Have you heard Regis Philbin gush about Tavern on the Green?
It's one of New York's world-renowned restaurants, and some people have their hearts set on dining there. But most budget travelers would cringe at the prices on their menu.
Should a tight budget deprive you of a true New York experience, whether there or at some other great eatery?
My answer is no.
Go ahead and book reservations at your favorite, expensive restaurant. Just make certain you save money on a number of other meals so your budget remains in one piece.
Let's start with breakfast, which many times is offered at your hotel in the form of a buffet or at least some pastries. Eat hearty, because the more you consume for breakfast, the less you will need at a more expensive lunch stop.
For nearly 80 years, New Yorkers would eat budget meals at automats, a cafeteria-style place where vending machines served up food displayed behind glass doors. The last one closed in 1991, but you're not too late when it comes to cheap, New York-enriched meals.
If you're a vegetarian (or if you enjoy a good meatless meal sometimes), check out Happy Cow's Vegetarian Guide, an excellent compendium of places and prices that will suit most tight budgets.
Dining Deals on the Internet
There are a number of guides that give information based on price ranges, generally using "expensive-moderate-inexpensive" or similar designations.
ChowHound.com provides links to restaurants in a fairly wide area of New York and New Jersey. Perhaps the best service here is a message board where diners post their impressions of various establishments. Read what they post with a critical eye, since it's probably based on one visit that was either great or horrible. The objective founder of ChowHound.com is Jim Leff, who vows it will never contain food advertising.
Savvy Diner Guide offers help with moderately priced meals, and perhaps your search for a reasonable splurge.
Do yourself a favor and plan for that splurge. There is one thing worse than getting home with too many bills: coming back with no meaningful memories of New York's famous dining.
Elsewhere at About
New York for Visitors offers a lengthy list of dining links that provides reviews and other helpful information. She also has an extremely helpful series of articles entitled Meals for Under $10 and even Meals for Under $5.
More information: Find dining deals in New York sightseeing and entertainment.
