chaucerquest

If you want to go to an elegant place where the locals go, and few tourists, try Park Avenue Spring at Park and 63rd. It's in a residential neighborhood, has a very quiet street presence, and is currently beautifully decorated for the season. The menu is playful but not peculiar and the wait staff, many of whom are --of course--actors--are friendly and work to a high standard.

chaucerquest

Amending my last comment--it will be Park Avenue Summer by the time you are planning your trip. Yes, they change the name of the restaurant, as well as the decor and menu, 4 times a year.

GoTravel

I love Gramercy Tavern.

I think 21 Club screams quintessential NYC dining experience.

Go at lunch and order their famous burger. You can feel the power in the room with all the power brokers dining there.

Also, Le Cirque is a unique New York City upscale experience and you'll never know what famous person is there dining. It is also kind of old school. Le Cirque for dinner.

Lastly, nothing says fine dining to me in Manhattan like Le Bernardin.

Centralparkgirl

Jumping in late just to say I love Gotham - to me it has a great NY spirit (and don't ask me to explain that; I won't.) There is such a wonderful vibe in that place and the food is delicious.

Don't anyone ever tell me when they stop serving the towering seafood salad appetizer. I always start with that.

chocobon

Waited 1/2 hr mid-afternoon Friday to get into Grimaldi's. What a disappointment! Rubbery poor quality cheese and rather tasteless red sauce are the hallmarks of this pie. Take the time and effort to go to Di Fara in Brooklyn if you want an authentically Italian pizza!

jroth

I used to drive past Grimaldi's and invariably saw long lines waiting on the street. Yes - it's nice to have a first rate pizza - but as noted above - they have slid downhill. That's what happens when you start getting in all the travel books and it becomes a "must" tourist destination. And - yes - Di Fara is still probably the best and will always be so since the owner - and he's getting old - personally makes each pie and that's why you might have to wait a while - but worth it. Uses top, artisanal ingredients and hand-crafted. If you passed it on the street (not knowing its reputation) you'd probably not go in - sort of run down looking.

NeoPatrick

I told this story before. The first time we went to Grimaldi's our pizza was really burned black all around the edges -- and we tore off and left about 2 inches of the crust from all around. Second time we were there -- wedged between two other couples, I noticed on one side of us their pizza was black, on the other side of us, theirs was nicely browned. I told the waiter I'd really prefer ours not to be black. He looked at me like I was from another planet and snarkily said, "you obviously don't know coal fired pizzas -- they HAVE to be black." I said back to him, "well, I'd just like one like they have (pointing to the one next to us) and not like they have (pointing to the one on the other side)". He went off in a huff. We got a nice pizza -- not black. Soo much attitude for such a simple little place.

Centralparkgirl

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Well said about lots of places and not always about tourism. Sometimes any type of popularity ruins a place's performance.