(oops...) in light of Chef Thomas Keller's success at French Laundry, the opening of Per Se in 2004 was one of the most eagerly anticipated American restaurant openings in history. I personally went many times in the months after it opened. The food quality varied tremendously, depending in part on whether Keller was present. Some of the dishes were horrible, with egregious oversalting being a common complaint among frequent diners. I'd say it was the general concensus in the New York foodie community that the place basically didn't work out right, and many of us stopped going. I haven't been back there since 2005, and I've been thinking it's time I see if Per Se ever got on track. Maybe the increase in price helped them improve quality.

Anyway, the point of all this not to try to dissuade the OP from going, but to offer some caveats to other would-be diners. Since the change in pricing policy, Per Se costs considerably more than other high-end New York restaurants, and historically, some of the other ones have been better. In my opinion Le Bernardin is the most consistent in the high-end French category. I'd pass on Daniel -- I've never found the food to be much good there, although the waiters are excellent and the room is quite nice.

I hope chef Thomas Keller's preoccupation with voicing cartoon characters for Ratatouille hasn't made him slack off on his duties at Per Se (or French Laundry)!

LOL

Well, I will be testing Mr. Keller's abilities at Bouchon at the Venetian next week and would be happy to report. Also in Vegas, eating at Rao's (to compare w/NY), David Burke or Bartolotta (still undecided), and L'Atelier Joel Robuchon and I think I spelled that wrong.

Neo Patrick...........if you have never been to Per Se what "in the ever loving" do you have a right to question my opinion other than the lady wanted to know about reservations rather than the food. You are a typical NYC PW..........one that thinks he knows it all but knows little...........I wouldn't eat in that place if it was free......

Becca,
Per Se is absolutely wonderful especially for people who enjoy fine dining.(daniel is very good but IMHO it does not come close.) Definitely try two months to the day.If you start early you may get something,especially if you can dine late.Also lunch time is easier to obtain and the views of the park are very nice.This probably will be a long shot but I have got last minute reservations there by calling last minute and asking to be on the wait list.
Good luck and enjoy.
Restaurants to avoid IMHO
Del Posto-rip off
Massa-rip off
Babbo-over rated-I know it is popular but I have never had a good meal there.

I have not commented on the quality of the restaurant at all (and I won't since I haven't eaten there), only on the quality of the comments made about it. There's a big difference.

I don't have to eat at a particular place nor do I have to be a rocket scientist to read through lines like "they try their best to drag your meal time out a long time I guess so you will buy their high priced wine" or "No food is worth this much trouble". Simply put, Per Se is NOT a restaurant for people who don't think any food is worth that much trouble! So it's easy to see why it wasn't a good restaurant for you.

I'm sorry if my repeating your comments caused you embarrassment.

And as I already said, we all have different opinions and you are entitled to yours. I wouldn't eat at Il Mulino again if it was free either. But obviously from the difficulty of gettting reservations at Per Se, there are a great many people who disagree with you about that restaurant.

I hope Becca reports back after December.

Becca: Opentable is actually a good source for Per Se reservations, and I know they are not limited to a single 5:30 table. Friends have booked a late reservation through OpenTable. But I'm not sure about a table for 2. The one thing I can tell you is that they are really nice if you call and say that you will make any reservation available but are looking for a cancellation at a better time (and they always exist). Make sure you give a cell phone where they can get in touch with you, and it's likely you'll improve your time. Have fun and enjoy yourself.

If you can't get a table, I really do recommend Le Bernardin and it's easy to get a good reservation there a few weeks in advance. Or Gramercy Tavern or 11 Madison Park.

Call Per Se, you will have better luck than with Open Table which is used for a portion of bookings not all.

Per Se does not spread out your meal to make you spend more. It is meant to be a dining experience, one that takes time, thought and is not about quantity, but quality. They space out their service to allow you to digest your food.

Unlike others, avoid Le Bernardin, it is really just coasting at this point, food is not inspired and worse--the ceilings are too high and the seats are too far apart making for a very noisy room. 11 Mad is also a bit tired. Just my opinion.

If you cannot get in to Per Se, try WD-50 for a very different experience in dining--the food is inventive and exceptional, Bouley for exceptional service though the crowd is a bit meh--book later--like a 9:30 res here.

By all means keep trying Per Se, and be willing to take a late reservation (or early) if you really want to get in. I have found to get better service at places going on the later end as they have less tables to take care of (and are trying to get rid of the open bottles of wine from the pairing menu).

Just to note WD50(very casual) is a good dining option but it is a very different dinng experience from Per Se.
otherwise I agree totally with cherrybomb.

Well, I just called Per Se this morning at 10 a.m. to try for the first night of our stay in NYC - Friday, December 28th. Success! My husband and I had three phones going, and all three phones got through immediately. We were on hold for about 10 minutes and then one of our phones got through to a reservationist. (Te first phone that got through to the restaurant was also the first one that got through to a reservationist). The only time they had left was 5:45 - way too early - but we took it. I'm going to try again tomorrow morning for Saturday, December 29th - hopefully a later time - and if that works out, cancel December 28th. Thanks for all the tips! By the way, if we do go to dinner at 5:45, how long will we be at the restaurant eating? If we'd be in there for several hours, I might be okay with 5:45.

Becca, I'm not sure how much time Per Se "allows" for dining, but my objection to the early seating -- assuming they plan two seatings for each table -- is that they may "rush you" to clear your table for the second seating. I'm still guessing that they allow a couple or maybe 3 hours, but that means they'll want your table for an 8:30 seating.

But congratulations on getting a reservation at all. I assume you've made it clear that you'd like to be later? My guess is that they really avoid reservations for any time between 6:30 and 7:30 or even 8:00 as that would preclude getting two seatings for the table.

I'm told that a meal at Per Se takes a minimum of 2 to 2-1/2 hours. If there are only 2 of you, it will probably take less time than if you were with a big party. But the one good thing about winter in NYC is that it will at least be pitch dark by the time you arrive at the restaurant. I'd recommend having brunch around 10 and then making the best of your early reservation (unless youc an get a switch to a better time). Do let us know about how you enjoyed the meal. My friends who have gone have given the restaurant very mixed reviews ... some love it and some hate it. No one disputes that the quality is impeccable, though not everyone is a fan of the food.

Just called Per Se again this morning for the Saturday, December 29th date. Using two phones this time, I got through immediately on both phones. I was on hold for approximately 15 minutes before I got through to a reservationist (actually, on the phone that got through second, so there is no rhyme or reason to that). They offered me two times - 5:30 and 9:30. I took the 9:30. Now, here's my question: I know it's ultimately up to us to consider our dining habits, how late we want to eat, etc. but does anyone have an opinion on dining days and times at Per Se? 5:45 versus 9:30 and Friday versus Saturday? Like someone mentioned in an earlier post, will the waiters rush us out of our 5:45 to fill another table versus having the 9:30 where they won't be bringing anyone else in? Thanks!

What do you have planned for Saturday during the day? I wouldn't like to eat at 9:30pm after exhausting myself in the city. Also consider the fact that you have 2 reservations right now and likely so do many other people. I would prefer to keep the 5:45pm and be waitlisted for a later time. Twice in the last few weeks I've gotten the original reservation I wanted due to cancellations.

I'd take the later Reservation--9:30pm is a respectable, i.e. good time to have gotten and I do believe later diners have better service.

Also you will have had time to change, relax a little and get ready after walking around the city all day and still have time for a cocktail prior to dinner.

Just my opinion.

i haven't been to per se but have dined at the french laundry. when i made reservations, i was lucky enough to be the first call taken and had my pick of times. since we were arriving that morning from the east coast, i chose 6pm (really 9pm to our stomachs).

i assume the meals are similar. our waiter, in fact, had just returned from nyc where he was training the staff at per se for a couple months. our meal took 3 hours and we did not feel rushed in the least. the couple seated behind us dined even slower than we did. so i would not be concerned that they will rush you through the meal if you take the 5:45 reservation.

also, if you do take the 9:30, you will probably not be done until about 12:30. think about if you want to be eating rich food that late.

As someone who normally eats after theatre in New York, 9:30 is EARLY for me. That would certainly be my choice and I think a more leisurely experience. Out of curiosity, do you know how late they take reservations for? I'm guessing 10.

Thanks for all the suggestions! After seeing your comments and talking it over with my husband, I think we are going to opt for the 9:30.

NeoPatrick, I think the last reservation they take is 10, though I'm not positive.

I'm shocked at how easy it was to pull this off, especially over New Year's weekend. I wonder if Per Se is less in demand now or if I just got lucky two days in a row? I had read several online accounts of people who would call the reservation line at 10 a.m. and only get a busy signal.

Maybe it's because of the new chef they hired just out of trade school? Or perhaps reservations are down since that recent closing the board of health did?



Only kidding. Enjoy.

While I enjoyed my two meals at Per Se, both were extraordinary, I've certainly had better meals (and better overall experiences) at other restaurants in New York, particularly for the price.

It's worth a visit, but keep your expectations in check.