UES Mid-Price Restaurant Suggestions, Please
 

Looking for recommendations for a great mid-price (approx. $100 p.p. including tip and taxes) restaurant near'ish to 4th & 85th, UES. We love all food but will probably steer away from Japanese, Chinese and steak houses this night. But we would eat Italian, French and seafood every night. Brazilian? Portuguese? Thanks to all, Linda

Um- there is no 4th avenue on the upper east side. Do you mean Fifth avenue and 85th St? Or if not - which avenue are you looking at?

Our place is at 400 block East 85th - my mistake, I assumed that was 4th Avenue.

400 East 85th is at 1 ST Avenue (between !st and York)

$100 pp is more high end.

I like two small Italian places. They are both casual and not always easy to get into because they're small, but the food is wonderful.

Spigolo
1561 2nd Ave (at 81st St)
212-744-1100

Sfoglia
1402 Lexington (92nd ST)
212-831-1402

There's also:

Erminia - very small, romantic Italian
250 East 83rd (2nd & 3rd)
212-879-4284

Atlantic Grill - seafood, nice vibe, always busy
1341 Third Ave (76 & 77 Sts)
212-988-9200

Cafe Boulud - Daniel Boulud's more casual french - expensive
20 East 76th St (5th & Madison)
212-772-2600

People also like Sistina and Elio's - both Italian

Also, I like these neighborhood haunts

Italianissimo - very small and casual
307 East 84th St (1st & 2nd)
212- 628-8603

Luna Rosso - across the street from where you're staying
347 East 85th St (1st & 2nd)
212-517-3118

Cafe Boulud is just great
Atlantic Grill very good seafood

Ithaka Greek
Beyoglu Turkish
Due Italian

Thanks so much for the suggestions, will check them all out. And I now know where I'm staying...

And this:


http://www.themarkhotel.com/restaura...rk-restaurant/

I've always found the food at Cafe Boulud to be very overpriced and disappointing, although I haven't been there in two years, and I have heard that it has improved.

I like Beyoglu a lot, but mostly for their awesome appetizer platter. The main courses don't seem to be as good.

I like Canyon Road for Southwestern/Mexican food: http://www.arkrestaurants.com/canyon_road.html
The duck burrito is my favorite. Service can be a bit slow sometimes.

Sistina has a very pleasant dining room, but the food is unremarkable, and plenty of other Italian places in the neighborhood would be just as good.

I like Galil for kosher Moroccan food, and Rectangles for Yemeni Israeli food. The food is similar at both places. The menu quality is more consistent at Rectangles, but the ambience is nicer at Galil.
http://www.galilmoroccan.com/
http://www.rectanglesrestaurant.com/

Besides sit-down restaurants, can I mention a few other places in the area? It would be a crime to stay on First and 85th and not get a bagel at Sables on Second between 77th and 78th. The Scottish salmon is the best, and the lobster salad is also fantastic. I also love Orwasher's, an old Jewish bakery on 78th between First and Second. Their sweet stuff isn't as good as their bread. Also, following suggestions on this site, I've recently tried the cupcakes at Two Little Red Hens bakery on Second and 86th, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Suggest you check out a map of Manhattan - so you will be able to find things. House numbers east and west can be calculated from block to block. But some blocks have 50 numbers while others have 100.

From Fifth Ave going East the Avenues are Madison, Park, Lexington, Third, Second, Fist, York and East End. Where you are staying is quite far east - esp since the blocks between Avenues are about 3 times as long as those between streets - fine if you are cabbing or don;t mind walking - but not that close to the subway.

DITTO to SABLES! While they're known for their fish, their bagels are also excellent. And yes, to Two Little Red Hens.

Another place I just thought of: Alloro, on 77th between First and Second. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the place yet. The people who run it are wonderful. They'll treat you like family the first time you walk in. Their passion for creative cooking is truly extraordinary for a neighborhood place. The food is sort of avant-garde Italian, with unusual combinations of ingredients. Sometimes they're really successful, and sometimes they're just weird. Check out the menu online. The bright green color of the decor is a little unusual too, but I think I like it.
http://www.alloronyc.com/

Here's an inexpensive casual joint that I just discovered recently: Cascabel Taqueria, on Second Avenue and 80th Street. It's not the place for a big sit-down dinner, but if you're in the neighborhood and want a quick bite, it would be great. The carne asada tacos and rib appetizer are sublime. Avoid the tortilla soup. This would probably be a great place for weekend brunch, although I haven't tried that yet. Nor have I tried the cucumber and cilantro margarita.
http://www.nyctacos.com/

You might be interested in Kings Carriage House. I've never eaten a meal there but I was there briefly for a wedding reception (I couldn't stay but I did have a drink) and my friend who got married did say everyone did love the food.

http://kingscarriagehouse.com/dining.html

Travel a bit downtown for a very different experience at "Les Sans Culottes." It is a unique country French restaurant with absolute bargain prices for NY and especially for what you get. Prepare to be surprised. Price fixed lunch is $16.50 and dinner is $25. Located on the West side of 2nd ave. just north of 57th st. We usually make it a point to visit when in NY.

Wow, thank you everyone for your time in replying... I'll check out your suggestions tonight. I know we're going to eat and drink well... thanks again. L

And for snacks, don't forget the semi-legendary Shake Shack at 154 East 86th Street west of Third Avenue!

http://www.shakeshack.com/

Luna Rosa (used to be known as Rughetta) is one of our neighborhood favorites. It certainly is convenient.. but you might want more excitement. If he weather is good... just walk over to Second Avenue and check out the scene. (Tho I don't know how old you are -:) If you need booze, Yorkshire Wine just across the street has the best prices in the neighborhood. And anything from Two Little Red Hens is worth the calories. Next door is Schaller and Weber.. the best German deli in town. Up at 88th and Second is Cafe D'Alsace .. brasserie with great beer selection.

Another vote for Atlantic Grill ... i eat there regularly, great seafood, great salads, great sushi! it's busy every day of the week and very popular with people of all ages.

Centolire, upscale italian in the 80's on Madison. Consistently good. Another great italian is Accademia on 3rd in the 60's ... great variety from pizza, pasta, to full entrees.

if you want recommendations in other areas of NYC let us know.

I received such great restaurant recommendations here, I thought I'd update the thread with where my group of six women ate. We didn't spend that much time in the UES after all so our favourite meals were scattered around town. Some of our meals were just average (and I forget those names and addresses) so I'll ingore them.

Hawksbill, our group loved "Alloro". A great suggestion, kinda edgey-Italian, good vibe, great wait staff and terrific food. I'd return there. Loved "Lupa" in Soho (?), one of Mario Batalli's restaurants, less formal and more homey than others in his group. Terrific food, really wonderful wine list, and a good environment. "Cafe Boulud" was a quiet, understated room, good but not excellent food with some pretentious staff. We have a Boulud restaurant in my home town and I like it better. Wouldn't return to the NYC resto. A great semi-greasy-spoon place at the corner of First & East 85th. Seriously good breakfasts.

Discovered I'm not so much of a UES woman so would like to return to the West Village area or the UWS or maybe Brooklyn.

Enjoyed two musicals, "Near to Normal" and "Fela". Visited The Met, the Frick and MoMa as well as the Int'l Centre of Photography and the Skyscraper Museum. Ate well, drank well, shopped a little and enjoyed the sunshine. Liked the new Intercontinental but would only return via Priceline, loved The Plaza (was comp'd a room) and didn't enjoy our vrba UES "mansion". A great trip, over all.

So BLinda... you and your group sound very hip. How ever in the world did you end up on East 85th Street? (And about as far east as you can get.) It's in my neighborhood... and we love it... but we are old geezers -:) Can you indicate the address of the place you stayed... like four ten or four twenty, etc., etc. I'm curious. I think the semi greasy spoon you referred to is Gracie's Diner on 1st and 86th. It's another neighborhood favorite. Especially with my 99 y. o. neighbor!

I'm glad you had a good visit... hope you'll come back again.

Where did your traveling companions stiff the waiter?