Bouley

Reviews 5

A

A Private User

For NYE, I researched several places for dinner and noted this one. In walking around Tribeca looking for an upscale place to eat, we saw their old sign indicating their new (relatively) location and decided to have a late lunch. Although clean and non-descript from the outside (like so many places in NYC), once you walk inside, its opulence is self-evident, from the miniature apple filled room (its scent removes your thinking from the city), to the waiting area replete with draperies, valences, paintings, and very comfortable places to sit -- very well appointed indeed. No bar, which is a positive. Just sitting areas... That alone sets this place apart from most others. Once inside and seated in the main dining areas, the ambience resembles that of a French/Medieval castle, much like the Museum de Cluny in Paris; maybe parts of the Cloisters in NYC. And the rooms are the perfect proportion, not too big, not too small, and certainly not noisy. Very classy in terms of setting and music. Food... We had the tasting menu, which simply put, is incredible. From the initial pumpkin squash puree, to the grapefruit infused blue fin tuna (fresh without equivocation), to the cape cod skate or black truffled king crab soup, to the duck/veal with miniature gnocchi, then onto the chilled almond gelee in a coconut soup and finally, a nice sized platter with a variety of desserts from the flamed pear to the variety of chocolates and cheeses. If this meal disappoints anyone, then I wouldnt know of any other place to recommend. Having several friends in the industry who have (or had) restaurants rated as the best in their respective states or countries (Djangos in Colorado), Relais Louis XIII (Paris), and Voltaire (Dallas, now closed), I can with ease say that this one easily rates as one of my favorite of all places visited. Service. Nearly all, if not all, of the waiters speak English and French - fluently. The food is culinary art as far as I am concerned. Each dish had a beautiful presentation. Our lunch spanned 2 hours. Set aside the time, it is well worth it. Each dish is made fresh, which means there will be a small delay in each serving. But I think also the restaurant intends for its guests to have some time to enjoy and digest each portion, instead of what most restaurants do, which is rapid fire everything at you from the outset. Given the level of service, the ambience, the company, the food and wine selection (terrific recommendation for us (and price) in terms of a full bodied bordeaux), the everything, it was more than worth it and I will definitely go back. It is my understanding that they are preparing to open a 2nd restaurant up the street with a different venue and food (Japanese I believe). When I return to NYC, Ill be going to both. Would recommend without any hesitation.

---

TA

Taylor Yi

If asked for a restaurant recommendation, Bouley is almost always one of the recommendations I will give. When you first walk into the restaurant, you are greeted by a small room with fresh apples lining the walls. The aroma is just fantastic--I could spend an hour just sitting there taking it in. The restaurant itself is a very quaint, well decorated space. It probably borders a little bit on the stuffy side, especially since jackets are required here, but I will easily forgive that shortcoming for the quality of the food. Oh, the food--definitely among the best I have ever had. Whether it is the peach soup, the wild mushrooms, the very famous porcini flan, or the Long Island duck, each dish at this restaurant brings out the most unique flavors of the ingredients and highlights them on your palette. In the middle of your meal, a cart with around 7 types of different artisan breads will roll around and deliver to you slices from whichever ones you want to try. I found the garlic and fig breads to both be very delicious. And at the end of your meal, after your dessert, they will bring a little tower of confections to your table as a nice way to end your meal. On your way out, you may also get a loaf or two of fresh pound cake for the road! Everything I have had at Bouley in my two visits here has been absolutely amazing--words do not do it justice. Almost equally as good as the food Bouley offers is the value they offer. Lunch prix fixe is only $55 for a 5 course meal (5 courses outside of the bread and confections). Of course dinner is much more expensive, but that just makes it in line with other restaurants of its caliber. I like to recommend this place to friends who need to take a larger group to a nice meal b/c it doesnt break the bank and the food is really just amazing. I highly recommend Bouley and look forward to returning yet again in the future.

---

?

劉雪豆

用餐环境很舒适，进入后就是被苹果的淡淡香味萦绕，非常喜欢这个感觉。 服务算比较细致，除去一开始摆在桌上的餐具有一处不干净。整体服务没有因为餐厅即将闭店而受影响。 面包中个人最爱无花果，口感适中带点淡淡果香，时不时可以嚼到无花果的子。老公更偏爱迷迭香橄榄那款，说在口中越嚼越香。 试了tasting menu,并配了酒。喜欢侍酒师每次都恰到好处对酒的讲解，简单明了不会过多赘述。上菜的服务生小哥很帅气且带一点点小傲娇，服务绝对细致入微。 菜品方面，无愧一星但是细说的话还是有让人觉得些许不足。比如老公点的主菜Sea Bass，非常明显的煮老了，有鲜但不嫩。个人最喜欢第一道鱼子酱豆腐和倒数第二道的Coconut soup。鱼子酱豆腐里的鲑鱼卵完全激发了舌头后部分的味蕾，微微一点大海的咸苦与豆腐的绵软鲟鱼子的鲜甜搭配的非常绝妙。而Coconut Soup冰淇淋下面衬的椰子味沙冰很爽口，甚至比最后的甜点更胜一筹。 搭配的酒真的都好棒！ 希望游学归来的主厨能有更多惊艳菜品。

---

DA

Dana Nirschel

Hands down the best dinner my husband and I have ever had, and weve been places! When we first walked in, the walls were lined with apples. One thousand of them (yes, literally one thousand), and the room smelled like an orchard. Such a nice way to begin an incredible night. As we walked in, the restaurant just got more and more charming. Classy would be an understatement. Its not like your typical, modern French restaurant. It is elegant and pristine. Even the bathrooms were outrageous, with velvet walls and couches! The service was beyond impeccable. We felt like we were the only people in the restaurant because they were so attentive. Our sommelier was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and even the man with the bread cart was attentive and helped to make our experience unforgettable. Most importantly, of course, the food was the absolute best we have ever had. Each course was better than the last, and each dish had its own unique flavors and presentation. No ingredient was repeated, which a lot of these Michelin star restaurants are guilty of, and when youre paying for an experience like this, you want to try new flavors. If I could give Bouley 10 stars, I would. I recently heard they are closing and I am heartbroken. Im just so happy I was fortunate enough to experience this amazing establishment!

---

MI

Minh Chau

Our party of 6 arrived at Bouley for a late dinner - starting at 9PM. To be sure, we were all hungry by then, so it was good that service was relatively fast, unlike many of Bouleys counterparts. Our table took on the 6-course tasting challenge, of course! Since the menu is not available online, and I was quite tired by then, Ill use this review to give a general gist of whats to come if you go there since I cant remember the names of everything I got. I walked into Bouley thinking that I would not be impressed as Im not typically a fan of French dinner food, but was I wrong. From the appetizer to the dessert, everything came out fresh, hot, and tasty. As with most French food, it was rich - but since portion sizes are not controlled by McDonalds - everything came out in just the right amounts. One item that I do remember was the valrhona chocolate souffle - every bite was as bittersweet and rich as the last - and it was by far one of my favorite desserts Ive had in a while. To complement the dishes, Bouley also has a great selection of artisan breads - from apricots, walnuts, pistachios, to plain old sourdough. Id recommend the apricots and pistachios - two of my faves. We would have tried the cheese selection had it not been 1AM by the time we finished with dessert!

---

---