The City of New York is counted by epicureans and food connoisseurs as one of the global spots of great restaurants and extraordinary cuisine. One of the popular reasons why tourists flock to New York City is for them to be able to sample the world class dishes that New York City is famous for.
If you are thinking of going on a culinary holiday in New York City, probably one of the best times to go is during the New York Restaurant Week. The New York Restaurant Week is a biannual event, held every January and June, where many of the best restaurants in New York City offer meals for a fixed price: US$24.07 for a three-course lunch and US$35 for dinner.
Participating restaurants can get really crowded during Restaurant Week. Moreover, there may be some aspects of the service in your restaurant of choice that may be different from what you are expecting. In order to make the most of your stay in New York City during Restaurant Week, here are some things that you would need to know.
1. Again, since the participating restaurants are more than likely to be crowded during Restaurant Week, so it is important for you to call up the restaurant of your choice and book early. You can make your reservation for lunch or dinner through phone or online.
2. Some of the restaurants participating in the New York Restaurant Week may perform below par during Restaurant Week although they are great during the rest of the year. So you would avoid having to do some hits and misses during Restaurant Week, visit food blogs and restaurant reviews on your restaurant of choice before making your reservations.
3. Understand that the food most restaurants participating in the Restaurant Week may offer a different selection of courses for the Restaurant Week than the ones they regularly have. Check out the participating restaurant’s website to see what is on the menu. Also, take into consideration that restaurants do not usually offer their signature dishes on the fare for the Restaurant Week, but there is nothing stopping you from ordering these dishes a la carte if you really want to try them.
4. The fixed price charged during Restaurant Week does not include drinks, taxes and tips to the servers. Take note that beverages that restaurants offer can be quite pricey, and remember to be generous when tipping your server.
5. Always observe the dress code of the restaurant. Just because it is Restaurant Week and the cost of the meals is more relaxed, it does not mean that you have to show up looking sloppy at the restaurant. If you expect good service, dress nicely, like a business person.
6. If you really want to try out a particular restaurant but you discovered that they are fully booked during Restaurant Week when you tried to call them up, give them another ring in the morning to see if there are any cancellations that happened since the last time you called. Such things do happen, so you would never know.
