I have been eating at La Goulue since it's original incarnation on 70th off Madison. I actually grew up on 69th Street and my bedroom window overlooked the courtyard where their kitchen fan blew gales of savory smoke. Back then it was a cozy boite that was popular with the ageing Euroboys who dressed like Ari Onassis in the blazers and awning-stripe shirts, khakis and loafers, smoked cigarettes and wore their sunglasses indoors at night. I couldnt afford it until later, and the food was always a very decent rendition of classic Parisian bistrot fare. The waiters were a mix of actual Gallican with bad attitudes and skinny young actors affecting the accent but hustling for their tips. My wife and I ate at the incarnation on Madison down a couple blocks later on, and the food remained solid - as it had to because so many restaurants have failed in that neighborhood, you MUST be good to survive (unless the owner also owns the building so never pays rent hikes!). I hadn't been to the 61st Street location yet, though my wife had. It maintains the same dark paneling and mirror decors, with higher ceilings, but the noise level can be deafening when it fills up. We rejected the table at the very back - no matter how well dressed or sophisticated you are if you don't make it clear you're not f-king around, restaurants will ALWAYS put you at their worst table. The place was 30% full when we arrived at 6:15, chock full when we left at 7:40. Despite a little tension - my wife went to the Lycee, speaks fluent French, and despises French men - we sat in the middle of the front room and proceeded to have an excellent meal despite getting a little overstimulated by the noise level (a table of four women screaming and laughing like the Joker didn't help much. } My son had the half chicken, which was a bronzed beauty true heritage, moist and crisp. I had the artichokes with truffle and Parmesan foam to start - a rich and unctuous and highly satisfying app. My wife had some middling escargots, and their always prime tartare as a main. My lamb shanks were OUTSTANDING and quite a commodious portion. I made another full meal out of them at home the next day. Our waiter was at once charming and effective, old school with some flair. In short, La Goulue delivers on the Parisian bistrot theme it has more than perfected over the years. The food is a solid 8, the decor the same, service I'll give a 9 except for the host, and all together a nice meal with our son during our weekly visit to our City apartment, in a hopping and fun spot. You can't go wrong here unless you're clinically dead or an insufferable food snob. Not cheap, but look at the address. read more

Amazing French restaurant. Our favorite French restaurant in New York. Every time we are having dinner (or even lunch) there - the food and the service is absolutely amazing. This time we ordered: Soupe à l'oignon gratinée Terrine de foie gras mi-cuit Steak tartare "La Goulue" Sirloin au poivre Everything was great! Highly recommend!!! read more

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I am quite versed in the french cuisine and was looking forward to a dinning experience at La Goulue in Manhattan. What a disappointment. There was nothing in the offering that was exciting or in anyway way reminiscence of the great french cuisine. From a dry lamb shank we left almost untouched to a very tired and unappealing steak frites. To top it off the charge for a simple glass of wine was $29. read more

Visited restaurant for lunch. Beautiful decor, very "theme-appropriate". My first course was tuna tartare - it was good, but felt a bit heavy. I rarely order chicken at the restaurant, but this time I got roasted half chicken, which was very tasty with crispy skin. Had profiteroles for dessert. This was an interesting variant, with filling made out of ice cream instead of just cream - overall, very tasty. Excellent service, prompt and friendly. read more

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Upscale French bistro, cozy dark wood interior, tables close together. Food was spectacular, service wonderful. Not inexpensive.

Rude Manager Food was good but will not go there again. There are so many good restaurants. read more

The French are known for their incredible variety and quality of cheeses, so seeing cheddar on a lobster salad was a real shock, it felt like a slap in the face. I honestly wonder who came up with that idea. The beef tartare was just okay, especially considering I had the same dish at La Grande Boucherie the day before and it was significantly better; the quality of the meat wasn't even comparable. The beer was warm, and the chocolate mousse tasted like anything but chocolate, not good at all. The service, however, was good. Overall, I expected much more from a French restaurant. read more

La Goulue - Receipt - French Near Me - New York, New York

We just happened upon this place for lunch because it's near our hotel. What a meal. Laurent took great care of us. The frogs legs were so good. As was the sea bass. Great food, great service, what more can you want? read more

Here's the bottom line: the food is consistently outstanding BUT the place is always crowded to the max, tables are one on top another and "off the chart" noise. Having said that, the food is always terrific and you get to rub your shoulders with the young, the not so young, the beautiful and the very successful. If you can afford it and arrive with open eyes and closed ears, you'll have a wonderful evening out! read more

A Classic French Gem with a Few Surprises La Goulue delivers exactly what you hope for in a traditional French bistro: warm, intimate ambiance, attentive staff, and timeless flavors--plus a few unexpected twists. We were initially taken aback to see sushi on the menu, a curious offering at a French establishment. But any doubts quickly melted away with the first bites of what turned out to be an exceptional meal. The filet mignon with peppercorn sauce was, without exaggeration, one of the best we've ever had--perfectly cooked, deeply flavorful, and beautifully plated. The Dover sole was equally memorable, delicate and expertly prepared. French classics shine here too. The French onion soup was everything it should be--rich, deeply savory, and smothered in that irresistibly gooey, golden-brown cheese crust. The cheese soufflé was a standout as well: light, airy, and full of delicate flavor. And then there was the dessert. The chocolate mousse in orange sauce was hands-down our favorite dessert of the entire trip--silky, citrusy, and utterly indulgent. It's also a perfect pre-theater spot. The kitchen moves efficiently without sacrificing quality, ensuring you can enjoy a full, satisfying meal and still make curtain call. La Goulue is a charming, quietly luxurious experience. We're already looking forward to our next visit. read more

La Goulue - Intimate dining room with classic restaurant decor. - French Near Me - New York, New York

Definitely one of the top remaining French brasserie style restaurant in NYC. While they've retained old school French charm, they have an expansive menu that includes sushi! With, of course, a twist - one of the rolls we ordered was a crispy boeuf tartare roll! My Frenchman loved it. Very nice wine list, delicious food, excellent service. I've been here twice for lunch and can't wait to come back for dinner. À bientôt! read more

La Goulue - French Near Me - New York, New York

My first time at the restaurant, after a referral from a friend. Decent ambience, but confused check-in. Cocktails were shockingly over-priced. For example, a negroni made with mezcal was $38. A Manhattan that had to be sent back because it was so watery was $26. Escargots was a tasty appetizer in soft puff pastry. Entrees were utterly boring. We skipped dessert, deciding to walk over to Daniel instead. Two stars instead of one because of the decent service and the escargot. The rest was a complete rip-off. read more

I love the atmosphere here. The food is standard French bistro fare well-executed but not amazing, save for the sauce on the chicken which was pretty phenomenal. The wine list is fairly extensive with something for everyone. Prices were reasonable for NYC. The only strange thing here is I don't think we heard or saw one French accent, which is a first for me when eating in French themed NYC restaurants. read more

Typical Manhattan French bistro, with some authentic french dishes and some to please the local crowd (like burgers, truffle fries and sushi, yes, sushi!) Impeccable service, good and expensive wine list. The day we went, the place had total occupancy, couples celebrating . Good vibe. Food was very good, portions smalls I recommend going for the deserts. Profiteroles were just amazing. read more

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We had an excellent Thanksgiving Dinner here, our second time. Hope to get back again during this year.

Great food great service. My fiancé and I come here often to celebrate our anniversary. It's never disappointed. Great food, great service as a restaurant should be. read more

Great atmosphere and service from start to finish! Came here in December and LOVED the cozy vibes and old school NY feel!

WOW just WOW! I randomly stumbled upon this place when walking on the UES, and it's really your typical French bistro. Great ambiance (perfect for a Sunday family lunch or even a date night!). Everything was delicious and the service was PERFECT! Potato Leek Soup ~~ DELICIOUS! Thick and creamy consistency with crispy potatoes. Loved it. French Onion Soup ~~ Exactly as you can expect. Absolutely delicious. Cheesy. Oniony. Wow. Steak au Poivre ~~ The sauce was perfectly peppery and perfectly thick. The steak itself was not as tender as I would have liked it to be, but overall, the dish was great. Tarte Tatin ~~ This dessert was great. Not my fave, but a table favorite. Mousse au Chocolat ~~ This was my absolute FAVE! It was a milk chocolate mousse which is not the usual. WOW. Loved this. Wish I could eat this every single day. I highly recommend this place. I'll definitely be coming back for more!! read more

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On a recent birthday trip to NY we decided to try La Goulue. What a disappointment. I ordered the Salmon Steak, but it was basically a hamburger patty of salmon with an awful sweet sauce on it. I ate about 1/4 of it. My daughter ordered steak which was also poor. I also did not appreciate our very non smily waitress who didn't help things by bringing zero personality to her job. We were sat in the middle of the restaurant right next to a stand for waiters and my chair was bumped and knocked numerous times by staff without one single pardon me. All in all the experience was a huge huge waste. read more

Looks like a French bistro but the food pas bon. Had the asparagus which was okay except the hollandaise was pale and flavorless. The chicken was very dry and the sauce very salty. The side spinach was so salty as to be inedible. Should have sent them back but I'm not in the habit of doing so Sad read more

My husband and I went to Le Goulue for the first time on Thanksgiving Day. We were excited to try the menu-and the food did not disappoint. We both finished our first course. I don't normally eat a lot of food so I knew that I'd be saving part of my second course. The steak was delicious but I was getting full. My husband was getting full too so he saved half of his turkey and sides. We were talking to one another and a server came over and took our plates. The way he was carrying the plates it looked like he was not going to be boxing them up. We got the waiter over as soon as we could and inquired as to whether or not our food was being boxed. He said if we didn't tell the server specifically to box it then it was tossed. We were shocked-I had about 3/4 of my steak left. It had all happened so fast we really didn't have the opportunity to say anything to the server. We enjoy fine dining and every other fine dining restaurant we have been at has always asked or assumed we wanted leftovers. The manager came over and he said it was a mistake because they were busy. That's not what the waiter had said... the manager said they would make it right and prepared a new second course for both of us and boxed it up. That was not our point. We told him they should train the staff to ask. In this day and age why would a restaurant just toss a plate of food without inquiring first? There are many people experiencing food shortage. The manager brought us our bagged food and apologized. They also gave us champagne for our anniversary. Both nice gestures but we were upset at the seeming acceptance of wasting food. To add insult to injury, after we were done we waited almost fifteen minutes and then had to ask another server if we could get our check. On our way back to our hotel we came across a homeless man with his dog and gave him one of the meals. Had we seen another we would have given the second away too. Even though the food was delicious we will not be going back. read more

Restaurant week to go is the best deal in decades at $20.21 to go.. La Goulue was on my list pre- pandemic. It's a lovely room, and I can't wait to dine in!!! Ate: Coq au vin Bread The coq au vin was three generous wine laden chicken pieces over spatzle with root veggies. Delicious with an excellent baguette included. read more

La Goulue - Delicious coq au vin - French Near Me - New York, New York

Think this is my first time ever writing a review but this was necessary. This place is an absolute joke. I've eaten at a lot of different restaurants and never saw what I saw last night. The check comes and we see two charges for 26 each for bottled water. We were never asked what water we wanted and didn't have any bottles at our table. There was also randomly an extra soda added for no reason. After we brought this up to the waiter it turned into a WHOLE THING. Instead of this place acknowledging their mistake and being grateful we spent over 1000 they were argumentative and not willing to help at first. The worst part of it all though is some "tough guy" comes out from back idk if it was a manager or the owner or whoever the fuck it was but starts pretty much threatening one of the guys in our party to "sit the fuck down". This was after he lied and pointed at him that he was the one who requested bottled water which was completely made up. I've never seen customers treated like that in my entire life until last night. Guy needs to learn how to talk to customers especially after they spent over 1000 as a group. Keep smoking those cigarettes buddy they're good for you! read more

Classic restaurant in the New York City way the food and service was delightful, respectful and attentive without being over bearing. Lamb shank over risotto was an addition to the evening's menu. The flavors all came through with none overpowering another. The diners were a mix of locals 60-something couple, she dressed smartly, he in tie and tweed with a Rangers wool cap to stave off the night. There was a party of ladies in their late twenties celebrating a friend going over the edge of thirty. Entering around nine were a ménage whom the maître d' first identified as Italian and, when that proved to be incorrect, he addressed in their native Portuguese. The ambiance is low light and old school. read more

La Goulue - Espresso after dinner. - French Near Me - New York, New York

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Great experience! I've been to Orsay, which is the sister restaurant, and was excited to eat here. The head waitress was professional, informative about the menu and offered suggestions and recommendations. read more

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I was glad to know they had tables set up outside during this pandemic. I picked their escargot as appetizer. The sauce was very good but the puff pastry on top was chewy and tough in the bottom. Under this is the snail. We found the sauce a little on the salty side. By the time they brought our bread which we asked to be warmed, our escargot cooled down. Once they finally brought the warmed bread though, the sauce did not taste as salty anymore. For my main course I picked their special monk fish. This was well prepared. That was excellent and well seasoned. Not salty at all. For dessert we all got the Ille Flotant. (Floating Island). I found the egg white part rubbery and too much sugar both the white ball and too much crystallized sugar on top. The sauce was too thick instead of being lighter. I was a little disappointed because this has been here a long time. But I can compare 2 of the dishes I have had elsewhere that were better prepared elsewhere. read more

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I ate here with my family for my grandma's 90th birthday. There were 10 of us. The restaurant is very large and was able to accommodate our party as well as other large parties. This restaurant is a place to see and be seen. Their unworthly high price points attracted Manhattan's Chanel and Gucci wearing elite crowd. There was not one table where someone did not have the "Boy Bag" or "Dionysus." It's a beautiful French restaurant with very attentive waitstaff and a coat check. The food, on the other hand, was just ok. I, among a lot of my family members ordered the $14 French onion soup. That, we all agreed was very good. Not the best we ever had, but very enjoyable. My aunt ordered the escargot. She felt that there was not enough garlic or seasoning on it so she was pretty disappointed. My brother and grandfather ordered salads, which the enjoyed. For our main course, most of us ordered the duck. Some of us had the special peeking duck and some of us had the roasted duck. I tasted the roasted duck and thought it was pretty good. The peeking duck was ok. Half of it was way too dry and over cooked and the other half tasted moist and would have been perfect of the whole duck was evenly cooked like that. The rolls that came on the side were mushroom and duck spring rolls and were delicious. The perfect crunchiness. My sister's boyfriend got the branzino and he seemed to be enjoying it. My grandfather and brother both got the salmon. They felt the portion was very small and the price tag way too high for the taste. We passed around desserts that were ok. I ordered a cappuccino and it didn't really have any froth at all. I loved how it came with a piece of chocolate. I thought it was a really nice touch. I would not come running back, however I would definitely give them another chance as the waitstaff was very attentive and the restaurant and decor was nice. The food was good, but not a wow. read more

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Where to begin. First off the service here is very good and the main reason I bumped this review to 3 stars. The hostess greeted me and directed me to my table and gave us menus and a wine list while we waited. We had a large group as it was my grandmas 90th birthday dinner. They also immediately gave us water. The waiter also was very good throughout the meal and service changed silverware and cleared when everyone was finished which I very much appreciated. I had very high hopes for this place being $$$ and written up in the times. For the first course I had the peekytoe crab appetizer with cherry tomatoes while almost everyone else at the table ordered french onion soup and my aunt ordered escargot. My crab appetizer was refreshing but very tiny. My aunt didnt care for the escargot since they lacked garlic, everyone else enjoyed their french onion soup which they thought was pretty good. For entree I had the salmon along with my grandfather. Everyone else either had the special peking style duck or the regular duck. One person had the branzino. My sisters boyfriend enjoyed his branzino. The birthday girl and others who ordered the special duck all thought it was ok but was overcooked and was not worth the $43 price tag. The people who ordered the menu duck were more pleased and the duck was moister. I thought my salmon was cooked ok but lacked a crispy skin which I was not happy about. My grandfather also thought it was just alright. For dessert we had a cookie plate, floating islands, a souffle and the sorbet. The best by far was the floating island. Everything else was just ok. The acoustics here are terrible. We could hardly here the person next to is talk when the restaurant was full. When it was half empty we could hear the person next to us but not 2 ppl down. If you want a quiet place this is not the spot. Overall we tried it but will not be back. read more

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Fancy spot on 61st and was hopping on a Wednesday night - thankfully let us jump into an outside table so close to their closing time. Really enjoyed the food gras and the truffle risotto was amazing. Old school atmosphere with top-notch service. read more

Maitre d , was superb seating my company and I! French onion soup is a must have at a French restaurant - escargots were yummy, and of course my true favorite the sushi - all fresh - w taste and story of delight. The flavors were well combined leaving the taste in the mouth flavorful! I love sushi on any menu - I felt it's out of context and should not be offered in a French rest... French food is tasteful and well prepared w amazing blends and textures of a variety of veggies and meats - sadly if the chef can't be creative with French food and what it offers he should not be touching Japanese cuisine. Hence why I feel it's worth a three star. read more

Classic French bistro fare in a upscale atmosphere. The food and service was consistently above average. The steak tartar was fresh and served with thin slices of French bread. The tuna tartar was comparable. The pasta with a creamy lobster sauce was very good as well. Mussels steamed with white wine, cream, and shallots were perfectly cooked and delicious. Overall, a very pleasant dinning experience. read more

Celebrated my 5 year wedding anniversary at La Goulue last night and it was just lovely. The ambiance is romantic and the staff were professional. We enjoyed the Baked Escargots, they were divine. We also enjoyed everything else we ordered from the Foie Gras Terrine, Onion Soup Au Gratin, Tuna Tartare, Steak, Grand Mariner Soufflé, and Profiteroles. A lovely French restaurant with many delicious options to choose from. Highly recommend! read more

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Food 4.0/5.0 Service 4.0/5.0 Value 3.0/5.0 Decor 3.5/5.0 Overall 4.0/5.0 Stopped by for a mildly boozy lunch and my expectations were beat. This place was pretty good. Very french, with a clientele definitely on the older side and largely what you'd expect for a weekday lunch in the lower UES. Steak was cooked extremely well with a nice sear. Otherwise dishes including the cheese soufee were very good as well. Definitely give it a try if this kind of vibe is your jam. read more

The Resturaunt was had a great ambiance and the service was impeccable. T hi is is something you do not always see anymore either Resturaunts. The food tasted amazing. Definitely a place to eat if you are in the city. read more

A very French restaurant with a clientele that steered mostly in the 50+ age - I dropped in here after the wait was 30+ at other nearby restaurants for lunch. They check your coat which is nice, and are courteous and quite accommodating. I like to base the general menu pricing on how much the sides are, and a side of fries came to $11, and the rest of the menu was well between $30-50. The sushi section threw me off a bit. I do recommend the tuna tartare, which is first on the apps menu but I ordered it as a entree ($39). The french onion soup is also delicious and in a hearty beef soup. Overall this isn't really my speed but would recommend to a specific crowd looking for this sort of vibe. read more

We're Florida residents on our annual NYC trip. Shopping at Bloomingdales for a few hours and after looking for a place to have a late lunch. Found La Goulue and went in. We were starved literally!! Haha. A family of four, me my wife and my 6 year old girl and 14 years old son. I had salad, wife had soup, the baby girl they made a plate of buttery pasta with fresh grated Parmesan which the manager did special for her and my son had eggs Benedict which he enjoyed. Delicious bread too and everything was yummy. Next time I'd like to come for dinner and try some of their wine menu. It's a classy restaurant that embodies East side New York. read more

La Goulue - Interior and table - French Near Me - New York, New York

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La Goulue exceeded my expectations. We had an unfashionably early reservation. The restaurant was mostly full by the time that we left two hours later. The service was outstanding. The staff were very attentive. The hosts checked up on us a couple of times to see how we were doing. We had a table in the center of the handsome long, narrow dining room. We were seated close to an older couple. The wife somehow insinuated her way into our dinner conversation a couple of times. It felt like we were at a dinner party. Cocktails and wine by the glass were very good. The bread was really good and was replenished happily. The food is a cut above the other upper east side French restaurants that I have dined at over the past few years. The menu is small, supplemented with a few daily specials. We all had the fish soup and it was outstanding. I usually don't like meat served with sauce, but the pork chop was exceptional. It was cooked perfectly and the sauce really added a dimension to the flavor. One buddy was very happy with his veal cheeks. My other buddy, a Francophile, had the roasted chicken. He liked it but wasn't overwhelmed by it. We shared an excellent order of profiteroles and coffee for dessert. La Goulue is more expensive than its peer group. It delivers with noticeably better food and service. A bit spendy for a regular weeknight meal, but definitely worth a visit if you want an excellent meal. read more

La Goulue - An excellent pork chop - French Near Me - New York, New York

Classic French Bistro - nice atmosphere and very attentive service. Roast Chicken with mushrooms was excellent as well as Lobster Cobb Salad. Profiteroles were fantastic. Some of the items seem very expensive like a Tito's vodka is now $22 and deserts and salads are pricey. Shows you how expensive NY makes it to operate a nice restaurant. Overall a very nice French Bistro. read more

Four stars for: - outdoor dining during covid that is actually sane - good service - better food - good value (portion size) - excellent French fries! read more

La Goulue - 12oz steak Frite and Peppercorn Sauce - French Near Me - New York, New York

Had a terrible lunch.. tasteless chicken and salad. Have been many times but will not return. IMO chicken on salad should be freshly grilled. This was cold and tasteless. Restaurant is pleasant, but not worth the hi prices. Service ok but "mistakenly"charged for a dish we didn't have. Look at the bill. read more