We fancied Gordon Ramsay at the London, but...

[therubyslippers]

we can't get a table on a Friday night.

Where should two Londoners eat, that's something like there?

We love Italian food, seafood, organic food and eating seasonally.

We're not bothered about getting uber-huge portions, and for this once, money's not really an object - hurray.

Help much appreciated.

[robinsilver]

Why not have lunch there on Friday? I'll bet you can get in for lunch, and we had a great lunch there about 2 months ago. Enjoyed my dinner too. Maybe try Acquavit, we loved that. Hopefully someone can give you the website where people trade reservations that they have given credit cards for when they need to cancel at the last minute.

[rrems]

If you read the OP's most recent update above, reviewing the restaurants they went to, you will realize they have been here and gone.

[adrman]

Sorry, I thought I attached a link. Here it is. <http://restaurantinsieme.com/>

[adrman]

Give Insieme (51st&7th Ave.) a go. It's not as formal a place as GR, but I believe the food to be superior. I've attached a link to their website so you can get an idea of menu/wine list.

[larryfr]

seafood: sushi yasuda, bernardin, milos, jean georges
italian: babbo, esca (seafood), lupa, insieme
steakhouse : craftsteak

bon appetit

[oonth]

Not like GR at the London but Upstairs at Bouley (on West Broadway in TriBeCa) covers your various bases in that it has a partial Italian menu, lots of seafood options (and a small sushi bar) and relies heavily on organic and seasonal produce. The open kitchen lends a sense of theatre and the close together tables, elevated noise levels and fellow customers make this a quintessential New York dining experience.

[therubyslippers]

Thanks for these - it was a gastronomic few days! I am several £ lighter and several lbs heavier. We ate at...

WD-50 - interesting food combinations - the 'Eggs Benedict' particularly, lovely staff, way too much wine (7 glasses) for the tasting menu (9, I think, courses), so I can't really remember the puddings.

Daniel - fabulous ravioli starter with clam emulsion, charming sommeliers and cocktail-makers at the bar. And my purse had its own stool. A little OTT in some ways, but otherwise a perfect old-fashioned dining experience.

Scarpetta - good service, nice food - not that great tho - just too twiddly for Italian food. My boyfriend's carne course was very dry. Always best to stick to the pasta / risotto, we've decided since.

Il Buco - probably my favourite - buzzy, informal, fantastic food - cavolo nero starter and a good ragu sauce on my main.

And then a whopping Dean & Deluca picnic in Central Park.

[jakew8]

For seafood, Oceana is nearby. I've been for lunch and it was excellent. The decor is a bit silly, the portions are not uber-huge, and at the end you'll be thankful for that favorable exchange rate.

[therubyslippers]

Thanks jakew8 - we'll check it out, looking forward to our visit.

[LAMP]

Not nearby but an italian which has been getting some great reviews is Fiamma. I ate in Fiamma in Las Vegas and it was excellent, and some friends recently ate in the NY restaurant and highly recomended the meal.