favorite restaurants upper westside

this one will be good..i love the posts and learn so much.

There are the restaurants in the time warner building - Landmarc is good and not too pricey. Also, Isabella's at 77th and Columbus is good for brunch. I can't remember the name of it, but there is a southwestern restaurant on Columbus at about 80th street that is really good (they have a sangria bar). The Greek Kitchen on 58th and 10th is really good and inexpensive greek food. Rosa Mexicano (61 columbus avenue) is a chain but I really like it. Cafe Fiorello right across from Lincoln Center looks like it is touristy but it isn't - the food is really good.

Pizza - Patsy's, Dean's
Brunch - Good Enough to Eat (but I don't bother with it on the weekend -- the line is too long)
Greek - Kefi
Italian - Celeste, Bettola

I second Celeste!

It is not that close but the best Italian on the upper west side is Gennaro's on Amsterdam and 91 (or so).

Total dive - Big Nicks

Since you live on 66th & Riverside check out Italian and Asian restaurants opening on Freedom place.

For pizza, Patsy's is pretty tasty (74th between Col/CPW). Their pasta is worth passing on though. others have offered good suggestions for italian. we also like the pasta from Al Dente (80/Amst). Spiga is also good italian (84 betw Amst/brdwy). I've never been to Cafe Fiorello, but an old boss of mine who was a big foodie used to eat there so i assume the food is good. We don't eat out much anymore, but when we lived in the 70's, one of my personal favorites was Epices du Traiteur - i think it's N. African/Moroccan cuisine (70th between Col/Brdwy). Kefi is delicious. I love greek and this is some of the best that i've eaten (Columbus betw 84/85). Shun Lee West (65 betw Col/CPW) is probably the best chinese you'll find in the neighborhood. oh, breakfast - yeah, Good Enough to Eat (Amst/83) has great food but the line is always long. Sarabeth's also has a nice brunch. I will eat brunch at other restaurants but won't recommend them b/c i'm very picky about my eggs!

ugh, no offense downtown, but i'm pretty certain Isabella's serves frozen quiche! I could be wrong...

Isabellas is the first place everyone seems to discover on the upper west. Its a chain restaurant run by the same people who run blue water grill, ocean grill Dos Caminos, and tons more. It's an enjoyable restaurant but a little over-rated.

seriously, what's enjoyable about these restaurants? certainly not the food.

Surprised nobody mentioned Bar Boulud

McDonald's

and the bonus with Kefi is that Ex Chef Michael Psilakis looks a lot like chef Michael Symon, who i kinda have a crush on, so it's always fun to see him around the neighborhood.

Bagels - 72nd st Bagel
Deli - Fine & Schapiro
Great Prix Fix Lunch - Nougatine & Jean Georges
Mexican - Great Burrito (w. 79th), they deliver
Burgers, Beer - B Cafe
Chinese - Wok City
Small Plates - Barcibo Enoteca (get the mushroom risotto)
Brunch - Sarabeths, Viande Cafe
Greek - not in the neighborhood, but Ethos on 34th and 3rd is great
Italian - Arte Cafe (great lunch and dinner specials)

Enjoy the hood!

Welcome to the neighborhood! Here are some good choices I like that are close to you...
brunch - Lansky's on W 71/Col, Calle Ocho W83/Col, and Cafe Luxembourg W 70/Ams
Greek - Kefi on W 85/Col
Italian - Cesca on W 75/Ams
Burgers - Uncle Nicks, either location will do
Pizza - Traviata on W 68/Col, also Cafe Saint Honore on Col/70 - BEST THIN PIZZA IN THE AREA!!
Regular Deli - Joe & C's on 72/bway/Wea
Tapas and Small plates - Barcibo Bway/69, Sol y Sambra
Seafood - Mermaid Inn

So many more I havent listed, but these are my favs locally. Enjoy!

Great reccomendation on Spiga. Just went. Who says you can't learn from Easy Street. Thanks Upper west side mom.

glad you enjoyed it. if you ever go to Epices, i would recommend the risotto (seafood is my fave, but they have veg. options too). oh god, i can feel my thighs expanding just thinking about it. YUM!!!!

I've been to Epices many times and have always enjoyed it. Last few years I've instinctively headed to the West Village or the East Side having given up closer to home. I had the artichoke apetizer and the sauteed red snapper. I would definitely go again, and definitely superior to Isabella's, unless you need to look for celebrities.

By the way, I've been to cafe Fiorellas. In my opinion a great place for the antipasto bar before going to Lincoln Center. A little pricey, but the food is always good and the service is excellent.

I also forgot the Shake Shack (Columbus in the 70s). It's not the same as when there was just one and it was in the park on 23rd street but the food is still good (even if it has become a glorified chain).

Bello Giardino - Excellent. I also like Celeste a lot
Second great burrito for take out. Great tacos.
Swagat for Indian
Telepan for the prix fixe
Cafe Lux and Nice Matin for nice but not swanky date nights
Chirping Chicken for SOUVLAKI
Fatty Crab because pork fat rules
Omelets and bloody marys at cafe rhonda
Flat bread pizza and wine at Riposo 72
Pizza - Rigoletto (hands down)
Bagels - Muffins Cafe (good chicken salad sandwich at lunch)
Chocolate Chip cookie - Levain's (silly, crazy, stupid good)
Chicken Hummas wrap and rice pudding for dessert - Nanoosh
Diner - Manhattan Diner
Second Bar Baloud
Cafe Lola for healthy fare and real European coffee

Oh, and burgers - Pier on the Hudson at 70th st

Great advice...thank you all.

Cafe Viva at 97/Broadway has a good selection of uniquely flavored pizzas not available elsewhere. You can get a regular cheese slice, but you can also get pesto/spinach/red onion on whole wheat, vegan slices, etc. And for food shopping generally, check out Fairway Supermarket at 74 and Broadway, including the "hidden" upstairs area and cafe (do NOT go during rush hour).

Favorite espresso: Bombolini @ Columbus & 68th

I second Bello Giardino for their inexpensive lunch special in their beautiful garden.

Arte Cafe has a pretty cheap/all you can drink brunch.

Riposo 72 is a good wine bar with good flat bread pizza.

Pappardella is a good Italian restaurant on 75th and Col.

Nice Matin for French on 79th and Amst.

Barcibo for tapas on Broadway between 69th and 70th.

Calle Ocho for Latin on 81st and Col.

JuiceMan - thanks for saying it. Rigoletto's is so far & away the best pizza on the UWS. Possibly in Manhattan.

"Shake shack" is a glorified McDonalds, try Five Napkin Burger instead.
I'm surprised no one mentioned "Land" for Thai (amsterdam/82nd). They are good and they have a very cheap lunch special.
For Thai, I regularly get deliveries from "Heng2" on 10th and 52nd (great shrimp dishes).
"Whym" on 58th and Columbus is very good also. I go there regularly.
Ouest (on broadway in the 80's) is excellent.
Levain bakery has been written up as having the best cookies...
"Grandaisy bakery" on west 72nd is excellent for a flatbread slice.
"Crumbs" bakery on Amsterdam has great cupcakes.
Remember, everyone has different tastes. I don't like several of the restaurants others have suggested, or in some cases, I think several of those are just okay.
So, you need to just go out and explore everything on your own.

GOOD LUCK, THE WEST SIDE IS WONDERFUL!

Enhhh fatty crab is horrible - they overspice everything! And before anyone comments that this is the "appropriate taste," I submit to you that it is not - my best friend's family is of SE Asian descent and she says it's crap.

FWIW, I am a huge fan of the Fairway cafe, Soutine for tarts & pastries, and I definitely think that a lot of the restos mentioned above are great. I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the hole-in-the-wall Niko's (owned by Nick of Big Nick's fame) - fantastic fish dishes. Ironically, the lamb is so so...

ALSO: Rosa Mexicano's is really a sad imitation of Mama Mexico's up on 103rd & B'way. Definitely worth the schlep up that way.

blossom for delicious vegetarian. 82nd and Columbus.

Soutine bakery on W70 & Col -- one of the best in Manhattan!!