My wife and I did Le Pavillion a few weeks ago, the day after we hit The Grill. I concur, most excellent. I thought The Grill was better and had a deeper and more mature wine list, but Le Pavillion was more creative and intimate.
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It’s been a few years and may be a bit ‘old school’, but Daniel provided an amazing night of wining and dining for my wife and I. I believe it was 3M* when we were there, but it looks like it has dropped to 2M*. Not shabby either way.
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when I tried to make reservations in advance, all top places were either 2 or 4 weeks out, no longer. Impossible to make months in advance.
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Never had a meal that changed my life. Interesting concept.
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You’ve never had a meal that opened your eyes to something that you’d never eaten before or was done in a different way and it changed how you look at that food forever? My condolences.
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I find it interesting when people ask about NYC restaurants the divergence of responses from those who live in NYC and eat out often (me) and those who visit occasionally. I realize part of it is that visitors are looking for an experience and I want great food along with hospitality. But food is foremost most important to me.
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I think if you want to drink very good wine off a list with very good food, service in a nice setting, Daniel is a great pick. The list, if price is no object, is definitely one of the top in the city for French wines and there’s also some bargains to be had. The food these days is very good - it’s possible its just me or sample size, but I think the quality is meaningfully higher today than it was 5 years ago. It’s also a menu that actually works well with red wines. Service is top notch.
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My lifechanging experiences generally have involved people and not food. Getting married. Having children and now a granddaughter. And, even with regard to food and wine my most lifechanging moments have involved meeting people - in particular, joining the wine group I have now belonged to for over 15 years and making a bunch of really good friends.
To the extent any foods have opened my eyes about food (certainly not life changing), most of it has been rather simpler food done really well. I have liked the great meals I have had at top restaurants, but dishes that have stuck with me the longest have tended to be things like a caprese salad at Farmstead in St. Helena; poached eggs with Truffles at a wine bar in Beaune called Maison du Colombier, a vegetable antipasto in Rome , duck make by Sous Vide at a friend’s house in this area, etc., etc., etc.
I thought breaking 80 for the first time in many years about a year ago might be life changing, but it was just a good memory and did not change my life.
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For me that was sushi nakazawa. Its owned by the protégée of Jiro from Japan. The sushi I had at Nakazawa transcended anything else ive ever had prior.
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If price is not a concern, Le Bernardin is probably your best bet considering their wine list.
I’d also check out The Modern and, though it’s not Michelin, The Grill as well (their list is wild).
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Depends on where people are from. Pittsburgh has some decent restaurants but nothing like NYC.
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I’ll echo the recommendations for Atomix (best meal I’ve had in NYC this year) and Atera.
I had a kind of strange experience at The Grill (I was directed unprompted to the “affordable” section of the wine list), and found the food to be in the more-is-more vein, missing the nuance of some of the restaurants I prefer in NYC.
You might also explore some of the high-end yakitori options in the city. Places like Torien or Kono (caveat that I haven’t been to either yet).
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This takes me back to the discussion about the difference between New York and LA dining. People who visit New York think that what New York does best are 3 star Michelin restaurants. People who live in New York don’t think that way at all.
I don’t eat out quite as much as you do Robert, but I do a fair amount and other than Chef’s Table none of the 3 Michelin star places in New York would particularly tempt me. Personally, knowing what they have on the list and what the food is like, I know exactly where I’d go, but it wouldn’t suit the OP’s specific criteria, which leans to places like Per Se.
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I honestly find that my mind blowing culinary experiences have come while eating abroad rather than domestically. Could just be a mindset thing but I find i get way more for my money
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On Robert’s advice the last time we went to NYC, we ate at the Four Horsemen. We had an excellent meal at Per Se the night before with several excellent bottles of burgundy and yet after the trip all I talked about was the lunch we had at Four Horsemen, both food and wine.
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That makes me very happy. Love the whole crew at 4H.
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Good call on Le Bernardin. Never a bad meal there, also the Modern is a great choice
On a non Michelin spot, I enjoyed Fish Cheeks, great SE Asian menu.
Am looking forward to this thread finally solving the perennial question on what’s the Number One NYC Restaurant.
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The real number one NYC restaurant is wherever your getting food hammered at 2am and we all know it.
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Michel Bras was asked what his best meal was in NYC and he said the apple he had after finishing the NYC Marathon.
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