NYC Lunch Suggestion for Upper East Side?
 

We are planning to see the Dorothy Draper exhibit at the Museum of the City of NY at 103rd & 5th, and I’m looking suggestion for lunch after our museum visit. After the museum we will be headed back down to 60th St. so we can either eat near the museum or further south. I am looking for someplace that we can have a light lunch (salad, good sandwich, or panini etc) and a glass of wine for under $20 each. Eating outside would be a huge plus and for this lunch I really don’t want a traditional NYC too-much-food-deli-style place. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have.

Serafina on the corner of 86 and Madison fits the bill perfectly. It is on the second floor and has an open air patio.

It's new, it's all over the news, it's fantastic: <b>Cafe d'Alsace</b> on the corner of 88th &amp; 2nd Avenue.

(Lunch <i>and</i> a glass of wine for under $20? That might be a bit unrealistic.)

Thanks for the suggestions, both are appreciated and Serafina sounds perfect with the patio!! I don't think having a salad &amp; and glass of wine for $20/under per person is unrealistic (and obviously that does not include tip). We've had many lunches like that in NYC before, but I asked here because I am unfamiliar with the area near the museum.

Thanks again!

I second the Serafina reco; perfect for a light, casual inexpensive lunch. Cafe d'Alsace is excellent, but it's not a good fit for what you are looking for. Enjoy the exhibit, should be a good one.

I would also recommend Via Quadranno, an upscale panini place on 74th/Madison. It doesn't have an outside patio, but the sandwiches are excellent and very authentic. It has a very European feel. Don't be surprised if you hear more Italian than English.

When people quote the price of a meal one usually assumes they mean total - including 8% tax and 15-20% tip. Having a pleasant salad or sandwich lunch with a glass of wine - including those - is just about doable in NYC for $20. If the salad has shrimp or lobster - you'll probably go over that.

Yes, I assumed $20 was the total, which is not realistic unless the sandwich is Big Mac and the &quot;wine&quot; is Mad Dog (particularly on the Upper East Side).

(But even without tip &amp; tax, is $20 doable? A decent glass of wine, $8-10, and a salad or half sandwich, $8-10?? Doesn't sound particularly pleasant.)

Forgot to add, Via Quadronno, on E. 73rd Street, is excellent, but $20 isn't realistic.

Burger Heaven serves wine and has two UES locations -- 62nd &amp; Lex, 87th &amp; Third. Just don't order cheese!

:)

Well, Gekko &amp; NYTraveler you know what they say about people who 'assume' things . . .

Gekko, sorry that a salad and wine &quot;doesn't sound particularly pleasant&quot; to you. And thanks, but I think I'll skip Burger heaven.


lisettemac, margo &amp; Kangamom, thanks for your suggestions.

A lunch of salad &amp; wine sound perfectly pleasant -- it's the attempt to get it for $20 that gives me pause. On the UES, any salad &amp; wine lunch for $20 is going to, shall we say, lack quality.

Burger Heaven may be your best bet. Decent salads, fine sandwiches.

Gekko a $20 lunch does not have to be disgusting. I think your usefulness on my post has run its course - thanks.

Sorry you don;t like some of the answers you're getting. But they are the truth.

If you prefer to say you want to spend $20 - and then really pay $26 - well - it's fine with me - but doesn;t make a lot of sense.

There are quite a few options in the 90s or 80s and then many more around 60th st.

There's a Sarabeth's at Madison &amp; 92 st. Also a French bistro called Pascalou. (this place is small).

Maybe the best idea is One Fish Two Fish which has a brunch/lunch special of $9.95 with a drink on Madison &amp; 97 st.

Table D'Hote on 92 st &amp; Madison is another good idea.
http://www.onefishtwofish.com/menu.html

There's a Serafina on 79th &amp; Madison unless there's a new one on 86th st.

<i>&quot;If you prefer to say you want to spend $20 - and then really pay $26 - well - it's fine with me - but doesn;t make a lot of sense.&quot;</i>

Nytraveler I have no problem with the answers I’m getting, even though some are irrelevant. I never said my target price included tax and tip, you took it upon yourself to assume it did. Maybe the next time you don't fully understand the question you should ask for clarification.

mclaurie, thanks! Great suggestions as always, your NYC advice has always been right-on. Funny that you mentioned Table D'Hote, I saw it on menupages this afternoon and I was going to ask about it but thought I would get flamed by a few here because it wasn't expensive enough for them!

Thank you for the website for One Fish Two Fish I will take a look at it, and I'll double check the Serafina addresses.

I have had one meal at the Serafina in the east 60s off Madison and it may have been the worst dining experience I have had all year. Unless the uptown locations are remarkably different, I would give them a pass. I really cannot see how you can have a nice lunch with wine for under $20 in this area..the wine alone will cost a minimum of $8 for the cheapest offering, unless you eat at a coffee shop or diner-type place.

Is Islands still there, at Madison and probably 93rd? They had great salads.

Island is another excellent idea. Cute bistro type place.

I'm not familiar with these places, but I'm trying to figure out what kind of &quot;great&quot; entree type salad you can get in NYC at a nice place for $9. Add the difficult to find glass of decent wine for $7, and you're already at that $20 limit with tax and tip.

I looked at the menu for Island and their four entree lunch salads are $12 to $16, with the $12 getting you a plain Caesar Salad.

Neo, the $20 was before tax &amp; tip, as I mentioned it above, but thank you.

SusieQQ &amp; Mclaurie, does Island offer outdoor seating?

No outdoor seating at Island to my recollection, but their front french doors open onto the street.

If you really want to sit outside, you might do better closer to 60th st. or else you'd have to head further east. Lots of places along 3rd ave. and east of there have sidewalk tables. Luke's at 79th &amp; 3rd is a pub type place with salads etc. and sidewalk tables.

Brio is an Italian/pizza place near Bloomingdales with sidewalk tables.

Cafe Nosidam at Madison and 66th has outdoor dinning, but it's been a long time since I've been there, so don't remember the menu. I think it is Italian, and I know I enjoyed it.

This is uws, but it has a prixe fixe lunch for 8.95 (includes a salad), and was recommended by mclaurie. I think there is outdoor seating as well.

Arte Cafe
http://artecafenyc.com/

Thanks for the recent suggestions, very helpful, I now have a good list of possibilities.

Amelie, I love Cafe Arte! One of my favorite West Side spots. We've been going there for a few years and I have recommended it here several times. It has a nice unpretentious neighborhood feel.

Sorry, meant thanks for the recent suggestions they now have a nice list of possiblities. It was refreshing to see some civil repsonses to the OP

Where is that edit button? I wish there was the opportuity to edit grammer/spelling!

Cafe Nosidam (Madison spelled backwards) is GONE, replaced by I can't remember what, but very pricey. Italian as I recall. Ferrier on 65 st off Madison used to be one of my favorites, but that's long gone and now replaced by a new spot but also pricey.

La Goulue is the quintessential MAdison Ave. bistro with outdoor sidewalk tables, but pricey.

$20 prix fixe at Nino's Tuscany, 3 courses, W. 58th between 6/7. Including sparkling or still water - free!

Nino's is on the Upper West Side and its $20 lunch does not include alcohol.

Many of the UES diners serve wine. One <i>might</i> be able to have a salad and glass within the stated budgetary constraints. Googie's, for example, has outdoor seating and is very popular, and its &quot;mixed greens&quot; salad is only $8.50!

Gekko
Grantop said that they will head back down to 60th St. That's why I suggested Nino's. A glass of wine is about $8 and it's a terrific, leisurely 3 course lunch, not a panini in a crappy deli.

Nicole's at 10 E 60th.
FD - DIL Annie Wayte is the exec chef.
Her 202 was named best brunch in NY by NY Magazine recently.
Her new book is great.
M

Perhaps I misread the title question of the thread?? Let's see ...
<b>&quot;NYC Lunch Suggestion for Upper East Side?&quot;</b>

Nope, it says &quot;Upper <i>East</i> Side.&quot;

Sorry. Couldn't resist. Too easy.

Other UES <i>possibilities</i> include the two Cinema Cafe locations and the Panorama Cafe.

Yes, but if you actually READ the post you'll find that after the museum at 5th and 103rd, they plan to head south to 60th and even suggest they could eat there or further south. While the title may say Upper East Side, anyone reading the specifics would be a lot more &quot;off base&quot; to suggest a place way over on 1st or 2nd Avenue, than one that is on 58 just over a block from 5th.

What Nino's is on the Upper West Side? Googling and Zagat's brings up three Nino's but in addition to the one mentioned on 58th, the other two I see are on 1st and 2nd, both in the 70's -- that sounds like Upper East Side to me.
Surely you don't consider 58th the Upper West Side?

I'm pretty sure that if you don't go crazy with the multi-meat combo meals and only stick with the salads or burgers, you'll get by with $20 at Dallas BBQ (3rd and 72nd).

I bet you can even squeeze in 2 glasses of wine.

Oh, and by the way, since you are willing to go further south of 60th, then there's Angelos Pizzeria Ristrorante on 2nd and 54th.

If you and your friends are willing to share slices of pizza, I'm sure with a carafe or 3 of their house red or white you'll still be under $20 each when the damage is tallied.

I can't help but ask, what is with the contentious nature of this thread? Just asking...

Hi Carol, yes it quickly went that way, didn't it? It's ok, I received some good suggestions from a few people and I have more than enough to go on. The rest can continue telling me I'm stupid for thinking you can have a glass of wine and a salad for $20 (that’s before tip to those who assume), and then when they are done with that they can pick apart the geography of the East side. Very serious issues to be sure! Basically it boils down to an inflated sense of self-importance combined with the fact that a few on this board have a chronic case of diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of ideas. I don’t mind though, I’m excited about the exhibit and thanks to the rational people here who made some reasonable suggestions, we will really enjoy the afternoon, I’m sure.

I want to thank you for alerting me to the exhibit, grantop. When are you going? One place that hasn't been mentioned is Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Museum at 86th &amp; 5th. Again, not outdoors, but very classy indoors. I think D. Draper would approve.

mikemo, what's FD? (first daughter?) I know DIL is daughter-in-law.

Someone posted earlier that Sarabet is near 95th Street.

Unless they established a branch there, the closest one that I know of is at Madison and 74th.

Perhaps the original poster can tell us where he/she has had &quot;many lunches in NYC&quot; for under $20 including a glass of wine? That might help for comparison purposes.

And, alas, I fear that the Neue Galerie's extraordinary Cafe Sabarsky won't <i>quite</i> fit the stated budget.