There are plenty of places in NYC to have good meals on a budget. It's true that each category will cost more in NYC than in other places, but not SO different. Midtown tends to be more expensive and have fewer restaurant bargains. If you go to more residential areas you will have a lot more choices - of every ethnicity - at reasonable prices.

The size of portions depends very much on the place. Carmines - basic red sauce Italian - has huge portions really meant to be shared. But most places don't have portions so huge you can cut everything in half. When lunching or dining with a female friend we often share and appetizer, each have an entree and glass of wine - and then each have a cappuccino for desert.

If you go in and try to share one appetizer and then share on main course - not only do I think you will be hungry - but the restaurant may not be pleased at your taking a table.

Where I live (upper west side) there are a ton of places with appetizers from $9 to $12 (unless you go for something elaborate) and main courses in the $13 to $17/$18 range - which are excellent.

Obviously if you want to splurge at n upscale places it will be much more - but how often do you need to do that? And their are a lot of basic ethnic places with basic lunches for $15 (no wine of course).

We have found that (sharing everything) two appetizers and a main course are more than enough for us. Of course, it depends on what you order - and we try to select a main course that tends to be sharable. Last week we dined at Quatorze - a first rate French bistro on the Upper East Side. We ordered - escargots (and it was generous portion - served out of the shell), a seafood sausage appetizer (and it was generous) and an order of choucroute. We barely could finish the choucroute. We had half bottle of wine with that. The wait staff was very accommodating and helpful with the service. I am not concerned that I am not ordering lots of food and lots of portions to make the restaurant management happy. That is not why I attend a restaurant. We dine to meet our needs - not the needs of the management. We also find that three or four appetizers (one a salad) - well selected - can be more than enough andvery satisfying in Greek and Turkish places. Never once - but never - has any wait staff looked askance or said anything like - is that all? In fact, they seem quite accustomed to customers sharing.

The more casual the restaurant the more likely sharing is pleasantly accommodated.

We really enjoyed the new Le Petit Un Deux Trois on West 43rd last trip (where Le Madeleine was previously). The menu is extensive and varied so you can order without regard to courses, or choose from salads, sandwiches, small plates.

When we stayed in Midtown East, there were plenty of affordable places to dine in the neighborhood. One of our favorites was a place that offered amazing composed salads and wraps.

We don't really want heavy restaurant meals twice a day, so if we want to experience fancier establishments, we head to the bar for a drink.

It's hard to get much cheaper in New York than Gray's Papaya, Papaya King, and similar spots -- Gray's offers their "Recession Special," two hot dogs and a fruit-flavored drink for $4.45. No atmosphere, not fancy, not haute cuisine or food for the health conscious, and just a stand-up counter space, of course -- but a cheap belly-filling guilty pleasure.

I love NY.

Grazing by ordering several appetizers is fine. But 2 people sharing one appetizer and one pasta may well be hungry - and some restaurants will not be happy at the loss of revenue - esp if they don;t order wine. (This is why many midtown coffee shops/delis make a $10 per person minimum between 11 and 2 pm.)

Doing 4 appetizers will be in the $40 to $50 range (not the $20-$22 range of 1 appetizer and 1 main course).

Wander around the E. Village, there are probably 100s of inexpensive restaurants of all different kinds of food. Same could be said for many other nieghborhoods. The midtown/times square area is probably the overall worst, but even there you can find good deals.

I agree with an earlier post, when I leave NYC I am shocked how expensive other cities are.

You can search on menupages.com to get some ideas. Most $$$ or less are reasonable.

NY has some of the world's most expensive meals... and also some of the most fabulous inexpensive meals. I suggest going with price-fixed pre theater lunches and dinners. Zagat guide,the book or online is a great aid. If anyone reading this likes gourmet Mexican, try the lunch special at Toloache (W 50th). There is a tiny place called "The Nook", simple but delicious food for the budget-minded. I believe you bring your own wine.

We have reservations at Nougatine for the three course $38 meal. I've heard good things.

The $39 p/f dinner at Nougatine is four courses. The $28 p/f lunch is three courses. You won't be sorry either way.Two of the greatest NYC dining bargains. Last time we were there, just a few weeks ago with my brother, visiting from Houston with his ladyfriend, we chatted with Jean Georges himself, who is frequently in the restaurant. It shares a common kitchen with his adjoining flagship restaurant, and he is definitely a "hands-on" chef.

To the OP: you rattled off the names of primarily French restaurants in midtown Manhattan and were amazed by the prices. This means simply that you didn't look very hard for restaurants. There are so many inexpensive restaurants in NY where you can find good food, even in Midtown and near the theater district, that you can easily eat for $35-40 per person, all taxes and tips included.

The fact remains you will pay some sort of premium for a French restaurant that likely does not warrant the extra cash.

I think it's easy to find reasonably priced restaurants in nyc. 3 I like
Back Forty Ave B/12th LES
Quinto Quarto Bedford St, Village
Marinella Carmine st, village

bspeilman, yes, I did get the price wrong. Our reservations at Nougatine are for dinner, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I wanted to add this to my earlier comment, but my keyboard wasn't working: A friend and I spent 6 days in NY, dogsitting in the EV in May, and it became a running joke that every one of my meals, except one at Cibo, cost $9.00. And every meal was enjoyable.

And 4 of us enjoyed Cibo. The prices were within the 40-50 dollar range per person, but I don't think anyone had drinks.

And I mis-typed: $39 p/f dinner should read $38. Enjoy!

Burt,I met Jean Georges one time with our friend who took us to JG. Is he not the most shy retiring man for someone so "famous". No prima donna there.

Agreed about JG; no "celebrity chef" persona, even if he is one.

Not a "BAM!" or an "EVOO!" from him. I suspect that, for him, cooking/restauranting is not a competitive contest such as it seems to be for so many restaurateurs these days.

All you have to do is look at the TV listings and the contents pages of most of the food magazines: "The BEST of this!" "The WORST of that!" "This vs. That!"

JG and his restaurants are a refreshing respite from all that.

Cheap in Chelsea: Le Zie on 7th Ave/20th.

www.lezie.com

Thin

Nougatine is a great choice. For my money, they offer one of the best values among restaurants in the City. And I, too, have seen JG each time I've dined there, or in the main dining room. Unusual these days for a chef of his caliber. His brother works in the main dining room, too.

Oh, bover, some of us are rather posh.

It is usually just some fish fingers and mushy peas washed down with a quart of Gilby's for me.

Ta,
Thin

Cheap in Chelsea: Le Zie on 7th Ave/20th.


We are going Thursday night.