Eating in NYC

Hi

I%26#39;m going to NYC in January (I know some time away yet!) and have been browsing the forum recently looking for ideas.

With regards to eating out in NYC, I%26#39;ve noticed that many people book tables at restaurants prior to going. Is this necessary? And if it is, can anyone give me some inspiration/advice on where to look at eating meals? I%26#39;m going with my mum who tends to eat very little %26amp; mainly light food whilst I%26#39;ll eat anything! I don%26#39;t particularly want anywhere fancy, just good food %26amp; good atmosphere, where we can wear casual dress. I have booked a table for lunch at Gordon Ramsey%26#39;s Maze restaurant, but only because I heard that reservations need to be made well in advance.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Eating in NYC

IMO no need to book a restaurant unless it is something like Ramsay%26#39;s where it is very popular. There are 20,000 plus places to dine in NYC from simple to ultra fancy - so no worries about getting something to eat as little or as much as you like.

Eating in NYC

As Poppa says, you only need to book places you definitely want to go to. Bear in mind, however, that plenty of casual restaurants that aren%26#39;t very expensive are very popular and will require booking. If you tell us where you plan on being each day, we can recommend some restaurants in those areas.

For the latest on the New York dining scene, I recommend that you check out Chowhound.com. Depending on where you will be staying, there will likely be great neighborhood favorites.

I agree that many places require advanced booking. You are wise to start researching now in anticipation of your trip. Make a list of the top places you definitely want to go to and book them, but please, don%26#39;t feel you need to have all your meal options planned before you get here! There will always be places you find when you get here that you will want to try........maybe you will find your own hidden gem! Some of the best meals I%26#39;ve had in NYC have been the ones we%26#39;ve just ';popped in'; on when the mood struck.

Also, I%26#39;m not sure when in January you%26#39;ll be here, but Restaurant Week is generally toward the end of the month and offers the chance to dine at restaurants you might otherwise skip due to budget constraints. Keep your eye out for the list of participating restaurants (prix fix lunch and/or dinner). Reservations are recommended during Restaurant Week as many people take advantage of this opportunity to dine at these restaurants!