100 Very Best Restaurants 2013: Makoto

Consider Makoto’s foyer—where diners swap shoes for a pair of slippers—the portal to a tranquil, rarefied universe of light woods and buttery track lighting. Perching on boxy stools in the narrow Palisades dining room, guests tuck into an eight-course, omakase-style feast that culminates in shabu shabu—a bubbling hot pot featuring strips of tender rib-eye steak. Sushi, included in the set menu but also available à la carte, is among the freshest and most precisely cut in town.

Makoto’s request that guests go easy on cologne can come off as fussy. Trust us, though: one strong-smelling person in the tiny room dramatically alters the experience. Perfume yourself judiciously. Don’t miss: The menu is set each night, but recent highlights have included steamed salmon and tofu with salmon roe; wild mushrooms in soy sauce; persimmon with tofu sauce; daikon-wrapped shrimp; fatty-tuna and flounder sashimi with fresh wasabi; Chilean sea bass with sweet soy-sauce glaze. Open: Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner. Very Expensive.