Restaurants in Upper West Side
See all Restaurants in ManhattanBar Bao
Redefining Vietnamese on the upper West Side. 100 W. 82nd St., (212) 501-0776. Mon.-Wed., 6 p.m.-1 a.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 6 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sat., 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sun., 5-10 p.m. CUISINE Vietnamese VIBE Cozy meets cool upper West Sider. OCCASION First date, group dinner, neighborhood outing. DON’T-MISS DISH Daikon duck hash, cuttlefish with salsa verde, duck fried rice. AVERAGE PRICE Appetizers $11, entrées $20, desserts $8. RESERVATIONS Recommended When I was just an eater and not a writer, I used to dine at a number of Bao restaurants – Bao Noodles, Bao 111, and also Mai House, where Bao was in the kitchen. It was like a chain of Bao restaurants, a chain in time, not space. Now there’s Bar Bao on 82nd Street. If you order one way at Bar Bao, it’s like eating at an old Bao restaurant. Order...
Read MoreEighty One
An upscale newcomer on the upper West Side. 45 W. 81st St., between Central Park West & Columbus Ave. (212) 873-8181 Dinner, Sun.-Thur., 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m; Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m.-11:30 p.m. CUISINE Modern American VIBE Upper West Side elegance OCCASION Romantic date; fine dining DON’T-MISS DISH Sea scallop & foie gras ravioli; dry-aged Black Angus sirloin PRICE Appetizers, $12-39; entrees, $29-42; desserts, $12 RESERVATIONS Recommended With Dovetail, Bar Boulud, With Dovetail, Bar Boulud, Madeleine Mae and the latest arrival of Eighty One, the upper West Side is having an impressive run of new restaurants. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would certainly make a habit out of the scallop and foie gras ravioli at Eighty One. It’s a splendid appetizer conceived by chef-owner Ed Brown, who served as executive chef at the Sea Grill for 14 years. If you’re...
Read MoreQ & A with Dovetail’s Vera Tong
With the recent debut of Dovetail on the Upper West Side, pastry chef Vera Tong dazzled both critics and diners with her truly inspired approach to classic desserts. Prior to Dovetail, Vera Tong worked in the kitchen at Compass, where she first met chef John Fraser. The two team up again at this highly received contemporary American restaurant where she not only has conceived an exemplary pastry menu, but also bakes the white cheddar cornbread that launch guests into dinner every evening. Vera’s signature brioche pudding with bacon brittle will be making an encore on the spring menu, as will new additions, including a chocolate and coffee parfait, glazed pineapple crumble and a peanut butter frozen cheesecake. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Single What did you want to be when you grew up? Just a cook How did you get into food?...
Read MoreSouth Gate
We have some reservations. ADDRESS:154 Central Park South PHONE: (212) 484-5120 DINNER: Sun.-Thur., 5.30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. CUISINE Seasonal American. VIBE Sleek hotel eatery. OCCASION Hotel dining; dessert destination. DON’T-MISS DISH Buttercup flan; flash-seared calamari. PRICE Appetizers, $10-$21; entrees, $24-$39; desserts, $9-$12. RESERVATIONS Recommended. How fitting that South Gate premiered just on the heels of the highly anticipated unveiling of Alain Ducasse‘s Adour. After all, South Gate, and its chef, Kerry Heffernan, were installed to fill the void left when Ducasse vacated the Essex House. While Alain Ducasse’s former restaurant was buried in the rear of the building, South Gate has its own street entrance on Central Park South. With its glitzy glass façade overlooking the park, it’s a radically hip departure from Ducasse’s classically French production. Designed by Tony Chi, the sleek space is embellished...
Read MoreBar Boulud
Address: 1900 Broadway, near 64th St. Phone: (212) 595-0303 Dinner: Sun.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m; Fri. & Sat., 5 p.m.- midnight; Lunch: Mon.-Fri., noon-3:30 p.m. Cuisine: Contemporary French. Vibe: Bustling wine bar. Occasion: Charcuterie quest; casual UWS dinner. Don’t Miss Dish: Pate grand-mere; braised flatiron steak. Price: Appetizers, $8-$18; entrees, $17-$28; desserts, $6-$12. Reservations: Highly recommended. Chef Daniel Boulud’s new French bistro, which opened across from Lincoln Center, is unlike any other Boulud production. This is the iconic chef’s answer to Manhattan’s demand for informal wine bars. His talent for producing outstanding French cuisine is matched by equally impeccable service (Daniel, Café Boulud). At Daniel (his haute flagship), servers glide gracefully through the dining room. At Bar Boulud, they frantically weave through the narrow quarters, crowded with oenophiles, locals and Boulud devotees. Guests swarm the hostess stand; the less desirable front...
Read MoreDovetail
Address: 103 W. 77th St., at Columbus Ave. Phone: (212) 362-3800 Dinner: Mon.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 5:30 pm.-10 p.m. Cuisine: New American Vibe: Understated townhouse Occasion: Destination dining; civilized date Don’t Miss Dish: Salmon a la plancha; grilled venison Price: Appetizers, $12-$16; entrees, $28-$36; desserts, $10. Reservations: Recommended Eating salmon on the upper West Side doesn’t sound particularly thrilling, but at Dovetail it’s a religious experience. The rosy fish, grilled à la plancha, is exhilarated by a creamy horseradish gribiche (egg and mustard sauce) and bursts of caviar. With its buttery finish, it’s an intense and entirely satisfying appetizer. So is much of the sophisticated cooking at Dovetail, a New American restaurant that recently opened up on the upper West Side. Chef-owner John Fraser isn’t concerned with the trend toward hypercasual dining. With a rigorous sherry menu and...
Read MoreLandmarc – Delivery
Ladies and gentlemen, this is delivery at its finest. Behold, what I ate for lunch… What was once a delivery ghost town just may have changed forever this fine Nor’easter afternoon as Landmarc was transported to my midtown doorstep in just under forty five minutes. Not bad for opening day. While I’ve never had tartare of any kind delivered, I tempted a chunky salmon tartare, washed in a lively dijon mustard and handsomely speckled with zesty lemon confit & fleur de sel. Monday’s rigatoni alla genovese arrived blissfully sauced with an unusually soothing walnut-spiked pesto. I’d say the real estate value in these parts just went up. Until we eat again, Restaurant Girl **Don’t forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl...
Read MoreKefi
222 W. 79th St., btwn. Broadway & Amsterdam (212)873-0200 TYPE: Rustic Greek cuisine VIBE: Snug isle oasis OCCASION: A neighborhood outing or casual affair DON’T MISS DISH: Flat pasta & braised rabbit DON’T BOTHER DISH: Shrimp & scallop souvlaki DRINK SPECIALTY: Greek wines & house cocktails PRICE: $30 & up – CASH ONLY HOURS: Dinner, 7 days a week, Sun – Wed, 5 PM – 10 PM, Thu – Sat, 5 PM-11PM. RESERVATIONS: Reservations recommended on weekends. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 7 for food, 6 for atmosphere FINAL WORD: The food at the newly reinvented Kefi, a family-style Greek, may be his mother’s cooking in theory, but Michael Psilakis is clearly the talented executioner. Chef-owner Michael Psilakis has reinvented his modern Greek restaurant, Onera, transforming it into a peasant-style Greek. Perhaps, the Upper West Side wasn’t the most ideal neighborhood...
Read MorePorter House New York
10 Columbus Circle (Time Warner Center) (212)823-9500 website TYPE: American steakhouse VIBE: Simple elegance OCCASION: A business dinner or romantic dinner DON’T MISS DISH: Porterhouse Steak DON’T BOTHER DISH: Ginger Carrots DRINK SPECIALTY: American-focused Wine List PRICE: $60 & up HOURS: Dinner, Monday through Thursday 5 PM – 10:30 PM; Friday & Saturday, 5 PM – 11 PM. RESERVATIONS: Reservations recommended. INSIDE SCOOP: Order a Diamond Cain RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 6.5 (good to very good) FINAL WORD: With a dazzling park view, Porter House manages to make a woman feel like she’s being taken somewhere special, while still being a steakhouse a man can sink his teeth into. Michael Lomonaco, of Windows on the World and The 21 Club fame, has inherited this park view space, formerly home to the Jean-Georges’ ill-fated V steakhouse, a garrulously over-the-top exercise...
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