Best/top places for special dinner near the Harvard Club (West 44th St.)?

[WhiskeyRebellion]

Hi, I will be staying at the Harvard Club (35 West 44th Street) in late September for a long honeymoon weekend, and am hoping to find some restaurant recommendation for places reasonably close by.

We LOVE food and are not picky eaters/no dietary restrictions, and have a budget of up to $125/pp, *excluding* wine/spirits.

Would like something somewhat romantic, with great food, and preferably, a bar that can mix great gin martinis.

Thank you very much!!!!

[rogs]

some restaurants in the area....db bistro auerole, le bernadin, koi,quality meats, blt market, marea.

[kathryn]

Note that db bistro moderne and Auerole are separate restaurants (I think you left out a comma there, rogs).

[Simon]

if you like steaks, mutton chops, oysters, etc, you could go to Keens (36th/6th Ave), where they also have the best small batch bourbon selection in the city...

and for a snack, you're also very close to the Grand Central Oyster Bar (good for sitting at the counter if you like raw bars, but ignore the sitdown part of the restaurant and the mediocre cooked food)...

In terms of lunches, breakfasts, etc. your options in the immediate vicinity of the H Club are fairly bleak (i know this because i do volunteer work at the H Club a few weekends every year and we never can find anywhere decent to get takeout lunch from)...so i'd venture further afield for most of your meals...

Further to the east, you might go to Aburiya Kinnosuke or Sushi Yasuda or Sakagura for Japanese food...(all east of Grand Central Station in the 40's)...

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Grand Central Oyster Bar
89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017

Aburiya Kinnosuke
213 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017

Sakagura
211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017

[kathryn]

At that price range, you can do very well for a nice dinner, assuming it's $125 before wine/drinks, tax, and tip.

Le Bernardin: temple to seafood, wear a jacket, very pricey, upscale, phenomenal seafood restaurant, 4 New York Times stars, celebrity chef Eric Ripert. One of the best in the city with prices to match but you should be able to afford the prix fixe based upon your budget. I think a solo diner posted a review here a while back and had a gin martini that was very good.

The Modern: upscale Alsatian formal dining in the formal dining room where jackets are required, small plates + hip atmosphere in the bar area. Again, one of the best in the city. The formal dining room also has a view of the Museum of Modern Art's sculpture garden. I've had drinks from the specialty cocktail list that were quite good, so it stands to reason they should do a respectable gin martini. With your budget you can easily do the prix fixe or can choose the less expensive tasting menu (Chef's Tasting).

Esca: Mario Batali's seafood restaurant, known for crudo, note that a solo diner may feel more comfortable at the bar, popular for pre-theatre dining. A bit more casual than Le Bernardin. Excellent pastas. Crudos. Not quite as romantic as The Modern.

Keens Steakhouse: not cheap but historical.Great atmosphere. I love taking visitors there because the room is amazing as is the food and scotch list. Not super romantic though.

Additionally, Ma Peche at the Chambers Hotel has Colin Alveras' cocktail list and it is quite good and comparable to downtown cocktail lounges. It's a little further north than where you'll be.

I'll also note that two of the best Sichuan restaurants in Manhattan are located nearby: Szechuan Gourmet and Lan Sheng. I don't live in the neighborhood and will travel to Times Square just to eat at Szechuan Gourmet! You can also walk south to Madangsui for Korean BBQ.

And I'll second Simon's recommendations for going east of Grand Central for Japanese food.

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Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St., New York, NY 10019

Esca
402 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036

Crudo
235 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001

Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

[nooyawka]

Morton's Steakhouse is also nearby. I believe it's East 45th Street, just east of 5th Avenue.

[preppie foodie]

hi! I've worked at rock center for 10 years and all the suggestions are great. There is also oceana now just over on 49th/6th (for lunch or dinner) which is lovely (but bernadin is better) and for breakfast/lunch, Financier has opened in the Fox news building on 48th between 6th/bway (open mon-fri), They have great pastries/muffins/croissants/sandwiches and if you want a light lunch, sandwiches,etc. Very good. Another option for you to check out is the website Midtown lunch.

have a great visit

[fm1963]

For Italian, Alto on 53rd & 5th and Convivio in Tudor City, one block east of 43rd & 2nd.

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Convivio
45 Tudor City Place, New York, NY 10017

[Blumie]

Great suggestions so far. I'll add Sushi Zen, on 44th just west of 6th Ave, for excellent sushi in a lovely atmoshere.

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Sushi Zen
108 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036

[WhiskeyRebellion]

thank you very much everyone who replied! Can't wait to try some of these places!

[apples]

In addition to some of the below mentioned...
Four Seasons
Place page
99 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022-5999

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The Four Seasons
99 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022

[Upperwestsider]

Strong second to Four Seasons; very romantic (in the pool room), great food, terrific wine list, and, of course, bill to match. Great bar for before and/or after. www.fourseasonsrestaurant.com).

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The Four Seasons
99 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022