Snippets: 9 Michelin-starred Restaurants to try in New York City (NYC) | Including the famous Eleven Madison Park & Jean-Georges

Posted on March 15, 2017 by theRantingPanda in Snippets

New York City (NYC) – With more than seventy restaurants on the latest Michelin Guide 2017, we don’t foresee much controversy if we proclaim NYC (read our guide on 11 Free Activities and Things to do in New York City) as one of the most exciting gourmet cities in the world. One huge dilemma we encountered prior to our trip to this cosmopolitan city is to decide and plan ahead on which Michelin-starred restaurants to try, taking into account our limited time and stomach capacity. With some planning and considerations (value for money, world ranking of restaurant, menu, personal preferences and location), we managed to try nine restaurants on the NYC Michelin Guide 2016, scoring a table at most of them with our reservations weeks and months in advance. Here are nine Michelin-starred restaurants we visited and we tell you which offer the most bang for your buck!

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Eleven Madison Park (3 Michelin Stars, World Number 1 Best Restaurant 2017)

As one of the most sought-after fine-dining restaurants in NYC despite its hefty price tag, Eleven Madison Park has been on our to-go list for the longest time, so imagine our excitement on the day of our visit. The only option here is the Tasting Menu at $295 per person, where you will get to savour the eight-course meal in a true blue gastronomic journey. Expect some element of surprises along the way. The service is extremely polished and personable, while the dishes we had were executed creatively and well-presented. There is really no reason not to return other than the price tag.

Read our full review of Eleven Madison Park here.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5

Eleven Madison Park
Metropolitan Life North Building, 11 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10010, United States
Tel: +1 212-889-0905

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Jean-Georges (3 Michelin Stars)

Located right beside Columbus Circle in Upper West Side overlooking Central Park, Jean-Georges official restaurant is one of the prettiest Michelin starred restaurant we visited. There is nice natural lighting in the main monochromatic dining room with lush views. Our tip is to go for the two-course lunch set from $58 per person excluding taxes and gratitude if you are feeling tight on your wallet. We love the space, and were largely impressed with every dish from the Amuse-Bouche to the bread, our starters and mains. We couldn’t resist concluding our meal with the chocolate dessert platter. If you are lucky, you can even catch a glimpse of Jean-Georges himself at work in the open concept kitchen.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5

Jean-Georges
Trump International Hotel & Tower New York, 1 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023, United States
Tel: +1 212-299-3900

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Le Bernardin (3 Michelin Stars, World Number 24 Best Restaurant 2016)

Helmed by Chef Eric Ripert, we were recommended to include Le Bernardin in our latest NYC trip by our friends. The Three Michelin-starred restaurant in Midtown Manhattan is well-known for its seafood and fish dishes. There is a Prix-Fixe $85 three-courses lunch set inclusive of dessert, one of the most value for money option if you ever plan to dine here. Choose from the three main sections of the menu – Almost Raw, Barely Touched and Lightly Cooked. We tried the Scallop with Roasted Bone Marrow and Calamansi-Butter Emulsion, Seafood Truffle Pasta, Striped Bass with Sea Urchin “Rouille,” and Bouillabaisse Sauce and the Pan Roasted Monkfish. All of which were on point, including the desserts. Service is polished and well-within our expectations. Expect a strong business crowd due to its Midtown Manhattan location.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5

Le Bernardin
155 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019, United States
Tel: +1 212-554-1515

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Bouley (1 Michelin Star)

Located in the hip district of TriBeCa, Bouley is a New French fine-dining restaurant helmed by David Bouley. Guys need to put on a suit upon entry, which the restaurant will gladly loan if you don’t have any. The dim interior and formal setting exudes an old Parisian vibe. Go for the five-courses lunch tasting menu at $59 for more value rather than the a la carte options. Expect dishes such as the Hawaiian Hiramasa & Nantucket Blue Fin, Wild Mushrooms with truffle and Slow Braised Kobe Style Beef Cheeks.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 4.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5

Bouley
163 Duane St, New York, NY 10013, United States
Tel: +1 212-964-2525

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Gotham Bar & Grill (1 Michelin Star)

Located in Greenwich Village, Gotham Bar & Grill has been around since 1984 serving New American cuisine. The interior is posh and every bit like a fine dining restaurant, as evident by the expensive prices on its menu for this award winning restaurant. If you are budget conscious, go for the Greenmarket Lunch Three-course set at $38 per person, where you get to savour the likes of Argentine Shrimp Ceviche, Sirloin Steak ($10 supplement) and a dessert. We love the steak here, easily one of the most succulent Sirloin Steak we ever had.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Gotham Bar and Grill
12 East 12th Street
Between Fifth Avenue & University Place
New York, NY, 10003
Tel: +1 212-620-4020

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Minetta Tavern (1 Michelin Star)

The One Michelin-starred Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village is well-known for its steak. The restaurant has an old-school Parisian fashion, with tables packed closely and a boisterous dining ambience where you need to squeeze your way through to your table. The weekday crowd was strong when we visited despite making our reservation weeks ahead. Prices are not over the top for its dinner menu by Michelin standards, even though you may still need to be prepared to pay more than $50 per person after taxes and gratitude. The must try dishes on the menu are the roasted marrow bones and the much raved about Black Label burger.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5

Minetta Tavern
113 Macdougal St, New York, NY 10012, United States
Tel: +1 212-475-3850

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Peter Luger (1 Michelin Star)

The most famous steakhouse in Brooklyn and possibly the whole of New York City is undoubtedly Peter Luger steakhouse. You can’t miss the huge signboard the moment you take the J line subway train from Manhattan into Williamsburg. The steakhouse is packed every night, and snagging a seat can prove to be challenging because it only accepts reservations by phone, where we had to go through three different staff when we called to get our names on the list. Service is not the best you can expect of Michelin standards and far from polished, with the occasional condescending attitude we felt during our meal. The steak is the only star for sure, literally. The portions are generous for two persons, and there is nothing not to love about the succulent medium-rare red meat.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 4/5
Service: 2.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Peter Luger
178 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
Tel: +1 718-387-7400

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Semilla (1 Michelin Star)

This hip Williamsburg restaurant in Brooklyn has less than 20 seats, with a focus on bringing seasonal and fresh vegetable centric dishes to the table. The ten course set menu is priced at $85 per person, where you can expect dishes such as Corn Broth with Squash Blossoms & Cuttlefish, and Eggplant with Pickled Vegetables & Cherry Blossom Aioli and Roasted Lobster Mushroom with Cauliflower & Raw Vegetables. The pairing of the ingredients are playful and creative, where even the dessert we had revolved around something green – Olive Oil Ice Cream with Green Tomato Granita & Basil. Semilla only opens for dinner at the moment.

What we say (1 star being the least, 5 being the most)
Value for money: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2.5/5

Semilla
No. 5, 160 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

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The Spotted Pig (1 Michelin Star)

The One Michelin-starred West Village restaurant spots a casual setting with two dining levels. We popped by for lunch in the rustic-bohemian restaurant and had the highly raved Char-grilled Burger. We wouldn’t say we left feeling extremely satisfied as we didn’t find the burger exceptional, neither was the service which barely passed the mark. No reservations are taken.

**Per the latest NYC Michelin Guide 2017, The Spotted Pig has lost its coveted One Michelin Star status for the first time since 2005, and is now only included in the Bib Gourmand list.