New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [223]
Fodor’s Choice | Bar Boulud.
$$ | FRENCH | Acclaimed French chef Daniel Boulud, known for upscale New York City eateries Daniel and Café Boulud, shows diners his more casual side with this lively contemporary bistro and wine bar. The long, narrow space accommodates 100 people and has a 14-seat round table for special wine-theme tastings. An additional level has three rooms for larger parties. The menu emphasizes charcuterie, including terrines and pâtés designed by Parisian charcutier Gilles Verot, who relocated just to work with Boulud, as well as traditional French bistro dishes like steak frîtes and poulet rôti à l’ail (roast chicken with garlic mashed potatoes). The 500-bottle wine list is heavy on wines from Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. Wallet watchers won’t feel left out: a pretheater three-course menu starts at $42, and weekend brunch has two hearty courses plus coffee and dessert for $42. | 1900 Broadway, between 63rd and 64th Sts., Upper West Side | 10023-7004 | 212/595–0303 | www.barboulud.com | AE, DC, MC, V | Subway: 1 to 66th St./Lincoln Center; 1, A, C, B, D to 59th St./Columbus Circle .
Barney Greengrass.
$ | DELI | At this New York Jewish landmark brusque waiters send out stellar smoked salmon, sturgeon, and whitefish to a happy crowd packed to the gills at small Formica tables. Split a fish platter with bagels, cream cheese, and other fixings, or get your velvety nova scrambled with eggs and buttery caramelized onions. If you’re still hungry, go for a plate of cheese blintzes or the to-die-for chopped liver. Beware: the weekend brunch wait can exceed an hour. | 541 Amsterdam Ave., between W. 86th and W. 87th Sts., Upper West Side | 10024-2803 | 212/724–4707 | www.barneygreengrass.com | Reservations not accepted | No credit cards | Closed Mon. No dinner | Subway: 1, B, C to 86th St.
Big Nick’s.
$ | DINER | This cramped, 24-hour neighborhood diner is decorated with photographs of the celebrities who’ve visited, but the primary draw is the burgers, which are huge and juicy. The endless menu lists every conceivable burger topping, from avocado and bacon to Greek tzatziki sauce. The classic Bistro Burger has mushrooms, Swiss, and fried onions on toasted challah bread. | 2175 Broadway, between W. 76th and W. 77th Sts., Upper West Side | 10024-6603 | 212/362–9238 | www.bignicksnyc.com | MC, V | Subway: 1 to 79th St.; 1, 2, 3 to 72nd St.
Bouchon Bakery.
$ | CAFÉ | Never mind that you’re in the middle of a shopping mall under a Samsung sign, soups and sandwiches don’t get much more luxurious than this. Acclaimed chef Thomas Keller’s low-key lunch spot (one floor down from his extravagant flagship, Per Se) draws long lines for good reason. Share a mason jar of salmon rillettes—an unctuous spread of cooked and smoked salmon folded around crème fraîche and butter—then move on to one of the fork-and-knife open-faced tartines, like the tuna niçoise. When a sandwich has this much pedigree, $13.50 is actually a bargain. Grab dessert to go, a fresh macaroon or éclair, from the nearby bakery window. | 10 Columbus Circle, 3rd fl., at 60th St., Upper West Side | 10019-1158 | 212/823–9366 | www.bouchonbakery.com | AE, MC, V | Subway: 1, A, B, C, D to 59th St./Columbus Circle .
Café Luxembourg.
$$$ | BRASSERIE | The old soul of the Lincoln Center neighborhood seems to inhabit the tiled and mirrored walls of this lively, cramped restaurant, where West End Avenue regulars—including lots of on-air talent from nearby ABC News—are greeted with kisses, and musicians and audience members pack the room after a concert. The bar’s always hopping, and the menu (served until 11 pm Sunday through Tuesday and until midnight from Wednesday through Saturday) includes dishes like steak tartare and lobster roll alongside dishes with a more contemporary spin like pan-seared trout with haricots verts, hazelnuts, and tomato-caper compote. | 200 W. 70th St., between Amsterdam and West End Aves., Upper West Side | 10123-4323 | 212/873–7411 | www.cafeluxembourg.com | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | Subway: 1, 2, 3, B, C