Per Se

The novelty of many of Thomas Keller’s famous creations — “oysters and pearls,” “coffee and doughnuts,” “bread and butter,” all forms of “slow poached” foie gras — have waned with time, but the sense of stylized, slightly antiseptic grandeur at this famous destination restaurant is still very much intact. The intricate tasting-menu formula that Keller helped pioneer is still as exhaustively long and pricey as ever ($340 including tip, the last time we checked), and if you’re feeling flush, it’s always possible to pad it further with a seemingly endless parade of high-roller supplements (wagyu, caviars, those notorious white truffles from Alba, and, no, don’t forget the wines). But Keller’s vegetarian menu remains the gold standard in this ever-expanding genre, and a shorter, only slightly less expensive tasting option (yes, $195) is available in the salon.