How is Balthazar, Le gigot and aquagrill these days???

[DCGUY5]

Looking for a more casual restaurant for an evening in March. Trying to decide between Balthazar, Aquagrill and Le Gigot for just my wife and I. We are primarily looking for a place with entrees in the $20-30 range, great seafood, nice desserts and a nice ambience. It needs to be in the lower part of Manhattan (anything below about 14th street)

Also...if you had to pick one.....Crispo or Vice Versa?

Any thoughts??

[financialdistrictresident]

We went to Le Gigot recently for the first time. It's a small, cozy neighborhood place. Marseille is good and has a prix fixe dinner, but it's not below 14th. It's larger and more lively. You might want to do a search of this site, there are many posts about both.

[DCGUY5]

After much reading and research, I have decided on our two restaurants.They are:

Vice Versa and Aquagrill. We wanted 2 restaurants with nice ambience and great food; also, one night Italian and one seafood. We quickly realized that Boley would cost about $300 and the above two would be about that combined. So, with the extra money I'll buy my wife some earings!!

Thank you all so much and when I return I'll give a report.

[rrems]

Aquagrill is good. I have not been to the other two, but Le Gigot seems to get pretty much universal praise on this board. As for Crispo vs. Vice Versa, it depends what you are looking for. Crispo has IMO the better food and is cheaper, but the ambience is rustic and it can get noisy. Service is very efficient, i. e. don't plan to linger. Vice Versa is much more elegant, relaxed, spacious and plush. The food is more refined and the menu more limited. The desserts are more like something at a high-end restaurant. They give you some very good petits fours after. I eat at Crispo more often (it's in my neighborhood), but for a more "special" dinner I choose Vice Versa.

[DCGUY5]

Actually, we are looking for a French restaurant along the lines of Vice Versa; romantic, very good food, would help if it were lower than 14th street (but it doesn't have to be). Balthazar and Marseille are two that stick out. Any other suggestions?? Which would be better between Balthazar and Marseille for what I'm looking for? Need the best French mid-priced restaurant in NY! Thank you so much for all of the input!

[Toot]

I like Balthazar a lot, but I don't think it is a romantic place. I think the rooms at Gascogne and Provence are more intimate. I have been in both places only once and a while ago, perhaps other chowhounds can give you more recent reviews of these places.

[rrems]

I love the food at Marseille, but for atmosphere, I don't think either of these compare with Vice Versa. I'm trying to think of a French restaurant in the same league as V V, but I'm drawing a blank.

[erica]

Le Gigot has wonderful oysters and wonderful crab cakes. I think fish is one of their strong points, too. Charming. Seating on the tight side. Lovely place.

[steeltowngrl]

I think you can't do any better than Aquagrill at that price point. Recently I really enjoyed fresh oysters and a delicious cod entree, so good I didn't want to give out samples. Also had a yummy mango dessert.

[mahalan]

You can have entrees from Balthazar, Aquagrill, or Le Gigot for under $30 but you won't get great seafood for that price.

Let's face it, seafood's expensive. Great seafood - even moreso. A seafood tower's going to cost you $200+ anywhere if it's something you want to eat.

[MMRuth]

I believe the more expensive seafood tower is $99 at Balthazar.