New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [185]
Harry’s Steak and Harry’s Café.
$$$$ | STEAKHOUSE | Its noise-dampening acoustics and maze of underground nooks combine to make Harry’s Steak—the fine-dining half of the restaurant (Harry’s Café is more casual)—the city’s most intimate steak house. Request the grotto for a stealthy rendezvous, or the long dozen-seater for a raucous night out with the boys. Begin with savory baked clams buried in smoked bacon and bread crumbs, or the lively tomato trio, starring thick beefsteak slices topped with bacon and blue cheese, mozzarella and basil, and shaved onion with ranch dressing. The star attraction—prime aged porterhouse for two—is nicely encrusted with sea salt and a good match for buttery mashed potatoes infused with sweet roasted shallots and thick steak sauce spooned from Mason jars. | 1 Hanover Sq., between Stone and Pearl Sts., Financial District | 10004-2713 | 212/785–9200 | www.harrysnyc.com | Reservations essential | AE, D, MC, V | Closed Sun. | Subway: 4, 5 to Bowling Green; 2, 3 to Wall St.
P. J. Clarke’s.
$$ | AMERICAN | This East Side institution has been dispensing burgers and beer for more than a century. Despite a physical upgrade under new owners in 2002, the original P. J. Clarke’s (there’s now another offshoot way downtown) maintains the beveled-glass and scuffed-wood look of an old-time saloon. Many of the bartenders and patrons are as much of a fixture as the decor. More civilized at lunchtime, the bar area heaves with an after-work mob on weekday evenings. Pull up a stool if you can for superlative bar food, like clams casino and the signature burger smothered in creamy béarnaise. A few other P. J. Clarke locations have sprouted up at 915 3rd Avenue (at 55th Street), 44 West 63rd Street, near Columbus Avenue, and 205 East 55th Street, off 2nd Avenue. | 4 World Financial Center, at Vesey Street, Financial District | 10281-0002 | 212/285–1500 | AE, DC, MC, V | Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, 9 to Chambers St.
SHO Shaun Hergatt.
$$$$ | NEW AMERICAN | This restaurant in the Setai Hotel befits the riches of nearby Wall Street. Though it launched at the height of the 2008 recession, the decor screams all-out extravagance in every way. After passing through a dramatic corridor composed of glass-encased wine bottles, you enter a sprawling series of rooms adorned with framed silver rings, striated wood walls, and luxurious Asian-inspired fabrics. Australian chef Shaun Hergatt, visible in the open kitchen, brings a light touch to the luxurious cuisine in dishes like peekytoe crab with galangal gelee and sea urchin, and an ingot of three-day short rib over a rich parsnip puree that looks—and tastes—like a savory candy bar. The $69 three-course prix-fixe is a reasonable antidote to an expensive à la carte menu. | 40 Broad St., at Exchange Pl., Financial District | 10004 | 212/809–3993 | www.shoshaunhergatt.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Subway: R to Rector St., 2, 3, 4, 5 to Wall St., J, M, Z to Broad Street
TRIBECA
TriBeCa still holds an air of exclusivity, though glamorous dining rooms in converted warehouses have been joined by more casual spots with later hours. This is a great neighborhood to stop for a meal on your way to Lower Manhattan’s many attractions.
Bubby’s.
$ | AMERICAN | Crowds clamoring for coffee and freshly squeezed juice line up for brunch at this TriBeCa mainstay, but the restaurant serves fine lunches and dinners as well. The dining room is homey and comfortable, with big windows; in summer, neighbors sit at tables outside with their dogs. For brunch you can order almost anything, including homemade granola, sour-cream pancakes with bananas and strawberries, and huevos rancheros with guacamole and grits. Eclectic comfort food—mac ’n cheese, fried chicken—make up the lunch and dinner menus. | 120 Hudson St., at N. Moore St., TriBeCa | 10013-2317 | 212/219–0666 | www.bubbys.com | D, DC, MC, V | Subway: 1 to Franklin St.
Corton.
$$$$ | FRENCH | Über-restaurateur Drew Neiporent transformed