• New York features many excellent restaurants.Restaurant image by Ren?? Schulz from Fotolia.com
  
  It is nearly impossible to soak up everything that New York has to offer, especially when visiting for the first time. With countless attractions, sights and historical monuments to explore, eating tends to become an afterthought. Yet, there are plenty of trendy and exciting restaurants in the city that have as much to offer as everything else on your itinerary. Great restaurants in the city are abundant, so take time out of your schedule to treat yourself to some excellent cuisine.
  
  

Gotham Bar & Grill

• Gotham Bar and Grill is an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. Located in the famed Greenwich Village neighborhood, the establishment is renown for its ambitious architecture, elegant food and warm hospitality. Gotham Bar and Grill is the only restaurant in New York to receive four consecutive three-star reviews from the respected New Yorker Magazine, from 2002 to 2005. Additionally, the restaurant is consistently ranked in the top ten of most popular restaurants in New York via the annual Zagat Survey. Remarkable pasta dishes and entrees featuring fresh game are highlights on the varied menu created by Chef Alfred Portale, who is named one of the Outstanding Chefs in the nation in 2006, according to Gotham's website.
  
  Gotham Bar & Grill
  
  12 E. 12th St.
  
  New York, NY 10003
  
  212-620-4020
  
  gothambarandgrill.com
  
  

Mercer Kitchen

• The Mercer Kitchen is a premier restaurant located within two floors of the famed Mercer Hotel, a luxury hotel in Soho. The fairly new restaurant was opened in 1998 by celebrity chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten. According to the restaurant's website, the establishment is known for its open kitchen and communal dining areas that overlook the sidewalk. Sample items on the American Provencal menu feature signature dishes such as the raw tuna and wasabi pizza, sea bass carpaccio and roasted lobster with tagliatelle. Their site notes that many menu items change according to the season.
  
  Mercer Kitchen
  
  99 Prince St.
  
  New York, NY 10012
  
  212-966-5454
  
  mercerhotel.com
  
  

Nobu

• Nobu's New York restaurant is the flagship establishment in this high caliber Japanese chain. Designed by architect David Rockwell, the restaurant evokes the feeling of being at a Japanese countryside, with birch trees and wood floors encompassing the entire space. According to Nobu's official website, owner Nobu Matsuhisa used his training at sushi bars and restaurants in Tokyo and Peru to create a menu that innovates Japanese cuisine. The acclaimed restaurant, located in the Tribeca neighborhood, received the coveted three-star rating from The New York Times in 2005, as well as a Michelin Star for excellence in 2005.
  
  Nobu
  
  105 Hudson Street at Franklin Street
  
  New York, NY 10013
  
  212-219-0500
  
  noburestaurants.com
  
  

21 Club

• The restaurant simply known as 21 Club is a popular local for citizens and visitors alike. Motion pictures and television productions feature this restaurant more than any other fine dining restaurant in the nation. The restaurant, located in the theater district in Times Square, offers two dining options for their patrons. The Bar Room has a fun, festive atmosphere for livelier guests. Individuals seeking a more romantic and softer vibe can be seated upstairs. The American cuisine is prepared under the guidance of Executive Chef Stephen Trojahn, and is paired with an exceptional selection of wines.
  
  21 Club
  
  21 W. 52nd St.
  
  New York, NY 10019
  
  212-582-7200
  
  21club.com