NYC - Artisanal vs. Roberto Passon
 

For our upcoming trip to NYC, we have reservations at Lupa. However, reviews that I have seen online are not all favorable.(salty food and small portions)

We were considering changing to either Artisanal or Roberto Passon, simply because I see lots of favorable reviews here and on other websites. We like good food and expect to pay around 150 or so for the two of us, including drinks. I hate noisy restaurants with small portions.
We like Italian and French food, as well.
What are your opinions?
On this same trip, we also have reservations at Rosa Mexicano and Churrascaria Plataform.

I can only speak re Roberto Passon, which was wonderful! We returned the very next day because the food was so very good. I think our dinners (two courses each, wine, and dessert to share) were under $150, which was a bargain for the quality, and quantity, of food.

Sorry - I have no comment as to any other places you mentioned. This was our first trip to NYC.

Anna

As a NYer, for $150, those wouldn't be my choices. What neighborhood will you be staying in? Do you need to stay near your hotel or how far are you willing to travel? When is your visit scheduled? That info will help you get good recommendations here.

I agree with CentralParkGirl. I have never been a fan of Artisanal and two separate friends went there recently and were diappointed.

Agreed - with a budget of $150 for a couple you have a huge range of excellent choices as long as you're careful about the wine.

As for noisy - can you define that? I know what REALLY noisy means - but most (except VERY upscale) places in NYC have tables quite close together and so some degree of noise. Can think of very few places with small portions.

What neighborhood? Romantic? Trendy? Traditional?

I've been to both. We spent about 50 per person at Roberto Passon, but I don't drink alcohol. The food is good, the service is fine. Nothing to blow your socks off.

My brother likes Artisinal and I thought it fine, but quite expensive. The bill for three of us was closer to $250. I think DH and my brother each had a glass of champagne.

These are kind of two different experiences. Artisinal was more of a scene, and RP is a bit more cozy and casual.

I wouldn't change the Lupa reservation. The pastas there and pretty much everything else is in a class of its own.
And in that category of restaurants, it's hard to beat!
You can have a memorable meal at Lupa for $60 each.

As for Artisanal- I like brunch there more than dinner. Their fondues are nice and the beignets are wonderful!!

Roberto Passon is one of my very favorite "budget" restaurants -- incredible value and really good food. But it too can be very noisy when crowded -- all those wood floors and brick walls. And I've always liked Artisinal as well -- a much more upscale place in atmosphere, and quite different, but not any better to me.

But I wouldn't trade a reservation at Lupa for either of them. Lupa is a star in my book. If you're looking for huge portions of mediocre pasta -- go to Becco or even Olive Garden. But if you want the best bucatini Amatriciana you've ever put in your mouth -- head to Lupa. Yes, the fantastic cured meats are salty -- they are supposed to be. Yes, it is crowded and noisy. So if you don't want to sacrifice quiet and big portions for some really extraordinary food, then you will be wise to skip Lupa. I wouldn't!!

Well said NeoPatrick...we will stick with Lupa!!

If Lupa happens to have pasta with cauliflower sauce on the menu -- get it -- it's out of this world.

I hope you won't be offended, but I'd just add that I think your 2 other reservations are maybe not ideal and may be more expensive than you expect. The Lincoln Center location of Rosa Mexicano is very attractive if you sit upstairs, but dinner entrees are pricey and not worth it imo. Churrascaria Plataform is about quantity, not quality and unless you're ravenous and don't eat for days, it's not very good value imo. You will easily spend $150 at Churrascaria Plataform for dinner with drinks, tax and tip.

I am one of those who does not think highly of Lupa but I have not had the two dishes mentioned by those who do.

If you wiah to venture away from UWS and midtown a whole world of restaurants will open up.

Can only speak to Artisanal. I'm a cheese fanatic and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. If you are indifferent about cheese, I'd give it a pass.

I loved Lupa, but I agree that it's not a universal feeling - my assistant, his wife and his mother went at my recommendation, and they hated it!

We have cheese many times a week. For expensive cheese and simply excellent cheese we go to Murray's on Bleecker or Grand Central. And for the cheapest cheese in town, East Village Cheese, where they only accept cash and in recent years the satff ahs become ncier.

These are not restaurants, but if you are passing by you can satisfy your cheese craving.

Recently there were many relatives in NYC. A self-proclaimed foodie "found" Roberto Passon and enjoyed the meal. The next night they went to Supper, also Italian, on our recommendation on East 2nd Street off Avenue A, and said there was no comparison. Supper only takes cash and gets crowded very quickly on the weekends and doesn't take reservations. They are owned by the same people as Frank's.

If you must choose between Roberto Passon &amp; Artisanal, <b>ARTISANAL</b> is the best choice.

I don't know any New Yorkers who go to RP anymore -- it's quality slipped when it became a tourist destination.

Artisanal is still a very popular place for fondue, for New Yorkers both famous and not famous. A few weeks ago my wife &amp; I sat next to Sarah Jessica Parker and 3 of her girlfriends at Artisanal.

And the reviews are correct -- in Manhattan for Italian cuisine, you can do much better than Lupa.

I'm a New Yorker, and I still eat at Roberto Passon, but only before the theater. I also like Artisinal, but I must say that neither restaurant is going to give the poster the experience she is looking for. Both are very noisy, and RP is particualarly small and crowded (Artisinal is marginallyl better for that).

I wouldn't throw over a reservation at Lupa for either, but for $150, I'd probably go to Viceversa. My feelings about that restaurant are well known. I ate there again on Friday night, and it was (as usual) amazing.

OK...we are keeping the Lupa reservation. We have spent some time in Italy and we like great food.

Plataforma was a compromise since hubby wanted a good steak and I am not particulary crazy about steakhouses. We have &quot;22 Bowen&quot; in Newport and I love it. We do however, have open minds and we will listen to what folks have to say.We tried Keen's once and it was just OK....

We don't mind traveling around the city so keep the ideas coming!!
Thanks to all for your input!

You can do better for steak than Plataforma imo. My favorite is Peter Luger's in Brooklyn, but for Manhattan, consider Strip House, Del Frisco or BLT Prime.

Doug, yeah, pre-theater I guess I could see RP as an option. It's set-up for such dining.

I almost always dine after theater, and rarely in that area.

I love the Tribeca outlet of Churrascaria Plataforma (West Broadway). The best way to describe it is a &quot;food orgy.&quot;

I've eaten at Plataforma several times, but I find it too expensive for what you get. The meat will be no better than what you get at your local version, but if that's the kind of experience you want, Plataforma does it better than any other place in Manahttan.

For a little less than the price of the food orgy at Plataforma (frankly, I can just leave the &quot;salad bar&quot;), you can get a steak at almost any first-rate NYC steakhouse (consider Wolfgang's right around the corner from Artisanal). However, that's just the first-rate steak. Everything else is extra.

But I can't see that it's possible to get out of any first-rate steakhouse in NYC with 2 steaks, 1 side, 2 glasses of wine, and perhaps a salad or dessert for $150. $200 is very possible, though.

For me, that kind of splurge is worth it. I would happily spend a premium to have a real prime steak cooked perfectly. That's one indulgence we permit ourselves a couple of times a year, usually at Smith &amp; Wollensky, which is my favorite but not one of my posters here.

Like CentralGirl we like the Strip House.

If you like porterhouse, Wolfgangs (former employees of Peter Lugers) is very good. The location near Artisanal has much better service than the TriBeCa location (don't go to this one; service is terrible). Of course, if you're willing to take a short &amp; very easy cab ride into Brooklyn, Peter Lugers is the absolute best steak house in the city and has remained #1 in the city for many many years now. It's cash only. Even if you're not a steak person, I suspect you'll still love the porterhouse there!

Don't let its Brooklyn location dissuade you. Very easy cab ride that'll be only 10-15 mins longer than going any place in downtown Manhattan.

Del Friscos (ribeye) and Smith &amp; Wollensky are 2 other good spots.

Just a follow up to everyone who helped.

We did go to Lupa and very much enjoyed it. I had the bucatini amatriciana and it was just terrific! And, we did not think the food was too salty. Had the house smoked prosciutte for an appetizer and that was very good.Only thing we didn't like was having 2 other people sitting right next to us.
We also went to Molyvos, which was great and Rosa Mexicano which is one of our longstanding favorites

Glad you enjoyed Lupa.

Gekko, would you mind telling us exactly when Roberto Passon became a tourist destination and changed courses? I first recommended it here (as a tourist myself) just a couple months after it opened. What was that? Four or five years ago? What exactly do you think changed there? I've actually found it better and better, although admittedly it is much more crowded now than when it was new. We were the only ones there after theatre our first time -- but they treated us like royalty and the chef came out to apologize that it was too late to do the rabbit, but promised me if I called ahead next time he would do it. Then they gave us two free desserts. I've never found anything to slip there since, other than the service a bit as they are now SO popular and often so busy. I mainly eat there after theatre, or sometimes for lunch, when it is filled with local business people (except on Wed. or Sat. when the matinee crowd pours in). But every time I'm there, I can tell by the conversations around us, that we are generally surrounded by locals. I sometimes wonder if you've ever even been there -- or just like to put down anything recommeded by (gasp!) tourists who aren't locals. Meanwhile how's your tourist trap, Havana Central you used to rave about?

Glad you enjoyed your visit Emily.

Re other comments: I am a New Yorker who has continually found Roberto Passon's an excellent pre-theatre destination & have converted a few out-of-towners.

Artisanal IMO was recently excellent for a Stilton fondue w/a side of apples.
However, the Choc. dessert fondue while good was disappointing as the fruit was 3 strawberries, a few banana slices & dried apricots - they good have done much better on the fruit. Interestingly, it was Valentine's Day & busy but we 3 were not given the bum's rush & did have excellent service.