Restaurant Week, which officially runs for over three weeks and then invariably gets extended for another few weeks, is upon us. Starting today, you can make reservations at over 300 restaurants around NYC offering either a $38 three-course prix-fixe dinner or a $25 three-course prix-fixe lunch. Many participating establishments offer both menus, but some of the hotter restaurants only participate in the lunch deal. These also tend to be the best discounts, so if you're one of the lucky drones who doesn't inhale lunch hunched over your greasy, mustard-encrusted keyboard, that may be your best bet. But those reservations go quickly, so don't debate too long.
The prices for dinner have gone up three bucks this year, from $35 to $38, and lunch has gone up 93 cents. That's life. And the usual caveats apply—some people have had mixed experiences with Restaurant Week dining because the servers at some establishments aren't attentive due to an influx of allegedly boorish cheapskates. Of course, obnoxious customers and frazzled waiters can and will clash at any restaurant at any time, so who's to say you'll have a different experience outside of Restaurant Week.
But it does make sense to do a little research before pulling the trigger—some restaurants already offer regular prix-fixe dinner menus that clock in at about the same price as their Restaurant Week specials, and you may prefer to dine there another time. And you also need to remember that the $38 does NOT include drinks, tax and tip. Your mileage may vary depending on how you roll and how discreetly you can handle a flask.
Here's the full list of participating restaurants. For what it's worth, we've had fine Restaurant Week experiences at Indochine, Crema and Aldea.
