Forbes Best US Restaurant – 17 – Le Bernardin – New York, NY
Forbes Best US Restaurant – 17 – Le Bernardin – New York, NY
The Equitable Building
155 W 51st St
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhoods: Midtown West, Theater District
(212) 554-1515
- Nearest Transit Station:
- 7 Ave.
57 St. – 7 Ave.
50 St.
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Formal (Jacket Required)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
- $$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
-
Menu for Le Bernardin
First Course – Almost Raw
prix-fixe $127 – 4 courses
Caviar
Organically grown farm-raised osetra caviar ($120 supplement per ounce) farm-raised golden osetra caviar ($135 supplement per ounce)
Oyster
Chilled beausoleil oysters; sea grape and pickled shallot “seaweed water” gelée
Geoduck-caviar
Thinly shaved geoduck clam and osetra caviar,wasabi-citrus mousseline ($45 supplement)
Tuna
Layers of thinly pounded yellowfin tuna, foie gras and toasted baguette shaved chives and extra virgin olive oil
Striped Bass
Wild striped bass tartare; baby fennel, zucchini crispy artichoke, parmesan sauce vierge
Salmon
Scottish salmon; candy-striped beets, pumpernickel croutons horseradish sauce
Fluke
Fluke “sashimi”; micro watercress, baby carrots ginger-citron vinaigrette
Mesclun Salad
Salad of the day’s market herbs and vegetables with balsamic – shallot vinaigrette
First Course – Barely Touched
prix-fixe $127 – 4 courses
Octopus
Charred octopus “a la plancha”; green olive and black garlic emulsion, sundried tomato sauce vierge
Langoustine
Sauteed langoustine; summer truffle and chanterelle, aged balsamic vinaigrette
Main Course – Lightly Cooked
prix-fixe $127 – 4 courses
Dover Sole
Sautéed sole; “almond-pistachio-barberry” golden basmati, brown-butter tamarind vinaigrette ($18 supplement)
Red Snapper
Baked snapper in “citrus-rosemary papillote” preserved lemon-mashed potatoes, natural jus
Striped Bass
Wild striped bass; bhutanese red rice, green papaya salad, ginger-red wine sauce
Skate
Poached skate and warm oysters, brussels sprouts-bacon mignonette, dijon mustard sherry emulsion
Black Bass
Crispy black bass; roasted shishitos and acorn squash “ceviche”, peruvian chicha sauce
Monkfish
Roasted monkfish; wilted mustard greens-daikon “sandwich”, adobo sauce
Red Snapper
Whole red snapper baked with lemon and rosemary; byaldi natural jus (please allow 24 hours notice; for two)
Salmon
Barely cooked wild salmon; sweet and sour hon shimeji mushrooms and lotus root, maitake broth
Main Course – Upon Request
Dessert
Hazelnut-marshmallow
Light chocolate ganache, vanilla marshmallow, hazelnut ice cream
Banana
Banana bread, caramel sauce, chocolate mousse, vietnamese cinnamon ice cream
Chocolate-popcorn
Madagascan chocolate ganache, candied peanuts, popcorn ice cream
Dessert – Ice Cream
selection of four:
Dessert – Sorbet
selection of four
Cranberry
A word from Le BernardinLe Bernardin, Zagat’s top pick for 2013, and awarded the Michelin Guide’s coveted 3-stars as well as The New York Times’ highest rating of 4-stars, has maintained its status of excellence for over 20 years and its international acclaim as one of the world’s top seafood restaurants. Owner/Chef Eric Ripert continues to set unsurpassed standards with his piscatorial paradise and partner Maguy Le Coze’s seamless and unparalleled service.*When making your reservation, please indicate in the Special Requests box if you will be attending THEATER so that we may accommodate you appropriately.
The Restaurant
“Arriving from Paris in 1986, we quietly opened Le Bernardin in New York…”
Le Bernardin, New York’s internationally acclaimed four star seafood restaurant, was born in Paris in 1972 by sibling duo Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze. Dedicated entirely to the cuisine of Gilbert Le Coze, the self-taught seafood wizard, it only served fish: Fresh, simple and prepared with respect. Le Bernardin was named after an order of monks who liked to eat and drink and a song about the monks that Gabriel Le Coze, Maguy’s and Gilbert’s father, kept singing to them.
The dual combination of Gilbert’s new cooking techniques—unheard of in the Haute Cuisine-obsessed salons of Paris’ better restaurants in the early seventies—with Maguy’s energy and drive in the dining room propelled Le Bernardin to one Michelin star in 1976. Considering that Le Bernardin was opened on a shoestring budget with Maguy’s and Gilbert’s parents helping out in the kitchen as the only employees on opening night, the Michelin accolades were an incredible accomplishment.
Continuing its success story, in 1980 the restaurant moved to a larger location garnering two coveted Michelin stars. This was the highest acclaim for a seafood-only restaurant since the powerful Michelin organization reserves the right to bestow three stars to restaurants with menus that also offer meat, game, poultry and fish to its diners. Le Bernardin insisted on only serving the best fish, carving out a niche in the competitive restaurant world of Paris and establishing an international reputation.
Inspired by the triumph of Le Bernardin in Paris and its many American clients, the Le Cozes sought to open a Le Bernardin in New York in 1986. In no time, Le Bernardin became a four star restaurant which is renown for setting standards in the cooking of seafood in America. After the unexpected death of her brother Gilbert in 1994, Maguy Le Coze began working closely with Chef Eric Ripert, a disciple and close friend of Gilbert, who took over the kitchen, and along with Le Coze continued to uphold Le Bernardin’s position as one of the world’s premier restaurants.
In September 2011, Le Coze and Ripert unveiled the next chapter in the restaurant’s history: a significant redesign from Bentel & Bentel. The new look features a lounge, a first for the restaurant, where a separate menu is available.
The restaurant holds several records in New York: it received its four star review from The New York Times only three months after opening and is the only New York four star restaurant that has maintained its status of excellence for more than 20 years. Reviews have come in 1986, 1989, 1995, 2005, and most recently in 2012, with the same verdict: four stars. Le Bernardin has received more James Beard Awards than any other restaurant in New York City. In 1998, Maguy Le Coze won the coveted James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurant” in America, and in May 2003 Eric Ripert was named “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation. In 2009, Le Bernardin was honored with the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service,” and most recently, in 2012, it received the award for “Best Restaurant Design.” The Michelin Guide, which made its New York debut in 2005, honored Chef Ripert and Le Bernardin with its highest rating of three stars in 2005 and each year thereafter, and the restaurant ranks 19 on the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The New York Zagat Guide has recognized Le Bernardin as top rated in the category of “Best Food” for the last eight consecutive years and the 2011, 2012 and 2013 editions awarded Le Bernardin a 29 food rating: the highest in New York City and the first restaurant to earn this since 1996. In the 2012 and 2013 Zagat Guide, Le Bernardin is named the most popular restaurant in the city. New York Magazine also rated Le Bernardin #1 in its annual ranking of the 101 best restaurants in New York City in 2006. In his year-end dining feature, Frank Bruni of The New York Times selected Le Bernardin as the “Best Meal of 2008.”
In 1999, Ripert and partner Maguy Le Coze expanded their business to form Ripert Consulting which so far has shaped restaurants in Florida, California and New York City. Ripert Consulting partnered with the Ritz Carlton to open restaurants in the Caribbean, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.
To the delight of fans all over the world, 1998 saw the publication of Le Bernardin’s first cookbook, called Le Bernardin—Four Star Simplicity. Most recently, Eric Ripert published A Return to Cooking, in November 2002 and On the Line (2008) and Avec Eric (2010), which serves as a companion to his Emmy Award-winning PBS show of the same name. He is now the host of RESERVE CHANNEL’s “On the Table” on YouTube.