Originally Posted by bsb10

In the past year, I've eaten my way through all the 2/3 Michelin star options in New York City, and Chef's Table is by FAR my favorite of the lot. I've eaten there 4 times in the past year alone, and it never disappoints. Everything from the food to the service is superlative. A must go! I wish I could say the same about Eleven Madison Park, but I had a severely disappointing experience last time. Warning: if you are looking for the showmanship Alinea (one of my favorite restaurants) and the pre-renovation EMP had, you will not find it at the new EMP. Pre-reno EMP was one of my favorite meals of my life, but I found the food this time around to be unexciting and at times unappetizing (the mint snails and goat cheese desserts were very unpalatable to my whole table) alongside sloppy service for (at the time I went) the World's Best Restaurant-- specifically, my water was frequently switched between sparkling and still, plates were set down for the wrong person, rarely saw the sommelier etc. I really wish I could love EMP the same way I used to, but I will not be returning for a long time after my last visit. Bear in mind, this is just one person's opinion-- if it is a bucket list item, you should still consider going! Just wanted to put a fair warning in because I heard similar sentiments to mine prior to going yet chose to ignore them and ended up jilted, to say the least.

Other favorites from the list are Le Bernardin, The Modern, Ko, and Sushi Ginza Onodera. The worst of them by far is Marea, only restaurant from the list I tell everybody to actively avoid. Enjoy the trip, and do let us know where you end up going!!