New York City Restaurants - Midtown West 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.

A traditional Cuban Restaurant with mojitos, live music and hand rolled cigars. (Description provided by Opentable.com)

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.

From Manhattan to Paris, direct, at LCB Brasserie. A retro French restaurant, LCB Brasserie, in midtown Manhattan keeps to the simple standards of French cooking. From all over France, LCB Brasserie's menu picks up classical preparations of French dining, from Alsatian sauerkraut, to cassoulet or even steak frites.

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.

Italian.

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.

American.

Traditional but still a break from typical Italian restaurant, Baldoria, offers home-style Italian cuisine from various regions of Italy set in a 1940's atmosphere. This comfortable atmosphere includes two casual bars with Wurlitizer jukeboxes and an upstairs lounge that offers on of the city's greatest raw bars. Owned by Frank Pellegrino Jr. whose family has operated Rao's of East Harlem since 1896, Baldoria has street cred to spare.

Beacon Restaurant's straight-forward, seasonal fare has made it a darling of the food press. Beacon is a steakhouse a step above.

American.

Located in The Essex House hotel, Café Botanica offers upscale dining with Central Park and fresh American cuisine. Choose from fresh fish, pizza, pasta, and steak entrees.

As much a social scene as a restaurant, China Grill combines Pan-Asian fare with a heady slice of Gotham life.

American.

American.

Estiatorio Milos restaurant combines sleek surroundings with superbly prepared Greek food made with fresh, seasonally chosen ingredients. Seafood shines particularly bright.

Halcyon restaurant hides out in the plush Rhiga Royal hotel and serves a smart menu of French-inspired, global fare such as lobster bisque, salmon with Asian greens, and Muscovy duck at reasonable prices.

Don't let the name of this restaurant fool you. The Hudson Cafeteria redefines cafeteria fare with an uber hip ambiance, communal seating and gold-plated American comfort food like foie gras-filled macaroni and buttermilk fried oysters.

French.

Seafood is always the catch at Midtown's Manhattan Ocean Club restaurant, a straight-ahead, good-looking fish palace.

Marseille is an elegant restaurant serving deftly prepared French fare in an elegant dining room that once housed a bank. Seafood is best here and dishes draw on the Mediterranean's influence.

Molyvos Restaurant serves traditional Greek specialties complemented by a deep, Greco-focused wine list. Grilled dishes like the lamb and octopus shine. Great staff.

Steak. Madison Square Garden's elegant steak house (but dress is casual) offers aged cuts, a thorough wine list as well as a lounge and an outdoor patio.

Norma's at Le Parker Meridien is a restaurant that consistently wins raves for its breakfasts. Blueberry pancakes, omelettes and lox are all worth getting up for. Sandwiches and salads are also available.

Billed as a New York bistro, Oceo restaurant features a crowd pleasing menu with a little bit of everything from prime center-cut rib eye steak with béarnaise sauce and hand cut fries to a middle eastern mezze platter. Pasta, seafood, small plates and large, Oceo restaurant serves it up in a midtown New York setting.

American.

The light and airy space of Puttanesca restaurant defies its Hell's Kitchen location in midtown New York City. Puttanesca is an upscale Italian restaurant featuring freshly made pastas such as the homemade squid ink tagliatelle with sautéed calamari in a spicy tomato sauce and classic Italian dishes like the veal scaloppini layered with sage, prosciutto, and fontina cheese on sautéed spinach.

Sixty-five floors above Manhattan in New York's famed Rockefeller Center, the Rainbow Room sparkles in a light all of its own. A restaurant for dining and dancing, the Rainbow Room features a live orchestra playing ballroom style dance music to accompany those who wish to twirl around the restaurant's central revolving dance floor. The Rainbow Room serves three course northern Italian meals in dishes like roasted veal chop with butter and sage and Dover sole with fresh tomatoes and olives.

Floor-to-ceiling columns and the bronzed dancing shrimp statues give the Redeye Grill restaurant a touch of the fantastic. The varied menu includes burgers, sandwiches, seafood, and other entrees with a California sensibility. Don't miss the sushi and smoked fish bar.

Stylish Remi restaurant serves pastas, salads, risotto, and other inspired Italian fare from chef and co-owner Francesco Antonucci. The Venetian theme gives Remi and romantic ambiance.

American.

On the southern border of New York's famed Central Park, San Domenico NY presents modern Italian cooking inspired by the cuisine of Italian aristocratic families. An extensive pasta menu featuring homemade pastas like the soft egg yolk filled ravioli with truffle butter or the large rigatoni with scorpion fish ragu makes it tough to decide between pastas or the meats like the roasted saddle of rabbit with green olives, marjoram, and fennel marmalade or the squab with morel mushrooms, ramps, and glazed carrots. A luxurious setting matches the luxurious dining at San Domenico NY restaurant.

Seppi's restaurant at Le Parker Meridien speaks French food with an Italian accent. Look for French classics as well as pastas, osso bucco and risotto.

Streeter's Café offers a view of Seventh Avenue along side its menu of American and European cuisine. Close to the theater district.

Other than its midtown Manhattan location Tony's Di Napoli - Midtown isn't that different from the original Tony's Di Napoli on New York City's upper east side. Serving the same family style portions of southern Neapolitan food like eggplant parmigiana or veal saltimbocca, Tony's Di Napoli restaurant recreates the Italian home kitchen with an overeager nonna trying to fill you stomach and then some.

American. New York's Town restaurant, tucked away in New York's Chambers Hotel, reinvents the cult classics of American cuisine with pre-fixe lunches and dinners and a la carte selections on the balcony.