Nice restaurant between Radio City Music Hall and Belvedere...

We have booked tickets to see the Christmas Spectacular at the Radio City Music Hall for 7pm on a Sunday evening. Can anyone recommend a nice reasonably priced restaurant close by. Also is it better eating before or after the show. Has anyone eaten at Maria Pia? Is it worth considering or can we find better?

Nice restaurant between Radio City Music Hall and Belvedere...

Maria Pia is a nice mid priced Italian. Actually, ViceVersa, on the same block, is much nicer but is also more expensive. If you like Italian, my preference is Orso, on W. 46th St. between 8th-9th Aves. (';Restaurant Row';). Reservations are a must. www.orsorestaurant.com.

I%26#39;d also recommend Rock Center Cafe. The food is o.k., nothing really special, but the setting is extraordinary, overlooking the skating rink at Rockefeller Center. That makes it pretty special. The Sea Grill also overlooks the rink, but I think it%26#39;s way overpriced.

You can read reviews and even look at menus on www.menupages.com.

Nice restaurant between Radio City Music Hall and Belvedere...

Thankyou for your recommendations.

Is it better to eat before or after the performance?

When will the restaurants be busiest?

You are very near Pigalle (www.pigallenyc.com), a casual French retaurant at 8th Ave. and 48th Street that is open 24/7. You should eat when you feel comfortable eating -- some people don%26#39;t like eating before a show because they don%26#39;t like sitting for a couple of hours on a full stomach. Others can%26#39;t bear to sit through it without eating. Then there are those who enjoy eating both before and after. You might want to do what you would if you were going to a performance at home. You could also wing it and see what you feel like doing once you%26#39;re here. Of all the nights in the week, Sunday will be one of the easier nights to get a reservation (and keep in mind that some restaurants may not be open Sunday nights).

To answer your last question, restaurants are generally busier Saturday nights and weeknights other than Monday. However, at the holiday season, things will probably be busier than usual because so many people come to New York, especially on the weekends. On a Sunday, I imagine things would quiet down as the evening goes on.

Whether you eat before or after is up to you really. If you eat before you%26#39;ll be eating pretty early (5ish) but after it will be late. I probably would have a late brunch that day and then eat a light meal after the show. Agree with Bettina%26#39;s suggestions. There are many other restaurants on restaurant row too if Orso is too pricey. I also like Lattanzi, a very nice Italian on the same block. You%26#39;ll need a reservation for all of these.

There are also lots of affordable ethnic restaurants along 9th ave. Grand Sichuan at 50th st. for Chinese

http://nymetro.com/pages/details/2092.htm

The Film Cafe, Fluff....

Your restaurant is probably just fine. There may be better, but hassle and cost may not be worth a change. I always like to dine before a show with good food and a glass of wine. Then maybe nightcap after at the hotel bar.