Le Bernardin

Fantastic place. I ordered the Le Bernardin tasting menu and it was fantastic. To summarize the entire meal I would say flawless execution.
For me it really feels like the focus on the dishes was to let the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. Most dishes had one main seafood ingredient with different emulations meant to accent the flavor of the fish. All of the emulsions were light and complimentary to the main ingredient of the dish.
The simplicity of the dishes felt like a mixture of classic french technique with Japanese ideals.
Was it the best meal of my life no.
And I will affirm that I give it 5 stars and highly recommend the place but will offer some of my feelings while eating the meal.
For example the Langoustine dish while perfectly cooked it does not compare to langoustines in Spain. I dont think its anything to do with what the chefs did. It had to do with the quality of the ingredient. I highly recommend Pedro Lemos in Portugal. When my family and I had that dish we immediately ordered another one. I will repeat the dish was delicious and perfectly executed. But this is a 3 star michelin restaurant and Pedro Lemos is a 1 star restaurant.
My second thought was that two back to back dishes were similar in presentation. Both a beautifully prepared filet of fish with an emulsion. Both were served back to back with the lobster presented in a similar style making 3 in total. While again all the dishes were executed perfectly I felt that dishes could be more varied in order to avoid repeating the same technique on multiple dishes.
The last thing was the salmon. They have on the menu the dish listed as Organic salmon and I forgot to ask but have no clue what the word organic means for salmon. Are they saying Organic as opposed to Non-​Organic salmon?. Regrettable description of Salmon for a 3 michelin star restaurant.
Meal time was 3 hours.

The food here was decent but nothing spectacular really stood out.
However the service was very lacking for the price charged. Also one major problem was that at the beginning of the meal they asked if we had any allergies or foods we didn’t like and I mentioned shrimp, they didn’t clarify with me if it was an allergy or a preference which wouldn’t have mattered if they paid attention however for one dish their broth apparently had shrimp in it as after the waiter poured the broth over the lobster and I ate one of the pieces infused with the broth the waiter came charging back out and wanted to take my dish away (my girlfriend was eating the exact same dish) and came back with a new dish and served a truffle sauce with it this time without any explanation, the only explanation we thought of was the shrimp comment I made at the beginning of the dinner which would have been disastrous if I or another patron had a serious food allergy and this had happened…
Save for the reception and one waiter the others made the whole meal rather disappointing. In general they did not respond to our questions and requests and one particular waiter after introducing the dish’s ingredients when we asked about if there was any particular order we should eat them in he responded with «that’s what I said» with a smirk. Similar experiences happened throughout the evening which showed that he did not even bother to listen to what we were asking before responding.
Although this one particular waiter was horrid but the others (in general) weren’t particularly attentive when you think of the price the restaurant was charging for the meal (base was 145 per person before any additional charges).

This review is for the group private room experience for larger groups that is held a bloc away. Food didn’t remotely compare to th quality of the main restaurant which is impeccable. I literally almost got sick from the fishy and rubbery poor excuse for a white tuna. Would give it fewer than three stars but being generous.

Came here spontaneously with a friend one night. We weren’t sure if we were going to get seated since we were dressed down and after all, this is a 3 star Michelin restaurant. We wanted to sit in the lounge area and lucky for us, it was not a problem :) I was super excited, I never been to LB before. Upon walking in, the restaurant is beautiful, spacious and intimate. let’s just say we were really under dressed especially for the dining area.
The service was exceptional, definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had in a really long time (I need to fine dine more). They really make you feel special here and everything is timed perfectly (when the food comes out, when they take your plate and etc). We ordered a few items off the menu — the Lobster Cappuccino, Peruvian Style Scallop Ceviche, Kanpachi Tartare, Apricot dessert, and the Tres Leches dessert. Everything was unique, flavorful and presented beautifully. Each plate really brought out all the flavors in every ingredient and dining here really expanded my palate. The Apricot dessert had roasted apricot, caramelized honey cremeux and osmanthus blossom sorbet. The Tres Leches was my favorite dessert — crisp cashew sponge cake sphere, caramelized goat’s milk mouse and clementine sorbet.
The Lobster Cappucino was earthy tasting but in a good way, and it really was like drinking a cappuccino with Celeriac Soup and Perigord Truffle, topped with Lobster foam. I had to order the scallop ceviche because I love scallops and I never had it in a ceviche and was probably my favorite food item of the night. Served in a beautiful shell, it was really refreshing and light. My friend and I have actually tried to replicating this recipe at home since dining here since we loved it so much. The Kanpachi was topped with wasabi tobiko with an emulsion of ginger and coriander was very enjoyable as well.
What I love about this Le Bernardin is they switch up the menu, so it gives me all the reason to come back to try new items. If you love seafood, you absolutely need to visit Le Bernardin. Every bite tastes better than the last and you want to eat it very slowly to enjoy it for as long as possible. Definitely expensive but it’s about the quality here, not the quantity and places like LB just makes me appreciate food so much more. Can’t wait to come back and next time, I’ll be checking out the dining area.

Food and drink — amazing quality. Fresh, beautifully presented.
A GORGEOUS spherification of lobster.
Perfect oysters
Stunning seafood.
The food, in general, is the reason for the 3 star instead of 2 star rating.
Service: Needs help.
To begin — we were ACCOSTED with questions about our party because two of the members were late. Our two late members were told that our table would only be available for us to «use» until 8:15 due to their tardiness.
The head waiter of our table was exasperated to tell us twice how to make prix fixe choices from the four sections provided on the menu.
There is ZERO reason for this behavior when there are 20 other restaurants doing what you do and better.
Stop.
This is NOT fun.

Was able to get a table for lunch on the next day, and wow the whole experience was just amazing!
Super delicious seafood, and the jasmine flavored ice cream in the desert was unforgettable! Very nice waiters and super professional service. Much better than the lunch at Jean Georges IMHO.
Will definitely come back shall I get a table some time later.

Overrated and overpriced, this is something you can safely skip on your list.
Pros:
Top notch weight staff. Incredibly knowledgable, skilled, and attentive without being snooty. You are taken care of but not treated like a baby. There is no question that these folks know what they are doing.
Perfect portions — just enough to enjoy without pigging or leaving hungry.
Beautiful settings
Cons:
The lobster and octopus were overcooked and rubbery
Too much salt
Overall it was a nice experience. I could have had better food at the country club and saved $ 1000.

Came here on a weekday for lunch and we had the 3 course menu. Overall it met our expectation with its seafood focused menu featuring raw, barely cooked and lightly cooked dishes. My wife had the lobster and it’s the first time we had lobster done lightly cooked which is fairly different from fully cooked lobster (meats slightly transparent, crunchy etc). Overall it’s nice but not the restaurant for me and I wouldn’t return.

This was, simply, the best meal of my life. I had long desired to go to a 3 Michelin starred restaurant and when my wife and I came to NYC for our fifth anniversary Le Bernardin was definitely on our list.
We ordered the Le Bernardin tasting menu with wine pairing. It was worth every last penny. The food was phenomenal and each dish surprised you with something — not something lavish or out of the ordinary even, but with how profoundly good it was.
One of the big shocks for me was how extraordinarily well each wine paired with the meal. Aldo Sohm is a genius. This took what was already an excellent meal and made it simply phenomenal.
I can’t afford to eat at Le Bernardin often, but when I do have the spare money it is going to be high on my list — even before trying other restaurants. I enjoyed it that much.
As a final note, I am not a seafood person. I almost didn’t go to Le Bernardin precisely because I am a serious meat eater. This would have been a tragic mistake. Try Le Bernardin — I challenge anyone to eat that crusted snapper and not fall in love.

Wow. Excellent, from start to finish. The service is impeccable, the ambiance is amazing. And the food was perfect. Every single course was tasty. I have nothing negative to say.
Each dish built on the next. You begin with more subtle flavors, definitely lighter dishes, and they build from there.
Even the cooking methods move in progression, from raw, to barely cooked, to fully cooked.
Honestly an exceptional experience.

Five Stars for service, Five stars for taste, five stars for making us feel welcome and special. Portion size five stars and selections five stars. It is hard to find anything wrong with tonight’s meal. I won’t sleep tonight I’m so full! I’ve got a couple more photos on my daughters camera. There were so many courses I can’t remember all the names.
They asked up front about my allergies. I feel comfortable knowing my food was prepared with my health in mind.
They even have a little stool to put your handbag on instead of on the floor!
Lovely atmosphere not overly gaudy.
I’m definitely not a food review writer. This was a once in a lifetime experience for me!
Thanks to everyone involved for a memorable evening. My photos will have to tell the story…

Very pleasant dinner experience. Best high end restaurant for seafood lovers who are looking for something different than Japanese style fish. Some of the food was slightly salty but most were on point. The desserts were even better than the food. Loved the mango ice with coconut ice cream. Many of the servers were Hispanic and one said ‘ni hao ma’ which I feel is inappropriate at any restaurant, especially at one that received 3 Michelin stars for service.

Very happy. Well deserved 3 Michelin Star.
We had 7 course tasting menu. Everything was so delicious. I was so stuffed by the end. I probably would have been happy with their 3 course meal too. Just incase you are doing 3 course, I’ll write what was really good.
Hamachi: it was ok. I love hamachi but would not order this if I came back. I’ve had better preparations.
Calamari stuffed with crab: very good. Asian flavor with Chinese 5-​spice and ginger. It was good but not sure if I would order this if I came back.
Lobster pasta with truffle: this was absolutely to die for!!! Generous portions of truffles with truffle butter sauce. So delicious. I wanted to have more of this.
Red Snapper: curry sauce and cucumber. Delicious. I loved this dish too.
Surf and turf (Cod and bison cheek): not as good as lobster pasta or red snapper but very good. Bison was succulent and tender.

If you’re a college student like I am — GET THE CITY HARVEST LUNCH PRIX FIXE!
Such a great deal at $ 49 for 3 courses.
The service was exceptional, and the flavors and textures were delicate. I’m not usually a seafood fan but I enjoyed my lobster carrot soup, and even my friends’ scallops.
I got the sea bass for my main, and tried the Merluza as well. Larger pieces of fish than I expected, and the sauces were exquisite.
Can’t wait to come back again to try the full tasting menu

I’ve now had the privilege of dining here twice.
My first experience at Le Bernardin was a few years back and it was my very FIRST Michelin rated restaurant. Since then, I’ve been to several 1, 2, and 3 starred restaurants; some came close, but none ever surpassed the beauty that I remembered Le Bernardin to be. I didn’t know if I was just jaded because it had been my first experience, or if Le Bernardin was really that good.
Now after finally revisiting Le Bernardin, I now know it IS JUST THAT GOOD. The only way to describe it is excellence. Each taste kept you wanting more and each bite was better than the last. Flavors so nuanced and delicate — that they stay separate on the palate, but go nicely with all the others. And the star of each plate is always the fish — the perfectly cooked every time fish.
Worth every penny.

Le Bernardin had been on our list for a while, and last my girlfriend brought me here to check this one off the list and taste some delicious, delicious seafood.
Before jumping into the food, I have to say the plates Le Bernardin uses with the little bubble accents are a nice touch. Would love to buy a few for the house — I’m guessing they don’t sell these at IKEA.
We opted for the Chef’s Tasting, which currently runs $ 215 per person. The meal starts with a a trio of amuses (on said bubble plates) — ours featured smoked salmon, lobster, and watermelon soup. Nice and refreshing, and probably meant to foreshadow the seafood-​forward plates to come.
— Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio; Iberico Ham «Chutney,» Sea Beans, Lemon-​Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Comes out as a circular disk of pounded carpaccio in olive oil. Tuna is delicate and melts in your mouth — the dish is really much smaller than it looks. Good thing there are plenty of courses after this one.
— Warm King Fish «Sashimi;» Osetra Caviar, Light Marinière Broth — I think this is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes and would guess it’s been on the menu for a while. Flavors are excellent here — I imagine this is what eating straight from the ocean is like. The salty/​brininess from the broth and caviar work well with the king fish.
— Pan Roasted Langoustine; Foie Gras Soubise, Aged Sherry-​Verjus Vinaigrette — absolutely one of the best bites of food I’ve had in my life. The langoustine is absolutely the star and is cooked perfectly. Whether or not you’ve had langoustine before, this dish will make you love it.
— Lacquered Lobster Tail; Herb Spring Roll, Lemongrass Consommé — clever play on the «lobster roll» — you get lobster two ways in this dish: a lobster tail and a sort of lobster sushi roll, both sitting in lemongrass broth.
— White Tuna, Grilled Escolar and Seared Wagyu Beef; Fresh Kimchi, Asian Pear, Soy-​Citrus Emulsion — their form of surf and turf, I suppose? Much preferred the beef side of the plate, but both were excellent.
— Green Tea Custard, Preserved Lychee, Jasmine Ice Cream — classic Asian-​inspired flavors. Very refreshing though — comes topped with these crispy green tea noodles. best way I can describe them.
— Marinated «Golden Blueberries,» Frozen Sweet Corn Meringue, Blueberry Sorbet — visually this dish looks like the contrast was turned up on the plate, with the white sorbet and almost black blueberries, some coated in gold coloring.
— Semifreddo with chocolate as their version of a birthday cake, and a few petits fours to end the meal. I don’t remember these being too out of the ordinary, but I was more than satisfied already at this point.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Le Bernardin, and expectations were high going in, but I’m happy to say that it lives up to it all. One of my top meals of all time for sure.

The Quick: The epitome of classy, sophisticated, borderline stuffy, French restaurants. The food is phenomenal, and the service is top notch, treating you as if you are the most important customer of the night. Oh… And the price is crazy extravagant.
The Details: I cannot say enough about the service and feel about this place. The men had to wear suits, and every single woman in the restaurant wore a little black dress. I was wearing a red slinky dress… Oh I got some looks.
We did the chefs tasting menu with the wine pairing. Each course was brought out on a unique beautiful plate. Every last detail was elegant. The food was phenomenal as to be expected. The portions were small but we left satisfied. The different breads were delicious but I would recommend only trying one, as I was told ‘to go’ bags are not allowed.
The Damage: The chef tasting menu for two, with the wine pairing and then additional glasses of cava ~ $ 800 pre tip… As I said, do not go unless you’re prepared

**this review is toward their lunch@lounge room**
One word, four letters: L.O.V.E!
Ok– I know it’s lame. But this probably best describes how I feel about my lunch experience with Le Bernardin.
It was sort of a last minute thought about going to Le Bernardin for lunch. Luckily, no reservation is required to dine in the lounge room. My friend and I got there around 12pm and we took the last table in the lounge room!
Everything is so fresh, nicely seasoned, cooked and plated! My personal favorite during the whole lunch was the skate. It was my friend’s entrée but I made him split half with me. But the desserts to me though probably are not the strongest suit of Le Bernardin.
I’m very satisfied with my meal. It was only $ 49 which includes 3 courses. I think it is a great value in comparison to other Michelin star restaurants such as Marea — 2 courses for $ 47!
I highly recommend their lunch options and definitely will come back for dinner!

I was in NYC for valentine’s day and saw reviews on this place before coming to town. I admit I was expecting a snooty vibe. After all, a place this popular and well reviewed has to be lacking somewhere right? Wrong. From the moment my boyfriend and I walked in the door we were treated special. Everyone from the coat check staff, to the hostess stand staff, to the waiters treated us as valued customers. They were all friendly, warm and attentive. My boyfriend and I had an amazing experience and would definitely come back when in town.
We only had appetizers as we had another obligation and couldn’t stay long but the food was great. Loved the atmosphere as well. Would definitely recommend.

I try not to get political in my Unilocal reviews (because that would be pretty weird), but I’ll admit it:
I’m feeling Le Bern.
This place is straight class. For gods’ sakes, the coat check ticket is metal. They are lucky I didn’t steal that thing and melt it down to pay my rent after eating here. Do you think there’s a tip jar out for the coat check staff? Absolutely not. This isn’t Brooklyn. Here in Midtown, there’s a wooden slot where I’m pretty sure you’re only allowed to drop bills larger than fifties. I didn’t jam my hand down it, but maybe I should’ve because this was the fanciest (and most expensive) lunch of my life.
And it was good. From the salmon canapé we started with, to the beautiful bottle of wine we settled on (with the help of a lovely sommelier), to the barely touched tuna and the surf and turf of black bass and braised veal cheeks… I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.
The service is actually perfect. Everyone is warm and so very, very competent. As our first courses were delivered, I jokingly complained that everyone else had a sauce poured onto their dish but me. Well, I’ll be damned if some guy didn’t appear with a yuzu dashi out of nowhere just for me. I’m pretty sure that sauce was supposed to be on my plate already and was just a step behind, but the point is that the staff at Le Bernardin is basically a bunch of seafood fairies floating around and making sure life is delicious.
You might be asking yourself, why is this glowing review only four stars? [Well, stop talking to yourself. It creeps the rest of us out.]
The answer is that while everything was quite nice, at this price point I essentially expect perfection. I expect to be staggered by my meal. I have been spoiled by the fact that for a third of the cost, I can eat a meal at least as delicious at dozens of restaurants around this fine city. Granted, the service may not be impeccable and the room may not be as grand, but the food matters more to me anyway.
Perhaps it’s just that the level of cooking elsewhere has risen dramatically, but the only bites that truly blew me away at Le Bernardin were dessert (and I’m not even really into dessert). I’m not sure who their pastry chef is, but the orb of white chocolate that, when cracked, gave way to a burst of apple gelee… that was genius. It wasn’t the best dessert I’ve ever tasted flavor-​wise, but it was certainly pushing boundaries and giving me something I’ve never had. Equally stellar was the salted caramel custard served in an eggshell, a bit of lagniappe that surpassed most of the meal in quality.
Is Le Bernardin an outstanding restaurant? Absolutely. Did I enjoy myself immensely? Of course. Will I be returning anytime soon? Probably not, because this price point is too high for a peasant like me… unless it’s a life-​changing meal. And this wasn’t.
But it was damn good.

It was a fantastic experience, having the opportunity to enjoyed a tremendous meal Saturday night with exquisite service
Had the ceviche which was savory and complex
The langoustine was beautifully cooked and impeccably presented
The pasta was out of this world good
Also had the kobe beef and kimchi which was magical
Best place to enjoy the wonders of seafood

My husband took me here on the Valentine’s Day. Being a major foodie, I was looking forward to trying this 3-​Michelin starred restaurant.
— the presentation was flawless.
— the service is amazing!!! Can’t get any better!
— the desserts are insane! The matcha dessert with lychee was something out of this world. It was a perfect combination. Great job, Thomas Raquel!
I didn’t love my entrée or one of the appetizers. They were extremely salty. Even my husband, who loves salty food tried it and confirmed it was too salty. I could feel crunch or salt in my mouth and drank one glass of water to wash it down. I ended up not finishing it. And the same goes for the appetizer. I gave it to my husband to finish.
But thank God we ended the dinner with that matcha dessert, which changed everything. I was in heaven!!! I would go back just for that! That combination made me want to be a pastry chef.

You’ve read the reviews from everyone who automatically gives this 5 stars because they’re supposed to.
This is a review from the working man.
The middle class New Yorker.
I’m no food snob, I can’t compare the fish from the time I had an amazing filet off the coast of the Mediterranean.
Plus, I’m the one who paid the bill, so I’m allowed a little criticism
I’ve also eaten a LOT of chefs tasting menus from around the city so I knew what to expect.
I had high expectations for this place. Ranked #1 on Zagat, Ranked #18 in the Worlds Best Restaurants, and the highest Michelin stars you could get.
As far as the jacket required thing. They have a closet full of complimentary jackets of every size for wearing. So if you don’t have a suit, don’t worry, they have you covered.
Let me start off by saying Service was 5/​5, no doubt.
This place had great service you wont find at most other places. Hell I had a guy come over the moment I finished my beer to ask if I wanted a refill. They offer top quality pampering.
But the thing «I» review about is the FOOD and frankly, it was a little disappointing.
I think I can safely say I’ve tried almost everything on the menu, since we got BOTH tasting menus which covers just about the entire thing.
So I had the $ 180 7-​course chefs tasting menu and the $ 215 8-​course chefs tasting menu side by side.
Now, as far as portion size goes, they were pretty small. The largest was maybe a piece of fish the size of a deck of cards. But we saw another table order off the regular prix fix menu and the portions were maybe about 10−15% bigger, so the tasting menus are really the way to go.
Disclaimer: I like seafood and fish, I think its pretty good. I prefer it deep fried. I also love sushi.
But, I would recommend you come here if you are a SEAFOOD FANATIC only.
Aside from dessert and the pre-​appetizer appetizer cup of soup, it’s ALL seafood and fish.
Those reviews about the amazing Kobe beef they had a year ago?
None of that stuff was the menu — so if you’re a meat and potatoes type of person, do not book this place at all.
Don’t get me wrong, the fish here was amazingly fresh and cooked perfectly.
But the dishes were just boring.
For the first few courses, we had some raw apps –basically different types of fancy pieces of sashimi. Yeah they were good, but I didn’t come here for sushi.
Then finally it got to the baked dishes. Almost all of them followed the same trend:
Cooked piece of seafood/​fish, served in a bowl with a sauce
No side dishes, nothing. Every single one.
Then they would throw in some black truffle (ugh, truffle) for good measure .
Luckily we got a pasta dish (with more truffles) for the 7-​course menu which broke up the monotony.
Honestly, once it got to the different cooked fish pieces, we couldn’t tell one from another. Halibut? Sea bass? Pretty much identical looking and tasting except for whatever gravy was poured around it.
Another gripe, almost all of the flavors came from the sauces the piece of fish was sitting in.
Want to get the full experience? Good luck scooping up sauce/​gravy like soup of a very shallow plate.
Some of the sauces even seemed. WEIRD.
The lobster dish came with a sauce my girlfriend said «tastes like lemon Pledge».
I took a sip and was 100% sure they re-​created the taste of Trix Cereal. No joke.
So this whole «experience» goes on for 2.5 hours — yes we timed it — for between 7 – 8 dishes. Do the math on how long you might be waiting between them. I understand its part of the experience but by the end I felt like I could be doing something productive with my time and honestly… I was getting bored.
Thank god for the bread guy. This was one of the best parts.
This guy single-​handedly kept me full.
This place had something like 8 different types of bread they would bring over and you could choose which ones you wanted to try. Yes i sampled them ALL. Along with some deliciously soft butter
I highly recommend the tomato bread, french baguettes, and the raisin bread, but all of them were pretty amazing.
Finally, on to dessert.
Dessert was amazing.
THIS was the best part of the meal.
The flavors were excellent and the dishes actually looked like they took a lot of effort to make.
Hell this place should just scrap the regular menu and just do desserts.
However, both my table and the next table were celebrating birthdays and both tables got completely different complimentary desserts.
Unfortunately we got the tasteless block of frosting with chocolate ribbons and they got an elaborate chocolate egg dish that looked like it took a lot more than 2 minutes to prepare. Total dud.
So at the end of the meal we leave with a bill for $ 500 — and yes they still do the whole «tipping» thing here so tack on another $ 80+ to your food.
Would i come back? No. This did not live up to expectations.
I have Eleven Madison Park and Brooklyn Fare booked in the next months so I will be back to update my reviews with a comparison.

You’ve read the reviews from everyone who automatically gives this 5 stars because they’re supposed to.
This is a review from the working man and middle class New Yorker.
I’m no food snob but I’m fat enough to know what’s good.
Plus, I’m the one who paid the bill, so I’m allowed a little criticism
I’ve also eaten a LOT of chefs tasting menus from around the city so I knew what to expect.
I had high expectations for this place. #1 on Zagat, Ranked #18 in the Worlds Best Restaurants, and the highest Michelin stars you could get.
As far as the jacket required thing. They have a closet full of complimentary jackets of every size for wearing. So if you don’t have a suit, don’t worry, they have you covered.
Let me start off by saying Service was 5/​5, no doubt.
This place had great service you wont find at most other places. Hell I had a guy come over the moment I finished my beer to ask if I wanted a refill. They offer top quality pampering.
But the thing «I» review about is the FOOD and frankly, it was a little disappointing.
I think I can safely say I’ve tried almost everything on the menu, since we got BOTH tasting menus which covers just about the entire thing.
So I had the $ 180 7-​course chefs tasting menu and the $ 215 8-​course chefs tasting menu side by side.
Now, as far as portion size goes, they were pretty small. The largest was maybe a piece of fish the size of a deck of cards. But we saw another table order off the regular prix fix menu and the portions were maybe about 10−15% bigger, so the tasting menus are really the way to go.
Disclaimer: I like seafood and fish, I think its pretty good. I prefer it deep fried. I also love sushi.
But, I would recommend you come here if you are a SEAFOOD FANATIC only.
Aside from dessert and the pre-​appetizer appetizer cup of soup, it’s ALL seafood and fish.
Those reviews about the amazing Kobe beef they had a year ago? One dish and not on the tasting menu
Don’t get me wrong, the fish here was amazingly fresh and cooked perfectly.
But the dishes were just boring.
For the first few courses, we had some raw apps –basically different types of fancy pieces of sashimi. Yeah they were good, but I didn’t come here for sushi.
Then finally it got to the baked dishes. Almost all of them followed the same trend:
Cooked piece of seafood/​fish, served in a bowl with a sauce
No side dishes, nothing. Every single one.
Then they would throw in some black truffle (ugh, truffle) for good measure .
Luckily we got a pasta dish (with more truffles) for the 7-​course menu which broke up the monotony.
Honestly, once it got to the different cooked fish pieces, we couldn’t tell one from another. Halibut? Sea bass? Pretty much identical looking and tasting except for whatever gravy was poured around it.
Another gripe, almost all of the flavors came from the sauces the piece of fish was sitting in.
Want to get the full experience? Good luck scooping up sauce/​gravy like soup of a very shallow plate.
Some of the sauces even seemed. WEIRD.
The lobster dish came with a sauce my girlfriend said «tastes like lemon Pledge».
I took a sip and was 100% sure they re-​created the taste of Trix Cereal. No joke.
The kicker is Zagat gives the FOOD score here a ²⁹⁄₃₀.
Yes, the highest of any NYC restaurant.
That’s right, its one point away from perfect.
…
So this whole «experience» goes on for 2.5 hours — yes we timed it — for between 7 – 8 dishes. I understand its part of the experience but by the end I felt like I could be doing something productive with my time and honestly… I was getting bored.
Thank god for the bread guy. This was one of the best parts.
This guy single-​handedly kept me full.
This place had something like 8 different types of bread they would bring over and you could choose which ones you wanted to try. Yes i sampled them ALL. Along with some deliciously soft butter
I highly recommend the tomato bread, french baguettes, and the raisin bread, but all of them were pretty amazing.
Finally, on to dessert.
Dessert was amazing.
THIS was the best part of the meal.
The flavors were excellent and the dishes actually looked like they took a lot of effort to make.
Hell this place should just scrap the regular menu and just do desserts.
However, both my table and the next table were celebrating birthdays and both tables got completely different complimentary desserts.
Unfortunately we got the tasteless block of frosting with chocolate ribbons and they got an elaborate chocolate egg dish that looked like it took a lot more than 2 minutes to prepare. Total dud.
So at the end of the meal we leave with a bill for $ 500 — and yes they still do the whole «tipping» thing here so tack on another $ 80+ to your food.
Would i come back? No.
Since coming here, I have been to almost all the «big hitters» in the Michelin/​Tasting menu scene. You can see my other reviews for a comparison

Did the private dining this time around and we ordered everything on the tasting menu — literally EVERYTHING. I liked the appetizers more than the main courses. There were so many fish dishes. Dishes I liked: oysters, caviar, squid, sea urchin, lobster, merluza, and the matcha dessert. Everything tasted decent to good but nothing was extraordinary or outstanding.

For me who only eats fish and chicken, this was heaven for me. We started our ³⁄₁₃ michelin stars trip to NY here and chose this for our first night in manhattan. The very first step you set in LB, you’re gonna be like oh yes this is place looks nice. I would stop eating just to glance at Eric Ripert while he walking round the dining hall.
My favorite dishes :
amuse bouche was good. They have bouillabaisse in a spherical form which we ate as a shot. That was tasty!
Langoustine with black truffle and foie gras — so sinful. Was cooked perfectly. Chewing these 3 all together in your mouth, it was amazing
My favorite king fish caviar! if i could ear 10 pcs of this dish i would! First you take a spoon of king fish caviar with veloute in your mouth. While your chewing your gonna taste the veloute which is full of flavor, next the texture of the fish and lastly that lump of caviar and its saltiness made this dish so perfect .
For desserts we had matcha ice cream and apples with dulce de leche ice cream.
The ambiance was beautiful, service was good and flow of the food was on timing. This dinner was good close to our experience in eleven madison park. This place deserves its 3 stars and maybe a higher spot in san pellegrino list. Excited to come back!

I have always been wary of visiting establishments with reputations of offering «ultra» fine dining as it had always given me the vision of consuming tiny portions — leaving my appetite much unsatisfied — and always accompanying a bill equivalent to my monthly car payment. This place changed my belief (except the part about the bill).
I decided to take a chance on this place as Unilocal (as countless other places) gave it glowing reviews. It holds 3 Michelin stars (a big deal in the foodie world). It’s chef, Eric Ripert, is apparently a well-​respected artist when it comes to food, especially seafood. I am glad a took a chance as it turned out to be one of the best meals I have ever had.
Getting reservations for me and my date required calling the restaurant directly one month in advance. This is a bit of a challenge itself as you will find the line busy on multiple attempts — when you do get through its often a 10 – 15 minutes wait until someone comes on the line. Piece of cake after that; you will get a confirmation by email. In addition, you will get a call two days before AND on the day of the reservation to definitely confirm.
There are A LOT of reviews describing the wonderful food and they are indeed true. I will not further bore, but reaffirm certain points from my experience:
— you are seated on time with no wait
— the service is second to none. They will accommodate you through-​and-​through
— We decided on the Chef’s tasting menu which encompasses 8 courses (including 2 desserts) — this will provide you a great sampling of Chef Ripert’s offerings. Without rushing, it will take put you on a 2.5 hour journey of some of freshest, innovative seafood you have ever had
— This man loves sauces — there is a sauce poured table-​side in almost every dish
— you will be stuffed at the end. (although you will get 8 courses, in addition the chef sends extra special items to your table; a great selection of in-​house made breads)
I definitely recommend the experience, without hesitation.

5 stars. Might as well.
Better than experience at Jean Georges? No.
Better than experience at Eleven Madison? Food wise, yes.
Better than the Modern? Yes.
Holiday tasting was good but it wasn’t $ 240 good. It felt like it was $ 140 good.
So you get your fish, your truffle, your caviar, your langoustines, foie gras, lobster and venison. I felt like I’ve eaten these types of things before at other places and Le Bernadine isn’t any more special than the next.
The room for the holiday tasting was a bit stuffy that night but all the servers were fine. Not as friendly as those in the Modern or Jean Georges but less robotic than those at Eleven Madison.
For $ 700, thanks to my sweetheart… How can I not give it a 5 star.

The reservation process at Le Bernardin can be frustrating, time consuming, and even intimidating. Don’t let that deter you, as this was hands down the best seafood meal I’ve ever had in the U.S. After trying for months to get a reasonable dinner time on a Saturday and being on hold for what seemed like forever, I got my reservation. The person on the reservation line was abrupt and cold. After I got off the phone, I considered canceling the reservation wondering if the customer service in the restaurant would be along the same lines. Thankfully I didn’t.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we received a warm welcome from the hostess and I breathed a sigh of relief. We were seated in about two minutes. Since it was our first visit, we got what I would consider the worst table. It was on the border of the dining room and the bar and right next to the kitchen so people were constantly wandering back and forth. That was a bit disappointing, but thankfully the meal that was to follow made up for it.
My husband and I opted for the Chef’s Tasting Menu and I added the wine pairing to it. I asked if I could substitute the last savory course for something else as it was tuna and wagyu beef, since I don’t eat beef. The waiter told me that would be a big mistake and they could just sub something out for the beef instead. I’ve had lots of good tuna in Japan, so I figured that it couldn’t be any better than that, and I figured the main selling point here was the beef. I reluctantly agreed.
Every course was very flavorful and perfectly plated and prepared. I like that the fish here is never overcooked, which is a big problem with most seafood restaurants in the U.S. The wine was amazing and paired perfectly with each course and was served by Aldo Sohm himself! It was one of the more interesting pairings I’ve done as they even managed to sneak some delicious sake in there.
I loved the progression of courses from almost raw, to barely touched, to lightly cooked. Everything was amazing, but here were the highlights:
Kingfish Caviar — The rich buttery sauce and the salty caviar melded perfectly with this fresh silky fish.
Langostine with Truffle — Oh my! This was my first time having langostine. I loved that it was the flavorful like shrimp, but the texture of lobster. Plus, anything with fresh truffle is good! The sauce on this one was crazy amazing as well.
Escolar (Tuna) and Waygu (mine was subbed with salmon) — I’m glad I listened to my server. The piece of this stuff was about 1″ x 1″, but the flavor in a small bite was super intense and amazing and like no other tuna I have ever tasted. Google escolar and you’ll find out details as to why you can’t have a large portion of this. My husband said his wagyu, was good, but had nothing on that tuna! It was the same for my salmon.
Matcha choclate and ice cream with preserved litchi — It’s like they knew I was coming that night. Those are some of my favorite things combined. This was desert that isn’t very sweet, but super flavorful with a little savory component. I was in heaven!
Service was excellent and each course and the wine was perfectly spaced out. It took around three hours to finish our dinner.
I will definitely come back here. I tried to make a lunch reservation a few months ago for the week after Christmas since I’ll be in NYC, but unfortunately, I haven’t been moved off the wait list. Perhaps another time then.
If you love top notch perfectly prepared seafood, and excellent wine to match, Le Bernardin is certain to not disappoint. Start planning now so you can enjoy it in 2016!

I was treated here by the fiancé for a birthday lunch and I am thankful that I have the fortune of dining at such wonderful restaurants in this city. For appetizer we shared barely touched scallops and raw tuna. Main course was the black bass and merluza. Dessert was matcha and sorbet. Everything was fantastic and well thought out. We also really enjoyed the delicious salmon spread that was offered in the beginning of the meal.
This is place is what you would expect from a 3 star michelin restaurant. Professionalism and great service. Jacket required to dine, although I heard they can lend you one if you don’t have.

!!!
Oh. My. God. We had come here for my birthday lunch — mostly because I’ve wanted to go and taste Eric Ripert’s food for a REALLY long time. So luxurious and amazing food and experiences.
We each had a glass of sauvignon blanc– yum! I started with the seafood truffle pasta — such a great starter. It was small, but so worth it. Then I had the black bass surf and turf — tender and so good. Everything was amazing. The pear dessert wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t bad either.
NEED to try the dinner prix fixe sometime soon. Will come back.
Protip: SEAFOOD TRUFFLE PASTA.

Para obligatoria en una visita a NY…
Las tres opciones del menú tanto de 8,7 y 4 tiempos hacen disfrutar el costo beneficio del restaurante.
Siempre una alta recomendación este lugarz

Simplesmente o melhor restaurante da minha vida. Considerado o melhor em frutos-​do-​mar do mundo, 3 estrelas Michelin, e o único restaurante de NY a manter 4 estrelas do NYT desde que a avaliação foi criada. E realmente é tudo isso. Eric Ripert é o mago dos molhos e dos pontos perfeitos nos pescados.
A carta de vinhos apresenta opções que não assustam, inclusive de Champagnes.
Vale mesmo cada centavo…

Heuer waren wir das zweite Mal dort. Leider hat es uns für ein 3 Sterne Lokal nicht mehr so überzeugt wie beim ersten Mal, leider.

Vorweg: die Erwartungen waren riesig. Drei Michelin-​Sterne mehr geht
einfach nicht. Im Vergleich zu deutschen oder allgemein europäischen
Restaurants dieser Klasse, sind die Preise im Le Bernardin extrem
moderat. Für ein 4-​Gang-​Menu am Abend zahlt man beispielsweise etwa 125
USD plus Getränke (versteht sich pro Person). Die Gänge kann man sich
dann selbst zusammenstellen und es ist wirklich für Jeden etwas dabei.
Ganz wichtig: ohne Reservierung geht hier gar nix. Und man sollte sehr
sehr weit im Voraus reservieren, da die wenigen Tische extrem schnell
vergriffen sind. Dass auf entsprechende Garderobe zu achten ist,
versteht sich wohl von selbst. Das Essen? Ich kann nur sagen, dass ich
und meine Geschmacksnerven so etwas noch nicht erlebt haben. Der
Service? Unvergleichlich. Ich kann nur wirklich jedem, der in NYC ist,
raten, hier hinzugehen. Ein Essen im Le Bernardin ist definitiv ein
Erlebnis für alle Sinne und garantiert unvergesslich!