French Restaurants in Manhattan
 

My daughter has me heavy in research, looking for French dining options hopefully close to (doesn't have to be) Midtown East where we are staying in November. She'd like a Prix Fixe (spelling?) menu with wine pairings. This looks like it could be $200.- plus for the two of us. Also, any quiet little French bistros cheaper than that, would also be good too. I'm a little overwhelmed, and would appreciate Fordorite faves. Thanks! :-)

LOL, I should of explained my daughter is 23 and paying for dinner and most of our trip. She's a married 3rd year law student who made a boat load of money this summer. My Jess wouldn't set foot in McDonald's.
Anyone with a serious suggestion? Pretty Please? :-)

Prix fixe dinners with wine pairing won;t be cheap - I would be surprised at anything under $100 per person.

As for other places with bistro type food La Mangeoire at Second & 53rd (I think) was popular when I worked in the area.

You could check menupages.com which lets you search by neighborhood and type of food - with diner reviews and actual menus.

Thanks nytraveler. I should of mentioned, menupages.com is where I did alot of my research this afternoon. I have some ideas, although I'm looking for some Fodorite favorites also. Thank you for the La Mangeoire suggestion.

Our favorite bistros include:

Casimir-Avenue B
Flea Market-Avenue A
We just got back from Cafe Deville-3rd Avenue and it was filled with people your daughter's age
Le Tableau
Le Bistro Jardin

Our dinner tonight at Cafe Deville was one drink, one soup, one appetizer, one entree, one dessert, one coffee. (we shared everything but the drinks) with tip and tax $63. The also have an excellent prix fixe lunch, brunch and dinner before 7:00 PM

Personally I think Menupages is mildly instructive. On the few times I checked there were obvious omissions. For example half of the above are not cited.

Le Jardin Bistro is two blcoks from Balthazar. While Balthazar makes excellent bread the food is better at Le Jadrin Bistro

I recently had dinner at Le Rivage on 46th at Restaurant Row. It was wonderful. It was $50 per person but that wasn't with wine. I had the best shrimp ever there. I went with a native NYer who also loved it. I know that may be far from where you are staying.

The Modern (Restaurant not Bar Room) located at the Museum is a wonderful choice Chef Gabriel Kreuther is outstanding, the three course prix fixe is around $90.00 and they also ofer a wine pairing -- cheese course --
reservations are 28 days ahead, and you can reserve at opentable.com.
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Artisinal is also a nice option - more of a bistro - it has been a year at least since I was there last - they offer a wonderful wine selection, prix fixe dinner, and I am certain they are also on opentable.com
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The Cafe des Artistes is a NY classic
however I am not certain about prix fixe .
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and there is always Daniel Boulud’s Daniel - a very classic French, outstanding arrival in NY - the prix fixe is around $95.00 - very classy!

I noticed Le Mangeoire's recent reviews on menupages are not great. La Mediterranee is another option in that neighborhood with prix fixe (but no wine pairings). Jubilee in midtown east is very good for mussels.

Fleur de Sel has a lunch with wine pairings and Eleven Madison Park has a pricey dinner with wine pairings.
http://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/dinner.pdf

Thanks all. I did see most of the ones mentioned in my research, so it's good to see positive back up from my Fodor's friends.

Le Refuge

The French Culinary Institute on Broadway has a very good restaurant, and it's well priced. Located in SoHo a few blocks north of Canal St.

Have a great time while you are here.

The Cafe des Artistes is a NY classic
and has a price fixed lunch that is very nice. Check Zagats for listing of French restaurants with price fixed meals....most are lunch or pre-theatre. Wine pairing are usually very special, very expensive offereings.

I second the recommendations for Artisanal and the Modern (the bar at the modern is also great for a drink beforehand). For more of a bistro type feel, try Orsay on Lex in the seventies, or Nice Matin on Amsterdam and 79th - good food and less expensive than Artisanal and the Modern.

I, the Great and Powerful Thingorjus, HIGHLY recommend Chanterelle, which is situated at the corner of Harrison and Hudson Sts. in Tribeca. I can't remember if they have a prix-fixe dinner menu, but they definitely have a prix-fixe lunch menu.

Chanterelle is one of the best French restaurants in N. America; it has been around for over 20 years.

Another great place with a prix-fixe lunch menu is Fleur de Sel at 5th Ave. and 20th.

My favorites:
Artisanal
Nice Matin
Balthazar
Pastis
AOC Bedford
Le Tableau

Le Tableau has a great prix fixe, although I am not sure it has a set wine pairings. In any of the above restaurants, the staff will assist you with picking wines.

If you are looking for something fancier, try Chanterelle, Montrachet or Le Bernardin. With any of those restaurants you will go beyond $200.

Thanks again everyone. Lots of great options to choose from.

Montrachet has been closed for at least 6 months.

For noisy, boisterous fun with very good French/Alsatian food and an extraordinary beer list (and a very nice wine list) try Cafe d'Alsace on 2nd Avenue and 88th St.

For modern Fench, Le Bernardin or Chanterelle or Toqueville or Daniel or Jean Georges are exemplary.

For inexpensive but authentic neighborhood cafe/bistro French, try Gavroche, Le Gigot, Gascogne, Bistro Cassis, Lucien.

We decided to go with Daniel, and the 3 course Prix Fixe at $98 each. We'll add a couple of glasses of wine, and be not too far over budget. Thanks all for your great input.

You have a very nice daughter to take you for such a great meal. You must have done something right.

(My son is a lawyer who still thinks we should pay for dinner- we says it's good estate planning!)

Thanks DMG. My daughter thinks I have been a budget shopper/ diner throughout motherhood so that I could do more for my children. So she wants to treat me whenever she can. Yes, I'm very proud of her. :-)