• Best Cheap Eats: When the most celebrated chef in town (Daniel Humm, chef at what was named the “best restaurant in the world”) opens a slow-food/fast service joint, it’s time to join the line to get in to Made Nice.. Charging just $11-$15 for bowls of grain with expertly sourced and braised proteins, and salads that are downright ambrosial—who cares that you’re eating off a tray?
  • Most Romantic Restaurant: I’ll have to go classic French on this one and suggest Daniel. The food is exquisite, as is the decor, and the waitstaff are veritable cupids, who seem to know, instinctively, when to top off a glass and when not to interrupt a conversation. 
  • Most Family-Friendly Restaurant for Those with Kids over 8: WLet the kids cook for once—or twice. At Gyu Kaku they’ll grill meats, veggies and, for dessert, smores, over a fire heated metal plate set in the center of the table. Or at Shabu Tatsu  they can swish-cook their meats and vegetables in boiling water (again set in the middle of the table) until they’ve created a savory noodle soup. Tons of fun.
  • Most Family-Friendly Restaurant for Those with Kids Under 8: John's Times Square is set in a huge former church, so the tables are far enough apart that nobody gets upset when the younger folk kick up a fuss. And what kid doesn't like pizza?
  • Best Place to Go with a Group: Head to Mission Chinese and soon the old-fashioned lazy susan in the middle of the table will be spinning as your group digs into some of the kookiest (and tastiest) riffs on Chinese food you've ever tasted. Since you'll want to try everything on the menu, the bigger the group, the better. 
  • Best Splurge: This is a tough one, but I’ll have to go with the endless, unusual, and delicious tasting menu at Aska. Serving nouveau Scandinavian fare, it features many items that are foraged right outside the city, and aren’t usually considered edible (I’m looking at you lichen). Service is unhurried and extremely warm, and tables are set a civilized distance one from the next. A truly grown-up and exciting culinary adventure.
  • Best Old School Gotham dining experience: Still a classic, and still serving the tenderest steaks in town, Peter Luger Steakhouse is the place to come when you want a taste of olde New York.
  • Best New School Gotham dining experience: At Marea you’ll be digging into the most creative Italian food you’ve likely ever tasted, in a chic and contemporary dining room filled with the biggest of bigwigs.
  • Most Fun Fusion Food: How about some matzoh ball ramen? That's just one of the delectable specialties at Shalom Japan, a tiny restaurant with big ambitions that serves up some mighty tasty, if mighty weird, food.
-Pauline Frommer

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.