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Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark offers one of Manhattan’s few waterfront dining experiences, but a meal here would be a must-have no matter the view. With 'wichcraft alum Sisha Ortuzar in the kitchen, seasonally changing menus highlight steadfastly American dishes threaded with international influences. An impossibly tender squab is drenched in a thick, smoky mole sauce; a hearty rack of lamb might come resting on a thin pile of lentils. Ingredients are hyper-fresh, locally sourced and artfully plated. Getting there means walking past the eerie ghosts of Bellevue’s psych ward and into an uber-modern bioscience tower, but once inside, the restaurant is unfussy chic—not so much casual as just comfortable. The lights from across the East River seem to mirror the rows of tiny square bulbs that line ceiling and wall. The large outdoor patio is the obvious place to sit warm months, and Riverpark’s bar is a destination of its own. Complex and signature drinks change seasonally, but see if the bartender can fix you a Smoky Manhattan: this smooth, clean cocktail tastes like a cigar, sophisticated and rich. — Edna Ishayik

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• The City’s Best New Outdoor Spaces for Dining and Drinking (5/30/11)

Recipes at Riverpark

• Parsnip Soup with Brussels Sprout–Apple Hash (2012)