The Gourmet

Whether you are an eager visitor or a seasoned New Yorker, the city's vast culinary landscape can be daunting, perhaps even intimidating. But don't shy away from checking out the country's best food! With more famous chefs per square mile than anywhere else in the world, NYC represents your chance to explore the wide world of food and flavors. But where to start? What's new? What's hot? What's affordable? What's the dress code?

We have some suggestions to help you find what you crave:

First, check our easy to use & informative restaurant guide. You can search by:

1. TOP REVIEWS: Just leave the search fields blank, and you'll automatically be guided to our top-ranked restaurants! Don't forget, at most of New York's top restaurants reservations are mandatory. Fortunately, you can make reservations at hundreds of restaurants directly from our restaurant pages!

2. NEIGHBORHOOD: If you're looking for the hottest scene, check out neighborhoods like the Meatpacking District, famous for hot spots like Pastis, Buddakan, Morimoto and Craftsteak. If you prefer urban hip, then check out Williamsburg and Long Island City. If you just want to explore, check out our list of restaurants.

3. CUISINE: Food is all about mood. Need curry, sushi, bouillabaisse or a burger? Search by cuisine and see what our staff and users have to say about the city's best Italian food or great steak, or whatever it is you crave.

4. PRICE RANGE: Looking for the best French Bistro at the best price? We can help. Our guide helps you narrow down the options by price, cuisine and neighborhood. Also, check out our "Cheap Eats" choices for great food in any economy.

5. SPECIAL FEATURES: Concerned about taking the family out in the city? Thinking of proposing to that special someone? You can search by special terms, such as family friendly or romantic to help you find the place you are looking for.

You can also see what our gurus Adanna and Chef Pierre have to say. Check their blogs for the latest on the ever changing food scene and hottest trends. We send them out to the restaurants to gather the information that you need to make the right choice. Still need help? Use the Ask feature to query our gurus and users, or send a message to a guru.

Always Remember: • Some restaurants have a dress code, whether stated or not. Call ahead to inquire about the required attire. • Tipping is customary and expected. 15% is average for most patrons, 20% is quite normal in New York. For the math impaired, employ the New Yorker method, which is to double to tax that appears on your check. • Reservations are always a good idea. There's nothing worse than an hour-long wait. Why wait? You can book hundreds of restaurants instantly from our restaurant pages.

Some Hot Tips (you can further explore on our tags page): VEGAN: New York is very vegetarian friendly. There are hundreds of options. Try out Zen Burger, a purely vegetarian fast-food joint, offering some of the best meat-free burgers in town.

LOCAVORE: The "Eat Local" movement is firmly rooted in NYC. Check out the many Green Markets around town, or restaurants like Blue Hill and Savoy, where local is golden.

OLD NEW YORK: Looking for a place that inspires the Old New York, a la Scorsese? Check out City Hall Restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, or Five Points. Or check out Il Buco, a treasure housed in the building that inspired some of Edgar Allen Poe's scariest stories.

STAR GAZING: Looking for those places you've seen in the movies or on TV? Check out Isabella's on the Upper West Side, Tribeca Grill in Tribeca, Ono and Plunge at Hotel Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District, or just about any sidewalk café in SoHo.

CHOCOLATE: We are proud of our chocolatiers and bakeries like Teuscher, Chocolate Bar, Jacques Torres, La Bergamote, Belgian Neuhaus, Lindt, and Max Brenner. Find out more by checking out our chocolate lover's tour.

GOURMET TO GO: Make your own picnic or gift basket. When in SoHo, visit Dean & DeLuca, Balthazar Bakery, and Sur La Table for the finest raw ingredients, prepared foods, bakery items, sandwiches, kitchen equipment and cookbooks. Or, visit Kitchen Arts & Letters on the Upper East Side, a store devoted to cookbooks, and don't forget Eli Zabar's Vinegar Factory and E.A.T.. In Chelsea, visit both the huge Balducci's on Eighth Avenue or the castle-like Chelsea Market. On the Upper West Side, you will find two of NYC's most famous food-institutions: Fairway and Zabar's.

MEATPACKING HOTSPOTS: Take your six-inch Jimmy Choo's down to the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District and check out Spice Market, Fig & Olive, Ono, and a host of other vibrant spots where the fashionable hang out late night & on weekends.

UNDER 30 CROWDS: For posers and people-watchers alike, check out the spots where the under 30's tend to congregate, like Peep in SoHo, Buddha Bar in the Meatpacking District, or Butter in the East Village. If you want something more urban, check out Enid's in Greenpoint/Williamsburg.

WILLIAMSBURG HOTSPOTS: Catch the L train to Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn and check out the more affordable, hipper and roomier restos in this bustling neighborhood. You can find affordable French bistro fare (Juliette), crazy Thai food (Sea Thai), taco carts, falafels and more!