Thanks Bugswife for the name of the Chinese place, Shun Lee. And I had forgotten about Rosa Mexicano. Do they still make the guacamole at the table? It was delicious.

I, too, will solidly endorse Shun Lee West. I think that it, along with its East Side counterpart, Shun Lee Palace, offer the best Chinese food in the city.

I know Shun Lee and have eaten there twice. My friend doesn't like Asian food so we'll pass on that. I've been to this area of Manhattan fairly frequently as my brother lives nearby and in my walks in the area I just don't recall seeing that many places. I'll continue to do research. Thanks again for your assistance.

Yes, guacamole tableside--hot, medium, or mild.

Definitely recommend Rosa Mexicano. We had the guacamole (made at the table) with our dinner there last April before heading over to the MET.

I've also found Fiorellos (across the street from the MET, to be a convivial place to eat both before and after the MET. If we ate lightly before an evening opera, we'd relax over a thin crust Fiorello pizza with drinks post-performance.

A higher end favorite is Picholine, just across the street & around the corner & near Central Park. Just be sure to tell them your curtain time.

If you don't mind the high cost, I agree with the suggestion to eat at the Grandtier Restaurant in the MET. No need to rush to & fro, there's a friendly wait staff & the few times I've done it, the dinner crowd has been quite festive. And, you get a head start with coat check (they do it for you) and bathrooms!

O'Neil's is open again (also actoss the street from Lincoln Center) but is more upscale than the fun bar/burger joint it used to be. They did welcome us after the opera one evening when a group of us just wanted dessert and after dinner drinks before we all travelled our separate ways.

According to the MET's website, you can rent binoculars. I'd check that out in advance, though. While you need them to see well (facial expressions, details) from the Family Circle and Balcony (a favorite place of mine), don't worry about the sound. It is very fine in the "nosebleed" seats. Many feel the best & most integrated sound in the house! Also, on nearly every level of the MET, there is a bar and sandwich/pastry service at intermissions.

Whoops, don't mean to give the impression Fiorello's is a pizza restaurant. They have a nice varied menu and a buffet.

And, also, I agree you should buy the best seats at the MET you feel comfortable buying. Try to avoid being way under a balcony/tier overhang.

Eliztrav - Thank you so much for the advice regarding seating. Now I have to hope that tickets are available. Still waiting to finalize the exact number of people in the group. But it looks like our dinner options are expanding because I think we are going to a matinee. And thank you also for the tip about renting opera glasses. That's good to know.

Have a wonderful time at the MET, Bennnie! If you don't already have it, here's a link to their site, with Q&A for newcomers and it includes a link to their seating chart....rent the binocs at coat check in the "basement" Concorse area. Frankly, I'd e-mail & ask if they need to be reserved. You also can buy a pair in the MET Shop on the main entrance floor.

I like matinees. I'm more rested after travelling in for the weekend, and the whole experience then gets my full attention. Again, if the price doesn't scare you off, you can consider brunch/lunch at the Grandtier Restaurant. Lots of fun.

Back to seats. In addition to avoiding being way under an overhang, I'd avoid the seats way off to the side in the main auditorium (orchestra seats)...there are some sound dead spots there and you can't see the corner/side of the stage closest to you. I think those EXTREME side orchestra seats are the poorest value for the money. Boxes can be fun (unless you have really long legs) , but if you find yourself in one of them, go for the front row seats! Tell the box office you are short!

One last tip: The tour of the MET put on by the MET Guild guides is lots of fun, even for people not so enamored with opera. See the info on this on the website above, but you'll have to click on the MET Guild to find it. Not expensive, but requires a reservation. Newcomers to opera have often told me this tour really stimulated their interest in what they would be seeing when they attended the opera, and the building itself is a busy marvel of a place during the season....work never stops.

OOPs! Here's that website:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metope...attending/faq/

eliz - thanks again for the seating info. Its really helpful. I'll post again when we finally decide what we are going to do.

I second the suggestion for the backstage tour of the Met. That was one of my birthday presents a few years ago and it was lots of fun. The place is amazing and we ended up running into several famous singers that were practicing our just walking around there. My favorite? Samuel Ramey.

Can anyone tell me if there is a preference for sitting in the Dress Circle F (2nd to last row) seats 16-18 or Orchestra BB 109-110? (toward the back of the orchestra). Dress Circle seats are $120 and Orchestra are $150. Thanks for your help.

bennnie, I don't have my numbered seats seating chart handy. Are the orchestra seats toward the middle or on the dreaded outer edge? In any case, I would avoid those Dress Circle seats way under the overhang because I think it is murder on the sound. Yes, the DC can be fun in terms of ambience, but the back section is not great for sound.

If I were buying for myself, I would do two things: 1) buy the Orchestra BB seats and 2) when I arrive in NYC, go to the box office and see if I can improve the seats. It often works.

I see now that your BB Orchestra seats are in the middle section, a GOOD place.The Dress Circle seats are not only in a back row, but are on the side. Again, I would avoid those DC seats. Go for the BB Orch. ones. If you check the ticket office upon arrival and find something you like better, switch them (though if you go for cheaper seats, they will not give you a refund). But of the two choices you presented here, I'd definitely choose the Orchestra. There will be a little bit of an overhang, but nothing like the DC seats. And, you will have full unobstructed view. Enjoy! And let us know how you like it.

orchestra seats at the very back, preferrable center, are quite good, they cost about 100$ per ticket, and may be available longer than cheap tickets. Bring binocular any way.

Well - I didn't see your responses in time. We bought Grand Tier Row F seats 10,12. I think we'll be in a corner under an overhang. The orchestra seats were gone before we could buy them. But we'll try to change once we get there.

Thank you all for your help, especially eliztrav. I am sure we will enjoy the performance no matter what.

I'm so sorry, Bennnie, that I didn't see your question earlier. But, you should have a great time anyway! And maybe you can upgrade once you are there. Grandtier is a fun level...even if you don't eat at the restaurant on that level, you might want to look into the intermission dessert option. You order in advance, and they have it set up & waiting for you.

Ditto...I'm sorry not to have seen your seat question earlier. But, you'll have a blast anyway, I'm sure! And, you can try to upgrade your seats later if you want to. It is often possible to do. The Grand Tier is one of my favorite areas, though I try to stick with the front 3-4ish rows and the center section, or the first row in the side boxes.

Now, for the IMPORTANT stuff! If you find yourself in a ridiculously long line for the ladies room and you are looking for alternatives, two that seem to be better options are in the "basement" Concourse level of the MET on the right side (as you face the drinks bar) and even at the very top of the Family Circle. These move more quickly than the others unless you run for them & get in the front of the line.

Do give that MET tour (COSTS ABOUT $8) some consideration. If you are lucky, you'll find yourself standing on the stage looking out into the auditorium. And, you may be walking amidst the props & scenery for the production you will be seeing.

Have fun!

PS-Even in the Grand Tier you may still enjoy having binoculars/opera glasses for the details. Back under that overhang, you may not be able to see the topmost part of the scenery/set. For some operas (I've forgotten which one you are going to), that won't even matter.

I was so happy to find this thread - since my husband and are I trying to figure out which seats to get for Carmen in December at the Met. We ended up getting Balcony Seats - although they are in the center.

I have a clarification question about binoculars. I realize that the stage will be a long way away - but I am guessing that it is not appropriate to bring my mid-sized binoculars that I use for birdwatching (they aren't monster sized, but they aren't really that small either) How much are the rental glasses?