PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

When it comes to dining with the best views of the Manhattan skyline, many consider the River Café tops. But the view from Water's Edge, where the lights of the Citicorp, Chrysler, United Nations, and Empire State buildings flicker right across the river, gives the River Café a run for its money. Throw in free ferry service from Manhattan (a 10-min. ride) to the restaurant, the possibility of watching a family of swans frolicking in the river as you dine, and the succulent seasonal cuisine by chef Ari Nieminen, and the Water's Edge experience becomes memorable. It's rare when views this good are matched by magnificent food, but Nieminen is up to the task. In the spirit of autumn, the season I visited the restaurant, the hearty, tender pomegranate-marinated venison stew came served inside a minipumpkin served with figs, cranberries, and chestnuts, while the decadently rich seared duck foie gras was accompanied by delicious black-mission-fig chutney. For a real splurge, Water's Edge offers tasting menus and wine pairings with the course. But this is Queens and the splurge won't hit you quite as hard in the wallet as it would if you went to that other restaurant on the river in Brooklyn.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New York City 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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