As an Upper West Sider for 24 years who has been denial that I’m an Upper West Sider, I wouldn’t say that the neighborhood is a foodie destination. However we just got a Chanel, albeit a makeup store, so you never know when the tide will turn to attract downtown level restaurants uptown. So without further adieu, this is my list of best restaurants on the Upper West Side.
A Quick Note About the Ratings
I’ll caveat that it’s limited to the neighborhood, and most of my ratings are in the 7.3-7.4 range. Generally I’ll go back to a restaurant at a 7.0/10 rating, but it’s no great shakes. I am a hard grader though so keep this all in mind.
The Restaurant: Essential by Christophe
The Cuisine: French
Rating: 8/10
What to Order: If you’re not sitting in the dining room for the tasting, grab a seat at the bar for the a la carte menu. Current highlights are the hamachi, scallop, blue prawns, cheese soufflé and the burger. The burger and cheese soufflé are fixed on the menu, but the other items are seasonal.
The Restaurant: Fiorello’s
The Cuisine: Italian
Rating: 7.3/10
What to Order: The Margherita pizza and the baked clams.
The Restaurant: El Fish
The Cuisine: Mexican
Rating: 7.4/10
What to Order: Lobster aguachile, tacos de langosta, grilled oysters, brochetas de salmon kung pao and the langosta ensenada.
The Restaurant: Cafe Luxembourg
The Cuisine: French
Rating: 7.4/10
What to Order: Egg white omelet with gruyere and herbs with a split of salad and French fries, salmon, fish and chips and the burger.
The Restaurant: Felice
The Cuisine: Italian
Rating: 7.5/10
What to Order: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, Nizzarda di Salmone and an espresso martini
The Restaurant: Pop Up Bagel
The Cuisine: Bagels
Rating: 8.3/10
What to Order: A dozen bagels, a few schmears and the special butter. Add in the trout roe and you have yourself a decadent breakfast, lunch or afternoon snack.
The Restaurant: Harry’s Table by Cipriani
The Cuisine: Italian
Rating: 7.2/10
What to Order: Truffle pizza, baked white tagliolini, and pasta e fagioli. Also consider the cheese plate or take cheese to go.
What is Not Included on the List
I will do a full review on Tatiana, which is not on the list of the best restaurants on the Upper West Side. Most of you who are foodies are probably wondering why it’s not. In all fairness to Tatiana, I’ll explain more on the formal review. To disclose now though it’s not like Tatiana isn’t good. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. I was really cheering for it though. It would give me great joy to give a higher mark than 8 to a restaurant on the Upper West Side.
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FAQs
Q: What are the best restaurants on the Upper West Side?
A: Our best restaurants on the Upper West Side list include Fiorello’s, Essential by Christophe and El Fish.
Q: What are the best restaurants on the Upper West Side that serve Italian food?
A: The best restaurants on the Upper West Side that serve Italian food are Fiorello’s, Felice and Harry’s Table.
Q: What are the best restaurants on the Upper West Side that serve French food?
A: The best restaurants in the neighborhood that serve French food are Essential by Christophe and Cafe Luxembourg.
