djdave

My wife and I will be vacationing in NYC in July for six nights, and on one of those nights I thought we'd go out and allow ourselves one nice "splurge" dinner. After reading many reviews of different NYC restaurants, I've narrowed my choices down to two: One if By Land, Two if By Sea; and Babbo. I'm looking for for something memorable and romantic with very high quality food, for about $150 for the two of us, including tip. Given those two choices, which do you think is the best?

mclaurie

One if By Land has been a disappointment to me. I know it keeps getting high marks for romance and food but I don't get it. I think I recall some other Fodorites feeling the same. I haven't been to Babbo so I can't comment. I like Cafe des Artistes for good food and romance.

actravelgirl

Definitely Babbo over One if By Land, TIBS. I've been to both and found the food at OIBL, TIBS to be mediocre at best. Babbo isn't your typical romantic restaurant, but my husband and I have gone there repeatedly and always enjoy the experience. If your looking for something a bit more romantic, Blue Hill, Chez Michallet, and Chanterelle are all wonderful. Another one of our favorite places is Veritas. Wonderful service & food and the wine list is stellar! Enjoy your evening...

chfenton

Another vote for Chanterelle for a romantic spot or how about the pool room at the Four seasons restaurant. Both of these places will run you about $300 for a couple with a decent bottle of wine.

Ryan

Of two options, if the food is most important then definately Babbo, if it is the atmosphere, then One If.... Babbo has really great food, but I wouldn't neccessarily think of it as a "romantic" place for dinner as it draws a mixed crowd, business types, etc.

Of course, as a lifelong New Yorker, it is ingrained to offer another opinion, La Grenouille. It has one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the City and is exceptional on both food and service. However, it might be a bit north of your budget.

Depending on where your hotel is, a nightcap at the Rainbow Room (now Cipriani's) is a great way to end the evening. Good luck and enjoy NY.

Loki

ANother thumbs down to OIBL

lovinit

If you're looking for a romantic restaurant with French cuisine for about that $$$ amount...try Montrachet on West Broadway. It is a fabulous experience.

djdave

Thanks for the responses and excellent alternate restaurant recommendations. We'll probably squeeze Babbo in our week somewhere, even though it apparently doesn't quite fit the "romantic" bill; from what I've heard and read about it, it just sounds too good to miss. Chantrelle's fixed-price $38 lunch might make that a bit more do-able for us. I'll look into some of the others, like La Grenouille and or Montrachet. More suggestions are welcome, especially for around the theater district (close to where we'll be staying).

mclaurie

For a wonderful prix fixe lunch bargain more conveniently located than Chanterelle (and IMO much prettier) try Auerole.

In the theater district, Becco is very popular for their $21.95 dinner (pasta) but you must book well in advance. On the same street (46th between 8th & 9th called restaurant row) Joe Allen's for good, casual american.

Doug

How about a vote for Gramercy Tavern. My wife & I have been to Babbo, One if By Land, The Four Seasons, Union Square Cafe,.... and we both placed Gramercy Tavern at the top of the list.

lisettemac

In the theatre district and something a little different is Firebird. It's a beautiful restaurant and has Russian food. Might be nice for a "special" night.

I also happen to love La Grenouille. Haven't been there in years and it's extremely expensive, but it is fabulous food and a gorgeous atmosphere. In fact, I used to walk by each morning on my way to work and see them arranging fresh flowers. Their arrangements are so memorable that there is even a book published about them. SIGH . . . never shoulda' left that job.

djdave

We're going to two Broadway shows that week, and I already have Becco earmarked for one of those nights, and a place called 44 Southwest reserved for the other (anyone familiar with that one?).

Also, how does the River Cafe in Brooklyn rate with you? Does the quality of food and service match the supposedly wonderful view and high dinner prices?

Newsie

There's a lot of mixing and matching of restaurant classes and price points going on here.

Chanterelle, Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe are all among the most highly rated, and expensive, restaurants in the city. OIBL and Babbo are a cut below them, hence the lower price point.

I haven't been to Montrachet in many years. It's not necessarily the most romantic of spots, however, although the food was excellent. It's certainly not the hot spot it once was.

In your price range would be places like Provence, Jo Jo, Veritas (depending on your wine selection), Park Ave. Bistro and maybe Felidia (you'd have to check their prices, but it is an excellent choice). One of my favorite romantic spots is up by Columbia University. It's called Terrace in the Sky. The menu is French, the views wonderful and the tables are comfortably spaced out. They have an excellent wine list, too.

mclaurie

I agree with Newsie's Terrace in the Sky (shhh-it's a rare NY secret) Haven't been to River Cafe in quite a while but it is a real NY experience. The food was good,but the view (depending upon where you sit) is better.

Elainee

All the restaurants you are considering require reservations well in advance. I gather you are planning to make reservations as you are making decisions now. We love Babbo, but romantic it is not. River Cafe is more so. We also love Becco. Excellent wine list!! Montrachet is lovely. NYC has great choices.

djdave

Elainee, you are so right--NYC does have so many great choices in restaurants...and so little time for us to try them all! You're also right about me starting to plan on reservations now, but I have to wait until next month before I can reserve for, say, Babbo, which can only be reserved no more than 30 days in advance. Same for Becco, which I plan on reserving before one of our two nights at the theater.

I had the "splurge" restaurant in mind for probably our last night in the city; something to really make our final night in NYC memorable. Now that I've pretty much elimintated OIBL,TIBS from my list (I want that kind of ambience, but for that price I want some pretty darn good food, too), and I'll probably still do Babbo but on a different night, I'm now leaning towards the River Cafe for our last night out. Terrace in the Sky, which I'd never heard of or read about until this thread, also looks like a winner, judging from the comments here and its website. So many great choices, indeed!

Statia

My husband took me to OIBL, TIBS for my birthday last year and we had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere, service, and food were very impressive.

I know that restaurant gets slammed at times on this board, so maybe we just hit it on a really good night. We aren't super picky people, but we are used to dining in some fabulous restaurants, since we live very near the French West Indies and have a lot of great choices in our area.

Glad I didn't have the bad experience that some others have had there. Good luck with your choices Djdave and be sure to report back after your trip.

McSmith

I vote for OIBL for splurge/romantic. The food is a bit better than mediocre, but the ambiance CAN NOT be beat in NYC. Especially when you consider the location and its history.

Merilee_Tucker

Message to Newsie:
I always recommend Terrace on this board when someone asks for a romantic restaurant suggestion. It is one of the best kept secrets in the city, too. The food, table settings, and space between tables make it a wonderful choice. Great views, also.

djdave

Thanks for everyone's input. I've made a lunch reservation at Chanterelle for one day, and dinner at Le Madeleine for pre-theater that same evening (French Day!).

However, I'm considering moving the Le Madeleine reservation to another evening, as I've discovered that some restaurants are extending their $30.03 prix-fixe offer through Labor Day--including One If By Land. If I could get a 5:30 dinner reservation there, would we get out in time to make "Nine" at 8? Or would that be pushing it?