Per Se

Overview

There is no missing this entrance on the Time Warner Center's fourth floor, where an outdoor patio bordered with potted plants and creeping ivy draw the eye to that iconic blue door. While the patio entry is indoors and the greenery is as faux as the idea that a garden can bloom next to a mall escalator, that Cal-French aesthetic invites with wondrous effect. Arrive in the dining room to face one of the city’s best views of Columbus Circle and Central Park. An upscale sense of calm—the kind that only money can buy—soaks the atmosphere inside. And dining here is so relaxing, whisper-quiet, and insanely expensive that it almost feels like a luxuriating day in the spa. A synchronized brigade of servers ensures that your every need is met. Chef Thomas Keller's cuisine is at once timeless and of the moment, raising the bar with meals that express artistry, seasonality, and sourcing that can seem hyperbolic-they know which Vermont cow gave the milk for your butter. Scallop-edged pierogies are so delicate that the purple tinge of braised cabbage shows from within, making an artful contrast to the surrounding Brussels sprout leaves, candied chestnut, and black truffle butter. Trios of dessert and house chocolates somehow get better with every meal.