Masa Restaurant
First, you'll have to get a reservation, which doesn't come easy. The tiny restaurant has only 26 seats. Next, you'll have to leave your world behind when you enter the calm, serene space; it's like walking into a spa relaxation room. Then you'll have to get over the sticker shock. Prices for one-bite morsels are astonishingly high; dinner will cost you about $300 per person. But, next you'll take a bite of, say the Nubu tuna belly tartare with Osetra caviar or the kobe beef sukiyaki, and you'll know why the dish commands a high price. You'll be dreaming of those bites for weeks to come. Try to get a table at the sushi bar, where you can see Masa Takayama preparing your food.
Masa
10 Columbas Circle
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9800
www.masanyc.com
Le Bernardin
Quiet elegance oozes at this understated (but not overrated) five-star restaurant. It's French, of course, but without the pompous attitude. Slip into the sleek, almost minimalistic, wood-paneled dining room, with its white linen-decked tables and dramatic fresh flower arrangements, and prepare to be wowed. You must order a fish dish, like the salmon with cavier or the swoon-worthy monkfish; Chef Eric Ripert is well-known for his melt-in-your-mouth, maybe, the best fish dish you'll ever taste, creations. Service, of course, is top-notch. Jackets are required for men during dinner hours. Entrees run about $50 and a three-course tasting menu is around $185.
Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st. St.
New York, NY 10019
(212) 554-1515
http://www.le-bernardin.com/
Per Se
The hushed, understated dining room, with creamy white leather walls and gold and copper accents, overlooks Central Park and Columbus Square. It's a pretty view and a special space, but the real star of the much-touted Per Se is the food. Acclaimed chef Thomas Keller creates culinary art. The prix fixe Chef's Tasting Menu ($275) may include tasty morsels of Hudson Valley Moulard duck foie gras, oysters with white sturgeon cavier, pan-roasted Maine sea scallops, Peking duck breast, and several other bites of heaven on a dish.
Per se
Time Warner Ctr.
10 Columbus Circle
Manhattan, NY 10019
(212) 823-9335
www.perseny.com
Jean-George
Long-loved Jean-George restaurant remains one of New York City's finest, with impeccable service, well-prepared dishes, and a surprising variety of choices. A three-course prix fixe menu ($98) may include first plates of yellowfin tuna ribbons, hamachi sashimi or peekytoe crab with squash blossoms. Garlic soup, foie gras brulee or slow-cooked halibut were some of the recent second-course menu choices. Third course choices may include grilled snapper, black sea bass crusted with nuts and seeds, or crunchy rabbit. It's popular with the business crowd, so expect to see a fair amount of stuffy suits.
Jean-George
1 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023
(212) 299-3900
www.jean-georges.com
Article Written By Pamela Wright
Pamela Wright is a freelance writer, author of more than two dozen guidebooks, and hundreds of articles. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including "National Geographic Traveler," "Family Circle," "Family Fun," "Backpacker," "Hemispheres," "Cooking Light," "Yankee" and more. An active member of the Society of American Travel Writers, she holds a Bachelor's from Michigan State University
