Zagat: New York City Restaurants

The following reviews are excerpted from Zagat Surveys, a series of regional dining and lodging guides based on extensive ratings and reviews contributed by local restaurant-goers and frequent travelers.

Ratings for food, decor and service are based on a numerical scale: 0-9, poor to fair; 10-19, good to very good; 20-25, very good to excellent; 26-30, extraordinary to perfect. Estimated cost is for a dinner, drink and tip for one person. Zagat recommends these establishments for business travelers.

Popular Top-Rated Choices

AUREOLE

34 E. 61st St..; (212) 319-1660 Flower-filled townhouse offers memorable French-American dishes as well as spectacular desserts.

Food: 28 Decor: 26 Service: 26 Cost: $65

BOULEY

165 Duane St.; (212) 608-3852 Magical, from the gorgeous room to an exquisite multi-course tasting menu. Chefs are obsessive about using fresh, organically grown ingredients. First New York City restaurant to receive Zagat’s 29 rating. The $32 prix fixe lunch is a steal.

Food: 29 Decor: 28 Service: 26 Cost: $68

LE CIRQUE

Mayfair Hotel, 58 E. 65th St.; (212) 794-9292 Still the favorite haunt of the powerful. A new chef has imported French and Italian dishes into the elegant, elbow-to-elbow quarters. Truffles still a treat. Unknowns may get short shrift.

Food: 27 Decor: 25 Service: 24 Cost: $65

UNION SQUARE CAFE

21 E. 16th St.; (212) 243-4020 California-style cafe is enormously popular, offering consistently innovative dishes, an impressive wine list and a handsome, multi-section setting. Sense of hospitality, but can be crowded.

Food: 27 Decor: 23 Service: 24 Cost: $47

For Tighter Budgets

CARMINE’S

200 W. 44th St.; (212) 221-3800 and 2450 Broadway (near 90th); (212) 362-2200 Noisy, garlicky family-style Southern Italian restaurants serve huge portions. No reservations for less than six.

Food: 18 Decor: 14 Service: 16 Cost: $24

CAFE BOTANICA

Essex House, 160 Central Park South; (212) 484-5120 At a midtown hotel; one of the prettiest settings in the city facing Central Park. Contemporary French-American food is particularly reasonable with prix fixe menus ($20 for lunch, $26 pre-theater).

Food: 23 Decor: 27 Service: 23 Cost: $42

GRAY’S PAPAYA

2090 Broadway (at 72nd St.); (212) 799-0243

402 Avenue of the Americas (at 8th St.); (212) 260-3532 For the best hot dog any time of day or night. Stand-up eating.

Food: 16 Decor: 4 Service: 11 Cost: $5

For more information or to participate in future surveys, call (800) 333-3421. Copyright 1993, Eugene H. Zagat Jr. and Nina S. Zagat.