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sourced, meticulously prepared fish and seafood take center stage at this glossy, well-pedigreed restaurant. Large picture windows in the dining room offer expansive views of Central Park South, and silver-dipped shells on pedestals decorate the dining room. No expense is spared in importing the very best of the ocean’s bounty, beginning with an entire menu of raw crudo dishes—think scallops with orange, wild fennel, and arugula—that is rapidly becoming the restaurant’s signature and can be enjoyed in the main dining room or an eight-seat bar at the end of the front room’s shimmering onyx wall. You’d be remiss, though, if you skipped the pastas that made chef Michael White famous at the now-closed Convivio (and at his expanding empire, which includes Osteria Morini in NoLIta and Ai Fiori in the new Setai Hotel). They’re served here in lusty iterations like rich fusilli with octopus and bone marrow and spaghetti with sea urchin. Whole fish like roasted turbot and salt-baked snapper are equally showstopping. Service is flawless, and even the dishware—scalloped china embossed with the restaurant’s name and tiny shell-shape espresso cups—is special. | 240 Central Park S, between Broadway and 7th Ave., Midtown West | 10019 | 212/582–5100 | www.marea-nyc.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Subway: A, B, C, D, 1 to Columbus Circle.

Fodor’s Choice | Per Se.

$$$$ | AMERICAN | The New York interpretation of what many consider America’s finest restaurant, Napa Valley’s French Laundry, Per Se is chef Thomas Keller’s Broadway stage. Keller equally embraces French technique, a religious fervor for seasonality, and a witty playfulness that speaks to his confidence in the kitchen. The large dining room is understated and elegant, with touches of wood, towering florals, and—the best design touch of all—sweeping windows with views of Central Park. Keller’s dishes are now world-renowned, such as his tiny cones of tuna tartare topped with crème fraiche, and “oysters and pearls,” delicate tiny mollusks suspended in a creamy custard with tapioca. Dessert service is a multicourse celebration of all things sweet, including a choice of 27 house-made chocolates and, of course, treats to take home. Waiters, who can, and may, recite the provenance of the tiniest turnip, are also some of the nicest, most disarming servers in town. There’s also a new à la carte “salon” menu available in the front bar room, but let’s face it: if you manage to snag a reservation, there’s nothing else to do but submit to the $275 prix-fixe. | Time Warner Center,10 Columbus Circle, 4th fl., at W. 60th St., Upper West Side | 10019-1158 | 212/823–9335 | www.perseny.com | Reservations essential Jacket required | AE, MC, V | No lunch Mon.–Thurs. | Subway: A, B, C, D, 1 to 59th St./Columbus Circle .

Picholine.

$$$$ | MEDITERRANEAN | Having undergone a spiffy renovation in recent years, Terrence Brennan’s classic French restaurant, done up in tones of eggplant and lavender, still has a dignified atmosphere, but it’s now caught up with the times. His kitchen maintains a strong emphasis on contemporary Mediterranean cuisine and relies conspicuously on artisanal farmers and food producers. The menu is divided into four relatively small sections: Preludes, Pastas, Day Boats, and the Land, and you are invited to construct your own tasting by selecting three or four sections. The kitchen’s spin on chicken Kiev is particularly brilliant: an heirloom chicken breast is pressed into a fat juicy tube and rolled in crushed cornflakes before it is deep-fried. Slice into the soft cylinder and it spills its luscious “liquid foie gras” filling. Don’t miss the famous cheese course, which Brennan practically invented here. There’s also a more limited three-course pretheater prix-fixe for $58, one of the best deals in the neighborhood. | 35 W. 64th St., between Broadway and Central Park W, Upper West Side | 10023-6728 | 212/724–8585 | www.picholinenyc.com | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | No lunch. Closed Sun. | Subway: 1 to 66th St./Lincoln Center .

Porter House.

$$$$ | STEAKHOUSE