Dine Out : Le Bernardin


The hubster and I recently lunched at the famed Le Bernardin restaurant in celebration of his birthday. Everything from the recently renovated sleek yet elegantly appointed dining room to the impeccably attentive and pleasantly informative service was exactly what we expected from the four star fine dining establishment that it is. The options for lunch are a $45 three course City Harvest Menu with $5 from very meal donated to the City Harvest charity, a $70 three course Prix-Fixe and an eight course Chef's Tasting Menu for $190. Eight courses is just too much for us especially at lunch so we both opted for the three course prix-fixe at $70 which gave us a chance to experience a range of flavors as well as textures. The food service was well paced, the presentation artful and the portion sizes were spot on. It's been said that Chef Eric Ripert is peerless at elevating seafood to an art and I can definitely understand why now. All in all, a stellar culinary experience and one which we look forward to repeating some time in the future.

155 West 51st Street (The Equitable Building)
New York City
212.554.1515

Salmon Rillette made with a combination of poached fresh salmon and smoked salmon served with thin toast rounds was the amuse bouche. Creamy in texture and complex in flavor, this complimentary signature dish was a pleasant start to our meal. The recipe can be found on Chef Ripert's site.
Layers of thinly pounded Yellowfin Tuna; Foie Gras and Toasted Baguette, Chives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This was subtle yet flavorful and the baguette added a nice touch of crunch.
Hamachi-Lettuce Roll; Mint, Thai basil, Carrot-Lime "Sauce Vierge" 
Unlike the tuna, this appetizer was literally an explosion of delightful flavors. 
Baked Cod; Artichoke "Barigoule" Perigord Truffle Butter
The fish was perfectly cooked and the buttery sauce and truffles were so tasty.
Crispy Black Bass; Pickled Cucumbers, Black Garlic - Persian Lime Sauce 
The flavor tasted Asian inspired and the pickled cucumbers were a fitting accompaniment.
Banana-Praline; Pate Feuillitée, Caramelized Banana, Hazelnut Praline Cream
This was okay.  We just didn't expect it to be so cloyingly sweet.
Panna Cotta; Greek Yogurt, Caramelized Fig Purée, Roasted Pear Quince Syrup
Light and refreshing!
Complimentary Financiers
Warm and comforting and a nice conclusion to our meal. 

Le Bernardin on Urbanspoon

9 comments

Julie-White Tapestry said...

Lucky you! That is one amazing restaurant!

Jessi said...

Oooh these photos are making me hungry! Everything looks and sounds so delicious, especially the salmon rilette and the hamachi lettuce roll!!

Anonymous said...

wow, that food looks like pieces of art! glamorous! x

little luxury list said...

I've always wanted to eat there and have to remember to plan in advance next time we are in NYC! What did you like best?
I met Daniel Boulud at one of his restaurants and love great French food!

xoxo,
Chic 'n Cheap Living

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Do you know I have never been? It's been on my list forever. Thanks for reminding me to make it happen :) xoxo

Rowena @ rolala loves said...

@ Julie: I know. It is an amazing restaurant!

@ Jessi: It was all very delicious! We couldn't stop eating the salmon rillette even though it was the 1st thing cause it was so good.

@ SomeKindOfStyle: Yes the presentation was beautiful!

@ Chic 'n Cheap Living: You should. The new dining room is gorgeous and the food was amazing! I really liked the tuna with foie gras and the black bass. So cool you met Daniel Boulud.

@ Dawn: It took me forever to get there too. You will not be disappointed. Make it happen dear :)

Anonymous said...

That looks so amazing! I want to go with my hubs! That's funny that the panna cotta looks like a stick of butter.

Rowena @ rolala loves said...

@ theoutdoornewyorker: You and your hubs should def. go. It was one of the best meals we've had this year. Lol about the panna cotta looking like a stick of butter. It didn't hit me until you mentioned it.

liza said...

nice post