davidI
10-27-2012, 01:43 AM
Just spent 3 weeks in Manhattan and hit a lot of amazing restaurants (the girl I was staying with is a bit of a foodie and knew a lot of great spots, plus we spent a lot of time researching new ones on Yelp).
Figured others may find this useful...
Gramercy Tavern - My #1 favourite. Ate in the bar area, which I hear has a better menu than the formal restaurant. It's a really cool bar, with excellent bartenders. They had Wookey Jack on tap there and it was a wonderful beer. Dinner was great. My date and I both had the 4 course chef's menu. She had it with the wine pairings and I with the beer pairings. Excellent service, excellent dinner, and great atmosphere. My date though the lounge was a little 'light', but I prefer that to dark settings.
Nomad Hotel - The chicken at the Nomad Hotel has been raved about all over New York. It even made the cover of Time Out Magazine. We had to make reservations 2 weeks in advance but managed to get there for the chicken. Apparently the chicken makes up 81% of the meals served there. It costs $79 but serves 2 people. They also have a very extensive wine list and a pretty solid beer and whisky menu, though it's quite pricey. They also have a special Brookly Brewery beer specially made for the chicken. The beer is called "Nomad Le Poulet" and was a tasty dubbel type beer. The service is very formal and the atmosphere is darker and more romantic. We had a sweet potato starter (entree divided into 2 portions) and it was truly amazing. They bring the chicken out to show you and it does truly look amazing. It has beautiful crisp skin and is stuffed with foie gras. I must say that it was delicious, but after the first few bites it became a bit too rich for my liking. Next time I may try and get some light vegetables on the side or drink a really heavy bodied wine with it instead of the hefeweizen I had. It's worth trying once since it is probably the most tasty chicken you'll ever have, but I doubt I'll be back any time soon.
Cookhouse on Tenth - Great brunch spot. The Chiloquiles are amazing. Good coffee and they have a great bloody mary and eye-opener cocktail menu too. I had a bacon infused vodka bloody mary which was rather interesting. I doubt I'd have one again, but I did love pulling a crunchy piece of bacon out of my drink at the end! We went here 3 times for bunch just for those delicious chiloquiles!!
Porteno - A wonderful little Argentinian restaurant. It is very small but has great service and amazing food. I was amazed. I had a steak and it was great. My can't remember what my date had but she was also happy. My date couldn't decide on a wine and the server was adamant she keep trying wines until she found one she liked. I'd love to go there again.
Balthazer - This is basically a French Bistro. It is very popular amongst tourists and locals and even though it is huge, you may have to wait a while for a table. I really liked the atmosphere as it feels like a 1920s or 1930s diner. My date had some sort of mushroom pie pastry thing that is apparently amazing. She always has the same thing and loves it. I had a corned beef egg dish that I was less impressed with. I'd like to go again and try a different dish as it is great atmosphere.
Cafe Condesa - Another small place with only 5 or 6 tables. It was a neat little spot that we thought was going to be latin / mexican but ended up having a very non-mexican menu. Service was good, atmosphere was good, and food was great. I had a lamb shank that was cooked to perfection. Loved it. It's a perfect spot for heading out to the bars as well as there are a lot of places in the near vicinity.
The Half King Bar and Restaurant - Just a chill out neighbourhood bar. I loved the atmosphere of it and they had a great beer menu. Standard pub food. A spot I would frequent if I lived in the area.
Ovest Pizza - A great little pizza joint I've been to several times. This place usually loads up in the evenings as people grab dinner before one of the many shows in the area.
Cienfuegos - A perfect stop after walking through Central Park (it is apparently tough to find good restaurants in that area). They had great cocktails, make the guacamole right in front of you, and have a delicious menu. My date had mini tacos that were very tasty, and I had a great burger. I'm not a big fries guy, but my date thought they were some of the best french fries she's had.
Rocket Pig - They only have one menu item here, and that is the rocket pig sandwich. It's a $14 sandwich but it's definitely worth at least one try. It's a "smoked spice-rubbed pork on ciabatta roll with red onion jam and mustard sauce house-made pickle and side of rocket pig hot sauce". It's worth trying the bacon caramels too. Delicious lunch.
El Quinto Pino - Wicked little Tapas bar that made me feel like I was in Spain. Very authentic tapas dishes that make a perfect afternoon snack before a movie (as we did) or would make a nice place for casual drinks and food in the evening. Loved it.
Coffee Bar Diner - What a great spot this is. The name says it all. 24 hour diner that serves great breakfast in the morning and booze in the evening. The servers were all gorgeous - they must have been aspiring models or actresses. The Western Omelette I had for breakfast was incredible for such a casual diner atmosphere. We also went there one night for drunk food. Can't remember what I ate, but it was delicious. I'd go back just for the hot servers. It looked pretty happening in the evening too so may be worth stopping in for a drink if you're in the Union Square area.
Wilfie & Nell - Cool little pub that gets right packed up. If you're looking to pick up some women, this is the place. Good beer selection but a bit too packed of a place (for my liking) if you're just going out with friend and not looking to mix and mingle.
Cafe Wha? - My favourite bar in NYC. It caters to tourists, but all the locals I know love it too. Great house band. They had a comedian from Comedy Central come try his material on us before the band started and that was great too. Wicked jokes. They have a steep cover charge and drinks aren't cheap, but the atmosphere and band make this a place I will go to every time I am in town! There are a load of great drunk food places nearby too so get your drunk on, enjoy the music, and carb load when the show ends!
Gin Palace - Another bar / club I ended up in. Not my type of place. Really dark. Music was a drum & bass smorgasbord. There were a few hot women though and a cage for the ladies to dance in. I'm sure there are better bars in NYC but then again, it may have just been an off night.
Press Lounge - Ink48 Hotel. What a beautiful sky bar. Great views of the city. The drinks are expensive, but you're paying for the view (and they're good). Worth stopping in for a drink if you're in Hell's Kitchen.
Duet 35 - Japanese style Karaoke bar. Not much more to say than that. Fun to book a room if you have a group.
Figured others may find this useful...
Gramercy Tavern - My #1 favourite. Ate in the bar area, which I hear has a better menu than the formal restaurant. It's a really cool bar, with excellent bartenders. They had Wookey Jack on tap there and it was a wonderful beer. Dinner was great. My date and I both had the 4 course chef's menu. She had it with the wine pairings and I with the beer pairings. Excellent service, excellent dinner, and great atmosphere. My date though the lounge was a little 'light', but I prefer that to dark settings.
Nomad Hotel - The chicken at the Nomad Hotel has been raved about all over New York. It even made the cover of Time Out Magazine. We had to make reservations 2 weeks in advance but managed to get there for the chicken. Apparently the chicken makes up 81% of the meals served there. It costs $79 but serves 2 people. They also have a very extensive wine list and a pretty solid beer and whisky menu, though it's quite pricey. They also have a special Brookly Brewery beer specially made for the chicken. The beer is called "Nomad Le Poulet" and was a tasty dubbel type beer. The service is very formal and the atmosphere is darker and more romantic. We had a sweet potato starter (entree divided into 2 portions) and it was truly amazing. They bring the chicken out to show you and it does truly look amazing. It has beautiful crisp skin and is stuffed with foie gras. I must say that it was delicious, but after the first few bites it became a bit too rich for my liking. Next time I may try and get some light vegetables on the side or drink a really heavy bodied wine with it instead of the hefeweizen I had. It's worth trying once since it is probably the most tasty chicken you'll ever have, but I doubt I'll be back any time soon.
Cookhouse on Tenth - Great brunch spot. The Chiloquiles are amazing. Good coffee and they have a great bloody mary and eye-opener cocktail menu too. I had a bacon infused vodka bloody mary which was rather interesting. I doubt I'd have one again, but I did love pulling a crunchy piece of bacon out of my drink at the end! We went here 3 times for bunch just for those delicious chiloquiles!!
Porteno - A wonderful little Argentinian restaurant. It is very small but has great service and amazing food. I was amazed. I had a steak and it was great. My can't remember what my date had but she was also happy. My date couldn't decide on a wine and the server was adamant she keep trying wines until she found one she liked. I'd love to go there again.
Balthazer - This is basically a French Bistro. It is very popular amongst tourists and locals and even though it is huge, you may have to wait a while for a table. I really liked the atmosphere as it feels like a 1920s or 1930s diner. My date had some sort of mushroom pie pastry thing that is apparently amazing. She always has the same thing and loves it. I had a corned beef egg dish that I was less impressed with. I'd like to go again and try a different dish as it is great atmosphere.
Cafe Condesa - Another small place with only 5 or 6 tables. It was a neat little spot that we thought was going to be latin / mexican but ended up having a very non-mexican menu. Service was good, atmosphere was good, and food was great. I had a lamb shank that was cooked to perfection. Loved it. It's a perfect spot for heading out to the bars as well as there are a lot of places in the near vicinity.
The Half King Bar and Restaurant - Just a chill out neighbourhood bar. I loved the atmosphere of it and they had a great beer menu. Standard pub food. A spot I would frequent if I lived in the area.
Ovest Pizza - A great little pizza joint I've been to several times. This place usually loads up in the evenings as people grab dinner before one of the many shows in the area.
Cienfuegos - A perfect stop after walking through Central Park (it is apparently tough to find good restaurants in that area). They had great cocktails, make the guacamole right in front of you, and have a delicious menu. My date had mini tacos that were very tasty, and I had a great burger. I'm not a big fries guy, but my date thought they were some of the best french fries she's had.
Rocket Pig - They only have one menu item here, and that is the rocket pig sandwich. It's a $14 sandwich but it's definitely worth at least one try. It's a "smoked spice-rubbed pork on ciabatta roll with red onion jam and mustard sauce house-made pickle and side of rocket pig hot sauce". It's worth trying the bacon caramels too. Delicious lunch.
El Quinto Pino - Wicked little Tapas bar that made me feel like I was in Spain. Very authentic tapas dishes that make a perfect afternoon snack before a movie (as we did) or would make a nice place for casual drinks and food in the evening. Loved it.
Coffee Bar Diner - What a great spot this is. The name says it all. 24 hour diner that serves great breakfast in the morning and booze in the evening. The servers were all gorgeous - they must have been aspiring models or actresses. The Western Omelette I had for breakfast was incredible for such a casual diner atmosphere. We also went there one night for drunk food. Can't remember what I ate, but it was delicious. I'd go back just for the hot servers. It looked pretty happening in the evening too so may be worth stopping in for a drink if you're in the Union Square area.
Wilfie & Nell - Cool little pub that gets right packed up. If you're looking to pick up some women, this is the place. Good beer selection but a bit too packed of a place (for my liking) if you're just going out with friend and not looking to mix and mingle.
Cafe Wha? - My favourite bar in NYC. It caters to tourists, but all the locals I know love it too. Great house band. They had a comedian from Comedy Central come try his material on us before the band started and that was great too. Wicked jokes. They have a steep cover charge and drinks aren't cheap, but the atmosphere and band make this a place I will go to every time I am in town! There are a load of great drunk food places nearby too so get your drunk on, enjoy the music, and carb load when the show ends!
Gin Palace - Another bar / club I ended up in. Not my type of place. Really dark. Music was a drum & bass smorgasbord. There were a few hot women though and a cage for the ladies to dance in. I'm sure there are better bars in NYC but then again, it may have just been an off night.
Press Lounge - Ink48 Hotel. What a beautiful sky bar. Great views of the city. The drinks are expensive, but you're paying for the view (and they're good). Worth stopping in for a drink if you're in Hell's Kitchen.
Duet 35 - Japanese style Karaoke bar. Not much more to say than that. Fun to book a room if you have a group.