Paradou (meatpacking) is a great place for mixing yourself. they serve the beef at the center of a piece of black slate with the accompaniments in small piles around the outside. and there's a quail egg in a half-cracked shell on top of the beef. it looks like a painter's palette - very pretty! cute place too with a back garden.

I second L'Express. Great flavor and price! i go to the one on park ave. south for it all the time.

i've been on a major tartare kick for the last year and try as many as i can. here's a few places where i've had the best luck:

Cafe at Country (nymag voted best in nyc in '06)
Les Halles (made to order tableside)
L'Express
Le Bateau Ivre
Paradou
Employees Only
Resto Leon (appetizer but very nice)

burgers & cupcakes in the 30s on 9th ave. has really good RV cupcakes. first time i went, i was having a hard time deciding btw RV and carrot - i chose carrot and the woman behind the counter gave me the RV for free. and the RV was much better!!

Veselka in the EV has great pirogies