French restaurant choice - NYC
 

Leaving for NYC tomorrow from western Montana. It's not all about the food, but our choices at home are pretty limited so we do our homework and try to hit an Italian, Indian, Thai, and French restaurant on our annual trips. NYC experts please weigh in: Bistro Chat Noir, Brasserie 52, Brasserie 8 1/2, Zucco: Le French Diner. All get good recommendations on Menupages. Which should we choose? (OK, it is all about the food.)

Always heard great things about Balthazar & Chanterelle.

I liked Montparnasse, a nice French Bistro: http://www.montparnasseny.com/
We had lunch there last November. It was funny, it was one of my top picks from Menupages.com. Then when my friend who's a native New Yorker suggested we meet there for lunch, I was pretty proud of my research.

the choices are endless.....

french: balthazar, pastis, boulud, les halles, modern, artisanal, l'absinthe, modern, cafe des artistes

thai: kittichai, klongs - cheap eats and fun drinks

indian: devi, tabla, several casual south indian restaurants on lexington & 27/28th.

have not personally been to but heard good things about mint and tamarind - both indian

Some good recommendations here from other posters. I've been to many suggested here; among my favorites are The Modern (very expensive) and Tabla - actually I like the Bread Bar, the more informal cafe at Tabla. For french, and at the opposite end of the spectrum on your list is Zucco, The French Diner - very funky little place on the Lower east Side, good food, literally 3 tables and a bar - a real downtown NY experience. Brasserie 8 /12 is the opposite NY experience, big and brassy, very midtown.
Chanterelle is wonderful, classy, expensive, cool and modern. Balthazar is a noisy, very NY take on a Paris bistro.

You might also look at reviews on www.nymag.com and www.nytimes.com

I would go with La Grenouille

http://www.la-grenouille.com/