Hello!
My fiance and I (late 20s) will be arriving at JFK at 6PM on a Sunday evening (first time in NYC...woo hoo!). We're staying right next to Rockefeller Center.

I figure that by the time we get to our hotel and get dressed, we'll be looking for some good dinner around 9PM.

Do you have any recommendations for dinner for our very first night in NYC thats close to Rockefeller Center? I'm looking for something good, but casual - no "jackets required" places.

Come to think of it, we'll be staying next to Rockefeller our entire time there (8 days), so just any good, quality, casual dining recommendations within walking distance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

check out Virgil's
www.virgilsbbq.com

very good ribs and chicken.

I would estimate 5 minute walk from RC.
44th and Broadway.

Rockefeller Center's outside cafe (where they have the skating rink in the winter) is a nice choice for brunch or lunch. Really nice atmosphere on a pretty Fall day!

If you have a look at menupages.com it lists all restaurants by area and cuisine - and includes diner reviews and actual menus. I'm not sure what your budget is - and the area you're in has a bunch of very good but expensive places. Also, some moderate and even inexpensive but still pretty good.

In that area we like Trattoria del Arte - loudish, funnish, very nice Italian and great antipasto.

Do check - since not all places are open Sunday night - and you may need to have reservations.

Please be aware of one important fact, Manhattan is not that big. If you define midtown as running from about 57th to 42nd, you're talking maybe 2 miles if you used Carnegie Hall on the West Side and the United Nations (1st and 42nd on the East) as your reference points.

Rock Center runs from about 47th to 50th. You go 3 Avenues and 7 or 8 blocks in either direction gives you tons of great options. I might suggest you check Menupages.com and check by neighborhood. You'll have current reviews and links to menus.

With that said, my favorite places in the area are: La Mangeoire (Provencal French) on 2nd and 53rd as it has really good food and reasonable prices, La Tout Va Bien on 51st and 8th for really good home cooking if that home is Paris, finally Langan's is a nice Irish bar and good place for quality food on 47th between 6th & 7th.

Given the location, you literally have hundreds of options.

Few places require jackets. Even many very nice and certainly most of the "trendy" places.
Sea Grill and Rock Center Cafe both right at Rockefeller Center are excellent places.

We love the sea grill.

Sea Grill has traditionally required jackets, though. I'm not sure if they do any longer. The difficulty with the immediate Rock Center area is that it is, in my opinion at least, a wasteland of good restaurants. Expensive restaurants are abundant, but good ones not so much. I'm coming up almost blank.

How about the cafe at Aquavit? It's on east 55th St. It's possible to eat there for $50 per person if you order carefully.

FYI: I doubt that it's what you're looking for, but there's no way Virgil's is 5 minutes from your hotel. Try 15 minutes at minimum. And while I have been a big fan of Virgil's over the years, I was not very impressed when I ate there a few weeks ago. It seems to be in one of its regularly scheduled slumps.

I'm with Doug 100% on this one. I think Trattoria Dell 'Arte is a good call since you can eat light if you want (I love their thin crust pizza and antiipasto) for not a lot of $$$. Their entrees are pretty pricey though. Redeye Grill is owned by the same folks and according to menupages, open a bit later on Sun. (11 vs. 10:30)

I hope you will venture to other neighborhoods to eat during your stay. I'll repeat what Doug said, except for some pricey places like Piano Due, the neighborhood tends to be tourist central. If you're here when the ice rink is up and running, the Sea Grill or Rock Center Cafe are very nice for the view.

Had a very good lunch at the Kellari Taverna (18 W 44th btwn 5th & 6th) a coouple of months back. Emphasis is on grilled fish.

There are more options in the 40's. Tintol for tapas is another good one on 46th st. Forgot about La Bonne Soup on 55th b/w 5th & 6th, but just a good place for a reasonable meal, not a "special" first night here we are in NYC. The cafe and restaurant the Modern at MOMA on 53 st is quite good.

Johnny Utahs opened up right in Rock Ctr, it has the mechanical bull and might be fun and lively for a couple in their late 20s. For your first night, it's worth a shot. Have not been yet.

After that, I would head to Union Square/Greenwich Village/Soho/Meatpacking district for most of my dinners/fun.

If you do want to stay within walking distance, head over to 9th Ave, where most of the casual, good quality, yet reasonable restaurants are.

Thank you all for your replies.

Dont worry - we are going to eat all around Manhattan and Brooklyn during our 8 days (but I appreciate the concern!). We have reservations at a variety of restaurants all around the city.

I'm just thinking about Sunday evening when we arrive and are all "travelled out"...and also of the times we dont want to travel far to get a bite to eat.

In addition to the recommendations given thus far in this thread, I've heard good things about the food cart on 53rd and 6th, Fresco by Scotto, and Yakitori Totto....

Once again, thanks for all of your expertise!

Do not go to Johnny Utah's it's disgusting, and oddly, not fun.

Bice would be a good pick for a fun, later dinner.

Bar Americain - on 52nd between 6th & 7th
Dervish Turkish - on 47th between 6th & 7th
dbBistro - on 44th between 5th & 6th.

The food cart at 53 & 6th will not likely be there on a Sun. night but yes, worth trying for lunch or a quick bite. Fresco by Scotto is fine, but Tratt. dell 'Arte will be more fun on a Sun. night. I don't know Yakitori Totto nor is it listed on menupages.

There is an excellent, if touristy, wine bar/cafe on the south side of Rockefeller Center. I can't remember the exact name, something with an M, Morell's perhaps, but it is a nice place for a meal and not too horrendously expensive by midtown standards. You could certainly do it for less than $50 per person, although probably not per couple. The menu is interesting and they seem to offer almost everything in the world by the glass (100's of selections, or at least it seems like that). I've been a couple of times for very late lunches (about 4pm) and was happy with my food both times.

It is Morrell's. Good idea.

http://menupages.com/restaurantdetai...=0&cuisineid=0

Oh. Of all those mentioned above, for what you seem to be asking I vote for Bar Americain as the BEST CHOICE.

Other options are Beacon, Rue 57 and The Bar Room at the Modern. Skip Rock Center Cafe... the food is mediocre at best and overpriced.