Marea

Marea - Recommended
www.marea-nyc.com
240 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019-1457
(212) 582-5100

This is the perfect place to take clients or guests from out-of-town for lunch.
Located right on Central Park South (2 minutes from the Time Warner Building), seconds from the park, it's perfect for a full afternoon of showcasing midtown.

I ordered the "business lunch" special. 2 dishes for $38.
Yah, it's a bit expensive considering a lot of places are doing 3 course prix fixes for under $30... but the food is top notch here. Many times restaurant week-esque menus really suck.

The menu has tons of great dishes to order from. As I recall, about 8 first course choices and about 12 second course choices.
I had the Grilled Octopus on Cous Cous. That deserved an "A" for sure. Perfect in everyway.
And for the main I ordered the Creekstone Sirloin with Braised Leeks, Bone Marrow Pearls, and housemade croutons. Another solid "A" for the dish.

I couldn't resist ordered dessert after the first 2 home-run dishes..
So naturally, at an Italian place, chocolate and hazelnut sprung to mind. The Gianduja dessert was sucked down as quickly as the rest of the dishes.
Another "A". So so good.

In conclusion, the meal is extremely solid. My only issue with the place is the price. It's honestly a tad on the expensive side for NYC standards. I understand the location and scenery is prime, so we all end up paying for that.
So keep in mind, it's perfect for a business lunch where you can expense it. Otherwise your guest better be darn special. : )