Eating Well In Manhatten
 

we are spending 3 days in midtown in early november. we are long time visitors to the city but usually eat on the cheap - $40- 50 for two. want to upgrade this visit for at least one meal. where would you go for a $70 meal for two (no drinks)? $100? we love all types of food.

thanks

There are over 24,000 restaurants in NYC. If you can be a bit more specific about what kinds of food you like, I think we can make better recommendations.

There are quite a few restaurants where you can get a good meal for $40 to $45 per person, even in Manhattan. Getting a good meal for two for $70 is harder here, but it's certainly possible.

Just remember that our taxes are high at almost 9%, and most good restaurant servers expect a tip of 20%. That means your $40 per person meal is suddenly $55. Does that fit inline with your budget? Or do you have to be "all in" for $100 for 2?

all in for $100

Go look up restos on Zagats. Cross-reference by location based on where you'll be staying or touring (which you have not stated). You're talking about the most populous city in the US and asking folks to throw darts at a board.

What kind of experience are you looking for? Our favorite meal on our last visit was in an izakaya, very casual, but the bill was around $100 for two, as I recall. If you'd prefer a quieter place with tablecloths, I wouldn't recommend it. So yes, I'd like some more guidance from you...

Here is a list I have posted a few times before and almost all are below 14th street. Unless otherwise stated it is inexpensive to moderately expensive.

Bagels-there are about six places that make bagels on First Ave between 12th Street and 20th Street. Our favorite remains Ess-A-Bagel. Tompkins Square is good but chances are 50-50 they will get your order wrong.

BBQ-Mighty Quinn

Brunches-City Bakery (18th off 5th), Clinton Street Bakery, weekend is a zoo), Esperanto

Burgers- Brindle Room, Black Iron (also have wonderful onion rings), Paul’s (local divy spot), Corner Bistro (on everyone’s list, zoo on weekends)

Chinese Bao-The Baohaus-The guy with the TV show and book. A new place is fabulous called Drunken Dumpling. They make soup dumplings among a few other things on their limited menu including an oversized soup dumpling of which they only make 25 a day.

Chinese Dim Sum-Jing Fung, Golden Unicorn, Nom Wah on Doyers.

Chinese-Manhattan Chinatown-Big Wong, Joe’s Ginger, NY Noodletown

Chinese Szechuan-Hot Kitchen on 2nd Ave and Xian Famous on St Marks which is a local chain.

Dessert-Veniero's, Chikalicious

Expensive but great prix fixe lunches-Gotham, Tocqueville

Eastern European- Veselka,

French Bistro-Lucien (more expensive), the good cheaper ones have disappeared

Greek-Pylos (little more expensive), Taverna Kyuclaides for fish

Hip American-Brindle Room

Hip Filipino both owned by the same people Jeepney and Maharlikan (more expensive)

Hot soup- Brodo-Sidewalk opening on First Ave as part of Hearth.

Ice Cream-Davey’s (Our current favorite), Cones on Bleecker, Il Laboratorio de Gelato, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Cones and Sundaes (East 10th), Grom (Italian chain), Van Leewen

Indian-Haveli, Saravanaa Bhavan, Sahib (on Lex and about 26 St.)

Italian, Inexpensive- La Marca (3rd Ave. and 22 Street, only opened noon-10 PM, Mon-Fri) Great Value

Italian, Medium priced-Cacio e Pepe, Gnocco, Supper (cash only), Luzzos (Wood burning pizza oven), Le Zie (7th Ave and about 19th)

Jewish Deli-2nd Ave Deli, the side dishes are superior to Katz’s. Katz’s is a zoo at all times now due to its celebrity.

Lebanese-Au Za'atar which very reasonably priced French-Mideastern

Pizza whole pies-Motorino, Lombardi's, Gruppo,

Ramen-Ippudo’s is always a zoo, Rai, Rai Ken

Serbian-Kafana on Ave C.

Seafood-Mary’s-Fish Camp (cramped, no reservations, moderate), Luke’s Lobster (just lobster rolls, limited seating various locations) Aquagrill (very expensive)

Spanish tapas-Nai (which means mother in Gallego has really upped their game), Tia Pol, La Boqueria, Café Mono (more expensive)

Turkish-Turkish Kitchen (Very good values are the daily prix fixe lunch and Sunday buffet)

Venezulean- Patacon Pisao-, unbelievable chacapas

Please note-it is spelled Manhattan

Glad I can be of help.

I went to the Turkish Kitchen recently and did not like the food at all bland, tasteless, quite awful. Would like to try Taverna Kyclades but they do not take reservations and wait time for a table is very long.

Huh, we will return to the Turkish Kitchen, maybe they had a change of ownership. We found their food close to, not exact, the tastes in Turkey. But there are always bad night, substitute chefs, and changes in management.

We ate at Taverna Kyclades (Queens). No reservations. Felt rushed. Food good not great.

There is second Taverna on First Ave and 14th St. We enjoy it immensely.

Becco has all you can eat of three pastas (Lidia Bastianich's recipes) for a reasonable price, menu changes daily.

Becco is convenient for the theater district, but not recommended otherwise.

I disagree about Becco. Actually, the food on the a la carte menu is quite good, but not the pasta special. That's just adequate and, while cheap, would never be my choice. But it's popular with the tourists.