The Glutton’s Guide to NYC Restaurant Week

After 4 years of living in the city and active participation in both the winter and summer restaurant weeks despite being a college student (read: poor), I’ve now managed to eat at enough places to come up with this guide. Now there’s certainly way more than 25 restaurants that have RW (I’ll be abbreviating restaurant week as that from now on for obvious reasons), and I’m no expert by any means, but hopefully this guide and my tips will still helps those of you who need a hand at making your reservations. And yes, RW is officially ending this Sunday, but don’t be surprised when you find out its extended until Labor Day. Feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments.

But first, some tips on making your reservations and dining during RW:

• Go for the $$$’s – RW is all about dining at some of NYC’s best (read: expensive) restaurants at a fraction of the cost. As a result, I always make sure to go to places where my entrée alone would cost around $30. So look for places with the most $’s to get the most value out of RW.
• Register your American Express card for a $20 statement credit – Amex cardmember? Register, dine at least 3 times during RW, and get a $20 statement credit. That’s practically a free lunch.
• Be generous when tipping – Waiters and hosts tips typically get cut during Restaurant Week since most tables’ bills add up to less, yet they usually still provide you with the same impeccable service as they would to those dining on the full-priced menu. You’re already saving a good deal with RW pricing, so don’t be stingy.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for more bread – Seriously. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. A lot of places will even ask you if you want a refill.
• Try Savored.com to save 20-30% if the RW menu is unappealing – I’m a member of this great site called Savored.com that allows you to save 20-30% off your full-priced bill at many restaurants that participate in RW, including Aquavit, DB Bistro Moderne, Butter, and Le Cirque, making it a great way to try these places at a similar discount if you aren’t impressed by their RW offerings. Book by Friday to pay only $2 (usually $10) for any future reservation (pro-tip: just make a reservation for any future date, and you can always modify it when you decide on when you actually want to go)

And now, onto the list!

Disclaimer: Since this list spans 4 years, some of the restaurants may no longer participate in RW, have different menus, may have gotten better, or may suck now. I’ve included when I ate at each restaurant as reference (thank you, OpenTable). Try the RW website or Yelp if you need more help deciding, or leave a comment and I’ll do my best to respond.

The Best of the Best

• Any David Burke restaurant (New American) – Having dined at both David Burke Townhouse (Winter ’11) and Fishtail by David Burke (Winter ’10), I’ve come to the conclusion that this guy really understands what people want from RW. With memorable food (from cheesecake lollipops on a tree to the best lobster bisque that even came with a mini lobster roll), an extensive selection for restaurant week (always at least 3 choices, if not more), great service, and good portions, David Burke has yet to disappoint me (We’ll see if I’m proven wrong if/when I try out David Burke Kitchen)
• JoJo (French, Summer ’11) – See my review here
• Porter House (Steakhouse, Winter ’10) – Amazing soups, perfectly cooked, sizable, melt-in-your-mouth steaks, and Central Park views.
• The Water Club (Seafood, Winter and Summer ’10) – Apparently they didn’t do it this year, but I’ve dined there twice for their “Lobster and Lobster” RW menu with their delicious lobster bisque appetizer and a whole lobster entrée. Add that to the floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for the most gorgeous views along the East River, and you’re in for a truly memorable dinner.
• Morimoto (Japanese, Summer ’08) – There’s a reason he’s an Iron Chef – everything we had was amazing and the sushi is so fresh it’s practically still alive. The restaurant itself has great interiors, especially the wall made entirely of glass bottles.
• Thalassa (Greek, Winter ’11) – Greek cheeses to go with our wine while we waited for the rest of our party, a spanikopita amuse-bouche in between our delicious appetizer and entrée courses, and simply gorgeous, nautical-inspired interiors make this Tribeca restaurant a standout.

Amazing food, but you’ll probably leave hungry
You’ll get to try some of the best food of your life that would normally cost way more than RW’s $24.07/$35 (meaning, try out these places!), but you should probably have a snack beforehand if you’re used to bigger portions (meaning, you should probably have a snack…)

• Cafe Boulud (French, Summer ’09) – The best French I’ve ever had in the city. The. End.
• Craftbar (New American, Winter ’11) – I actually found their portions perfectly sized for lunch, but others wanted more. Regardless, everything we tasted at Tom Colicchio’s Flatiron restaurant made us understand why he’s a judge on Top Chef.
• Megu (Japanese, Winter ’10) – My main course was Kobe beef served on a hot stone that was set on fire to cook. Tiny, but undeniably delicious. And the interiors of this Tribeca gem will blow you away.

Great restaurants that will leave you satisfied
Not necessarily amazing, but for great food for all 3 courses, portions, service, and ambiance, these are definitely worth trying out during RW.

• AJ Maxwell’s Steakhouse (Steakhouse, Summer ’08)
• Artisanal (French, Summer ’11)
• Caffe Grazzie (Italian, Winter ’09)
• Lure Fishbar (Seafood, Winter ’11)
• Maloney & Porcelli (Steakhouse, Summer ’09)
• Quality Meats (Steakhouse, Summer ’09)
• Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (Steakhouse, Summer ’08)

Great restaurants that I’ve only tried outside of RW but are probably great during RW too
While I’ve never actually dined at these places during RW, based on my experiences there and their offerings on their RW menus, I’d say they’re a safe bet for a fantastic pre-fixe meal.

• Il Cantinori (Italian, Fall ’10) – Some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had, and their RW menu looks just as appealing.
• Kittichai (Thai, Summer ’09) – See my description for Il Cantinori, change Italian for Thai.
• Spice Market (Southeast Asian, Fall ’10) – Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s upscale take on SEA street food is some of the best I’ve had. If you’re up for spending a bit more than the RW price range, the restaurant has a 5-course, 10 dish tasting for $48 that will leave you so full you’ll feel like your going to burst.

Hit or Miss Restaurants
Some courses are good, but others are just mediocre. Your call.

• City Crab & Seafood (Seafood, Winter ’10) – My jumbo lump crab cakes were fantastic, as was their lobster, but appetizers and dessert were just ok. Maybe they’ve changed up their offering for those courses so could be worth a shot. If anything, go for their $1 oyster and half-price drink happy hour.
• Mesa Grill (Southwest American, Winter ’08) – Sorry Bobby Flay, but as good as your profiteroles were, my chicken was dry.

Go to these great restaurants, just not for Restaurant Week

These restaurants are great, but they either a) have year-round pre-fixe menus for around the same price as RW
b) are affordable enough to order from their regular a la carte menus or
c) have amazing food on their a la carte menus that you would miss by ordering from their RW menu. Better to save your reservations for one of the places listed above and check these out when RW is over.

• Beacon (New American) – Their wood-roasted oysters are absolutely amazing. Seriously. They will blow your mind. The wood roasted pizzas and souffles are phenomenal as well.
• Chinatown Brasserie (Chinese) – One might not understand why dim sum would ever cost more than $4 per serving, but one bite of Chef Joe Ng’s elevated dumplings and other small bites will make you forget all about having to chase a lady pushing a cart for good dim sum. Entrees are supposedly mediocre, so just go for the dim sum. Make a reservation through Savored.com for 30% off your bill.
• Nobu (Japanese) – Honestly, their RW menu kind of sucks in terms of offerings. Their black cod miso, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of suck, as are their tempuras.
• Tao (Pan-Asian) – their $24.07 lunch pre-fixe is available year-round, and the family-style portions can be shared so dining a la carte is still in the RW price range