloping lawn roof and a spectacular view of the reflecting pool and the Henry Moore sculpture. The restaurant's environment is both comfortable and refined – with an open kitchen, bar, lounge, two dining rooms and private dining accommodations.

The concept of Ricardo Steakhouse was born when brothers Jimmy Mateus and Eddie Mateus teamed up to open a new kind of venue. The first generation New Yorkers, have always dreamt of owning a place where they could gather with friends and family. Since they had just completed a 5 story residential building with ground floor commercial space they thought "why not" SPAHA (Spanish Harlem). It was here the concept of Ricardo Steak House was born. They sensed New Yorkers were starting to re-embrace "comfort food"; but where could they offer the public something special, something new.
The idea was to combine the "Theater" open kitchen restaurant that is a showcase of the outbursting flavors of the angus steaks and house seasonings, with a warm sexy non traditional Steak House, in effect creating a "New World" Latino Steak House offering excellent, gourmet, healthy food at affordable prices. With its upscale spacious interior, exposed kitchen, long, sweeping bar/dining counter area, and open -air terrace, Ricardo Steak House has become one of the in demand restaurant-lounge in the community and a Tri-State destination, helping to further generate the already booming development and renaissance that is currently taking place in Spanish Harlem.

Charlie Palmer's unabashed, energetic signature Progressive American cuisine first took root in the original townhouse location of Aureole, where the chef made an early commitment to farm over factory food. Today, Aureole shines at the spectacular Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, the most environmentally advanced skyscraper in the world.

Park Avenue Cafe offers a unique menu of innovative American cuisine from Chef Neil Murphy, a welcoming and informed service team, and an outstanding wine list at the corner of 63rd Street & Park Ave. on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In fact, it was this winning combination that made leading food writer John Mariani exclaim, this is "One of the best dinners I've had in New York this year." The newly renovated restaurant is a wonderful setting to an exceptional meal, followed by unforgettably beautiful and delicious desserts by award-winning pastry chef Richard Leach.

Located in New York’s iconic Guggenheim museum and named in honor of the great American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, this intimate Upper East Side destination is located in an elegant and modern architectural space that is sure to dazzle trend-setters, fine diners, art lovers and world-travelers. Designed in white by architect Andre Kikoski -- who was inspired by the original Wright museum design for the Guggenheim -- the restaurant embraces the cosmopolitan excitement of today’s New York. A modern American menu created by David Bouley protégé, Rodolfo Contreras, features distinctive cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal, local and sustainable Ingredients. Additionally, a site-specific sculpture by British-born artist Liam Gillick was commissioned for the space, creating a truly unique dining experience.

Set within one the most spectacular cultural destinations in the world, The Grand Tier at Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera House is a shrine to elegance and artistry. Enjoy sumptuous contemporary cuisine by chef Jeff Raider, pre-curtain or during intermission, served in an atmosphere highlighted by spectacular chandeliers and original masterpieces by Marc Chagall. An evening at the Grand Tier is truly an experience to treasure forever.

Ouest is a contemporary American Bistro, highly regarded on the Upper West Side and citywide. Partners Tom Valenti and Godfrey Polistina have created an Oasis of fine dining and fine wines in a casual but sophisticated environment.