If you’re ready to torch the vacation budget in one night (or eight), New York’s top-tier dining rooms are prepped to deliver edible theater, rare wines, and bragging rights that last longer than the credit-card statement. Below are the marquee tables dominating the city’s luxury scene this season.
Eleven Madison Park ★ ★ ★
Flatiron – from $365
Chef Daniel Humm rewrote the fine-dining playbook by swapping foie and lobster for beets and sunflower butter. The 10-course, all-plant tasting is still served beneath soaring Art-Deco ceilings that overlook Madison Square Park, and it remains New York’s OG three-star vegan experience.
Splurge tip: Ask about the à-la-minute bread service—baked mid-meal so it hits the table still steaming.
Le Bernardin ★ ★ ★
Midtown – chef’s tasting $298
Eric Ripert’s temple of “Almost Raw” and “Barely Cooked” seafood is the definition of polished French luxury. Jackets are politely requested at dinner (they’ll lend you one if needed), and the progression from thin-pounded tuna to poached halibut remains textbook perfection.
Splurge tip: Book lunch if you want the same precision with gentler pricing and sunnier Midtown light.
Per Se ★ ★ ★
Columbus Circle – tastings from $425
Thomas Keller’s East Coast flagship stages nine-course chef’s and vegetable menus with Central Park framed in every window. A wine book thick enough to qualify as arm day rounds out the experience.
Splurge tip: Reserve the spacious salon tables if you’d rather graze on caviar bumps and canapés than commit to the full marathon.
Masa ★ ★ ★
Columbus Circle – up to $950
The silent hinoki-wood counter seats just 14 lucky diners for Chef Masa Takayama’s edomae omakase—one of the priciest meals in America and, many argue, the most transcendent. Expect toro so fatty it glistens and plates that vanish as quickly as they appear.
Splurge tip: Counter seats include the chef’s running commentary (and delicate humor) in between knife strokes—worth every extra dollar over the table menu.
Jungsik ★ ★ ★
Tribeca – signature menu $295
Promoted to three stars in December 2024, Jungsik is now the first Korean restaurant in U.S. history to hit Michelin’s top tier. Modern banchan riffs (think crisped octopus with gochujang-aioli) meet French plating finesse in a sleek, low-lit room.
Splurge tip: Pairings lean heavily on small-production Korean rice wines—an education in jeong-in-a-glass.
Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare ★ ★
Hell’s Kitchen – tasting $430
Re-energized under Max Natmessnig & Marco Prins, this 20-seat counter hidden behind a grocery stocks caviar in bulk and plates French-Japanese mash-ups like brown-butter scallop, followed by buri tartare.
Splurge tip: Nab one of the four corner stools for the widest view of the culinary choreography.
Atomix ★ ★
Murray Hill – 12-course menu ~ $375
Junghyun & Ellia Park’s story-card tasting slid to No. 1 on global lists, and the two-star rating feels almost quaint next to its global buzz. Expect Jeju fluke cured in doenjang, served on ceramics as pretty as the plating.
Splurge tip: Arrive 15 minutes early for a cocktail upstairs—many feature Korean spirits you won’t see elsewhere in the city.
SAGA ★ ★
70 Pine, FiDi – tasting $295
Spread across the 63rd–66th floors of an Art-Deco skyscraper, SAGA couples skyline terraces with globe-trotting plates—think potato-crusted madai or tableside Moroccan tea. Sunsets here make excellent proposal fuel.
Splurge tip: Book the final seating and savor petit fours on the terrace as the city lights kick on below.
Booking Intel
- Reservations for all eight restaurants drop exactly 30, 60, or 90 days out (varies by spot) and vanish in seconds—use calendar alerts and multiple devices.
- Most venues require pre-paid deposits, and cancellation windows are tight.
- Dietary restrictions? EMP and Per Se offer dedicated vegetable menus; Masa and Chef’s Table are far less flexible.
Whether you hit one or collect the entire set, each of these dining rooms proves that in 2025, New York’s appetite for high-gloss, high-price gastronomy is alive, well, and more imaginative than ever. Pack your appetite—and maybe a spare Amex.
