Best Restaurants in New York City

A trip to New York City offers a wealth of possibilities to pique the interest of every traveler. Whether you're interested in theater, opera, art, sports or nightlife, New York provides something for everyone. That is especially true if you are a lover of good food. One of the top dining destinations in the world, New York's restaurant scene will please any palate. The only difficult thing about dining in New York is deciding which one or two of the hundreds of restaurants to choose.

A great way to narrow your New York City dining choices is to consider your sightseeing or theatergoing excursions. While New York is a small island, traveling from one end to the other can take time, and the last thing you want to do is waste your time sitting in a taxi. Luckily, almost anywhere you go, there will be at least one fantastic restaurant nearby.

If you are spending the evening at the opera, the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle is just a few blocks from the Met, and is home to a number of New York's finest restaurants including Chef Thomas Keller's Per Se and Chef Masa Takayama's Masa. Per Se offers a nine-course menu for $275 (which can typically be adjusted to accommodate the diner's taste) along with an a la carte "salon" menu, while Masa offers only omakase-style dining (meaning the chef chooses the various dishes served) for $400.

Just across the street from the Time Warner Center in the Trump Tower is Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's flagship restaurant Jean-Georges, which boasts a lovely view of Central Park and some of the best avant-garde French cuisine in the world. If you can't get in at dinner, consider the lunch prix-fixe which, at $28 for two courses, is one of the best fine-dining deals in the city.

If the museums on the east side of Manhattan are more your style, consider dinner at Daniel on East 65^th Street, the flagship restaurant of superstar chef Daniel Boulud. This is French cuisine at its finest, served in a dining room that can only be described as decadent. The service is so over-the-top, they even provide a little stool for your purse!

Those who enjoy Broadway shows may want to consider a reservation at Le Bernardin, located in the heart of the theater district on West 51^st Street. Most theater-district dining is overpriced, tourist-trap fare. Yet despite its location, Le Bernardin provides world-class dining with a focus on seafood. Another gourmet midtown dining option is Aquavit, where Chef Marcus Samuelsson serves up modern Scandinavian cuisine in a serene, contemporary setting.

When you're exploring the nightlife downtown, there are still plenty of fine-dining options available. Momofuku Ko (East Village), Babbo (West Village) and Gotham Bar and Grill (Union Square) are more casual in atmosphere than some uptown restaurants, but the food is no less impressive.

No matter your taste, you can't go wrong with these fine-dining establishments around New York City. Just be sure to make reservations at least a few weeks in advance -- these are some of the most sought-after seats in the city!