I am traveling solo to New York City in July for a few nights and would love suggestions for great restaurant/bars that would be great for me to dine solo? I am 34 and am mostly interested in places that have a bar area that I can sit and try wonderful food and wine without feeling like I am sitting alone. Any suggestions would be very welcome. BTW, I am staying at the Essex house so that area would be ideal although I am willing to take cabs if the restaurant is worth it?

here are a couple of suggestions for two very different, but both great places:

balthazar's: hip french bistro, fabulous food/wine, great to sit back and people watch, although bar area can be a bit noisy/crowded, go a little off-peak hours, wear your best dressy-casual clothes... it is soho after all...

corner bistro: classic nyc bar, a bit on the lower end of the scale, but in the best possible way. rated best burgers in nyc in every poll every done. good for very casual beer and burger and your sure to meet someone to talk to

Many restaurants have bars/bar areas where you can eat. The first place that came to mind near your hotel is Trattoria Dell 'Arte (7th ave 56-57). They have an antipasti bar where you can sit & dine. The food is very good but not haute cuisine. I've not been, but the rest. in your hotel, Cafe Botanica is supposed to be very good. Michael's on 55th betw 5th-6th serves food at the bar. It's a very trendy place at lunch (lots of Conde Nast people eat there). California cuisine but very good.

If you want to travel a bit & like cheese, I'd suggest Artisanal (French Brasserie) at 32 betw Madison and Park. David Burke & Donatella on east 61st is relatively new & very popular with the
"foodie" set. They do have a bar area in front where I think you can eat.

this may sound silly, but if you're open to wine tasting parties, i just did a quick google search and came up on this site:

http://www.localwineevents.com/New-York-City-Wine/

Two of my favorite solo bars/resturants. Great because you can probobly get in without a reservation!

Babbo Crowded but wonderful food!

ramercy Tavern Great bar area

Both have professional bar staff that makes the food an experience!
JOHN

I recommend Gramercy Tavern, the Tavern room/bar area as well (the front area does not take reservations - try going on the early side). Also Veritas - which has a huge wine list http://www.veritas-nyc.com.

I stay solo at the Essex House on business alot and eat alone at Cafe Botanica in the hotel. The chef is from Ireland, and has come out to my table every time I have been there for dinner (I have an Irish last name, but he didn't know that the first time he came to say hello). I feel absolutely comfortable there and the food is good, if you do not feel like going out one evening. Breakfast is good there also- it's a lovely place. I also like eating at the bar at Judson Grill, which is a nice walk from Essex House or a short can ride. It's a pretty hip buzzing place (high celing, open feeling, people in their 30s and 40s for the most part) and has great new American food (I guess that is what it's called) and a very good list of wines by the glass. They have a website so you can check out the menu. I think you can order off the regular menu in the bar, I'm pretty sure I've done that but double check that. I feel very comfortable there also. There are small tables in the bar area where you can eat if you don't want to sit at the bar itself.

Don't forget the new Time Warner building at Columbus Circle has several new restaurants including Per Se. The Mandarin Oriental (starting on the 35 floor of the building) also has a resaurant that has gotten good reviews.

How about the James Beard House - townhouse on West 12th St & 7th Ave. We are members and love it. You don't have to be a member to eat there, it just costs an additional $25 for dinner. You pay a set price, and that includes a 5 course meal, wine pairings, hors duerves, tax, & tip. You pay by credit card in advance. There is a chef from a different restaurant cooking there every night. The great thing is that you are seated with 6 to 12 other people. Some are couples, some are friends, some go solo. The evening starts at about 7 pm with 'cocktail' hour until about 8. They serve a featured wine or champagne & pass arounds. If it is nice out, they will serve them in the backyard of the townhouse. Then you are seated for dinner. You will be done by 10:30. Great networking & friendly people.
If you tell me what night you would want to go, I will check my flyer & let you know the chef, restaurant, menu, and price.Or, go to www.jamesbeard.org, & then events at the beard house. The June calendar comes up so you can view some of what they offer. July calendar is sent in advance to members.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Great news about the restaurant at the Essex House as I arrive fairly late into the city. I am thrilled and so pleased with the other suggestions and will try and hit them all if not most of them. I have heard so much about the James Beard house and will definitely look into that. These forums are the best~
Cheers, Sarah

Sarah Jane, Just wanted to reiterate that in NY, unlike some other cities, virtually ALL restaurants are well used to solo diners, especially at the bar. Lupa (Mario's more casual version of Babbo, def get a cheese plate with the ricotta with honey), Casa Mono (Mario's - sorry, can't help it, I'm a fan - new Spanish place with an open kitchen where you can watch them cook to-die-for wild boar and brussel sprouts) and Gramercy Tavern (Danny Meyer New American, FYI, it's a nice restaurant, not an actual tavern) come to mind, but really you will be comfortable almost anywhere. And while it is definitely convenient to eat close to home sometimes, please keep in mind that Manhattan is but a small island and all of these suggestions are but a short cab or subway ride away. Enjoy our wonderful city, Kiki

Sarah, an addendum- one other nice thing about the bar at Judson Grill is that it is completely open to the rest of the dining room, so you don't feel cloistered in the bar area, and can feel part of the action and buzz.

We just were in NYC right before Mem Day weekend and had a great time at Mario Batali's yet another restaurant, "Otto".

Great bar area. Italian wines only. The service was very helpful in picking wines for us as we are only slightly "skilled" in Calif, Wash, Ore wines.

Basically a small plates menu w/ some pretty funky designer pizzas. You can order in the bar, too.

The cheese plate was very good...and what I'd give for a big ol' scoop of ricotta gelato right now.

We got there around 7:00 on a Sat night and it wasn't too crowded but when we crawled out around 9:ish it was jammin'.
A lot of people in your age group too.
Sheesh...I can't even remember BEING your age! #39;(

We also stopped at Ginginos on Greenwich in the Tribeca area. Sat out on the patio and munched and sipped and watched the people.

The Ginginos at Battery had a better view but we liked the Greenwich location better.
Kal

A terrific (but a little pricy) wine/food place is Morrells (also a well-known wine shop) on Broadway at 20th st. The bar at Union Square is famous for a very pleasant way to solo dine. Tabla for upscale Indian food. I second emd's rec. or Judson Grill - a great, market driven menu - summer is wonderful there. A little less pricy in midtown would be tapas at Solera (53 bet. 2nd & 3rd). Another easy thing is any sushi bar. But as other posters have said - most restaurants are happy to have any diners, and treat solo diners very well, in my experience.

A friend and I wandered into this small French neighborhood bistro when in NY last week. They have a huge wine list including many nice choices by the glass and a reasonably priced menu. I think you would feel very comfortable eating at either the little bar or a table by yourself. It is called:

Le Bateau Ivre
It is located at 230 E 51st St. (There were numerous other small French, Italian, Japanese, Indian etc restaurants in this area.)

Check out fun with wine events at
funwithwine.com.They have ongoing fun and interesting events in the city.