Cafe Boulud

Reviews 6

BI

Bin Fang

It was what I expected from a Daniel production, done up to the 9s, you walk in and are greeted by a gracious Hostess and seated in this beautiful flower fill dining room, so very U.E.S. (upper east side) the restaurant was full (12:30 in the afternoon) after being seated we were swiftly greeted by our server and placed our drink order. First an Amuse Bouche arrived at the table, Fried Risotto Balls packed with cheese; "YES" burst in your mouth goodness a little taste of Italy exploding all over. For my appetizer I had the Poached Maine Shrimp, pain de Mie, crème fraîche, dill, artichoke barigoule it was a small portion and I could have used two of them as it was light and refreshing, my friend had the Cucumber Gazpacho w/Greek yogurt, mint, celery stalk which was too fresh to believe. For our entrée course I had the Grilled Hanger Steak scallion pommes rsti, watercress, confit shallots , sauce au poivre, the steak was melt in your mouth tender and the shallots were perfect the scallion pommes rsti I need to learn to make at home. My friend had the Trout Amandine summer beans, marbled potatoes beurre meunière, I missed the boat on this one and as much as I enjoyed my hanger steak this was out of this world, a nice crisp skin, yellow beans with just the right amount of bite to them. I need to go back just to have this dish again. We each had the Lemon Verbena Mousse, fresh strawberries, lemon cured center, vanilla ice cream for dessert WOW,WOW,WOW, I hate to compare it to this but the strawberries were like the strawberry shortcake you get at the good humor truck...this was so good the plate went back way too clean. Then came out a nice little basket of fresh baked Hot Madeleine with a touch of lemon zest I tell you what a way to end a meal. Days like this are why Im proud to be a Manhattanite.

---

ST

Stephanie Manivanh

I am at an utter loss for words because this place far exceeds any restaurant in both food and service. I came here with friends to celebrate a 23rd birthday and it was the best dining experience we could have ever imagined. To start we arrived at the restaurant during a busy weekend so we waited in the lobby for our table to be prepared. The front desk woman was extremely kind and gracious to us and made sure to walk out and inform us of the status of our table and later came back to tell us our table was ready. During our meal we were meticulously cared for and our water was always filled. When waiting for our main course to arrive we were served a complimentary appetizer to tide us over. When our food arrived quickly after, one person in our party was absent so her plate was covered to keep her food warm. On her walk back to our table our waiter made it to our table in time to pull out her chair and lift the cover off her food. It is service like this where we honestly could not have asked for more, especially in a restaurant completely full of patrons. To top it off, our birthday girl was also served a complimentary cake with a candle and two more dessert courses. Our server Jorge (I hope I spelled that correctly) was the most attentive and gracious waiter during our dinner and I hope to see him again as I will most definitely make a point of visiting Café Boulud each time I visit the city. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this experience so memorable for the four of us! You have gained a very loyal follower.

---

Z

Z J

Normally when my wife and I go to a French or French-inspired restaurant I expect it generally will be very good but often a bit, shall I say, fussy ... with the various courses, impatient wait staff, pairings, et al. And though Ive put a lot of decades of wisdom on and become a bit of an oenophile and foodie myself, I also know I will usually be humbled by my ignorance. At Café Boulud I was pleased to be humbled only by the extraordinary meal and exceptional service rendered. Walking in the front door of this lovely upper-eastside restaurant it was clear as it was a local favorite, as I heard several guest being greeted as old-friends and by name. And they welcomed my wife and I as strangers equally well. The menu is "flexible, pick what you like or the chef will prepare and pair". The menu is organized into four culinary themes (La Tradition, classic French cuisine; La Saison, seasonal delicacies; Le Potager, the vegetable garden; and Le Voyage, flavors of world cuisines). By evening taste, we led ourselves to selections from the garden and the exceptional wait staff made us feel at home as we placed our way through taster courses and fantastic pasta mains (gnocchi for my wife and a ravioli for me). With our finishing coffee we shared a desert course (a beautiful and delicious Poire Belle Hélène) that was artful and exploded with joy on our palate. It was a beautiful finish to a great meal served by attentive and helpful wait staff. And a darn site less fussy (and pricey) than many other great restaurants.

---

KA

Kathryn Rogers

If you want to have a fancy non-tourist food experience in the city and not break the bank, Cafe Boulud is the place to be! Situated close to the Met, I visited here around 12:30 on a Monday. The Prix Fixe lunch was a great deal - $39 for two courses or $45 for three (there are also many a la carte options). Unless youre a dessert person, Id recommend skipping the third course because you get complimentary madeleines at the end of your meal anyway. The ambiance is quiet, elegant, and upscale, and I saw several locals (including a recent former ambassador!) dining in there. The food was outstanding, which is to be expected at any Daniel Boulud establishment. There was a complimentary amuse bouche to start the meal, which was a black truffle arancini. For the first course I chose the Fluke Ceviche. It was a feast for the eyes and a delight for the palate. Incredibly fresh with a variety of textures. For the main course, I had the pan seared hake with a potato and leek chowder. The portion was a good size for lunch and I was definitely full. To close out the meal, I ordered coffee with the madeleines that arrived complimentary from the kitchen. The wait staff was attentive and courteous and I felt welcomed and comfortable the entire time. I have since recommended this place to friends in the city and I cannot wait to come back myself.

---

XW

XW me

一些年前的夏天，我做了格林威治村巡演我的男朋友，喜歡它！當時我住在紐約，並走來走去旅遊很多次的街頭，永遠不知道他們背後的歷史。旅遊是非常有趣，我和小組其他成員誰不熟悉紐約。更何況，它是好吃呢！大約兩個星期前，我決定做另一次遊覽，這一次切爾西市場與我的媽媽，姐姐，阿姨和表姐。這次巡演把我嚇倒了！同樣，我一直在切爾西的市場很多次，但我從來不知道該建築的歷史也沒有我曾經嘗試一些我們品嚐令人難以置信的食物。但什麼是最令人印象深刻的是導遊，辛迪。她是充滿活力，如此在行。因為我們有這麼多的樂趣三個小時飛過！我建議兩個位置，絕對試圖讓辛迪為你的導遊-她是令人難以置信！

---

EL

Ella Liu

As indulgent as the food was, the wine and service were just as outstanding. I tried several wines by the glass, and all were excellent. A crisp, clean Alsatian Pinot Blanc, a rich and complex White Burgundy, and a perfectly balanced Volnay were all heavenly. And, all were served with perfect attention to detail of wine service in the French style. For each wine, I was first brought a crystal stem, appropriate for each varietal. Then, the server brought each bottle, presented it to me to verify the producer and vintage, then I was poured a tasting pour, followed by a generous pour once any doubt of corkage was removed. My server generously refilled each of the three wines complimentarily and repeatedly, making their 13-17 dollar a glass prices a very good value, especially for the excellent quality. He even comped a glass of Sauternes before I could order it to pair with dessert.

---

---