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Just as the current economic conflagration is blazing brighter than ever, two major restaurant guides have appeared in as many days this week, telling you all the best places to dine in style until the money runs out. Yesterday saw the release of the prestigious Michelin NYC guide, and today we have the more democratic Zagat restaurant guide, compiled using reviews from 38,128 local surveyors who ate out over 6.6 million meals this past year, covering 2,073 eateries across the five boroughs. Some of this year's standouts include Asiate (best decor), Union Square Cafe (most popular), Per Se (best food) and Momofuku Ko (best newcomer).
But besides the exhaustive restaurant ratings, the guide has some revealing stats about how New Yorkers' dining has already been hindered by the economic downturn. The average cost of a meal in New York City is up 3.3% over last year’s $39.46, well above the Zagat national average of $34.09 and second only to Las Vegas ($44.44). The number of restaurant openings in NYC declined for the first time since 2003 (from 163 to 119), more diners are cutting back on alcohol consumption (19%), and 38% of New Yorkers say they're eating out less often because of hard times. To that end, Zagat is always a handy resource for finding under $35 dinners and BYOB spots.
Tim and Nina Zagat, who started the guide thirty years ago with most of the survey info coming from friends, will be at Borders Columbus Circle tonight at 7 p.m. to sign copies of the 2009 edition. (They've got a special Zagat Anniversary website with things like this copy of the first edition restaurant survey.) And this year's guide was stellar for Brooklyn; the borough claims the title of Top Hamburger (Williamsburg's DuMont), Top Pizza to (Carroll Gardens' Lucali, edging out Da Fara), Top BBQ (Fette Sau in Williamsburg) and Top Turkish Food (Sahara restaurant in Gravesend). The other big winners, including best new restaurant you still can't get into, after the jump.
Top Rated New Restaurants
26 – Momofuku Ko
Scarpetta
Adour
Dovetail
eighty one
25 – Duane Park
24 – Shorty’s.32
delľanima
Blue Ribbon Sushi B&G
Artichoke Basille’s
South Gate
Allen & Delancey
Top Ten Food Rankings (2008 rank):
1. Per Se (4)
2. Le Bernardin (3)
3. Daniel (1)
4. Jean Georges (6)
5. Sushi Yasuda (2)
6. Bouley (7)
7. Mas (-)
8. ĽAtelier/Joël Robuchon (10)
9. Garden Cafe (Brooklyn) (-)
10. Gramercy Tavern (14)
Ten Most Popular Places (2008 rank):
1. Union Square Cafe (1)
2. Gramercy Tavern (2)
3. Babbo (4)
4. Le Bernardin (3)
5. Gotham Bar & Grill (7)
6. Jean Georges (5)
7. Daniel (6)
8. Peter Luger (8)
9. Bouley (9)
10. Eleven Madison Park (12)
Top Five Decor (2008 rank):
1. Asiate (1)
2. Per Se (3)
3. Daniel (2)
4. Four Seasons (6)
5. La Grenouille (5)
Top Five Service (2008 rank):
1. Per Se (1)
2. Daniel (2)
3. Chanterelle (4)
4. Le Bernardin (3)
5. Jean Georges (6)
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great title
For what it's worth, I use Zagats as a telephone directory. I think most of the reviews reflect the comfort of the diners and not the quality of the food. Friends have taken me to restaurants raving about the cuisine, which I then found to be ordinary, but the Maitre d' knew their names.
t. zagat was one of the 30 douches who put out that full page ad in favor (or favors) of bloomberg's third term.
Putting Michelin and Zagat on the same level is comedy. One actually has reviews and ratings you can believe and that guide is not made by Zagat.
Zagat's sucks in that it rarely updates it's reviews. If a restaurant has been around for a while, the ratings and word based review will most likely stay the same regardless of the changes a restaurant may go through over time, for better or for worse. Unless of course it's a big name place. Case in point, a restaurant in my neighborhood opened up about 5 years ago as a high end deli with only a few tables. In the last three years it has since all but eliminated the deli and is a now a full fledged restaurant. It is still listed as a market, three years later, even though the owners have been begging them to update the review, to no avail. I can't trust any review in Zagats anymore as a result of this, because who knows how current any of the other reviews and ratings are.
Michelin could end the debate if they could just explain their fascination with Spotted Pig.
And I agree with Mr. Mel. I have found Zagat to be far more useful in smaller cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Washington. I think their are too many restaurants in New York for the rating system to work. And the voting system is flawed anyway. Voters don't vote on a 0 to 30 scale like the scores are presented. They only get to vote 0, 1, 2 or 3. This tends to make people vote higher than they might otherwise.
Readers find that Zagat's "is not worth the paper it's printed on" unless they have to "look up a phone number." It'd edited in a "way that makes it unreadable" and the information it provides "is sparce and mostly useless." There are better options "at the bookstore."
You have to wonder about THE MOST POPULAR PLACES. Some of these places are quite small and exclusive. How popular can a place with very few tables be? Or maybe in Zagatville popular means something else.