Upper East Side Restaurants
Need to recharge your batteries after taking in Museum Mile, Central Park, the exclusive shopping (and fantastic resale shops), and strolling past all those exclusive apartments guarded by doormen?
** Indicates my personal favorites
Bistro 60 ($$) French
37 E. 60th St. (betw. 5th and Madison Aves.)
212-230-1350
Subway: 4,5,6,F,N,R,W to 59th St.-Lexington Ave.
Open 7 days, 11am-11pm
How nice to find a charming, moderately-priced French bistro in this exclusive part of town! Refresh yourself during or after a day of shopping or museum-going. Convenient to some of the major shopping strolls (Fifth Avenue, 57th St., Upper Madison Ave, Barney’s, Bloomingdales).
Daniel ($$$-$$$$) French
60 E. 65th St. (betw. Park and Madison Aves.)
212-288-0033
Subway: 6 to 68th St.
Open Mon-Sat for dinner only, closed Sun.
A celebrity chef Daniel Boulud venture, and a top NYC dining destination. Prix-fixe menus in the $105 - $195 range.
Due ($$) Northern Italian
1396 Third Ave. (betw. 79th and 80th Sts.)
212-772-3331
Open Sun-Thu noon-midnight, Fri-Sat noon-1am.
CASH ONLY
(no website? I could not find one.)
Loyal customers frequent this cozy Italian eatery for delicious food, cordial service, and good value.
**E.A.T. ($$) Gourmet Deli
1064 Madison Ave. (betw. E. 80th and E. 81st. Sts.)
212-772-0022
Subway: 4,5,6 to 86th St
Open 7 days 7am to 10pm
Informal, pricey-but-worth-it upscale gourmet deli and food store, the first of many owned and by Eli Zabar. Excellent choice for breakfast, lunch, shopping break, or casual dinner.
Fred’s at Barneys New York ($$-$$$) American, Italian
660 Madison Ave, 9th fl. (betw. 60th and 61st. Sts.)
212-833-2200
Subway: 4,5,6,F,N,R,w to 59th St-Lexington Ave.
Open Mon-fri 11:30am-9pm, Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-6pm
Surprisingly good restaurant, and ever-so-fun people watching at this oh-so-chic, oh-so-current, oh-so-expensive department store. But there can be a very long wait for a table on weekends.
Garden Court Café ($$) Asian
725 Park Ave. (Asia Society @ 70th St.)
212-570-5202
Subway:6 to 68th St., F to Lexington Ave.-63rd. St.
www.greatperformances.com
www.asiasociety.org
Lovely, tranquil café at the Asia Society. Located not too far from the Whitney Museum, Central Park, and Upper East Side shopping. You may dine at the café, or visit the gift shop (recommended) without purchasing museum admission.
Le Pain Quotidien ($-$$) Belgian bakery/cafe
1131 Madison Ave betw 84th and 85th Sts.
833 Lexington Ave. betw. 63rd and 64th Sts.
1336 First Ave. betw 71st and 72nd Sts.
A very fine Belgian bakery/café with several outlets in town. Fresh, organic salads, sandwiches, etc., and of course lovely bread and pastries.
Nick’s ($$) Italian; Often Voted Best Pizza
1814 Second Ave. (@94th St.)
212-987-5700
Subway: 6 to 96th St.
CASH ONLY
Yes, 96th St. is a ways up there on the Upper East Side; on the other hand, it’s just 2-3 more subway stops. The word is that Nick’s pizza is “to-die-for,” so if you’re a thin-crust pizza fan you might want to venture there.
**Payard Patisserie & Bistro ($$$) French
1032 Lexington Ave. (betw. 73rd and 74th Sts.)
212-717-5252
Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Open Mon – Sat for lunch (12-3) tea (3:30 – 5) and dinner (5:45 – 10:30, 11 on Fri/Sat, Closed Sunday).
Don’t you just love the word “patisserie? Splurge for a lovely lunch and dessert at this beautiful, elegant bistro and pastry shop … stop in for coffee and exquisite pastries, or afternoon tea after doing Museum Mile; or go for dinner.
**Sarabeth’s ($$-$$$) American, Bakery, Comfort Food.
1295 Madison Ave (@92nd St.)
212-570-3670
Subway: 6 to 96th St.
Open Mon-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 8am-9:30pm.
Sarabeth’s at the Whitney
945 Madison Ave (@ 75th St.)
212-570-3670
Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Open Tues-Thu 11am-4:30pm, Fri 11am-3:45pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4;30pm.
Longtime neighborhood favorite, known especially for scrumptious homemade baked goods, breakfast, and brunch; but every bit as good for lunch and dinner. In 1981, Sarabeth and Bill Levine opened a tiny bakery-kitchen to sell her preserves and baked goods. Gradually they added tables, chairs, breakfast, lunch … a restaurant in 1983 … another in 1986 … and so on. Inventive American casual and comfort food menu, pretty, charming, atmosphere, friendly service. Highly recommended.
Other locations on UWS and Midtown West.
**Via Quadronno ($$-$$$) Italian Café/Restaurant
25 E. 73rd St (betw. 5th and Madison Aves.)
212-650-9880
Subway: 6 to 77th St.
Open 7 days for breakfast,snacks, lunch, and dinner.
My friend Julie and I now call this “our place.” We wandered in late Sunday morning, in search of a little something to tide us over for a Central Park tour. After the best cappuccino ever and a heavenly tart, we went on to our tour … and hurried back to Via Quadronno for lunch! This New York branch of a legendary Milanese “paninoteca” serves perfect, inventive grilled Italian sandwiches, superb salads, hot and cold dishes, pastries, desserts. Sadly we had to catch our plane before we could go back to sample the dinner menu, which features homemade pastas and enticing veal, seafood, chicken, and beef entrees. Chic, worldly clientele – fun to people-watch and listen to the languages spoken. You’re not in Kansas anymore …
