The Pardner and I recently celebrated an anniversary at Essential by Christophe, a Michelin-starred…read morerestaurant on the Upper West Side. The beige walls and neutral tones in the space gave us flashbacks to when we used to dine at Dovetail, the restaurant in this space many, many years ago (before children). Of course, our dinner at Essential far outshone any we had at Dovetail, both because this was a "date with the whole family" as the progeny puts it, and because the kitchen at Essential is unusually precise and deliberate, distilling onto each plate the pure, fresh, unadulterated flavors of premium ingredients. You can choose a four or seven course "experience", with or without wine pairings. Children may order à la carte or from an unpublished children's menu that includes burgers and pasta for picky eaters. Three of us went with the four course experience and chose our own wine and mocktails to accompany; the 11-year-old went à la carte. Our meal began with a more-substantial-than-usual amuse bouche of mushroom cappuccino. We were advised to sink our spoons all the way down to the bottom of the cup for each bite, so we could experience all three layers at once: sweet potato purée at the base, topped with Madeira reduction and umami-rich mushroom foam. First courses: Dorade Royale (artichoke / gold ossetra caviar / bouillon tiède gourmand): A neatly presented square of layered raw dorade and tender slivers of artichoke hearts came topped with a generous mound of caviar. Bouillon tiède was poured around the square tableside, which slightly warmed the dorade and intensified its delicate flavor. Hokkaido Uni (crustacean royal / sora pickles / wasabi velour): Despite the brilliant green of the gently creamy wasabi sauce / soup, there was no heat and little, if any, of fresh wasabi's distinctive scent. This was just as well, since the bits of Hokkaido uni in the dish were sweet and delicious, and a stronger sauce may have overwhelmed. Toro Saku (mi cuit / tamarind / mandarinquats / sea condiment): A fair sized slab of toro was probably prepared sous vide and very soft, but not flakey, reminiscent of aged sashimi. It was quite difficult to cut given the sometimes fibrous texture and the large slab felt clunky, monotonous, and indelicate, quite unlike our other dishes. Lovely little loaves of warm, brown kalamata bread were brought to the table after our first course was cleared, with little volcano-shaped ramekins of good butter alongside, sprinkled with perhaps Maldon sea salt. Second courses: Celtuce (grilled / cucumber / buddha's hand) -- I didn't get to try more than a teeny bite. But what I tried of it (mostly the sauce) was slightly citrusy, very complex and pleasantly light on the palate. Scallop (lightly smoked / gold ossetra caviar / champagne hazelnut) -- Two generously sized, sweet and delicate sea scallops were served with more of that excellent caviar (an ingredient that makes frequent cameos). This was my favorite dish and probably one of the best scallop preparations in the City. Langoustine (slightly cooked / stuffed zita / swarnadwipa / green curry): I could not pin it to any specific culinary tradition, but the curry worked well and not compete with with sweet langoustine. Third courses: Kampachi (barely grilled / combawa / château-chalon): A generous portion of what was essentially kampachi sashimi was very gently dressed with the tiniest touch of lime, cilantro, scallion, and (I think) sea beans, with a light drizzle of a thin, umami-rich, savory sauce. Squab (racan / roasted / fukushu kumquat / toast à gratin / sauce diable): Pigeonneau de Racan was exceptionally tender and juicy, the liver pate in a pastry shell rich. A pretty orange quenelle of something kumquat-y balanced the fat. Iberico Pork (presa de bellota / sweet peas & chorizo / jalapeño condiment / omija berries jus): A well raised, high quality product from acorn-fed, free-range pigs. Sweet, tart omija berry jus was the perfect foil, a bit reminiscent of cranberry sauce. Desserts: La Tarte au Chocolat (warm / roasted vanilla ice cream): Classic and uncomplicated, the ice cream was scented with pleasantly rounded and understated natural vanilla. La Framboise (crispy fine feuilles / linzer / madagascar vanilla): This confection was simple, yet elegant, strongly leading with the pure flavors of fresh raspberries. Le Soufflé (orange marmalade / green cardamom ice cream): The soufflé was beautifully made, impossibly light and airy, delicately scented with bitter orange. The accompanying green cardamom ice cream stole the show. All around a lovely meal and a lovely evening. We love Chef Christophe Bellanca's mashups of culinary cultures. They're fun and they work!

Absolutely blown away by my experience at Essential by Christophe. From the moment we walked in,…read morethe level of service was nothing short of exceptional warm, precise, and completely effortless. Not a single detail was overlooked. The attention to every meticulous element, from pacing to presentation, created a dining experience that felt truly special. The meal itself was extraordinary. Each course was not only beautifully executed but deeply flavorful and thoughtfully composed. The Mushroom Cappuccino was a perfect start rich, earthy, and comforting with incredible depth. The sweet potato with madeira reduction was a standout, balancing sweetness and richness with elegance. Le Royale was indulgent and refined, while the blue prawns were cooked to perfection delicate and bursting with flavor. Le Tropical brought a bright, refreshing contrast that tied the progression of the meal together beautifully. Even the bread service deserves recognition often overlooked, but here it was exceptional. Paired with the Winter Harvest Highball and the No. 3, the beverage program matched the food in both creativity and execution. What truly elevated the evening was having the pleasure of meeting Chef Christophe and touring the kitchen. He was incredibly down to earth, and his philosophy about food thoughtful, intentional, and rooted in passion clearly shines through in every dish. Every bite was delicious, every detail intentional. This is dining at the highest level refined, memorable, and truly deserving of its Michelin star. I can't wait to return.

Incredible service and friendly staff, great vibes with the numerous records and the food was…read moreeverything we could have asked for. Thank you to Kiera and Allen for the great night

I cannot recommend this restaurant more! We were treated like we were the only ones there. The…read morewhole staff made my daughter's birthday one to remember. I can't pick what I actually liked the most. We enjoyed the focaccia, steak, chicken parm, broccolini, Mac and cheese, and chocolate cake. The limoncello at the end finished the night on a high note. The birthday girl got to pick music to listen to while we ate. Such a great night!

The food is really terrific, not super fancy, just down home normal, haha…read more And the ambience quite great, real large dreamy paintings on the walls!!! A great place to take someone that you'd like to impress with your earthiness and knowledge of hidden greats in the joyous apple.

We came expecting greatness based on the reviews, and we had a good dining experience with some…read morevery good pastas, but nothing blew us out of the water. I really enjoyed the scotch egg and the welsh rarebit as starters. I'm not sure the welsh rarebit was like any rarebit i've ever had. The prosciutto was a nice addition for sure. The service was so kind and welcoming. They quickly brought us a high chair for our kid, and were very accommodating. The best dish served was by fat the bread pudding. Even though the restaurant was too hot, and it was a hot day, the bread pudding was fabulous! It's a good restaurant in flatiron without insane prices. It's worth a visit, but again, it's not going to be the most romantic or blow your socks off.

We have been to Portale several times now and we have never had a bad experience…read more The space is lovely, casual but elegant. The service is next level, the wait staff is attentive without being overbearing. And the food....... Amazing! We had: - Caesar - delicious and big enough to share - Focaccia - wonderfully fluffy - Zuppa - so refreshing and delicious - Bucatini - a great take on clam sauce - Lumache - a wonderfully unique bolognese - Pasta with Peekytoe Crab and lemon sauce - delicious with trout roe - Olive Oil Cake - terrific with blueberries - Cannoli - delicious Over a great Italian dining experience!

If you're looking for an upscale, outstanding, Michelin rated Italian dining experience in…read moreManhattan, consider Portale. We had an amazing experience in the beautiful dining area. All of the staff, from hostess to server to busser were all friendly and helpful. Perhaps most so was the sommelier who saw us pouring over the many pages of wine options and stopped by to help. He gave us great direction and amazing history on the the wines available and what would pair best with our selections. We started with a Veranda, a gin and cucumber cocktail that was refreshing and delicious. For entrees, we enjoyed the Angolotti pasta and Pollo alla Diavola. Both were superb. Perhaps the best item was the yellow fish tuna tartare crudo appetizer...amazing! We also ordered the focaccia bread and sides of crispy potatoes and braised Swiss chard. The bread was great. The others were good but unnecessary and were left unfinished. Needed room for dessert, cheesecake with gelato, a perfect way to end a wonderful meal. Reservations recommended.

Still a solid restaurant. I had the seared dry aged sirloin and the preparation and flavors were…read moreexcellent. Staff was great and the ambiance is always comfortable and pleasant without taking focus from the food and drinks.

15 East with Tocqueville, great Japanese / French fusion restaurant. Came here for a girls night…read moreout, beautifully decorated place. Checked out their instagram and asked the waiter to confirm the dishes I want from the menu. Me and my friend went with the 3-courses prefix menu. I ordered Daily selection of Oysters, Mignonette as appetizer, House cured & lightly smoked duck breast as entree and Costa Rican gold poached pineapple as dessert. Quality ingredients, good taste and lovely presentation. The cocktail was mediocre though, not a lot of options. Staff were very friendly and attentive. The ambience was good for dating or small group.

Everything from the ambiance to the service and down to the dishes were good. Only surprise was…read morethe security measures that they take before they let you go up on the elevator. Had the crispy rice with uni and the cured sardines for starters and they were finished in no time and hence no pictures! . T-bone lamb and Ora salmon

Amazing WOW factor. This place is located on the top floor of the newest luxury office tower in…read moreNYC, One Vanderbilt... right next to Grand Central Terminal. The views are stunning. Particularly amazing view of the Chrysler Building. There's a nice bar, along with a casual menu, including tables... and a more formal restaurant operated by the great chef, Daniel Boulud. Service is excellent wherever you go. Access is only for Amex Centurion Cardholders, hence the name. However, Platinum members can make reservations if there is room. I'm not sure of the timing. There is a great Ap, CENTURION NEW YORK, that is dedicated just for this property that has all the info on both restaurants, menus, and the ability to make reservations. I just had drinks at the bar as I had reservations elsewhere for dinner. Such a fabulous place. The staff there caters to your every need and is very professional. I enjoyed checking out the menus, looking at the picture-perfect views. Everything here is first class. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Saperavi was a great place to walk in, get seated immediately, and enjoy a relaxed and delicious…read moremeal! The khinkali was especially delicious. Will definitely be back!

Love the ambiance, super easy location to get to. I really loved their eggplant salad, definitely…read moremy favorite. The khachapuri was delicious, but it was pretty heavy. Great if you have a larger group and want to share. The khinkali was also super fragrant and juicy.

I was looking for a place to go to for my birthday dinner and I remembered Daniel Boulud had some…read morerestaurants in NYC so I googled his restaurants and this one popped up and I said, what the heck. So this is where I came for my birthday dinner and it did not disappoint. I had no idea this is Chef Boulud's flagship restaurant here in NYC and it currently holds one Michelin star. The interior kind of reminds me of a palace of sorts with white columns and a large, high ceiling. Being the Michelin star restaurant that it is, service is excellent, fast, and attentive. We got the 7 course tasting menu, although looking back we should have done the 5 because it was so much food. But when you look at the menu and see the 5 vs 7, you feel like you're missing out if you do the 5 course. So we did 7 and we were stuffed at the end. You can find all the courses in the pictures along with the captions. All the food were like works of art - colorful, beautiful presentation, just gorgeous and eye catching. Also everything taste wonderful. The meal started off with canapés which are not captioned and ended with some small dessert bites along with the dessert included with the course meal. The restaurant had emailed me before hand asking which cake I wanted and I picked chocolate and raspberry (this is an additional cost just FYI). So along with all those desserts, we also had a chocolate and raspberry cake, which was decadent, rich, and delicious. Our waiter also let us see the kitchen since it was near the end of the night. They were wrapping up for the night as well. I love this place and I would 100% return. Price wise, it's more reasonable than some of the other places we have been to so this will be a repeat restaurant.

Unforgettable dining experience! We've wanted to eat at Restaurant Daniel for some time now and…read morefinally got the chance to come here to celebrate a special occasion. We chose the 7 course Tasting Menu and enjoyed each and every course. They has such unique flavor combinations that were creative and balanced. Not only was it delicious but also visually stimulating as well. The service was absolutely impeccable. Every member of the staff was warm, and genuinely attentive, anticipating our needs without ever being intrusive. The waiter took the time to explain each course, and converse with us, telling us about his story, making the experience feel personal. From the elegant atmosphere to the outstanding food and flawless hospitality, Restaurant Daniel exceeded our expectations. Highly recommended!