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Aquavit
65 East 55th Street
Location: Midtown
Cuisine: Swedish/Scandinavian
The clean lines of Nordic design and cool furniture makes this venerable Scandinavian restaurant feel very modern, with dark wood tones lending warmth, and cherry blossoms in vases offering a minimalist touch. The restaurant's homemade aquavits are displayed along the wall, like pieces of art, in luminous square tankards. With an upscale business crowd in the dining room and more casual diners in the newly re-positioned cafe, Aquavit feels like the quintessential Euro restaurant in NYC.
Nobu Downtown
105 Hudson Street
212-219-0500
Cuisine: Asian-Japanese Fusion
Location: TriBeCa
Restauranteur Drew Nieporent's much vaunted sushi house has become overshadowed by its reputation as a place for celebrity sightings (aided by his partner, actor Robert DeNiro), but it is still one of New York's great modern Japanese-Asian fusion restaurants.
The Modern
Cuisine: American Nouveau, French
Location: Midtown
Though situated inside the Museum of Modern Art, The Modern is no mere adjunct to the Museum -- but a work of art in design and cuisine. Inspired by the Bauhaus movement of the '20s, this haute café from Restauranteur/proprietor Danny Meyer is adorned with furniture and tableware from the modernists, with a focus on the Danish style.
Per Se
Time Warner Building
Columbus Circle
Cuisine: French/American Nouveau
Location: Midtown West
With its ethereal view four stories up overlooking Central Park South, the uber-pricey restaurant Per Se offers ethereal food fare as well. No wonder, since the restaurant was conceived by the much acclaimed chef, restauranteur, and author Thomas Keller -- owner of the Napa Valley based French Laundry, a place often hailed as the best restaurant in the States.