Daniel
60 East 65th Street (at Park)

I had been looking forward to this evening for a long time -- not really for the food (for once), but it was a key moment in my personal life as things with my girlfriend finally re-connected (hopefully, for good this time). And this night, helped by the ambience at Daniel, helped re-forge the magic.

This wonderful spot in the UES is fabulous for a special evening out -- definitely not one for lone dining, mind you. The service is extremely wonderful and attentive, extremely courteous without being intrusive. The space is wonderfully used, and the seating uses the interior design wisely to give both space to larger parties and cosiness to romantic couples. Rarely I do speak so highly about a restaurant's designs, but this place wins the battle easily.

From the first bits of house canapés to the complementary freshly-baked madeleine at the end of the meal, it was top notch all the way. Now I see what this place is always booked solid. The food portion, for such a restaurant, is quite good, and the extras are just overwhelming.

For a starter I enjoyed the scallops, which was done quite well. And at 3 healthy servings, it was a good start. My girlfriend enjoyed the crab salad, which was quite interesting too. My main course was the salmon -- a fish I rarely have out (partly because I tend to always like my own kitchen creations with this, one of my favourites to cook). A little overcooked, but it was quite good. It was a good portion too.

By now, with a few glasses of wine, we were both in a great mood. The dessert -- which is her section -- was extremely good and rich. The chocolate soufflé was excellent (she deemed it the best she's had), as was the other bits on our plates. It was absolutely overwhelming actually...

By the time we strolled out hand-in-hand past 11pm on a cool evening (to be terrorised by yet another maltempered taxi driver), we were both full and very happy. This was an extremely good experience, and the perfect place to go for a bit of magic.

Food: A--
Atmosphere: A
For Lone Diners: C- (*)