my closest friend is visiting from Florida and I want to take her and another friend to a memorable restaurant early saturday after shopping. We tried to make reservations at nobu57 weeks ago and they were already booked. I'd like it to be something unique to ny but we don't want anything too fancy. we don't eat meat, just seafood. Any ideas?

You could try Sea Grille at Rock Center - nice fish, very New Yorky and not too expensive.,

Well certainly the finest seafood in New York (if not the finest restaurant) is Le Bernardin. Fancy? Yes, but not stuffy or pretentious. But what time on Saturday are you talking about? Lunch -- dinner?

My favorite Manhattan oasis- the tea room in Takashimaya.Wonderful Japanese food in a sleek setting.

This sounds like an early dinner so you might have luck getting in to some places that are usually difficult but it is a holiday weekend. Some midtown ideas

>The Boathouse in Central Park
>The Modern in MOMA
>Le Bernardin
>Manhattan Ocean Club
>The Sea Grill

If you don't mind heading uptown, the Atlantic Grill on the upper east side and the Ocean Grill on the upper westside are both really good seafood and I think both have early prix fixe dinners.

Forget about the boring, overpriced midtown options and head to BLT Fish on West 17th Street.

(Note that it's really two restaurants -- the upstairs dining room is more formal than ground level, with a different menu.)

Second choice: Fresh on Reade Street in Tribeca.

Yea, Le Bernardin -- boring and overpriced. According to whom? No one I know since it constantly wins every highest award and honor known to the restaurant business.

But talk about "overpriced" -- that's the major complaint by many about BLT Fish. There's a lot of difference between expensive and overpriced.

It's been a while since I've seen the Manhattan Ocean Club posted. Has anyone been there lately? We went a couple of years ago and were sorely disappointed. Very poor service.

Have yet to try Le Bernardin, but it's on our list.

Regarding BLT FISH: Just a few comments from CitySearch -- regular diners who post their comments. I've read similar things on Chowhound.

"The dishes came out essentially one at a time from the kitchen, all cold. When we sent two of the seven dishes back for the chef to just heat up, the chef sent it right back to us and said, he disagreed with our finding, and would not heat them up. To top that though, when we re-sent them back because they were truly cold, the chef sent the waiter back with the dishes and a check asking my party to pay the bill and leave while in the middle of eating. I have never witnessed a more insulting and disgraceful act in a restaurant."

"The seafood was fresh however, overpriced. I was very disappointed, will not go back and will not recommend BLT Fish."

"When the $24 lobster roll finally arrived, it had about 1/4 cup worth of lobster salad in the sandwich. I had to ask the server if this was how it normally came (perhaps they were running low since it was late lunch at this point) and he answered in the affirmative. He offered us a free dessert to make up for it, knowing that we had to leave. So we got back to the office late and still hungry. TERRIBLE and a COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY!"

"I've done several truly spectacular NY seafood restaurants, and this is not one of them. One client ordered the 3-pound lobster, and it was $30 A POUND. A $90 lobster doesn't necessarily taste better; I can tell you that in all confidence."

"Food, while good, is over-rated and very overpriced. My suggestion would be if you absolutely feel the need to frequent this establishment – stay downstairs in the casual dining area, have a couple of drinks with some appetizers and go to another establishment where you’ll get a better bang for your buck."

Anyone care to find similar comments about LeBernardin -- that "boring overpriced Midtown option"?

Ouch! The Bernardin defense league is getting a bit testy. Must have struck too close to home, huh?

Gigi, if you don't want something too fancy, as you said in your original post, then BLT Fish or Fresh are perfect choices. I've dined at both places many times and always had an excellent experience. (I can say the same about Le Bernardin as well, but it is certainly overhyped and boring -- I let my 65 year old parents take me there when they visit.)

Oh, heavens, I never realized that Le Bernardin is only exciting for the geriatric set!
Talk about pompousness!

Well, I will give in, yes Le Bernardin is boring. It is much more "exciting" to go to a restaurant where you get to send your food back because it's cold, twice -- no less, get asked to pay your bill and leave because you don't like cold food, pay, $90 for a plain lobster, etc., etc., etc. If that makes dining more "exciting" then I'll take the boring kind of dining, thank you. At boring old Le Bernardin, I never have any excitement like that -- just boringly perfect prepared food, professionally but boringly served, in a stunning but boring atmosphere. But to each his own.

Many memorable very fresh seafood restaurants in China town, 'tho Sea Grille is PDG.
Check out 202, mention Annie, and maybe get a comp glass of Pinot Noir.
M

Blue Ribbon (either the sushi place or the restaurant at Sullivan St.)

BTW. no reservation plocy in both restaurants.

I have eaten at BLT Fish and will not go back. It was insanely expensive and honestly, nothing to write home about. We were a table of 8 and shared 3 or 4 whole fishes. One was sickeningly salty, and the others were interchangeable. Could not tell one from the other after tasting each one. Pearl Oyster Bar is heavenly, but no reservations. Esca is also delicious--a Mario Batali restaurant, exclusive to NYC. But really, you do not have to go to a 'seafood' restaurant. Any fine restaurant in NY should be able to serve a great fish dish and they all have at least one or two on the menu.

Oh, but Bugswife, I think you missed the point of BLT FISH. One doesn't go to a restaurant for the quality of the food -- one goes strictly for the excitement and the privilege of getting into what ever the "trendiest" of the moment is. And most importantly, that restaurant isn't in the horrible theatre district -- where NO ONE who is concerned with trendiness would ever be caught dead! It's too boring there.

Ah, Patrick, one of your better tongue-in-cheek contributions! My compliments.

"Tongue in cheek"? Why, Howard, how you misinterpret my sincerity!

By the way, I only quoted a few of the negative BLT FISH comments that particularly related to the "overpriced" issue. I ignored the countless ones about arriving for a reservation and being made to wait for over an hour, and all the major "attitude" complaints about the place. But we all know if you want to eat at the "hottest" new place you must endure such minor issues. Just like waiting behind the rope at the hottest new club to see if you are deemed worthy to enter the sacred space. Going trendy isn't easy, but it's so worth it as it shows how important you are if you are accepted.

How boring to be able to make a reservation a month ahead, arrive and find your table waiting, and gracious hosts and servers to accomodate you. What fun is there in that?

Le Bernadin is one of the best restaurants in the world. How can that be dull and boring? Are we going to a restaurant to eat or to watch drunk 20-somethings slide under the table? Almost every Manhattan restaurant suggested here is considered dull and boring by Gekko, unless he/she is making the recommendation. I suggested Lever House two years ago, when it took a month to get a reservation and you STILL had to wait two hours to get a table, and it was vetoed by Gekko as a place for "people my parents' age." The funny thing was that no more than 25% of the room was over 50 when I've been there.

Gekko loves to recommend "Amy Sacco-type" restaurants/clubs on this site. What he/she doesn't realize is that not everyone enjoys that kind of scene. Some of us just want to eat without a circus going on all around us.

Perhaps people should post their age when making a suggestion? What's appropriate for old folks may not apply to the younger generations. I find the suggestions on this forum are often skewed to "people of a certain age."

I'm quite sure some people who ask questions here can enjoy new restaurants without a hearing aid.