The best restaurants are in here.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the best restaurant of them all? Glam Media couldn’t pick just one — they chose 100. With the help of recognized food critics and its own foodie editors, they’ve put together the new guidebook “Foodie Top 100 Restaurants.” New York is strongly represented, earning 14 of the top spots.
Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St.
212-554-1515
After 25 years, Le Bernardin still manages to hold food critics’ attention. It earns a spot on the Top 100 list because of its perfect creative dishes, remarkably good service and award-winning sommelier. The restaurant serves “minimalist, simple and yet sophisticated” seafood and remains “one of the biggest fish in a large, highly competitive pond,” as the guide puts it. Bon appétit.
Blanca
261 Moore St., Brooklyn
347-799-2807
Blanca is an Italian restaurant, but all expectations of a Sicilian family business with spaghetti and tiramisu on the menu should be tossed like a pizza. Blanca is in “wholly new culinary territory,” the guide says, and that seems to be the reason for its Top 100 placement. Classic beef carpaccio is updated with duck egg yolk, and watermelon gelato may be served with pressed melon and sour gummies.
Daniel
60 E. 65th St.
212-288-0033
The dishes at this renowned French eatery are inspired by the chef and owner Daniel Boulud’s time in France. The dessert menu is two pages long – with a whole page just for chocolate! — and the wine menu is equally well equipped. At the end of your meal, expect some small sweets, like madeleines warm from the oven and nestled in a napkin.
Masa
10 Columbus Circle, fourth floor
212-823-9800
Masa Takayama’s eponymous Japanese restaurant makes very clear the art of cooking. Meals are served on handmade pottery, and the chef’s omikaze menu is not to be missed. Many critics say there is no better place in New York City to discover what fish and sushi should taste like.
Per Se
The Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, fourth floor
212-823-9335
If you feel like provoking your senses, hit Per Se, which serves contemporary American fare made with European techniques. Case in point: deviled egg with truffle pop tart and full-bodied wine. Owner-chef Thomas Keller also works at the world famous French Laundry in Napa Valley, so it’s not surprising to see a few French Laundry classics like Oysters and Pearls pop up on the Per Se menu.
