Have you ever wanted to know a review about a specific restaurant, but wanted to escape the trollish reviews that litter the pages of Yelp? You need to learn about Zagat.
Zagat is a respected group of restaurant lovers who carefully scour reviews of diners and compare rankings of restaurants from multiple sources to create lists on a 30 point scale of excellent restaurants, shops, and hotels.
It was originally lists created in 1979 by Tim and Nina Zagat from surveying their food-loving friends right here in New York City.
Since then, Zagat has expanded to creating lists of the best restaurants across the country. It's always an honor to receive a review from the Zagat group, doubly so when considered part of the top 50 restaurants in the city.
From $19 a meal to $341 a meal, Zagat's 50 Best Restaurants in New York City has something for everyone. Here are our favorites from the list.
1. Graffiti Food & Wine Bar (224 East 10th Street)
At around $58 a person, this little East Village spot is a killer place for a good celebration meal.
Typically when you enter a restaurant that's as casual and cozy as this, you expect to a good meal, worth your money.
But at Graffiti, you can expect one of the best meals of your life. Owner and chef Jehangir Mehta, runner up of the Food Network's Next Iron Chef, dishes out some of the best food in this price range.
Chef Mehta uses bold flavors to combine French, American, Indian and Asian cuisines to create unique and well balanced small plates that are worthy of Zagat's list.
Try the "Braised Pork Buns with Apricot Chutney" and the "Cumin Eggplant Buns with Thyme Fennel Relish."
2. Vesta Trattoria & Wine Bar (21-02 30th Avenue- Astoria)
This is another one of Zagat's lower end choices, making #32 on their list with an average cost of $39 per person. As Zagat puts it, "'neighborhood' spots don't get much more 'cozy' than this 'off-the-beaten-path'" places.
Vesta Trattoria is an Italian-inspired restaurant and wine bar that prides itself in using local ingredients for their ever changing menu.
We'd recommend their "Butternut Soup" to keep the fall chill at bay. It's made with apple, brown butter hazelnuts, aleppo chili, and bourbon spiced maple. Then try their "Dinosaur Kale" pizza, with bechamel, bacon, grana padano, aioli & eggs.
3. Di Fara Pizza (1424 Avenue J- Brooklyn)
Want to know the lowest-priced meal on the Zagat Top 50 Restaurants in NYC list? Look no further than Di Fara Pizza. It's consistently been rated by Zagat as one of the best pizzerias in NYC.
Even though Zagat's description of it's service as "service with 'zero sense of urgency,'" and it's "'unappealing' digs," Di Fara's pizza is so good that it's worth the wait.
Try their "Di Fara classic pie," or their "Sicilian square pie," if you're not a fan of thin crust.
,4. Per Se (4, 10 Columbus Circle)
So we can't afford Per Se, as much as we wish we could try some of Chef Thomas Keller's food. Does his name sound familiar? Think French Laundry... as in one of the best restaurants in the country.
Guess how much dinner at Per Se costs per person...
If you guessed a whopping $341, you'd be right. That's because it's a nine-course tasting menu that does not use a single ingredient twice. That's some serious creativity right there.
There's no doubt that you're going to get one of the best meals and experiences of your life at Per Se.
5. Le Bernadin (155 West 51st Street)
spoiltmags The Chef's Tasting Menu was beyond spectacular @ Le Bernadin NY!!! Thanks @sarac141 for sharing this amazing meal with me!!! 💛💛💛💛💛 #amazing #tastingmenu #lebernadin #nyc #newyorkcity #igfood #instafood #instagood #nyfoodie #finedining #french #seafood #chef #tasting #degustation #foodie #clam #kingfish #langoustine #monkfish #wagu #wildstrawberries #smores #tuesday 24062014
Are you wondering which restaurant took top honors in Zagat's Top 50 Restaurants in NYC? That would be Chef Eric Ripert's 3-Michelin Star restaurant, Le Bernadin.
Of course, it's pricey... Roughly $182 per person. But if you're looking for "'ethereal' French seafood and a 'mind-blowing wine list,'" and a meal that is the "best splurge in town," you have to eat at Le Bernadin.
It's a four course, prixe-fixe (fixed price) menu at $140 per person. Or you can go all out and have the highly creative Chef's Tasting Menu for $205 per person ($345 with wine paring).
Check out 3 Exquisite NYC Restaurants Made the 2015 “World’s Best” List.
[Feature Image Courtesy Demain Repucci]