stotz

I need some suggestions for dinners near our hotel. Is our budget of about $30 pp for "normal" dinners realistic? We also want one special dinner while we're in town, so we thought we'd save a little money on the others.

gailscout

In that area, we enjoy eating at Blue Smoke - 116 E 27th,
Rare - 303 Lexington/38th, and Artisanal - Park/E32nd.
Blue Smoke for BBQ; Rare for outstanding hamburgers; and Artisanal for cheese dishes and cheese parings.

mclaurie

Depends on what you want to include in the $30. With drink ($10), tip (15-20% of bill w/o tax) and tax (8+%), $30 leaves you ~$15 for food. For $15 you can eat lots of good ethnic food (there's a little India section south of your hotel on Lexington Ave. in the 20's), a burger, some pizza, some pasta etc. If you mean $30/person plus drinks, tip and tax, you'll have even more options.

Nearish your hotel is also El Rio Grande for Mexican. Not special, but decent, good drinks and pleasant.

I'd also add, it always seems so silly to me to travel to NYC from elsewhere and then limit yourself to eating dinner just in the area around the hotel for dinner. Why? It's one thing if you live here and after a hard day of work, just want a bite that's close. But if you're on vacation, it's not so hard to get in a cab or bus or subway. You'll find more interesting options in other parts of the city.

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nytraveler

$30 is modest for dinner in NYC unless you stick to basic ethnic places. A more realistic number for dinner for 2 in a casuale neighborhood place (shared appetizer, pasta or chicken dish, espresso, glass of wine, tip and tax) is about $80 or $85 for 2.

Agree to explore other ares of the city which have many. many more good places to et - at all price points.

You might want to check out New York Magazine which had an article on the best cheap ($25 or less) restaurants in NYC (alos some good values at higher price points).

Aduchamp1

2nd Avenue Deli is scheduled to open soon on 33rd Street near Lex.

I Trulli on the same block as Blue SMoke is good Italian.

mp

Actually, there are a few inexpensive (around $30 - $35 per person) but good places right near your hotel, in addition to those good suggestions above. You might try:

Ali Baba, the Turkish place on 34th between 2nd and 3rd.

Ethos is a good Greek place on 3rd Avenue between 33rd and 34th.

Josies is a good vegetarian/healthy/california cuisine place on 3rd and 37th Street.

And a couple of really good Indian places around Lexington and 27th Street: Chennai Garden and Copper Chimney.

the other

NeoPatrick

Les Halles on Park at 28/29th is great, and I'll certainly second the idea of Blue Smoke. Artisanal is great, but we always seem to spend a LOT there. Seems way over your suggested budget.

I'm hoping your $30 doesn't include alcohol or perhaps tax and tip?

doug_stallings

There are a lot of neighborhood restaurants near the Affinia Dumont. I live near there, so I know the neighborhood restaurants well. Normally, I spend at least $40 per person eating at Ethos, Blue Smoke with drinks. Artisanal or Les Halles would be quite a bit more.

There are a few other places that haven't been mentioned. I'm not fond of it, but Caliente Cab at 33rd/3rd Ave is ok for Mexican. Benjamin is a nice neighborhood restaurant at 33rd/2nd Ave. Hudson Place is another decent place at 36th/3rd Ave (esp. good for fresh fish specials or hamburgers). Penelope on Lexington and about 30th is a favorite brunch spot on weekends for NYU students that's not terribly expensive (and they do serve dinner). Cinema at the corner of 3rd ave/34th street is good for upscale diner-style food. Patsy's on 3rd Ave. between 34th and 35th is good for pizza or pasta.

Wolfgang's is an excellent steakhouse if you want to splurge, but it's more like $60 or $70 per person. Artisinal has a sinfully delicious weekend brunch for $25 per person (make reservations).

But you can eat for $30 per person if you are careful. And you don't have to go for fast food.

NeoPatrick

We actually spent about the same for lunch for two at BlueSmoke as we did for dinner for two at Les Halles. Don't ask me how. As a guide, here are the "suggested" prices from Zagat's -- considered to be average per person including one drink and tax and tip:

Penelope -- $22
Rare -- $29
Ethos --$ 37
Blue Smoke -- $39
Les Halles -- $42
Artisinal -- $51
Wolfgang's -- $69

Aduchamp1

You can add to that the Turkish Kitchen on 3rd and abou 28th Street.

Also Hangwai, a vegetarian Korean restaurant with well prepared fresh foos.

Newsie

Two suggestions:

Cosette
163 E. 33rd St.
(bet. Lexington & 3rd Aves.)

Very small (but cozy) French bistro run by an older French gentleman. Classic dishes, well prepared, at very reasonable prices. Zagat lists it as $39pp, but I seem to remember that most of the entrees were under $20, so depending on what and how much you order, you can probably get out of there for $30pp.

Saravanaas
81 Lexington Avenue
(corner of 26th & Lex)
Authentic vegetarian Indian restaurant where you won't miss the meat at all. The food is wonderfully flavorful (as opposed to greasy, the way a lot of the other little India places are in the neighborhood), and the breads are to die for. A good sign: the place is packed with South Asians. And you can easily spend less than $30pp.