Aureole
34 East 61st Street, 212-319-1660
Soft music accompanies the New-American food finely prepared and served with world-class service at this Upper East Side restaurant by world-famous restaurateur Charlie Palmer.

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl., 212-777-0303
This two-floor Mario Batali gem, dishes up stunning Italian fare like the Black Tagliatelle with Parsnips and Pancetta, cooked with a variety of unexpected ingredients and spiced to perfection. Book exactly two weeks in advance.

Balthazar
80 Spring Street, 212-966-7402
If there was ever a classic brasserie, on either side of the Atlantic, Balthazar is it. You may forget that you are in New York for a moment and think you are in old world France.

Blue Hill
75 Washington Pl., 212-539-1776
The underground dining room gives this restaurant an exclusive feel and is noted by Green Market fans for the use of fresh ingredients.

Blue Ribbon
35 Downing Street, (212) 337-0404
Here’s where can you head for dinner at 2:30 in the A.M. and find a bustling late night scene. This Soho restaurant from the Bromberg brothers is famous as a meeting place for chefs winding down after a night’s work. The eclectic menu has everything from Fried Chicken to Paella to Matzoh Ball Soup.

Blue Ribbon Sushi
119 Sullivan Street, 212-343-0404
The sake selection is near mind blowing and this popular Japanese restaurant is well regarded as having the best raw fish in the city.

Blue Water Grill
31 Union Sq West, (646) 233-2727
Jump in and wet your palette with the amazing seafood at this always bustling Union Square hotspot owned by Stephen Hanson.

Bouley
120 West Broadway, 212-964-2525
Run by the famed David Bouley, the degustation menus always please those with a taste for the original and inventive like Skate with fresh chamomile.

Buddakhan
75 9th Avenue, 212-989-6699
While some elaborately decorated venues replace the quality of food with design, Buddakan’s modern Asian cuisine, is on par with its spatial elegance.

Café des Artistes
1 West 67th Steet, 212-877-3500
Isn’t it romantic! Through the years, the Café has witnessed more engagements than Elizabeth Taylor’s agent. Howard Chandler Christy’s famous murals and the innate charm inherited from famed proprietor George Lang, give this spot an untold elegance and its earthy French fare keeps celebrity regulars coming back for more.

Café Luxembourg
200 West 70th Street, 212-873-7411
A well-edited menu and friendly wait staff makes this Upper West Side bistro a favorite of locals who can’t get enough of their Mango Pudding. Constant celebrity sightings and showbiz buzz. Great for Pre-Lincoln Center dinner or Sunday brunch before a stroll through Central Park.

Chanterelle
2 Harrison Street, 212-966-6960
French inspiration and New American innovation find a home at this candlelit TriBeCa classic restaurant that has aged like a fine Bordeaux. They offer over 500 French wines and a seasonal menu.

Chez Josephine
414 West 42nd Street, 212-594-1925
The bistro fare is as lively as the crowd at this midtown joint that boasts live piano playing every night and a fireplace in every room. Josephine Baker’s adopted son Jean-Claude is proprietor and chef raconteur.