La Coquille

I love this place. Haven’t been there in 20 years, but it was still delicious and as wonderful an experience, as ever. I had the Château Briand, shared with my father. My mom had the steak frites and my daughter had the Creamy Truffle Fettucine. We all loved our food. The wait staff was excellent… and it was my birthday and they surprised me with a piece of Napolean with a candle! I’ve read in reviews that they ignored requests for this… not the case last night!

This was absolutely one of the WORST meals I have had in awhile with over a $ 600 bill with a party of 7. I would avoid the restaurant at all costs because it was quite terrible. Let me go further into detail.
The Food: the escargot was terrible. Tasted like rubber. The French onion soup was salty and after tasting the «French» onion soup at a French restaurant — I knew this would go down hill fast. The rack of lamb was barely medium rare as I asked for and I could have made better lamb chops than La Coquille did! Trust me. As for the other entrees that my table had — it lacked taste and was dry. Half the table had Salmon — and it was dry as I couldn’t even swallow it without having water. My Jack and Coke was mediocre — I had better. Lastly, the dessert. I had a crème brûlée which was terrible. I stress again, how does a French restaurant serve garbage? My girlfriend next to me just elaborated how disgusting her fruit tart was which consisted of mushy fruit and mediocre whipping/​custard.
The Service: The waiter was nice and tried to crack some jokes — which weren’t funny, but hey, he tried. The wait staff could have been more attentive. This doesn’t earn any extra stars in my Unilocal Book!
The Atmosphere: Nothing remarkable. An open room with tables and the front entrance had a bar side to its right. I will make ONE note that stuck with me the whole night — Seems like La Coquille lets anyone in these days. A mother, father, and daughter came in wearing t shirts, ripped jeans, and sneakers. The daughter was playing on her tablet during dinner. Upscale place? Absolutely not if they let people like this in to an «Upscale French Restaurant.» I don’t care what race you are — Have some respect and dress up for nice places. What makes you different from all the others that abide by dress code? If you can afford to eat at a place like this — buy some slacks, a dress, a pair of dress shoes, heels, whatever. Furthermore, take the damn tablet out of your kids hand and learn to be parents! Have some respect for your fellow patrons!
Overall: I’ll keep this short. Do not come to La Coquille unless you want to break the bank and leave with a terrible dining experience. I would give this place 0 stars if I was allowed too! STAY AWAY. There are far better restaurants on Long Island than to be eating at a place like this. Check my reviews — you’ll see and thank me.

It’s been 35 years since I ate at this establishment. It will be another 35 before I would try again.
The snow kept the noise level low as it did the table count, as my party of 7 arrived for my sons birthday dinner.
The first round of food, onion soup, escargot, artichoke, were ok with no real complaints. After that it was down hill fast. The prawns were dry and tasteless served with their bland cous cous and less than eventful common veggies.
The salmon dishes were equally dry. Kudos to the chef for being able to make an edible rack of lamb, albeit no big deal.
Desserts were an abomination the much touted Crème brûlée tasted like cheap tapioca pudding, no one could eat. The napoleon was better but I’ve had better at many places, other desserts ordered at the table fared no better.
The expressos and cappuccinos were god awful with a strong burnt overtones. At over 600 for an dinner occasion, this was a total waste of money.
I won’t name names but I could have gone to many less expensive establishments and had a far better meal. To bad meals don’t come with a money back guarantee !
See you in 2051!

After reading positive reviews and speaking with friends who have dined here, I decided to give this place a shot, looking for something different (on my birthday, no less). Let’s start with the good. Staff were friendly, place was clean and service was pretty attentive. The bread and muffins served with non-​traditional condiments were a plus. The escargot was very tender and tasty. The wine was good with ample options to choose from. The place was quiet, which is also my cup of tea.
The negatives now… The main dishes of prawn were just OK. The sides could have been much more flavorful. Presentation while nice, doesn’t cut the quality for cost ratio. What I really wanted was to finish the night with a bang, but the desserts were just not good. The meringue was decent, but the crème brûlée was the worst I have ever had — surprising for a French restaurant. Too light a sugar crust, lacking in flavor. A cold and hard center, not creamy allowing for any positive notes of taste. The espresso was burnt, not roasted as it should be — there is difference here from anyone who knows proper coffee brewing. Sad to say, but with how much this place costs, I was expecting better. Oh and what happened to folks dressing up or class in this town — appears everyone is accepted these days. I would come back for the bar atmosphere, but you really need to step your food game up. And mind you, I’ve been to the best French restaurants in the country.

I came here on New Years Eve and the place was busy and packed (as is everywhere else). The food was decent. I had the foie gras, oysters (which I thought were a bit on the skimpy side), escargot, veal and duck. The veal and duck was great! We also had a chocolate mousse for dessert which was alright, and I had a Napoleon. We also had a bottle of wine along with our meal. The décor was nice, however, since there were so many people there the noise level was a bit high and it was hard to hear others at the table.

I had the pleasure of going to La Coquille for an office holiday party this past week. Our group was promptly greeted by James when we arrived and we and seated in a beautiful and cozy room for our dinner. I started off with the tuna tartar japonaise, wild mushroom ravioli for the main course, and chocolate mousse for dinner. The food was was so delicious! Everyone there was so accommodating and the room was so nice, it was an awesome holiday party!

I’ve eaten at La Coquille 3 times. The first 2 were verrry good. The third and most recent visit was extraordinary!!! My husband and I typically eat salad or tuna tartar wherever we dine so I feel qualified to rave about these 2 appetizers here. Each bite of salad was a perfect combination of ingredients. No need to ask for dressing on the side as they know how little will emulsify over the greens without leaving a puddle at the bottom of your plate. Tuna tartar «Japanois» has the same quality of perfect balance. The Branzino was the best ever; the flavor and FRESHNESS is something that still lingers with me. Our friends ate escargots and artichoke for appetizer and duck, steak, and mushroom ravioli for entrée. We all licked our plate clean; something I’m not proud to share but truth be told, well deserved!!! I can’t wait to return.

Went here w family who was in town visiting li for a nice french dinner. I have been here at least 3 other times but that was a longtime ago. More then 15 yrs has past and i hate to say that it was a big disappointment.
Upon arrival we realized that we had made a reservation for four but had five people come out. Our oversight in not updating the reservation w a phone call. The man seating us was obviously annoyed and squeezed in an extra seat at the same roundtable. When we pointed out other empty larger tables he said that they were all reserved. Being 6:30pm on a saturday night we understood and sat down. We waited over 10 minute just to receive menus. The staff was rude through out the dinner which is off putting no matter how good the food is.
Now to the meal. We ordered two salads and three appetizers each person an entrée.
We had to ask for extra plates for salad and appetizers to be able to share. Then they bring us three plates for 5 people. The Caesar salad was good to me but super garlicky. So a few people in our party didnt like it. I am italian i love garlic. The pasta w a truffle cream sauce was good. Actually was the highlight of the meal. I am not a fan of escargot so the other two appetizers was not for me.
For a main i had the veal w apples calvados. The veal was tender the apples good but the sauce was too sweet the veggies on the plate seemed soft and over cooked and the constancy of canned vegetables. I can cook and make my own veal calvados way better. My mothers duck which she ordered rare. Came out well done not even pink and due to the servers rudeness through out the meal, she didnt want to complain. The halibut special was also dried out that my cousin ordered i tasted it and would have been good had it not been over done.
My other cousins order steak and the cut seemed smaller then the normal. I didnt try it.
For dessert we pre ordered the soufflé chocolate. They just dropped it on the table without offering coffee or any dessert. It was a soufflé was a two person one for $ 25. It was burnt on top and gritty honestly the worst one i ever had. Worth a one star review just for that. And dropping it with out offering dessert and coffee. We had been sitting there for ten minutes at least after dinner was cleared.
Funny is we were one of two tables left in restaurant at the end of dinner 8:15 pm. And the tables that were all empty and reserved stayed empty the whole time. So i hope someone from this establishment will read this review. And try to fix the glaring issues w this longtime li french restaurant. As for me i wont be back. There are too many other better restaurants in the area to go to when i am in north shore li. Which is sad bc i used to love this place. But being half empty on a saturday night says a lot about where they are at these days. I gave two stars bc i remember how they used to be.

Very enjoyable meal and great ambiance. It is a little pricey but reasonable for the good quality. I will definitely be eating here again.

Great wine selection. Service is outstanding. Escargot, delicious. Breast of duck, perfect. A local favorite for us.

Came here for a birthday dinner with my husband and my parents. I ordered the French onion soup it was okay had better. Lacked bite. I ordered the prawns for the main course and it was dry. My parents both ordered the fish special and it was ok. My husband ordered the short ribs and again nothing special. The desserts on the other hand were amazing!

I was excited about coming here and trying an established French place closer to home. I had a wonderful cocktail but we were rushed thru dinner. The reservation was for 8 and by 9:15 the waiter left because he «came early» that day. There was no other true waiter and that’s why I realized we were being rushed. I ordered the duck breast rare and that request was completely disregarded. We ordered an espresso and then another … Well the second one was from the bottom of the grinds like they were too lazy to make it fresh. This place is over rated if you have been to classic French restaurant in the city. If you never had good French food you will like more.

Nice, I’d go back. I liked the atmosphere and the food was good. I expected it to be and they delivered. I adore French and they did it well.

My wife and I and another couple had dinner here last night. As usual, the food was very good, but our waiter turned us off. After he recited the typically long list of daily specials, our friend asked the price of the branzino. The waiter replied, «Two hundred and seventy dollars.» Then he added, «No, madam, I don’t memorize the prices». He was reading the specials from his pad, and adding the prices would have been easy. Whether he knew it or not, the waiter was echoing J. P. Morgan’s remark that if you have to ask how much it costs to run a yacht, you can’t afford it. We don’t need that kind of snooty attitude.
We arrived at 6 on a Friday night, and the lightly occupied dining room was peaceful, but by the time we left at 8 the dining room was full and very noisy.

Wonderful restaurant.
Good service and nice entourage. Delicious food in great variety.
Recommend for all.

While I do prefer Asian cuisines, good French food is always a treat. And usually that means La Grenouille for me. But honestly, I like La Coquille better. Sure, the atmosphere in the former is beautiful. And I’ve seen some interesting people there. But it’s a bit chi-​chi for me.
La Coquille, out on Northern Blvd. in Manhasset does the trick for me. The décor is fine, reserved, not over the top. But the food shines.
Went out there on Mother’s Day. From the onion soup, to my crab cocktail in a light mayo sauce with some kind of crunchies, the baked artichokes, and more the appetizers were nice and light. I had the veal, nicely done in a sauce with onions and little cubed bacon chunks. I don’t always eat liver, but outside Cipriano’s in Venice, this is some of the best I’ve eaten. Came with a small portion of mashed potatos and crisply done string beans and broccoli. My better half had some delicious Duck a la’ Orange, crisply one and delicious. The also have a duck breast but I prefer this variation. La Coquille is known for its’ duck. Others in the party had various fishes, Dover Sole and Branzino, I believe. Eaten and enjoyed.
There’s a dessert cart that has some nice stuff. I had the apple crisp with a smallish ball of vanilla ice cream. Was nice and warm, but not that good. I like lots of apple, and this was more like a health bar. The fruit tart was so much better.
Anyway, the service was reasonably fast and quite good. It’s hard to fault this place. they have a bar with an eclectic menu (sushi, I think) but I haven’t tried it.
Well, I don’t mean to put down La Grenouille, it’s great and a good place for trying to impress a date. And the food is great. But portion wise it lacks, although better than Bouley. Well, after Bouley I have to go out to pick up something more substantial to fill me up. Well, prefer Daniel anyway.
And that’s how I roll. Now I feel like Arby’s.

We had not been at this restaurant for years and when I asked, it has gone through a few owners in the past 25 years. I thought the restaurant bar could use a bit of a makeover. Other than that, very warm pleasant dining room with plenty of room to sit comfortably. Their wine by the glass were generous pours. I ordered the Sword fish which was excellent, but a rather small piece. The prawns were excellent along with the Lamb Chops. But at $ 45.00 for Lamb Chops, I would order that selection at a steak house where your portion is fairly large for that price. I will probably not return to this restaurant not because of the food, but only because they are too pricey with small portions for a Long Island restaurant. There are plenty of options when it comes too good restaurants on Long Island.

Food was «meh»…I was so excited to be coming here. I had the crab meat cocktail which was not as fresh as it needs to be for this level. It tasted like it was frozen crab meat that was recently defrosted and they used lemon and cucumbers to mask that. Secondly the duck l’orange was dry and overlooked. There was no table side finishing as indicated in the menu. There was no flavor of l’orange at all. The duck was deep fried!!! Hahahaha!
The bar was good and I will Come back to hang out here for drinks and the TV but I am not liking the food.
The location is in a strip mall so the parking is very tough. If you don’t know it’s there, you overshoot the locale and have to double back to get to the parking in the back.
I have been around French food all my life. This is very far removed from «authentic». I was surprised to see the diverse reviews. A lot of diners hated the place while many adored it. Not many middle of the road… I find that strange so I read everyones review and can only surmise that those who «loved» the place have amateur taste buds versus those that didn’t like the place because they had 4 – 5 times more reviews and probrably more familiar with French cuisine. Not trying to be high browned about it. Tastes is always relative to the individual. Therefore, 2 stars for good dessert off a cart (ran out of crème brûlée) and one star for a good bar.
Lastly, a French restaurant should have French speaking staff, n’est pas?

Short answer, terrible and overpriced wannabe French restaurant serving frozen frog legs and escargot.
This was probably the worst «French» restaurant in which I have ever dined. Now, I say «French» because there were several indications that this restaurant was merely a façade for something else (I couldn’t put my finger on what else).
Let’s talk about the location… really? A strip mall? Incredibly ugly and the décor was just odd. The pastels on the wall weren’t terrible but then again they were mixing classic art with second rate modern design. But let’s talk about food. Sure they have escargot, cuisse de grenouille, and duck l’orange…the most famous French dishes. But that was it. No innovation. No real traditional dishes. Other than just the shock factor of frog legs and snails this restaurant had nothing French.
They had waiters with italian accents which was not off putting until I realized there was pasta on the menu in a separate category… who wants to get pasta at a French restaurant? I ordered a ny strip which did not white come how I ordered it and seemed as if it had come from a miniature cow (the steak was small and flavorless). My meal was severely overpriced at $ 200. Two people, no wine and still $ 200. I would have priced my meal at a value of half that. Do not go here. They need to raise their standards bar for French cuisine.

In this economy, we all can’t afford a trip to Paris every time we want a fantastic French meal. Much more affordable, and easier on the jet lag is a trip to La Coquille! The attentive staff, the incredible chef and the effort they make to ensure your visit special is worth the trip. The artichoke gratinee and the Dover sole are not tone missed. Also, save room for the chocolate mousse and/​or the Napoleon (if sharing). Worth the trip!