Planning to take my wife to NYC for a weekend to celebrate a birthday. Staying at the Michelangelo. Looking for recommendations for a nice dinner. We're from Portland, OR, which has some pretty good restaurants. So we like good food and atmosphere, but would prefer a place with low uh..... "snob appeal".

Any preference on cuisine and price range? It's better to be as specific as possible.

For a special occasion, I'd recommend Gramercy Tavern. Though it's not quite in Midtown, it's worth the short cab or subway ride.

My husband and I just had my birthday dinner at One if By Land, Two if By Sea this week. It's in Greenwich Village, not Midtown, but was fabulous. The food was great, the service impeccable, and we were overall very pleased. It was a bit pricey, but we didn't mind since it was a special occassion.

You can find them on the web if you're interested.

My husband and I just had my birthday dinner at One if By Land, Two if By Sea this week. It's in Greenwich Village, not Midtown, but was fabulous. The food was great, the service impeccable, and we were overall very pleased. It was a bit pricey, but we didn't mind since it was a special occassion.

You can find them on the web if you're interested.

I would recommend Sono, 106 E 57th (btwn Park & Lex). Great fusian food, but not that ridiculous, stuffy, weird fusion. There is a $57 prix-fixe dinner.
For an unforgettable evening, go to Tabla. Not in midtown, but just a short cab ride and oh so good. I had the 8 course prix-fix as my super-splurge dinner last summer, and I was in heaven. The basic prix-fixe is $54.
Aquavit is great food in a very beautiful seting, but I wouldn't call it stuffy.
Give zagat.com a whirl and see if anything strikes you. I personally think most Midtown restaurants are either extremely expensive or not very good. The city isn't too big, you might want to think about venturing into a different neighborhood for better food at better prices.

If you're coming from Portland, I'm sure you'll be able to find restaurants to your standards in NYC. I'm back in Portland several times a year on business. While I'm taken to some of the top restaurants, I've yet to be overwhelmed by the food.

There are hundreds of good restaurants in New York. You'll get more helpful advice if you let us know a price range and type(s) of food preferred!

Jess,

Sono is now closed.

Okay, I don't have a problem up to $300; beyond that it needs to be really special! As to types of cuisine, we like almost everything ethnic, but for this meal we'd want to stick to basics: continental (which in my NW mind is generally french or italian) or seafood. And out here, fusion is not a term we use in reference to food.

x, next time you're in Portland, try something in the Pearl District or NW section.

I'd suggest Fresco by Scotto (52nd Street)or LeMadri (not midtown--more like 18th Street) for Italian. Both have wonderful food and not snobby at all.

Montrachet - excellent wine list and food.
Allison on Dominick - get there before it closes on May 18. One of my favorite restaurants in NY. sniff sniff
Chantarelle - people rave about this place, I was less than thrilled.
Daniel
Aureole
Manhattan Ocean Club

Oops - sorry didn't see that you were requesting MidTown. Chantarelle, Montrachet, and Alison on Dominick are in Tribeca.

For your description, you are probably going to be better off outside of Midtown - most of the restaurants in midtown cater to the business crowd - not to say they aren't great, but the atmosphere is going to generally be more snobby and less romantic.
Either Grammercy Tavern (best "continental" food I think I've ever had) or One if by Land (More romantic) would be better. Gotham Bar and Grill is a little more relaxed atmosphere. (on about 11th street as i remember).
In my one visit to each, I though that Chanterelle was much better than Montrachet (both are further downtown).
If you want to stick to Midtown, Oceana is by far the best city seafood place I've been to (I was not at all impressed with Manhattan Ocean Club, but others have liked it) and Lespinasse is great, but formal. Jean Georges is suppossed to be wonderful (I haven't been there yet), I assume also formal but right at the corner of Central Park/Upper West Side, so makes for a nice pre or post dinner walk.
Hope that info helps and have a great time!

With that price flexibility, I'd shoot right for top, selecting from one of these (listed alphabetically):
Aureole
Daniel
Four Seasons
Jean Georges
La Caravelle
La Cote Basque
La Grenouille
All are midtown (50s and 60s).

Le Cirque 2000
Picholine

After reading your reply about price range, I want to reiterate my Gramercy Tavern suggestion. You will not be disappointed. I've always found it cozy and warm--not snobby at all. And the food is delicious, especially the desserts!

If you want to stay in midtown, try Beacon - wonderful, "new american" food, very fresh and impeccably prepared by waldy Malouf, a beautiful, very NY space. A little corporate, but a real NY scene. i'd recommend many other italian restaurants before another posters suggestion of Le Madri downtown (118th street) I live 3 blocks from there- and have always found it to be very overpriced and the cooking is erratic - some stuff is good, but others seems generic. Definitely Grammercy Tavern if you can get a reservation - Gotham Bar & Grill is terrific - also a real NY scene- Veritas if you're into wine and excellent food. do a search on Zagats asking for a food rating of 25 or better and a decor rating of the same. Boy, with that budget, you can have a really wonderful meal. Have fun.

Thanks all...think I've narrowed it down: Gramercy Tavern, or One if By Land, or Oceana, or Aureole, or....

If web sites were all I had to go on, Jean-Georges would be it!

Beachbum:

If you go with One If By Land, please report back. I'd love to hear how you like it. I'm sure that any of the places suggested herein will be great, though. Report back on whatever you decide so we all have some more info for our future trips, as well.

Enjoy!

Staying at Michelangelo? Simply walk across the street and eat at Le Bernadin, (after booking well ahead, of course). You couldn't do better.

Grammercy Tavern would be a close second and a little more "contemporary", but frankly I think it has more "snob appeal" than Le Bernadin.

I know two people who have gotten food poisoning @ Le Bernardin.

Go for Gramercy Tavern.