My husband and I will be seeing Jersey Boys at the end of January (3pm Sunday show). We'd like recommendations for a nice dining experience afterwards (it's my b'day too). Price really isn't an issue.....we're looking for great food, either Italian, French or eclectic Continental, great service, romantic atmosphere. We enjoyed Le Madeleine (?sp) last time we were in NYC upon a Fodor poster suggestion and enjoyed it but would like to try someplace different.
Also, what time reservation would you say is good-it's a 2 1/2 show with 15" intermission. TIA for any suggestions!

Another Le Madeleine fan here.
Check out www.opentable.com menus
for Triomphe, small & intimate on
West 44 or further uptown on 67 St
Cafe des Artistes. Both are more
pricey but not outrageous for NYC.
And Happy B'day!

I would go to DB Bistro. Go to www.menupages.com and look up the menu.

Agree the DB Bistro is a good French choice for great food, but it's not so romantic imo. Chez Josephine is another idea and they have live music. For Italian, maybe ViceVersa.

Something else to consider, since you're eating after the show, you don't really have to eat in the theater area if you don't want to. What's your budget?

How about Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental at Columbus Circle -- spectacular views?

Cafe de Artistes IS romantic, and Picholine would be a great choice too.
Most of these require a taxi ride, but that's easy at that hour on Sunday.

If you want to stay around midtown, Daniel is about as nice as it gets. Although terribly pricey, it's worth every penny.

I also like davidburke & donatella for celebrations, but it's a little funky.... or the Modern is great, but very, um, modern and sleek.

If you're willing to travel a bit, Bouley is super-romantic and amazingly delicious. Again, very pricey and very formal.

Union Square Cafe and Del Posto have also provided amazingly memorable celebration dinners, without being as stuffy as Bouley or Daniel. But both also involve a taxi ride...

For a bit more casual, I like 'cesca on the UWS.

For a reservation time? If it's an 8pm show, I'd say do 11 to be on the safe side - if you're early, you probably won't have a problem getting seated.

atodhun, it is a 3 PM Sunday show, so depending on the location and travel, we're talking more like a 6 PM reservation.

But you bring up an interesting point. Most of the places you mention only seat until 11, some even 10:30 except Friday or Saturday. It is very difficult to do places like those POST theatre when you have an 8 PM show.

Thanks for all your suggestions! I will check out all of them although I've learned already that a couple mentioned aren't open on Sundays. McLaurie, you're correct, we're not limited to the theatre district and price isn't an issue for this occasion....so any other great dining spot suggestions will be appreciated.

For Romantic, not far from the theatre district and open Sundays, I might try Cafe des Artistes or Picholine (both near Lincoln Center) Picholine has more adventuresome food, but Cafe is cozier.

You might like Gascogne, in Chelsea, a very romantic, cozy country French place .. . or Mas, in the West Village which has excellent food at a price. Savoy in Soho is lovely. Or there's the romantic view from The River Cafe in Brooklyn- take a cab there and they will call a cab for you to come back . . .

You can compare menus and prices at www.menupages.com

NeoPatrick - we ran into that issue when we were in NYC in Oct. We too saw the Jersey Boys - I do not like to dine prior to the theater as I enjoy a glass or two of wine and I tend to feel sleepy afterwards -- it was very hard to find a place to eat (we did the 8pm show) we ended up at Shulas <sp>? it would not have been either of our first choice was the service was excellent and they never made us feel like we needed to hurry and leave and the food was very good.

Actually we eat after theatre all the time and have no problem, but admittedly you can't really go to the "non-theatre" district top dining spots, arrive at 11 or later and expect nice dining. You'll probably feel alone and rushed. But sticking in "the neighborhood" there are dozens of good choices where you can easily arrive up to 11:30 or possibly even 12. Just a few of our regular haunts:
Angus McIndoe
Joe Allen
Marseille
Roberto Passon
Bobby Van's Grill
Bistecca Fiorentina
Film Center Cafe
Cara Mia
West Bank
Maria Pia
Tout au Bien
Thalia

We went to Baldoria before we saw Jersey Boys...always terrific.

We went to Club 21 before the show. They have a 3-course theater menu and the 6-hour free parking was a plus.

Ah yes, a short walk from Jersey Boys, Baldoria is a nice traditional but upscale Italian. Incidentally, that's another place that stays busy after theatre (11 PM arrivals will often be in the thick of things!).

But, Budman, 21 Club is CLOSED on Sundays.

OK, I guess they won't be going there, then.

I remember across the street from the theater there was a place with all these prime ribs of beef in the window, but I have no idea what the name of it is.

NeoPatrick,

I am going to bookmark this for the next time we are there! I should have asked prior to going...

Budman, the place with the meat in the window would be Gallagher's Steak House. I'm starting to sound overly negative here, but that happens to be my least favorite of all the steak houses in NYC. That meat looked great in the window, but we had the fattiest porterhouse steaks I've ever seen, and we each ended up with half a plate of "grissle" we couldn't chew. Service was horrible, and the side dishes were all STONE cold. When we mentioned to the waiter that our creamed spinach was cold he insisted that it's "not supposed to be served hot". Huh?

Thanks, I'll remember not to go there. Just seeing the meat in the window reminded me of McGuires Irish Pub in Pensacola where they served the best "prime" meats and the best prime rib I can remember having.

I second atodhun's suggestions of Del Posto, and 'Cesca. Ate at Del Posto last month and it was one of the most memorable dining experiences ever. 'Cesca is always lovely, but DPosto's atmosphere, service (they have footstools to hold your purse for God's sake), and - most importantly - food were FAB-U-LOUS. Cheers!