I've had some great meals at Eleven Madison Park, but they've changed their whole "deal" like 3 times in the past 5 years and it got shitty when they did their insane 3 hour "tour of NY" tourist menu, which was so riddled with gimmicks that they literally gave you a picnic basket with a bottle of beer in it during the meal, put cooked carrots through a sausage grinder at your table, etc. Haven't been back since their renovations were finished. Service is always excellent, but can be a little goofy when they greet you by name when you arrive and have their dumb table side Manhattan bar. I honestly feel bad for the waiters.

Best service and all around fine dining experience would be Daniel, Le Bernardin, Jean Georges, the Modern, and Per Se, but they can be a bit boring. Honestly apart from the decor and one or two dishes they tend to run together.

Most fun I've had at a great place would be Momofuku Ko. Food is great and inventive and the crowd is low key without a million dumb tourists taking pictures of their food with SLRS. Le Cou Cou is fun too, but the food apart from the Dover Sole is not that great.

One problem is so many places do only elaborate tasting menus so you are there for 5 hours. I like La Grenouille for a 3 course classic French fine dining meal, which is pretty hard to find these days. It is also a beautiful space.

For Italian, Del Posto is great.

For low more hip/low key, I still love Minetta Tavern. Also Marc Forgione.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3960467&forum_id=2#35924734)

(PDDJ)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3960467&forum_id=2#35924802)