Upper West Side – Dining

 The Upper West Side is home to four Michelin-starred restaurants: Per Se and Masa each have three stars, Jean-Georges two, and Essential by Christophe one. The neighborhood’s not all haute cuisine, however. Among its hundreds of eateries are diners, bistros, trattorias, tavernas, steakhouses, and icons such as Cafe Luxembourg and, for the ultimate scrambled eggs with sturgeon, Barney Greengrass. Below are five recent additions to the UWS dining scene that just might become future icons.

 

Allure

Located in the Beaux-Arts Hotel Belleclaire, this restaurant and cocktail lounge presents classic but unpretentious food in a sophisticated setting. Its Silver Service NYC Dog—a Wagyu beef hot dog with shishito, cherry tomatoes, gochujang aioli, pickles, and shallots in lieu of ketchup, mustard, and relish—is an ideal starter; its roasted chicken, accompanied by purple Peruvian garlic mashed potatoes, thumbelina carrots glazed with honey mustard, and beet essence, is deluxe comfort food. Weekend brunch here is definitely worth rousing yourself for, particularly the tower of pastries, quiches, latkes, and croissants.

Malka

 “It just happens to be kosher” is the sensibility behind this restaurant from Jerusalem-born chef Eyal Shani. The dairy-free menu varies depending on the fresh produce available locally, but the mashed potato-filled schnitzel already seems to be a favorite. Grape-soaked lamb steaks, grouper shislik, and a garden’s worth of vegetable dishes make Malka a spot where vegetarians and omnivores can both happily dine.

 Moon Kee

The traditional street food of Hong Kong and the cuisine of Guangdong, the Chinese province formerly known as Canton, inspired Moon Kee’s offerings. The dim sum menu includes steamed and fried options, with a weekend brunch dim sum cart special that includes a baked pineapple bun with roast pork and baked sweet egg tart. More than a half-dozen varieties of congee, a rice porridge, are available, as are a gamut of noodle soups. Crispy roast duck; braised bean curd and fish filet casserole; clay pot rice with preserved pork, duck, and Chinese sausage… Your tastebuds will be convinced you’re in Guangzhou, or at the very least, Chinatown.

Clara

 Located across from Central Park in the same stately building as the New-York Historical Society, Clara is a study in contemporary elegance. Dishes such as vichyssoise, New York strip served with Tokyo turnips and anchovies, and wild mushroom trofie with smoked hazelnuts make the menu a tasty olio of the traditional and the trending. Its vegetable dishes, such as grilled leeks with celery broth and lemon thyme, are especially creative.

Rampoldi

Since 1946, Monaco’s Rampoldi has sated the appetites of the rich and famous. Now New Yorkers can savor its luxurious dishes without chartering a jet. Start with house-made foie gras terrine, vitello tonnato, or oysters with raspberry vinaigrette and shallot butter; proceed to a classic beef tartare, octopus carpaccio, or house-made crab ravioli with clams. And we haven’t even reached the mains yet: duck confit in a red-wine-and-berries sauce with pineapple and cinnamon, sea scallops with cauliflower puree and black truffles, grilled whole branzino for two.  Don’t forget the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert!