New York City: Upper East Side

Upper East Side restaurants cater mostly to a discriminating mixture of well-heeled clientele and young professionals from Wall Street; many of the best French and Italian restaurants call this neighborhood home. For a change of pace, try a wurst and some strudel at one of Yorkville's old-world German luncheonettes.

AMERICAN AND CONTINENTAL

E.A.T. 1064 Madison Ave (between 80th and 81st sts) tel 212/772-0022.
Expensive and crowded but with excellent food (celebrated restaurateur and gourmet grocer Eli Zabar is the owner, so that's no surprise) - especially the soups and breads, and the ficelles and Parmesan toast.

Post House 26 E 63rd St tel 212/935-2888.
Classic American food in an elegant and comfortable, typically Upper East Side setting. It's reasonably unpretentious for the area, and does very good steaks and chops, though not all that cheaply.

Rathbones 1702 2nd Ave (between 88th and 89th sts) tel 212/369-7361.
Take a window seat to watch the stars arrive at celeb hotspot Elaine's (across the street), and eat for a fraction of the price. Steaks and fish for around $15 - and a wide choice of beers.

ASIAN

Pig Heaven 1540 2nd Ave (between 80th and 81st sts) tel 212/744-4333.
Good-value Chinese restaurant decorated with images of pigs, serving lean and meaty spare ribs, among other things. In case you hadn't guessed, the accent is on pork.

Wu Liang Ye 215 E 86th St (between 2nd and 3rd aves) tel 212/534-8899.
Excellent, authentic Szechuan food. The menu here features dishes you've never seen before, and if you like spicy food, you will not be disappointed. Perhaps one of the best Chinese restaurants in the whole city.

FRENCH AND BELGIAN

Le Refuge 166 E 82nd St (between Lexington and 3rd aves) tel 212/861-4505.
Quiet, intimate and deliberately romantic old-style French restaurant situated in an old city brownstone. The bouillabaisse and other seafood dishes are delectable. Expensive but worth it; save for special occasions. Closed Sun during the summer.

Mme Romaine de Lyon 29 E 61st St (between Madison and Park aves) tel 212/758-2422.
The best place for omelettes: they've got 350 on the lunch menu, and dinner features an expanded non-omelette menu (though honestly, why bother? Eggs are the thing here).

Payard Patisserie & Bistro 1032 Lexington Ave (between 72nd and 73rd sts) tel 212/717-5252.
This is real Parisian pastry - buttery, creamy and over the top. Cookies, cakes, and crème brulée made to the exacting standards of the kitchen staffs of local millionaires.

INDIAN

Dawat 210 E 58th St (between 2nd and 3rd aves) tel 212/355-7555.
One of the most elegant gourmet Indian restaurants in the city. Try the Cornish game hen with green chili or the leg of lamb. A bit pricey - entrees average about $17. For an extra charge, Beverly will give you a tarot card reading.

ITALIAN

Caffe Buon Gusto 243 E 77th St (between 2nd and 3rd aves) tel 212/535-6884.
This stretch of the Upper East Side has plenty of cool, Italian joints: what Buon Gusto lacks in style it makes up for in taste and low prices. The vodka sauce is excellent.

Contrapunto 200-206 E 60th St (at 3rd Ave) tel 212/751-8616.
More than twenty fresh pastas daily at this friendly, reasonably priced neighborhood Italian restaurant.

JEWISH AND EASTERN EUROPEAN

Heidelburg 1648 2nd Ave (between 85th and 86th sts) tel 212/628-2332.
The atmosphere here is mittel-European kitsch, with gingerbread trim and waitresses in Alpine goatherd costumes. But the food is the real deal, featuring excellent liver dumpling soup, Bauernfruestuck omelettes, and pancakes (both sweet and potato). And they serve weissbeer the right way, too - in giant, boot-shaped glasses.

Mocca Hungarian 1588 2nd Ave (between 82nd and 83rd sts) tel 212/734-6470. Yorkville restaurant serving hearty portions of Hungarian comfort food - schnitzel, cherry soup, goulash and chicken paprikash, among others. Moderately priced, but be sure to come hungry.

New York City: Upper East Side

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