Le Coucou

Meals at this elegant French restaurant at the 11 Howard hotel are a little uneven, but there are a few outstanding dishes that arrive at your table without a single component out of place. Begin your dinner with the leeks that come with toasted hazelnuts in a sherry vinaigrette, and follow that up with the delicate pike quenelle that goes really well with the accompanying sauce made with cream, brandy, and lobster stock. But your priority should be the lobster au poivre (the best thing here), which has tender chunks of meat in an incredible cognac cream and peppercorn sauce.

photo credit: Le Coucou

The service at Le Coucou is genuinely among the best in the city, and when you stop by for dinner, you'll see people in Tom Ford jackets and elbow-length satin gloves who look like they’re on the way to some kind of Eyes Wide Shut party. Given all the candles, white tablecloths, and grand chandeliers, we’re confident that people who have lesser-known Picassos hanging in their lofts come here for ho hum date nights. Consider this restaurant the next time you have a big milestone to celebrate (even if you only have posters of Spider-Man up on your walls).