My husband and I are going to New York Tues., Oct. 26 thru Friday. We are staying at the Shereton Manhattan. The 27th is our 25th wedding anniversary and we have tickets to an 8p.m. Broadway show and would like to go out for a romantic dinner before. We want some place where a tux and full length evening gown would be proper dress. We are considering La Grenoulle, but would like suggestions from people who live in New York or have been there, as we never have. Also any night spots you can suggest would be great.

Are you attending an opening of a Broadway Play? If not, a floor length evening gown and tux is a tad overdressed.

Daniel or March would be my favorite two restaurants. Also, in order to make an 8 o'clock curtain, you must be seated at the restaurant by 5:30 PM at the latest. I don't think the better restaurants open until 6PM.

My suggestion. Have the very very nice dinner the night before. Great dining in New York is an event in and of itself. You can easily spend hundreds of dollars and sit for 3 hours.

The last thing you want to do is be rushed through a very expensive dinner (plan on $300-$400) and have to sit through a three hour play miserable.

I completely agree with GoTravel.

a) Recommend skipping the tux and full length evening gown.

b) It is nearly impossible to enjoy a pricey romantic dinner and a show in the same evening.

If you want to celebrate your anniversary in a tux and full length evening gown, highly recommend the Rainbow Room. But, I think it's only open Friday and Saturday nights. You could check their website.

La Grenouille is a fantastic spot and very romantic. I haven't been since the recent remodeling, but I understand it it even better.

I can understand your desire to enjoy the night in tux and full length evening dress. However, as suggested, I think you might be disappointed when you realize that most of the theater going public barely feels the need to dress in better attire then they might wear gardening. The opera, sure you won't feel out of place. A Broadway show long along lost it spot as a place to dress a bit nicer.

I'd also strongly advise you to think about the suggestion to have the nice romantic dinner on a different night. With a 6 o'clock reservation at say La Grenouille, which is on 52nd and 5th, you'd need to be on your way to the theater by say 7:15 to 7:30, the latest. Why rush a romantic dinner?

My advice would be to have dinner the night before and after dinner, enjoy someplace like the Rainbow Room (now Cirpriani's.)

I just checked and the opera is going full swing the dates you will be in NYC and black tie is most common there.

I think Figaro is on stage the night of the 30th. If you've never been to the opera before, it is a treat.

Really knock your socks off.

And you could have dinner afterwards at Picholine, where no one will stare at you in your gown and tux.

Whoa....Unless it's a special gala at the Metropolitan Opera, you will feel very much out of place in a tux and gown.
While it may sound like a great idea to dress in formal attire, there are very, very few places where you'll feel appropriately dressed for a night on the town, even in NYC.
I agree with previous posters about splitting up your theater and dinner activities into two nights.
For that special dinner, why no Le Bernardin, the highest rated restaurant in the upcoming Zagat's? It's only a half a block from the Sheraton Manhattan.

Howard, the point is no one will look at you oddly at the opera dressed in black tie whereas at the theater they would.

People dress in jeans and sweat suits at Broadway Plays. People still dress for the opera.

I completely agree. I've worn gorgeous strapless evening dresses to the Met and did not feel out of place at all. That said, I probably wouldn't go out dinner that way. A great cocktail dress, YES!

A tux and a full-length evening dress are out of place either at a Boradway show or at dinner in a public restaurant in NYC. (I know this may be done other places - have seen it in Texas - and we all thought it was really weird - it's just not done here.)

If you are going to the opening night of the opera - or a charity gala or other formal event - tux and gown are appropos - but otherwise out of place.

Hey guys you are missing the point of this thread. This is their 25th ANNIVERSARY!!!!! To celebrate something so wonderful Tux and Gown and certainly a wonderful idea.

That said, how about Cirque 2000 at the Palace for dinner, one of the best restaurants in the city and rarely posted on this board. It is within walking distance of the Sheraton as well, hopefully it will be a nice evening.

The opera would be fun, especially if you have not been and yes generally people dress up for the opera, and have champagne during intermissions, worthy of an anniversary evening.

I always dress up for the theatre, but not in black tie, it's usually the out of towners who you see dress in jeans, New Yorkers I think still dress a little better for the Theatre.

You would need a reservation for Cirque 2000 and if you need some help there, please let me know and I can make a quick call.

CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS AND HERES TO THE NEXT!!!!!!!!

This discussion about what to wear at the opera seems academic, since the OP is going to the theater, not the opera.
However, let's not leave anyone with the wrong impression about what to wear to the opera. Being a regular Lincoln Center habitue, I can't remember the last time I saw a woman wearing a full-length evening gown...a cocktail dress or a long skirt, yes, but a full-length evening gown, no....unless, as previously mentioned, it was a special gala program.
Yes, I recognize that it's a 25th anniversary celebration. Still, I'd say, get dressed up for the theater evening, and then get dressed to the nines for an elegant meal on the second evening! If you pick a top of the line restaurant like Le Bernardin or La Grenoulle or Le Cirque, I think a tux a long gown on the two you would be great!

The last time I saw anyone dressed up that much was at the Rainbow Room for Valentines.
To have a romantic dinner is impossible when you have to be at the theatre before 8 pm. Not much romantic about being one of the few people in the restaurant (people eat later than 6:00pm) and dashing out to make the curtain.
Why not try this?
Go somewhere and have cocktails and some small bites .. then go to the show and have dinner afterwards.
Or stretch the anniversary celebration out and do the show for that night and do the big dinner the next night.
A full length gown will not be proper unless as others have said, you are going to a Gala or a Prom.
I don't think the tux is necessary either, a nice black suit and tie is sufficient.
And No Tiaras!!

Howard, what do men know about women's clothing?

More than you think, GoTravel! Just ask my wife!

Te he he he!

I just about fell over the other day when my husband knew exactly who Roberto Cavalli is.

"Sex In The City" has enlightened so many men.

Thanks to all of you for the insight, we will definitely split the two events up. Does anyone have any good suggestions as to nightlife options? We're in our fourties and like to have a good time, someplace fun or entertaining.Also,is Thursday a better night to party than Tuesday, or does it matter?

This thread brings to mind the scene from "Moonstruck" with Cher and Nick Cage at the Met all dolled up for the occasion. Very romantic!

I agree with most about the idea of doing dinner and the theater on separate nights, and restaurant recommendations have been good for the most part.

However, I disagree with most (except wantsomesun) about the tux and gown. It's your anniversary, and if putting on formal wear makes it more special, I say to hell with what people think -- go formal!

After seeing some of the outfits people in NY wear, a couple in tux and gown would hardly turn my head -- unless the guy was in the gown and the woman was in the tux.

I have seen a few couples in tux and gown at Broadaway shows and let me assure you they got lots of stares -- and I don't mean of admiration. People looked at them like they were from another planet, so you need to have a strong feeling of self confidence if you're doing that.

And while I agree that very few people dress for the opera, I would venture that at almost any performance there will be a few around in formal attire, and you are FAR LESS likely to get stares. I mentioned Picholine because the night we were there after a Philharmonic concert, there were several couples dining after Opera in formal attire.

But I'll second Howard's suggestion. If you can make the dinner a separate night from the theatre -- by all means go to Le Bernardin.