We will be in New York, the Upper West Side (67th Street & Columbus Avenue), on Thursday and need recommendation for a bar/restaurant for an early lunch (about 11:30 a.m.). We like to sit at the bar for drinks/food. Price no object! And we don't mind walking 5 blocks in any direction.

Bar Boulud would be perfect but it doesn;t open until noon - the same for most other places. I think Fiorello's may start serving very early. You could check menupages.com to see which other places might start service so early.

You will be across the street from Lincoln Center and there are alot of restaurants close by. I'd suggest walking up Broadway to Columbus Ave and walk north, you will find muliple restaurants on each block. A fav of mine in that area is Pomodoro on Columbus and 71st.

How about Picholine? Looks like their lunch opens at 11:30am Wed-Sat. I loved it, then it went through a rough patch - but from the reviews it appears to be back on track...
http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/picholine/

There's also a Rosa Mexicano in the neighborhood. IMO the food is ok but the margaritas are yummy! Lunch is only from noon though.
http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/rosa-mexicano-3/

I was going to abstain from replying because I don't spend much time on the UWS, and I don't know the food scene well. However...

The New Yorkers here might need a little more information in order to serve you best. Are you just looking for the best quality food? Any particular type of food? A particular ambience? A quick bite, or an extended gastronomic experience?

Picholine would be an upscale choice. It was in my regular rotation for a long time. I was last there in April, and something was really wrong with the place. All of the regular waitstaff seemed to be gone, and I later read that Terrance Brennan's staff was suing him. I think this included the ones at Picholine, in addition to Artisanal. I think Max McCalman has left Picholine, and the cheese program was a pitiful, anemic shadow of its former glory. Frankly, it's still probably one of the better restaurants on the UWS, foodwise. The bar is small, but nice, and there are additional bar tables nearby. You'll want to be dressed nicely for Picholine, although jackets aren't required in the bar area.

I've always been negatively impressed by Daniel Boulud's places, but I'm still tempted to try Bar Boulud. It looks pretty good for what it is.

hawksbill, agreed on all counts for Picholine, however the recent reviews on menupages make it sound like it's gotten its act together again. OP did say "Price no object!", which is why I included it. Plus I too like the cozy bar there...

I hesitated to include Rosa Mexicano now that it has so many locations / is a chain. But like you, I don't spend too much time in that area - and at least the margaritas are good!

ggreen, I took "price is no object" as I think you may have, i.e. meaning that the OP was looking for the best food possible, in any category. That's what I'd be looking for! But then I realized that other people don't always think the way I do. Some people might want a cool New York-y decor, or might want to run into movie stars, or might only be interested in sushi, or want a place with excellent cocktails, or something like that.

I'm not sure what to make of the Picholine reviews on menupages.com. There are only two recent reviews, and I didn't get the sense that they were from particularly critical diners. In my mind, Picholine was most noteworthy for its cheese, and I guess that part of the restaurant will probably never recover, if Max is really gone for good. But it would still be an excellent restaurant if the rest of the menu maintains its prior quality. I can't really assess that, because I had a basically cheese-only meal when I was last there. I think the main dining room had undergone a significant makeover, and that successfully addressed what had previously been a bit of a negative.

I share your opinion on Rosa Mexicano. The food's not special, but the margaritas are tasty! Plus, as a former high school Spanish student, it has always bugged me a little that it's not "Rosa Mexicana."

Nougatine is the bar area of Jean Georges in the Trump International hotel. They do a prix fixe lunch that's inexpensive. Many feel it's a great deal. I'd guess they start serving lunch at noon like most other restaurants.

haha hawksbill, I have always called it "Rosa Mexicana", until I went to grab the listing this evening. Rosa Mexicano. Who knew?

I wish I had a reason to go back and try Picholine before the OP's lunch on Thursday, but alas that's not going to happen. I too am curious if the rest of the menu managed to maintain a good quality! I remember enjoying it a lot - and always saving room for cheese.

The explanation I heard was that "Mexicano" modifies not the word "Rosa," but the word "Restaurante," which isn't actually in the name, but is sort of implied to be there at the beginning. I don't know... if I tried that explanation on my high school Spanish teacher, I don't think I even would have received partial credit!

I like mclaurie's suggestion of the Nougatine Room at Jean-Georges. To be sure, I lost most of my respect for Jean-Georges Vongerichten years ago. Once a gifted chef, he's now a money-hungry sellout, a "restauranteur" who pretty much leaves his restaurants running on autopilot while he rakes in money that he doesn't deserve. I don't think the main dining room at JG is worth the money at all. But the Nougatine Room is worth a visit, and $28 for lunch there is a great deal. They do indeed open at noon. The bar is nice and large, and there are plenty of bar tables near it, so I don't think seating would be a problem.

One more suggestion would be Telepan, always have enjoyed the food here and they have a nice bar area with a fireplace. It's off Columbus, on 69th St.

I won't weigh in with a restaurant suggestion, but maybe stop by Magnolia Bakery afterwards for a cupcake dessert?

Although not as good as the Third Ave location, Atlantic Grill is a new addition to the Lincoln Center area. They open arly for lunch.