Favorite NYC Restaurants?

[Anonymous]

Looking for suggestions - anything from casual to more special occasion. Not into fancy unless it's truly good food. We'll be with our tween/teen kids.

[Anonymous]

You need to give us more information. Where will you be staying? What is your upper budget? Any food preferences or aversions?

[Anonymous]

Semma.

[Anonymous]

L'Artusi

[Anonymous]

Kati Roll Company

[Anonymous]

I have given this rec on this board before but Kashkaval Garden in Hell's Kitchen is fun (fondue!) and in a tourist-y area.

Xi'an famous foods for fast casual Chinese noodles (there is one in Alexandria that is takout only, it is much better to go right to the source and eat in store).

Brooklyn Bagel in EV or Chelsea for my favorite bagels.

S'mac and Velselka are very fun for teens/tweens (both in EV).

Au Za'atar in EV has solid food and very instagram-able. Don't bother with the one in midtown.

Swingers mini golf would be fun if you want something to do (check the age restrictions based on time of day?)

Fiaschetteria Pistoia (EV or WV) is always a solid Italian rec; make reservations.

Flex Mussels, Jacob's Pickles, Black Tap (milkshakes) played with my tween nieces back in the day (never my top tier favorite, but decent and not super expensive).

Reasonably priced hotpot or omasake is always good.

[Anonymous]

I live in NYC and eat out regularly, but it’s kind of hard to answer this without some additional specifics. What general types of cuisine, what borough/neighborhood, are you looking for a decent sit-down restaurant with some ambience or is a hole in the wall fine, what general price range (“fancy” in NYC to me is $250+ per person, which is pretty rare in other cities), etc. The sheer volume and range of restaurants in NYC so far surpasses DC or Philly or any other cities that I’m familiar with, and these factors matter so much in NYC, that providing a generic list of 5-10 “good restaurants” is not the most useful.

That said, here are a few suggestions assuming you’re looking for places in Manhattan that will be around or under $50-60 per person ($100 if you’re drinking), although Gramercy Tavern and Minetta will run a little more. Ravagh is one of my favorite restaurants in the city and I often take visitors. Chama Mama is very good Georgian food, which is not plentiful in DC. Union Square Cafe is a classic that I really enjoy; Gramercy Tavern is run by the same group but a bit more upscale (great burger, though) and is beautifully decorated during the holidays. Balthazar and Minetta Tavern are great if you are looking for a classic NYC experience, but you’ll need to make reservations well in advance. Parm is a good and relatively reasonably priced restaurant with an Italian-American menu and your kids will probably enjoy it. It’s owned by the same group as Carbone (which is a very buzzy place that is basically impossible to get into) and serves the same vodka pasta, which is their signature dish.

[Anonymous]

We like Hummus Place and one saw Ben Stiller's dad there

[Anonymous]

Love Balthazar!