New York City Restaurants

It's hard to imagine New York, or New York society, without the venerable "21" club. Business tycoons, movie stars and ladies-who-lunch have packed this charming and historic townhouse since its early days as a speakeasy. The food is excellent and quintessentially American, if priced for the penthouse crowd.

This bustling midtown restaurant, just blocks from the Empire State Building, boasts more than 200 varieties of cheese, though the fromage is just the starting (or, perhaps, ending) point of the wildly popular new dining experience. Seafood and vegetable dishes dominate the menu, but its widely applauded variety of game, fowl and beef are nothing to sneeze at. Artisanal's wine list is exceptional and tops the lists of food critics and patrons the city over.

This New York Japanese restaurant is refreshingly minimal in décor, yet excitingly inventive on the plate. Along with Nobu (from which BondSt's chefs originally hailed), BondSt serves the best and freshest sushi in New York. Models, financiers and fish aficionados all flock to the perennially hip establishment to dine on sashimi and other Asian-inspired, minimalist dishes.

Classic Italian country fare, dense as all hell, may go against the dietary restrictions of carb-restricted Chelsea denizens, but Bottino has nevertheless drawn in the gallery-hopping crowd since its unveiling. The mahogany interior provides a relaxed setting for a casual lunch or romantic supper. On warmer days, patrons enjoy a few glasses of wine with antipasti while reveling in Bottino's gorgeous patio garden.

While Brasserie (in both its old and new incarnations) is well known on the after-party circuit as a fantastic late night dining staple, even brunch at this space-pop modern dining room is cause for celebration. The French inspired comfort food (quiches, duck cassoulet, onion soup) and the active bar scene make it a perfect fit for the foodie looking for a taste of New York hip.

Every bit as stylish as its famous eastside cousin (see Brasserie), Brasserie 8 1/2 takes a slightly more American approach to its menu, pairing butternut squash with chorizo and braised veal cheeks with a wild mushroom tortellini. A grand pumpkin-colored stairway descends to the lounge and restaurant below for a grand Hollywood entrance.

B. Smith is the Martha Stewart of Soul Food, in part due to the former's syndicated hit show "B. Smith with Style." But the multi-mediated Martha hasn't managed to open her own restaurant, let alone master the art of centuries of African-American cuisine. B. Smith takes her upscale yet down-home recipes and adds an Asian flair that has become the (shrimp) toast of the New York, both up and down town.

Craving a chilled spring pea soup? How about roasted scallops with quail eggs...or, perhaps, a goat cheese Napoleon with caramelized quince? Star chef Daniel Boulud has our tastebuds shaking again at his this-side-of-the-Atlantic regeneration of his fourth-generation Lyon, France Boulud family café. It is quaint, homey, yet utterly amazing.

With a host of internationally known performers who make Café Carlyle their home base, diners come for the cabaret entertainment (Bobby Short, Woody Allen, Eartha Kitt, to name a few) but end up coming back for the first rate cuisine. In a nation of copycats, no supper club comes close to matching Café Carlyle's combination of star wattage and stellar food.

Café des Artistes originally served the needs of those actual artists who made this block home in the early part of the twentieth century. Today, this artistic café continues its tradition of offering market fresh ingredients in an uncomplicated, bistro manner. Murals of playful wood nymphs by famed illustrator Howard Chandler Christy decorate the venerable institution, which now serves a different variety of artiste -- the Hollywood legend (Kathleen Turner and Paul Newman are two of many who have regular tables here). Just blocks away from Lincoln Center and the theater district, Café des Artistes is high-caliber French comfort food in an intimate and colorful setting.

Chef Daniel Boulud is a New York culinary superstar with impeccable credentials. Before opening his eponymous restaurant in the late 90s, he was head chef at the original Le Cirque. With Daniel, Boulud has added another crown jewel to New York's culinary tiara. The French-peasant food that serves as the menu's base is elevated to decadent, haute proportions. The jacket-required interior is every bit as sumptuous with world-class crystal and china sparkling on the tables and rich Lyon-inspired décor on the walls.

When celebrity chef Daniel Boulud needed a break from his high-end, formal restaurant (see Restaurant Daniel), he created DB Bistro Moderne. His signature skill with seasonal ingredients continues in a less-formal, friendlier setting, similar to the extremely popular new school Parisian bistros. Be prepared for visually and gastronomically stunning saffron risottos, artichoke soups and lobster salads.

After years as the toast of New York's tony Hamptons enclave, ad-man and gossip column boldface Jerry Della Femina opened an eponymous spin-off for weekenders during the weekdays. Della Femina imparts the sophistication of Manhattan with the casual elegance and class of the summer retreat with which he has become so associated. The cuisine is French with a decidedly American twist, or perhaps the other way around. After a few bottles from his hand chosen wine cellar, it's a bit hard to distinguish.

Restaurateur Danny Meyer (formerly of the Union Square Café) takes a light, whimsical approach to the haute American which has rightly made him famous. Meyer favors local ingredients and meats from the Hudson River Valley are favored, but the kitchen also takes its cues from the sea. Patrons are young and fashionable, often loosening the tie after a busy day in the boardroom.

Opened in 1913, the Oyster Bar in historic Grand Central Station attracts everyone from posh Connecticut commuters to tried and true New Yorkers looking for the best on-the-half shell meal in the City. In addition to over two-dozen oyster varieties (flown in fresh daily), the Grand Central Oyster Bar offers a variety of other shellfish delicacies along with substantial champagne and wine lists to best accompany all the delicate creatures.

Located on the ground floor of the neo-Gothic and recently refurbished black and gold Bryant Park Hotel, Ilo is a scene-stealing, "Modern American" restaurant with plenty of buzz. The media elite from the nearby Conde Nast building comes to sup on fantastic dishes like the signature ragout of grilled octopus and manila clams. Get a reservation for lunch and spend the day at the nearby New York Public Library. Or enjoy a leisurely dinner before heading to Times Square to catch a show.

The Latin cuisine that Jimmy Rodriguez once sold from a pushcart in the Bronx has moved upscale and downtown. His sleek, chic supper club attracts the attractive that come to feast on shrimp hushpuppies, mashed plantains and exotic coconut-infused cocktails.

The grandiloquent dining room of Lespinasse is one of New York's most revered spaces--formal, floral and the perfect setting for the haute French cuisine that once defined New York's old school dining scene. Located in the recently refurbished historic St. Regis hotel, Lespinasse's classy reputation makes it perfect for lavish celebrations and memorable meals.

In the months following the arrival of the new millennium, it seemed no other spot could match the star power and social potency of Lotus, three-floors of restaurant and nightclub. While fashion mavens and fame-seekers still angle for reservations at this cool Chelsea hot-spot, its initial über-exclusivity has relaxed and diners now come for the food as much as the frivolity. Welcome to the new New York—just don't spill that watermelon martini on your Prada blouse.

An offshoot of the international sensation of the original Paris Man Ray, New York's Man Ray is just as hot as its Gallic sister. A mellow Asian-inspired menu fits perfectly with the dimly lit dining room's Buddhist calm.

Michael's, with locations in both New York and Santa Monica, has been serving California cuisine to power brokers and pop stars for over 20 years. The casual yet modern dining experience centers on well-prepared, inventive and borderline health-conscious dishes made from fresh American ingredients. Grilled duck breast and comfit, poached Alaskan salmon and Hudson Valley foie gras are some of the perennial delights of this California and New York mainstay.

Francois Payard, former pastry chef at Restaurant Daniel, opened his own sweetly chic bistro on New York's Upper East Side to crowds of chocolate lovers, but his quiet, unassuming take on French bistro cuisine is just as addictive. Relax in the warm, inviting dining room or take your confections to go.

Located on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Rainbow Room is a rare combination of glamour, elegance and classic Italian cuisine. While black-tie is preferred at this New York landmark, guests are welcome to dine on roast duckling a l'orange and tuna tartare in sophisticated dark suits. The revolving ballroom is one of the grandest rooms in all New York, offering sweeping views of the city while guests trip the light fantastic.

Dinner and a movie have never been so accessibly upscale. On the dining side, the Screening Room features ritzy American standards with a French twist room while screening an eclectic mix of cinema classics and limited-release independent films in the reel room. While New Yorkers come here for both film and food, either separately or together, diners can score a three-course prix-fixe meal with a movie ticket for less than 40 bucks.

Located just steps from New York's legendary Carnegie Hall, Shelly's New York has served some of the best steak and seafood in the City to the famous and their fans for years. The four-story art deco restaurant is delightfully decadent, from its Peter Max paintings to its freshly flown-in stone crab and oysters—only the best.

Brazilian sushi? Has New World cuisine gone crazy? One look at the inventive menu—lobster ceviche marinated in mango and lime juice, seared beef tataki, chocolate tamales—and you'll be eating to the beat. The Japanese roof garden overlooking Fashion Avenue is a perfect place to enjoy Sushi Samba's legendary saketinis and mojitos.

Brazilian sushi? Has New World cuisine gone crazy? One look at the inventive menu with its lobster ceviche marinated in mango and lime juice, the seared beef tataki and chocolate tamales and you'll be eating to the beat.