bjc58lyme

We're staying in the Madison Square Area in late October and are looking for great food at prices that won't break the bank except for one night where we can splurge. Any ideas for both breakfast and dinner? Also,any feed back on local hotels?

Gekko

Madison Square Garden or Madison Square Park?

The MSG area is one of the worst in Manhattan (south of 110th Street). Don't stay around MSG if you can avoid it.

The Madison Square Park area, famous for the Flatiron Building, is much better.

bjc58lyme

Madison Square Park.

bjc58lyme

Also, what do you know about the 70 Park Avenue Hotel and its neighborhood vs. the Madison Square Park area?

Aduchamp1

A number of friends have stayed at the Park South and it is an excellent value
www.parksouthhotel.com

There are also the affinia hotels.

The first two Madison Square Gardens were located at Madison Square hence the name.

For breakfast there are few places better than CIty Bakery.

bjc58lyme

Thanks for the tip on the hotel. That is the one I keep coming back to in that vicinity. Any other suggestions for restaurants? How about a good bar without outrageous drink prices? We stopped at the rooftop bar at the Peninsula Hotel and was charged $25 for a standard cosmo. Live and learn!

MikeT

I'm a big fan of Mayrose at Broadway and 21st. High-end diner.

Hill Country BBQ at 26th and 6th Ave.

As for hotels, a couple of blocks beyond Madison Square Park area are the Four Points and Hampton Inn in Chelsea (24th and 25th and 6th Ave). Of course, the W Union Square isn't far either.

mclaurie

The Giraffe hotel is one of the nicest in the area and there's also the uber trendy Gramercy Park hotel. The Inn on 23rd st. is a b & b in the area.

It's unfair to complain about drink prices at a rooftop bar in one of the priciest 5* hotels in NYC. There are loads of restaurants and bars in the area you're looking at. Old Town bar is a classic and Gramercy Tavern is one of the best restaurants in the city and won't charge $25 for a drink.

Aduchamp1

I Trulli is an excellent Italian restaurant. Devi, for Indian.

NY is not known for Mexican. One of the better ones however is Rosa Americana,

Les Halles is wonderful for steak frite and moule frite.

Places to avoid in the neighborhood Duke's, City Crab, Coffee Shop and Le Express.

Eisenberg has rge rep for tuna sandiches but we ate there last week and it was terrible.

For a cheap dinner food Chat n Chew, not Big Daddy's. Samba Sushi is inconsistent.

Elizabeth

You're staying in the area that probably has the strongest concentration of great restaurants, so there's a lot of good food but it's not so easy to stick to a budget.

One idea is the bread bar at Tabla - Tabla is an elegant Indian/fusion restaurant, the Bread Bar is the more casual/inexpensive/no-reservations downstairs. I like to sit at the bar and eat.

Tamarind, one of NY's absolute best Indian restaurants, also has a small pleasant lower-priced "child" restaurant next door to itself.

At 11th St and broadway, or at 19th St and Broadway in ABC Home Furnishings, Pain Quotidien is really great for breakfast and lunch.

For very cheap and fairly time-efficient "dining" - stop into Whole Foods on Union Square at 14th St & Broadway -- there is plenty of prepared food, hot and cold, and there is a pleasant cafe room upstairs where you can eat and enjoy a nice view. It's open to 11 pm.

ANd of course don't forget the Shake Shack in Madison Park, for a hamburger or hot dog and a milkshake to eat in the park - leave time to wait in the line, but that's fun in itself.

Elizabeth

PS other poster probably means Rosa Mexicano.

Another breakfast/lunch place is City Bakery. Also 71 Irving Place at 18th Street is a cafe with very very nice food (sandwiches, soup, pastries) and coffee -- try to go at a less-busy time of day.

And Old Town Bar, alrady mentioned - I had the best hamburger I've had in years there. Last week, too!!

elysag

Other area "splurge" restaurants to try are Eleven Madison Park and Craft. Friend of a Farmer is a great breakfast/brunch place nearby. Also, New York has lots of great Mexican restaurants, not just Rosa Mexicano. Dos Caminos is right in that area.

jeepyland

We like the Carlton and sent a lot of family there for our wedding. You can get a nice breakfast/brunch there too.

http://www.carltonhotelny.com/


I second Bread Bar and, for pricier meals, Devi and Eleven Madison. Skip Rosa. I hope you like Indian because you're quite close to a lot of reasonable but good places.

I'm very fond of Boqueria (19th and Bway, or something like that). Great Spanish/tapas. It gets crowded so be sure to eat on the early or late side if you go.

For drinks, Flatiron Lounge is charming, plus they make a great drink. It can be a bit pricey (not 25, but perhaps 12).

Aduchamp1

Devi closed this week. The satff made allegations of management not paying correct wages. The owner said he was losing money for three years.

ggreen

The area to the south of Madison Square Park is, as others have said, full of nice restaurants, bars, and clubs. The area to the north is a kind of no-man's land leading up to the Empire State Building.

Since so many places in the area are upscale, I've always been partial to Live Bait, a divey southern/soul food place with a raw bar and good drinks bar that's been around for ages. It's right opposite the park, on the south side of 23rd between where Madison Ave begins and Broadway.

For a good brunch, I second Mayrose. Or my local well-priced favorite, the Comfort Diner outpost on the north side of 23rd between 5th and 6th Aves.

Check out menupages.com for menus and user reviews; it's a great NYC resource!

bjc58lyme

Thanks all for the tips. I think we have a great selection of restaurants to choose from and not have to wander too far. I'll let you know how we make out later...b

duoak

I recommend Niles at the Affinia hotel for both breakfast and dinner. It is directly across Penn Station/MSG on 7th Avenue. Also near there is Nick & Stef's. It's actually on one side of MSG/Penn Station. Prices are very reasonable and it also has a bar menu.