A very romantic restaurant for a french couple

[nieutz]

Hello,
I'm coming to New York with my futur wife. I'm going to pop the question during our stay so i would like to invite her in a very romantic restaurant. A place typical. As i'm french, i don't want to go to a french restaurant. Where can i go ?
Thanks in advance ! Regards

[gutsofsteel]

What is your budget? Do you want elegant or casual?

[nieutz]

Right ! My budget is around 100 dollars per person. I want elegant. Thanks Gutsofsteel.

[gutsofsteel]

Are you including tax, tip, and wine in that $100 ?

[nieutz]

No, i expect a bill around 100 dollars per head just for the food (one starter, one meals and one dessert per head). Wine, tax and tip not included.

[gutsofsteel]

Consider Kyo Ya. They have a $95 prix fixe.

-----
Kyo Ya
94 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

[nieutz]

And do you have a good restaurant with something more typical ? In fact it's difficult because i want to feel that i'm in america in my plates but is it possible ?

[boredough]

Check out the menu/setting at River Café:
http://www.rivercafe.com/
It's an easy ride from Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge, and would meet your requirements. Good luck!

[mahler5]

Great idea. Yes, River Cafe.

[nieutz]

What do you think of the Carlyle or the Water edge ? The surounding is pretty.

[boredough]

Our messages crossed, but still : River Café beats Waters Edge.

[Julia]

very nice place!

[Spiritchaser]

The River Cafe comes to mind immediately, best views in the NYC area. If "American" cuisine is the most important aspect of your request maybe Blue Hill would work but I don't see it as particulary romantic.

-----
Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011

[nieutz]

Thanks all for your response. I already knew the River Cafe. You seem to like this restaurant a lot on this forum. I understand it, i've read that it's the most beautiful view of New York. But the River Cafe is only on big room, no ? It's not possible to have a quiet and cosy room in order not to be in the middle of the crowd ?

[thew]

the view is great, much better than the food.

there are thousands of restaurants in NYC. what i need to hear from you is what constitutes romantic to you. for myself, if i'm with someone i love, the setting is a garnish to my experience, not the heart of it.

[bronwen]

I would suggest - Picholine and the food is superb. Also the banquettes at Jean Georges are quite deep so you have some privacy there. Bouley has a soft romantic dining room and always smells of the apples they have in the hall! Daniel is very impressive, this might be a good match for you. Also I think Firebird is lovely, Russian and exotic. One if By Land is usually touted as being the most romantic setting but I personally have not been there.

-----
Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

Picholine
35 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023

FireBird
365 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036

One If By Land, Two If By Sea
17 Barrow St., New York, NY 10014

Bouley
163 Duane St, New York, NY 10013

[kathryn]

Jean Georges and Daniel are French restaurants, though.? JG does have some Asian influences...

At JG the most romantic seating is the alcoves for two where you sit side by side.

-----
Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

[boredough]

Many tables for 2 are by the window, which is where you want to be anyway at River Café. Consider advising the restaurant in advance of your pending proposal, and they might actually reserve you a window table (which usually is not done). Then your only real neighbors (who might intrude on your privacy) would be in the next "row". You would not be "in the middle of the crowd".

[nieutz]

You're right Thew, for me too. The person i'm with is off course much more important that what i eat and what i see. A romantic place for me is a friendly, cosy, quiet, confortable place. It's a place where you feel that you've your place, your part for your own, and you're are not disturbed by the others customers of the restaurant.
Thanks you Bronwen for your propositions but Picoline, Jean George, Bouley and Daniel are french restaurant , no ? this is the kind of food i can eat easily in France too. The Russian restaurant is beautiful but not the kind of restaurant i want.
In fact i would like a typically american elegant and refined restaurant ! :-)

-----
Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

[JeremyEG]

How about Eleven Madison Park or Gramercy Tavern? I think some of our best 'American' restaurants have at least some French influences. I'm sure you'll have a great night wherever you decide.
JeremyEG
HomeCookLocavore.com

-----
Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

[loratliff]

EMP is well over the OP's budget.

[bronwen]

Although they sound French I don't think the menus on the restaurants I've suggested are overly French, they have a good American basis. If you want a typically elegant and refined American restaurant how about the Four Seasons?

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

[mahler5]

I respectfully disagree. The room is coldly elegant. The food is not very good.

[thew]

many people thing romantic equals some dark baroque atmosphere, which i find stultifying personally. old school does not equate to romantic for me, nor it seems you

some thoughts from a different perspective, then.

The modern - very stylish and, well, modern

wd-50 - exciting and different food

craft - comforting and warm

gramercy tavern - a pleasing mix of old school service with a modern take on the classics. I have not been in a few years, but when i used to go often, i really enjoyed it

public - tasteful and tasty.

i find degustation a great romantic place- in as much as the food is sexy. most disagree with me

I've never been to EMP (i know i know) but its the boards favorite i think

marea - italian w/ a seafood slant. this is the most traditional place I've mentioned yet i think. their fusilli might be the best pasta dish i've ever had

i could go on - but i think thats plenty for the moment, unless you steer me towards more specific cuisines

-----
WD-50
50 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002

Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

The Modern
9 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019

Degustation
239 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003

Craft
43 E. 19th St., New York, NY 10003

Public
210 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

[kathryn]

The Modern is Alsatian food, not sure if it is too close to French. Just pointing that out.

WD-50 doesn't really offer a lot of privacy; the 2 tops on the banquette are way too close together for someone to be popping the question without the two couples on both sides hearing.

-----
WD-50
50 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002

[Spiritchaser]

I actually thought Touqueville might work, good price, they try to market themselves as green market American cuisine. Thoughts?

-----
Tocqueville
1 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

[Phil Ogelos]

+1 for Tocqueville -a gorgeous room and the acme of romance in my book.

[The OP shouldn't be thrown by the restaurant's name, since he's looking for non-French cuisine.]

[pammi]

I recommend SHO Sean Hergatt on Broad Street in the Setai. The entrance and dining room are very beautiful and while they don't have any romantic alcoves the tables are far apart. their prix fixe menu is creative and inventive and a well priced below your limit. The staff is very accommodating and if you tell them it is a special occasion they will be very aware. We celebrated my husbands birthday there and it was perfect..

-----
SHO Shaun Hergatt
40 Broad St, New York, NY 10004

[thew]

i found SHO uninspiring.

[pammi]

Maybe the food compares unfavorably to Il Bulli in it's inventiveness :) having said that, the OP wants a romantic place for a proposal. the entry and wine bottle display complete with water, the service, the far apart tables perfect for quiet conversation of the 'proposal' variety,the not too obtrusive staff and pretty darn good food sound like a reasonable response to his request. I'm married for a long time,but wouldn't mind getting a proposal in that room..

[agaaga]

And the service at SHO Shawn Hergatt was superb too! Very attentive, swift, kind, and professional. I am going there again on Thursday, Too bad that they discontinued the 'bottomless' wine glass service, but they still have prix fixe menu for the Restaurant Week at about $24. One of the best deals in town!

[thew]

i have a longish review of sho somewhere on this site that concludes that i found the place flawless but soulless. it wasn't just the food, everything about the place left me a little cold.

[Spiritchaser]

I tend to agree with your assessment although our interaction with the Chef was very nice (and lengthy). I still think if SHO was somewhere more "main line" Manhattan it would be more often be mentioned with top tier restaurants. The food is fantastic, the setting screams hotel restaurant.

[thew]

i found the food to be exactly like the decor and the service. technically flawless. real attention to detail. and yet in every dish i found the whole to be less than the sum of its parts

[gutsofsteel]

Agreed.

[Simon]

this is likely more casual of a place than you want, but i'd put Shorty's .32 in Soho on your list...you could call it an American version of a bistro...rustic, neighborhoody, delicious food, soft lighting at night, nice staff...

-----
Shorty's .32
199 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

[nieutz]

Thanks all for your response. I'm very surprised by the number of responses you give me, thanks you so much to help me. For the moment i stay on the River Café because of the view. Nobody tell me something about the Carlyle, is it bad ?
Is there a place which in a "boudoir style" ? very cosy and warm.

[foodyum]

For super elegant, high class room and great food how about Gilt. It screams big deal, special occasion to me. Is it too french influenced?

[gutsofsteel]

It's not intimate in any way, and it's French. I think the OP wants intimate - he said "boudoir"

-----
Gilt
455 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022

[nmprisons]

And it's not even that good.

[bronwen]

No, the Carlyle is lovely and food very acceptable, plus there are rooms upstairs ..............

-----
Cafe Carlyle
35 East 76th St., New York, NY 10021

[jman1]

Please post a follow-up about your experience.

[citykid426]

You will hopefully only get married once, so here is my suggestion: go to Per Se, ask to sit by the window (tell them you are proposing), and you will have a fantastic view of Central Park. Actually any seat will be fantastic because seating is fixed and the tables are organized to face the park. I have been there many times and it is the perfect place to propose- it feels very private and is super romantic. Fireplace in the center, a huge flower centerpiece, beautiful staircase, floor to ceiling views.... Yes, the dinner will set you back more than $100 per person, way more actually, but I can almost guarantee your fiancee will be blown away. The food is French inspired but I think there is more than enough of an American touch by Thomas Keller that will entice your palate. I went here for my anniversary, for Valentine's day, for my law school graduation, family birthdays, and the list goes on... Each time it was absolutely spectacular. To keep the cost down, you can bring your own wine so long as it is a vintage they do not have on their list. Since you're French, this should be easy, just bring a good bottle from France that's not on their list. The high level of service and attention to detail will still be the same, trust me. If you call them ahead of time and tell them the occasion, they will make sure everything will run smoothly, and they will probably bring you some special dessert dishes to celebrate your proposal. My husband and I took his parents/my inlaws, who are not American, to Per Se and told the restaurant this and they printed special menus for them welcoming them to the restaurant. They asked them about where they were from, gave them goodies to take home, the actual menus, and some book about food I don't remember. My inlaws were smitten. This is one of those restaurants that you will really never forget. Again, it is not cheap but honestly I think your fiancee will be more than satisfied.

The only downside you need to know: You must call 2 months in advance to the day. If not, you will have to get on a wait list and if there's a cancellation, you can give them your number and they will call you. Don't be distraught though, my husband and I did this and managed to get a reservation once that way. If you carry an American Express Platinum, the concierge service will reserve for you for free all you have to do is call them and they'll arrange everything.

-----
Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

[nmprisons]

This is what I did (though I proposed before dinner). Was perfect.

Note that reservations are now 1 month in advance.

[nieutz]

Hello everybody,
First, i'm sorry to have taken time to reply to my post. I want to thanks you to have helped me to choose a very romantic place to pop the question. Without your help, the evening i've spent would not have been so perfect. Finally i went to two restaurants in New York. I wanted to try the One If to the sea because the menu was affordable and the surrounding quite original and of course the place was romantic for me. We spent a very good time there. The service was just perfect (in France it's difficult to find such a good service). I was a litte bit affraid because when we arrive we were told to wait a little because the table was not ready. The guy told use that i will give us a table close to the window. After few minutes, the table which was initialy for us was given to a another couple. The guy told us that there hab been a misunderstanding. So we waited fifteen minutes more and i was very fed up. Fortunately the guy eventually understood our position and offer us a glass of champagne while we were waiting. After this, i was less anglry and just two minutes after we had a table close to the windowsin the back of the room.
After that the diner was just very vey good. I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.
The second restaurant i went to was the river cafe.
We decide to take the taxi to go there because we made the broorklyn bridge by walk the afternoon of this same day and we were tired. The taxi stop us just in front of the restaurabt because i wanted us to arrive with some minutes in advance in order for me to choose if i would pop the question outside the restaurant or inside.
Eventually i poped the question in the little garden just in front of the restaurant. The surroundings and the view was so romantic that i was very happy to have taken this restaurant.
She said "yes", eerything was perfect.
Then we decide to go to the restaurant. I was first very disappointed because i asked a table near the glass to have the great view. Instead i was in the back of the room. Not very happy as you can understand, i asked the waiter to change of table. He accepted (and recognized my french accent !) and placed us to a table just close to the glass.
After that, everything was perfect.
So after some little problems in each restaurant, my opinion is very good concerning the two restaurants One if to the sea and the River Cafe even if for its price One if to the Sea is a excellent place to have a good time.
Regards,

-----
One If By Land, Two If By Sea
17 Barrow St., New York, NY 10014

[peter j]

Thanks for your report on One If By Land Two If By Sea. The restaurant hired a new chef a few months ago and I've been curious to hear about the food.

[nieutz]

You're welcome Peter. The food is very good. It was not too "heavy" and not too "light". I took the steack Chateaubriand which was just amazing. The dessert was just only too sweet (too much sugar).But the dessert was in any case much better than the one in River Cafe.

-----
One If By Land, Two If By Sea
17 Barrow St., New York, NY 10014