- New York City is home to at least 27,000 restaurants.
- Business Insider surveyed New York City-based executives in various industries to find out which NYC restaurants they go to if they're looking to woo clients and close deals.
- Dozens of real-estate agents and executives told us their ideal restaurants for impressing a client.
- Their answers included trendy spots such as Avra, Balthazar, and Carbone, as well as an exclusive members-only club.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
New York City is home to at least 27,000 restaurants.
But even the city's most popular restaurants aren't safe from scathing New York Times reviews. The Michelin-starred Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn recently received a devastating zero-star review from the Times' restaurant critic, Pete Wells.
That left us wondering: If not Peter Luger, what are the best restaurants in New York City right now?
Business Insider surveyed New York City-based real-estate agents and executives to find out the one restaurant they would take a client to impress them or close a deal. (Spoiler: none of them said Peter Luger, but another Manhattan steakhouse made the list.)
Here, in alphabetical order, is what they told us.
Avra Estiatorio
Cuisine: Greek
Location: 141 East 48th Street (Midtown), 14 East 60th Street (Lenox Hill)
Dinner price range: ~ $21.95 - $59.95
"I love Avra," Bonnie Lindenbaum, a broker at Warburg Realty with 21 years of experience, told Business Insider. "The food is excellent and the 'scene' is very NYC chic. The decor speaks to my sensibility in both fashion and real estate."
Balthazar
Cuisine: French
Location: 80 Spring Street (Soho)
Dinner entree price range: ~ $23 - $76
Deborah Ribner, an agent at Warburg Realty with eight years experience, said Balthazar is her top place to take clients.
"The food is solid, the vibe is buzzing and it has people of all ages, both American and international," she told Business Insider.
Carbone
Cuisine: Italian
Location: 181 Thompson Street (West Village)
Dinner entree price range: ~ $21 - $58
"The food is just incredible and it's a great atmosphere," Adam Henick, cofounder of Current Real Estate Advisors, said of Carbone.
Gramercy Tavern
Cuisine: American
Location: 42 East 20th Street (Flatiron District)
Dinner entree price range: $134 three-course prix fixe
Alan Levy, a Warburg agent with 12 years of real-estate experience, named Gramercy Tavern near Union Square.
"I usually take a client to the tavern room where it's a wonderful ambiance and the service is impeccable," Levy said. "The food is awesome and I usually have success after that experience."
Harry Cipriani, Sherry-Netherland hotel
Cuisine: Italian
Location: 781 5th Avenue (Midtown)
Dinner entree price range: ~ $31 - $50
"Cipriani at the Sherry Netherland is up and always happening," said Arlene Reed, an associate broker at Warburg with 28 years of experience. "Atmosphere is great, as is the food and the service."
Keen's Steakhouse
Cuisine: American
Location: 72 West 36th Street (Midtown)
Dinner entree price range: ~ $31 - $158
"My favorite underrated classic is Keen's Steakhouse," Warburg agent Zach Sutton told Business Insider. "With expansive, round tables for discussion and a traditional but keen (pun intended) selection of steaks and hearty favorites, this spot is nestled in Midtown but feels like home."
Le Coucou
Cuisine: French
Location: 138 Lafayette Street (Soho)
Dinner entree price range: $28 - $110
Rebecca Blacker, an agent at Warburg with 10 years of experience, said that if she wanted to impress a client, she'd take them to Le Coucou.
"The setting is stunning, the neighborhood is unexpected, and the service is exceptional but not stuffy," she said.
Norwood Club
Cuisine: American
Location: 241 West 14th Street (Chelsea)
Dinner entree price range: $70 prix fixe
Martin Eiden, a Compass broker with 20 years of experience, told Business Insider he'd take clients to Norwood, an exclusive members-only club for the city's creative elite.
"It offers exclusivity and allows me to bypass who has which private phone number to which restaurant," he said.
Raoul's
Cuisine: French
Location: 180 Prince Street (Soho)
Dinner entree price range: ~ $28 - $155
Claire Groome, an associate broker at Warburg Realty with 17 years' experience, said she impresses clients by taking them to Raoul's, because "it is everything New York."
"It is small but has the best clubby feel with incredible people-watching and the best art," Groome said. "I've been going for years so they know me and my clients are always impressed with the location, vibe and of course, the food!"
Sushi Kaito
Cuisine: Japanese
Location: 244 West 72nd Street (Upper West Side)
Dinner entree price range: ~ $50 and up
Michael Bello, a broker at REAL New York, said he'd take a client to Sushi Kaito on the Upper West Side.
"[It's] a 12-seat sushi bar with some of the best Omakase in the city, but still relatively unknown and discreet," Bello said. "They fly the fish in directly from Japan each morning. The sushi and sashimi are amazing. Everyone knows about Nobu. This is better and much more intimate and low key."
Zagara
Cuisine: Italian
Location: 216 7th Avenue (Chelsea)
Dinner entree price range: ~ $14 - $39
Craig Levine, the vice president of development at Quest Builders Group, said Zagara is his top place to take clients.
"Great food, awesome intimate atmosphere and not too pricey," he said. "Good clients shouldn't be impressed by a high tab."