I am taking my daughter to New York for her 16th bd and want to take her somewhere really special for dinner. I was thinking of Tavern on the Green in Central park. I remember it used to be popular for it;s setting, but not sure if it is passe or still a great place to be. Not too worried about the food, but want great ambience!

Type Tavern on the green in the search box, there are TONS of opinions on here about it.
Deb

Have had a good and bad experience there. Once ate brunch in the garden in the spring and it was fabulous. Great location, people watching and the food was pretty good. Another time had dinner in the dining room and it was terrible. If you can sit in the Crystal Room that might work but any other room inside is the pits. I would try to sit outside if the weather is good.

Should add that a trip to New York now for my teenager would mean a trip to Balthazar. It is the essence of a NYC restaurant. Great food, great people watching and good location.

If you want Central Park go to the Boathouse instead. I also like the idea of Balthazar

Do NOT do TOG. the food is mediocre at best, especially considering the very high prices. The setting is pretty, but the service manages to be both incompetent and supercilious. If its the epitome of a tourist trap.

If you want a special experience with good (not the best in the city but very good) food go for the River Cafe, which has fantastic view of Manhattan across the river. Of - there are a several very trendy places downtown with great atmosphere where she might well see someone - assuming you do;t eat very early (8:30 at the earliest).

(If you really must eat in Central Park the Boathouse is a better choice.)

Agree re Tavern's food. A suggestion: you might go there to see the topiaries, etc. by sitting outside for a libation and then continue on to the Boathouse. Cabs are usually in front.

Interesting that you should want to treat your daughter to a birthday celebration at TOTG. We did that for my daughter some - almost 40 years ago. It was one of the worst NY restaurant experiences we ever had. Service wasn't just bad - it was non-existent. The food did not rise to the level of mediocre. All-around - not a great birthday. Vowed we would never go back there. We haven't.

Thanks for all the replies. I am interested in Balthazar; where is it and why does it get such good reviews?

Thanks for all the replies. I am interested in Balthazar; where is it and why does it get such good reviews?

It is expensive for French bistro food and the breads are wonderful. It gets good reviews because people are afraid to give it bad reviews and seem like they do not know what they are talking about. It is fine and people hope they see a celebrity but it is not exceptional.

If you are referring to Chowhound and Menupages, half the people have no idea of which they speak. There are many cuisines of which I have very limited knowledge and refrain from offering opinons such as Mexican, Korean, and Japanese. And I wish others would do the same.

Aduchamp1; thanks for the insight. Where would you go for a nice birthday dinner in new york city? We have an 18 and 16 yr old girls with us. We want something memorable; perhaps something that overlooks something. Good food is important but not the decision breaker. None of us have ever been to New York.

There are not a whole lot of places that overlook other things. Marriott Marqui does - but food is awful

River Cafe has a view of the Manhattan skyline across the river. Sea Grill has a view of the Rock Center skating rink in season. Boathouse has view of Central Park.

there are many, many places with sidewalk cafes - some in very trendy areas - depending on exactly when you're coming.

Lisa

How do much do you want to spend?
What type of food does your family like?

We don't want to mortgage the house to eat, but that said it is a special birthday. We like almost any type of food, we just want the dinner to be memorable. We are coming in november so sidewalk cafes are out.

My aunt took me to lunch in Rockefeller Center when I was reallly young. I still remember it (even tho I think the menu was burgers and fries.... we sat at tables under umbrellas by the fountain). If the budget can accommodate it I'd recommend the Sea Grill. Don't know about seating.... you'd certainly want to be in view of the fountain. In November one can't be sure what the weather in Central Park might be. Balthazar might be a little too sophisticated for non city teenagers.

Definitely look at the menus online before making resies. Some places have fairly limited choices and you want to be sure there will be something everyone will enjoy.

Also, TOG is quite expensive - so people are giving you recos in the same neighborhood (a 3-course dinner with soft drink, tax and tip is about $75 per person - more if you pick the more expensive dishes). Perhaps you would prefer something more moderate.

For lunch some of the best buys and nicest places are:

Gotham Bar and Grill
Nougatine
Capsouto Freres-hard to find great souffles

I suggest reading some more reviews of TOTG. I haven't been there in 100 years, but I actually think it's a place that would be exciting for a young girl, especially if she isn't a big-city girl. It's lavishly pretty.

I do think it likely that the service and food aren't any better than you'd get in an airport restaurant but at that age I wouldn't have noticed and would have loved the place.
If you go on the early side you may get treated better.

A totally different idea might be Rosa Mexicano on 17th St, or something like that - ONLY that one, not the other locations. The decor is also, festive, OTT and fun. But - don't go in prime time (7:30 onward), go early, as it gets kind of loud. It's got walls with water running down them in a double-high room, pools, etc.

Order the guacamole and then anything else.

The River Cafe has great views, but it is in Brooklyn and slightly hard to get to possibly. If the Water Club still exists it has great views too and is in Manhattan. Outdoors - can't think of a place I like, only many that I don't like as they just = tables on the sidewalk.

If I were taking a 16 year old girl out to eat in NYC for her birthday, I would take her to Buddhakhan or Balthazar, 10 Downing or Da Silvano or try to get into this weeks ridulously hot restaurant Standard Grill, one of the downtown, "scene" restaurants with pretty good food and the probability of sitting around people who look like models and movie stars. Unless your teens are particularly sheltered, TOG and River Cafe will most likely seem kind of staid and touristy.
But what do I know? I'm just the NYC parent of a teenager . . .

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Your post would have been very helpful had you not felt the need to add the particularly "superior" ending. Would it occur to you that what a NYC teenager might be used to and/or like would not be the same as what a 16-year old tourist girl who's never been to NYC in her life would like? (and believe me, I'm not suggesting they eat at TOTG (is it even open?)