Reasonable, good lunch spot near Met/Guggenheim, Columbus...

Traveling to NYC tomorrow with husband, 2 young teens (flexible and well traveled) and my 75 year old in laws (artsy, but elderly, in moderate health.) Looking for suggestions for good lunch places in above areas. We will need to sit down, as in laws will need to rest a bit at meals. Also trying to keep prices reasonable, and the food needs to be good . Any help appreciated.

Reasonable, good lunch spot near Met/Guggenheim, Columbus...

I highly recommend Cafe Sabarsky near the Met for lunch. The food is austrian/viennese, but it%26#39;s not scary. They have open-faced sandwiches, sausages, and the best beef goulash and spaetzle (A mild beef stew and little noodles...delicious!!) Desserts are among the city%26#39;s finest. Everything from sacher tortes to strudel, including a spectacular black forest cake. The same folks who run the fancier restaurant Wallse run Cafe Sabarsky. It is located in the Neue Gallery across the street and down a side street from the Met. Pretty views of Central Park from inside.

Reasonable, good lunch spot near Met/Guggenheim, Columbus...

Agree with Voy on Cafe Sabarsky near the Met. If the teens are picky eaters, they may find the menu a bit limiting. Check it here

http://www.wallse.com/index1.html

It is a lovely spot though. You might need a reservation to be assured a table tomorrow.

I%26#39;m going to mention some other options, but would suggest trying to get a reservation as I assume tomorrow will be a zoo in most ';famous'; places.

Caffe Grazie (not famous) right across from the Met on 84 st. just off Fifth. It%26#39;s Italian. There%26#39;s a coffee shop on Madison %26amp; 82 st. that%26#39;s good.

Sarabeth%26#39;s original location is near the Guggenheim and is one of the quintessential breakfast/brunch places in the city. It%26#39;s a mob scene for brunch, but if you go for breakfast (before 10) it%26#39;s terrific.

Near Columbus Circle, Le Pain Quotidienne has a spot on 58 st %26amp; 7th. Very good salads, sandwiches etc. Lots of food options.

In Soho, the Cupping Room, Jerry%26#39;s (like a diner), the Broome St. bar and the ever famous Balthazar (don%26#39;t even think of going there w/o a reservation.)

Further downtown toward WTC, Bubby%26#39;s.

Here%26#39;s a great interactive map of shopping and dining in Soho.

http://www.artseensoho.com/map.html

Re: dining:

I would highly recommend investing in a Not For Tourists guide. It is a ';little black book'; with maps for every neighborhood in Manhattan (plus some outer boroughs). The maps list dining, essentials, transit, etc.

http://www.notfortourists.com/newyork.aspx

Here%26#39;s a way to put any destination at the epicenter of a Citysearch search and find nearby dining and shopping around it:

www.newyork.citysearch.com

First, search for the location or neighborhood on the main home page. When you find it, click on the listing. On the left side of the web page, you should see a column that says, ';Find nearby....bars, restaurants, clubs, shopping....';

Click on restaurants, and it uses your location as the center point. Sort the list by distance. You can also refine your search by feature such as ';lunch'; or ';good for groups';.

In the meantime, here are some specific ideas:

Near WTC: Search these in Menupages.com or Newyork.Citysearch.com

Two Rivers

Biddy Early%26#39;s (pub)

Suspenders (pub)

Pound and Pence (pub)

Lemongrass (Thai)

les Hallles (French)

Circa (dairy and mediteranean salads)

...but you won%26#39;t be able to walk fifty feet in lower Mannhattan without seeing a deli (with seating), or a diner, pizza place, Indian take out, etc.

Around Columbus Circle, go downstairs in the Time Warner Building and eat at Whole Foods. I just saw John Lithgow there on Wednesday.

Here%26#39;s a tip - try to give yourself more time to research restaurants for your next trip.

Whole Foods is wonderful because the selection is so wide.

And Le Pain Quotidien is a favorite, great breakfasts and lunches. There%26#39;s another location on Madison between 84th-85th, near the Met and Guggenheim. It%26#39;s a Belgian chain specializing in fresh organic salads and sandwiches and lovely pastries. Their presentation is so appealing.

Enjoy your visit!

When at Columbus Circle, walk south on Eighth Avenue for brunch/lunch.

At about 55th Street, on the east side of Eighth, you%26#39;ll find MATT%26#39;S GRILL. Pure neighborhood place, and a hidden treasure for the purpose and crowd you describe.

BTW.....nobody before me on this thread has recommended a dog; they%26#39;re all good.....I personally happen to love CAFFE GRAZIE, right across the Park from my home.

Used to live across the street from MATT%26#39;S, so that%26#39;s a personal recommendation as well.

Have a ball, and travel safely.

Joe in NYC

Two places in the SOHO area...

Fiddlesticks Pub and Grill, 54-58 Greenwich Ave. Irish pub fare and 12 beers on tap including Guinness and Newcastle.

and...

Greenwich Brewing Co, 418 6th Avenue at 9th.

Pjk

PJK - technicallly speaking those recos are located in Greenwich Village, not Soho. They are both located north of Houston Street, the northern border of Soho.

Be that as it may, they are pretty fun places, although Fiddlesticks may not be the best place for the artsy older in-laws.

And don%26#39;t forget there are some decent dining option right in the Met, in case you get hungry while you%26#39;re there:

1. New cafeteria in basement towards back of building -- Big, has everything, sandwiches, grill (chicken, beef, etc.), pasta, salad bar, antipasto bar, good desserts, beverages, wine and beer.

2. Cafe with table service on first floor overlooking Central Park in former sculpture hall. Although the view is nice, and I liked this when it was just a cafe, I%26#39;ve found it too noisy since it switched to a full restaurant, but it does have that view and you don%26#39;t have to carry your tray to a table, as in the cafeteria (in case that%26#39;s an issue for the inlaws).

3. New sandwich/dessert cafe overlooking CP on the ground floor of the American wing. I haven%26#39;t eaten there, but it looks like basically the same sandwiches and desserts as in the cafeteria, but you get to sit at little tables looking out at the park.

On Madison very near the museum (low 80s) are a standard NY coffee shop, plus E.A.T. by Eli Zabar, a combined takeout/sitdown place for a good (though pricey)casual meal. Another coffee shop at Madison %26amp; 79th.

Although the Whole Foods at the Time Warner Center is great, with great variety, and my 85-year old mother found the cafe a great adventure, I frankly find the cafe noisy and chaotic at busy times, plus you have to go from one place to another to get the different elements of your meal. If this could be an issue for your group (not to mention the fact that you%26#39;ve probably seen many of these in your area), I suggest you consider other options in the area already suggested by others. Also, there%26#39;s a coffee shop, I think it has a 60s name like the Cosmic Coffee Shop, and it is at about 58th and either 8th or Broadway.

Also near the Met, on Madison Av. at 79th, on the second floor, is Serafina, a casual Italian with designer pizza and such.