You should get on a plane for these Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City
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For more than a century, the Michelin Guide has graded the world's top culinary institutions, and conferred its coveted stars and Bib Gourmand awards on only the most esteemed restaurants. This week, Michelin unveiled its selection of New York's premier restaurants — and it's great news for those of us who travel the world for food (present!).
We've rounded up some of our favorite picks from the list so you can factor them into your travels to the Big Apple next year.
Visit a classic
Le Bernardin
Not just a New York City fine-dining icon, but one of the best in the world. Chef Eric Ripert outdoes himself year after year at Le Bernardin, which boasts three Michelin stars. (TPG himself interviewed Ripert in 2016 at the Cayman Cookout, hosted at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, which is home to another Ripert restaurant, Blue.) If you're looking for a quintessential fine-dining experience for a very special occasion, this is the place.
Carbone
Reservations at one Michelin-starred Carbone are harder to come by than La Premiere award availability on Air France, but for good reason: The food is absolutely divine. Get the spicy rigatoni, meatballs, veal parmesan and you're in for a treat. Thankfully, we have some tips up our sleeve for how to score one of the elusive reservations — but more on that in a minute.
Gramercy Tavern
Danny Meyer's reputation precedes the chef here, and once you go, you'll understand why Gramercy Tavern is such a beloved New York institution, lauded by locals and tourists alike. While you'll need a reservation for the main dining room, the bar is walk-in only. You can't go wrong at either. You're in the presence of a Michelin star, after all.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
While it's technically not in New York City — a few miles north in Tarrytown, to be exact — this farm-to-table restaurant will make any self-respecting food aficionado's eyes light up. Its two, shiny new Michelin stars are immensely well-deserved, now that the Michelin guide has expanded beyond New York City's five boroughs. But travelers looking to stay within the city limits can also visit Blue Hill's townhouse in the West Village, the restaurant's original location, which has held a star since 2008, according to Robb Report.
Atera
This is one of the best tasting menus you can get in the city, and dinner at this two Michelin-starred restaurant is a full evening affair that can include 20 separate courses. Don't miss: the pistachio ice cream with golden Osetra caviar, and the nonalcoholic "temperance" cocktail pairing with "champagne" made from pine needles.
Try a newcomer
While more than 70 restaurants in the New York area received anywhere from one to three Michelin stars this week, just 10 appeared on the list for the first time.
- Atomix
- Blue Hill at Stone Barns
- Benno
- Crown Shy
- Estela
- Four Horsemen
- Le Jardinier
- Odo
- Oxalis
- Ukiyo (currently closed)
How to book
Of these 10 new restaurants, you can book Benno, Estela, Four Hoursemen and Oxalis via through the popular restaurant booking app and website, Resy. Tables at Le Bernardin, Carbone, Gramercy Tavern and others can also be reserved this way.
Resy was acquired by American Express earlier this year, and cardmembers have been privy to some special perks as a result. (While the promotion is no longer valid, cardmembers were able to earn bonus Membership Rewards points this fall.) That's not all, though: Resy quietly released a rewards program for its most loyal customers, letting them skip the pesky waitlist at some of the most popular restaurants in New York City and Los Angeles. While the loyalty program appears to be available to various cardholders, and not just those with an Amex, the issuer's acquisition means there are probably plenty of exciting updates in the pipeline.
Additionally, if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express, we have some good news: The Amex Concierge could really come in handy here, since they typically have connections at many of the world's most in-demand restaurants.
You'll be able to find other restaurants, such as the aforementioned Atera, through the restaurant booking platform OpenTable, and Daniel, The Clocktower and Le Coucou can also be booked this way. Newcomers Crown Shy and Oxalis are also on OpenTable. Keep in mind that, as of earlier this year, you can now redeem OpenTable Dining Points for hotel stays booked through Kayak. Is there anything better than knowing an amazing meal is putting you one step closer to your next vacation?
Regardless of how you book your table, we always recommend using a card that earns you bonus points on dining. After all, those bonus points will add up really quickly if you're enjoying yourself at one of these high-end Michelin-starred restaurants. Our top picks are the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express (7x at U.S. restaurants), American Express® Gold Card (4x at restaurants), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x) and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (3x).
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
We don't know about you, but our stomachs are growling just thinking about all of this...
Featured Image courtesy of Carbone.