What a splendid dinner for Valentine's! I have to say that we usually AVOID dining out on Valentine's Day or NewYear's eve - and this is the first time in age's that we have not been disappointed. First of all, we really appreciated how the tables were arranged so that the guests were not on top of each other. Each course was very special and served at precisely the right temperature. We also had a delicious dessert - just perfectly tasty but not too sweet. We will be back! read more

Deviled eggs did not live up to the hype. They were ok. The salad greens under the eggs were WAY over dressed. The bouillabaisse was disappointing. None of the seafood pieces were exceptionally flavorful, and the soup was extremely salty. I ordered a salad at the end for something fresh after the salty bouillabaisse but, like the greens under the deviled eggs, were soaked in dressing. The service was fantastic and the ambience is warm and welcoming. The food was disappointing. read more

This restaurant is not for fine dining. It is a diner. It's like an American diner but selling cold slop instead. We dined on a weeknight. The ambiance is bright, so you can see they didn't change anything from the previous restaurant in the space, Augustine. As a New Yorker, this was a sad experience for me. I have never eaten at a French restaurant as bad as this in Manhattan. I ordered steak tartar. The item delivered to the table looked and tasted like old frozen meat in the garbage at a supermarket at the end of the night during closing. It was gray. The only safe foods here are pre-packaged. My pike dumpling was too amateur to write to our Lyonnaise friends about. Still, at least there was some attempt to have marginal regional variety, even if it was not a genuinely thoughtful attempt. I didn't eat anything from the kitchen, but the server kept pushing shitty food on us. We were with colleagues, so we had no choice but to go with their flow and not cause a scene. My spouse was upset they weren't offered water during the meal. Most of the food sat untouched, so we were given doggy bags to take home. I was so hungry when I left I wanted to cry. The worst part was that my spouse was with me, so this experience was forever etched into our memories. The bartenders in the hotel are less terrible than the dining in this restaurant. If you're hungry, get a Coca-Cola at the hotel bar. It will be better than this hell hole where you will spend almost $1,000 to eat NYC's worst French food. I emailed management about my business dinner going off the cuisine rails. No one bothered to answer our email, so they have zero accountability. I hope the health inspector visits them to check out the rotting raw foods served here. Another restaurant would kill for this location, and I think that time will be sooner rather than later. read more

The restaurant is fancy. A lot of people come dressed up. We made a rsvp and were seated immediately. We each ordered a soup and had some mussels to share. They were good. Gf ordered a chicken dish and i ordered a duck dish. We gotta admit we were abit too full to finish our entrees but the duck was cooked nicely. Gf was not a big fan of her chicken dish tho. The bathroom was through the hotel and abit of a distance from the restaurant. Although the hotel lounge was pretty, its not convenient to walk all the way there and back to your table. read more

4.5* I was tasked with selecting a venue for a work team lunch, which luckily was the same week that I learned Le Gratin was starting to offer lunch service. I quickly made a reservation and eagerly awaited the day. When we arrived, we noticed the brasserie vibe, which had not changed much from when the venue previously housed another French restaurant, Augustine. Since this was a work event, we skipped the alcoholic beverages and opted for one of their less potent drink options. The Hibiscus Iced Tea with sweet and lovely with its hint of cinnamon; it actually had a real fall seasonal feeling. We were also gifted a basket with a small baguette, which had a nice, crispy crust and doughy interior. We had decided to share a few appetizers in addition to ordering our individual dishes. The Beet Salad was a very tiny portion of the root vegetable, tossed with pistachios, and infused with a herbed goat cheese dressing. The starter had a great mix of textures and flavors. The Smoked Salmon and Deviled Egg was literally just that - 1 large egg and a few slices of salmon. The egg was topped with salmon caviar and was rather tasty. The salmon, however, was not smoked enough for my liking. There was a bed of boston lettuce underneath the salmon, but it acted like more of a garnish than anything else. The Steak Tartare was made from Black Angus Beef and was mixed with the traditional accoutrements (scallions, egg yolk, herbs & spices, etc.) right at the table. Thick slices of toast acted as ideal vehicles for the chopped beef. Lastly, the Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Salad was my favorite of the starter dishes. Both the fruit and the cheese were so fresh and ripe, and the herbaceous basil pesto drizzled across it made it even more delightful. We were all pretty full from the appetizers, but were able to save some room for our main courses. My dish of braised vegetables was heavenly! The bowl started with a sweet broth of pureed corn. It was topped with artichokes, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and watercress. It was really an enjoyable way to satisfy my daily servings of vegetables. Of course, while I was focused on the healthier options, one of my colleagues ordered French Fries for the table, and I could not resist grabbing a few of the thickly-cut, well-salted potato sticks. From the elegant décor to the refined service to the modern brasserie cuisine, our meal at Le Gratin really teleported us to France. read more

This is promoted and advertised as a casual French style bistro, not fine dining. 4 of us had dinner there last night. We wanted to order a dozen oysters before ordering appetizers and dinner. We were told no, the chef requires all food orders on one ticket. What I thought this was a bistro??? We ordered 4 appetizers and 3 came out together, but we had to wait 5 minutes for the 4th. Wait, you need to give the chef the order all together but they cannot bring the food together?? Our waitress was brusque, had no feel for the table. We overall liked the food but I found my fish under-seasoned. And you pay for it. Certainly not bistro pricing. The steak for two is outrageously priced and not a large portion. The room has a great vibe, very attractive I wish the service and food matched. By the way we skipped the oysters. read more

Pretty good, would give it another shot. Oysters were of questionable freshness. Caviar selection didn't match the menu. Food was pretty good. Like others have said nobody ever really checked on anything. Ordered tea after dinner which was forgotten. read more

I ate at Le Gratin yesterday to celebrate my friend's early birthday, as well as her good-bye party. We were very excited as we are huge fans of Chef Daniel and his food, so I made reservations and we really looked forward to dinner. Our bill came out to over $200 with tax and tip and we were so disappointed. There was not a single dish in my opinion that was worth the money. But beyond that, we were really surprised at the quality of the food because it was not what we were expecting from one of Chef Daniel's restaurants. Additionally, while the host and our server were very kind, I noticed that many of the other people, such as the sommelier or managers, went around to other tables to speak to the guests except ours. Additionally, we waited around 20-25 minutes for each of the courses to come out. Overall, it wasn't the experience we were hoping for, especially when we planned on celebrating. We ordered: 1. Devil egg ($14) --This was fine but nothing special. Our server and the host raved about this starter but it was just a regular deviled egg, definitely not worth the money. 2. Pate with pork, foie gras, sweetbread, pastry crust ($21) -- I love pate but I wouldn't order this again. The best part of this plate were the pickled vegetables it came with. 3. Escargot ($24) -- This was the only dish worth recommending. The escargot were battered and fried, and the pig trotter croquettes were so good. It came with a delicious spinach-herb coulis with heaps of garlic butter throughout the dish, and I ate everything off the plate (including dipping their complimentary bread into the sauce)! So unique and very tasty. 4. Scallops ($42) -- My friend said she liked it, which is a relief, but it was this baked scallop dish with fingerling potatoes and seaweed butter. i couldn't taste the seaweed butter at all and in my opinion, the scallops were pretty tough/over cooked and fishy. Really not good and for one of the prices entrees, I was disappointed. I also really enjoyed the scallops I had at BouludSud, another one of Chef Daniel's restaurants, so I was not expecting this dish to not only be underwhelming, but just not good. 5. Duck breast ($39) -- I didn't even finish this plate. I brought it home as leftovers for my sister to try and she had to spit it out. While it looked like it was cooked perfectly, the duck was tough. The sauce had a really strange bitter taste to it. Unfortunately, the best part of the dish were the vegetables it came with. They were more tender than the duck. 6. Fraise melba ($15) -- This was dessert. A shallow wine glass filled with raspberry meringue, Greek yogurt ice cream, strawberry marmalade, and almond. They were kind enough to put a candle and write happy birthday. The dessert was fine but once again, nothing special. 7. Gratin ($14) -- This is what the restaurant is named after. Potatoes were undercooked and the dish was under seasoned. But it was a good portion for the price. Not much else I would say. Hopefully, the service and food improves as I really enjoyed the ambience and concept of this restaurant. But I wouldn't come back. I spent time taking really great pictures because I was excited to rave about the restaurant. But the pictures looked better than how the food tasted. read more

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Beautifully designed, wonderful old style French vibe, Very professional trained staff serving amazingly delicious French food. Started with the Lyonnaise salad, unbelievably one of the best salads ! With the most tasty chicken livers ever !!!!!! . The muscles were plum, juicy and so yummy. The Chicken prepared so delicate in the French Lyon tradition served with the most fantastic Le Gratin potato's, just like grandma used to prepare . And the star of the show was the "Lobster Thermidor " super tasty !!! Daniel congratulations ! A wonder evening read more

I was at Le Gratin in FiDi NYC tonight & coincidentally experienced the classic French dishes Julia described in her My Life in France book. It was as if she was there describing to me how each dish on the menu is made! I loved my artichoke entree which came with carrots, turnips, watercress (very fresh). The cuisine is Lyonnaise focused. It's owned by Chef Daniel Boulud. read more

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Disappointed! Gorgeous room, but the food was over-priced and the service was unfortunate. We sat in a booth, loooking forward to a special experience, but the appetizers were whisked out so quickly, not everyone in our party had even gotten their drinks. Clearly, they were pre-fab. We wanted to linger over our drinks and converse before the meal, but we were assaulted within minutes with our appetizers, we barely had a second to settle. Everything tasted nice and fine but nothing special, nor warranting the sticker price in the least. Our server, Olive, was lovely and supportive in response to our issues, and the sommelier was also helpful. Had to pour my own wine most of the night - not very attentive. The prices in relation to the food was in sharp contrast to our DB expectations. Wouldn't go back. read more

It was INCREDIBLE! Thank you to the GM Adam and manager Anais for an unforgettable experience. The food was unbelievable, the location is breathtaking and the staff really attentive. Will be back again and can't recommend enough ! read more

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Having visited Paris last fall, this place scratched an itch. The poached leek salad as well as the crab grapefruit were delicious. Moule Frites had a fabulous broth. The wines were up to the food. The pate was very good if not sublime. read more

Had a business dinner for 18 recently. Staff to arrange and plan the meal was wonderful and created the potential for a wonderful evening. That was the cliff that we fell off. Got to the restaurant and they had us at 3 different tables. Hard to run a business dinner with multiple clients at 3 different tables, a warning would have helped. Food overall was just ok. Some items hot, some items not, some items cooked, some raw. The real treat was the wine staff. She was a downer to be nice, added nothing to the meal except pouring the wine with an attitude after we had to continually call her over. I expected so much more from the Chef and the team. Let's not forget I spent almost 5K . Got there very excited and left disappointed. read more

Nice place , friendly staff but the server didn't care that much about taking our order that the hostess had to actually take the order for us. French onion soup was not good at all and the burger was just not good. read more

Chef Daniel Boulud has done it again! I'm telling you, this guy NEVER disappoints! Every single dining experience I've had at one of his restaurants has been phenomenal. Le Gratin is on the smaller side, with beautifully elegant old-world decor that still feels cozy. We started with the oeuf mimosa, caviar de truite, thon à la menthe et olives grillés, and quenelle de brochet au gratin. My only complaint about the deviled egg with trout caviar and pickled onions, was that there were only 2 of them per serving. The pickled onions added a bit of a tartness and the caviar provided the perfect touch of saltiness. The tuna crudo with grilled olives, arugula and mint dressing was bright and fresh, with the olives adding just a bit of tanginess, making the dish more interesting. The star of the group, and dare I even say the entire dining experience, was the quenelle de brochet au gratin. Admittedly, it's not much to look at, but this cylindrical pike dumpling smothered in gruyère-mushroom béchamel is the stuff dreams are made of. The dumpling itself was surprisingly light and airy, serving as the perfect vehicle for the decadently rich and creamy gruyère-mushroom béchamel. Divine! For entrees we had the pot au feu royal truffé and the magret de canard au poivre vert. To me, the best part about the special was the poached foie gras. It was rich and savory, whereas the braised beef and veal to me seemed to lack the flavor punch I was looking for, even with the truffle bouillon. I will say a redeeming feature of the dish was how tender the beef and veal was. I'll chalk this one up to personal preference. However, the roasted mallard duck breast in green peppercorn sauce left nothing more to be desired! Juicy, tender and bursting with flavor, this duck was perfectly executed. The leftovers were just as delicious the next day for lunch, and I was delighted that it wasn't greasy or overly soggy after a night in the fridge. Overall, delightful experience and I will definitely be back! read more

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Found this gem on resy and so glad I booked a reservation. The entire experience was wonderful, great attentive service never allowing our glasses of wine to run empty and promptly asking if we'd like a fresh bottle when we approached the end of one. The food was superb and perfectly timed, no course felt rushed. If any guest got up from the table someone was walking around and would promptly refold their napkin. A beautiful space which will definitely be on our list to visit the next time we visit NYC. read more

Food is great, drinks are great and service is great. It is turning into my new local place. Daniel has done a wonderful thing for the downtown community. read more

Le Gratin - Salade Lyonnaise and Qu'est Ce Qui Se Passe? - French Near Me - New York, New York

"Almost as good as Un Deaux Trois and 4x the cost." I am not your typical Yelper. I never write reviews. I am also not a restaurant snob. I frequent every kind of establishment from Halal street vendors to 5 star Omakase tastings. The reason I am taking the time to write this review today is because I honestly feel that my experience at Le Gratin last evening is the reason why New Yorkers and visitors alike, choose NOT to adventure out and spend their money on small, beautiful chef-driven experiences, and instead resort to consistent, common, corporate food - the very thing that saps this city of its uniqueness and its strength. In short, our experience felt like one we would get if Daniel Boulud had sold out and opened this restaurant in in the casino lobby somewhere in the desert. If he was sitting at our table last night, I assure you he would be disturbed. We ordered our drinks and a bottle of wine. We waited for a while, and then when the drinks didn't come, we ordered our meal. As if our appetizers (two salads and a French onion soup) were pre-made and waiting on a Lazy Susan in the kitchen, they arrived at our table about three minutes after we ordered them. Still no drinks. There is no time to toast each other, engage in a conversation, tell a story over a cocktail... Instead, it was implied that we should hurry up and eat and leave. The food was mediocre all around. The leek in the leek salad was poorly washed and so I got a mouth of dirt in my bite. We ordered a frise salad with chicken liver, which was more bathed in dressing, then dressed so much so that the lettuce was soggy. The onion soup was decent. For our entrées, we had steak tartare, steak Frites, and I had the Dover sole. The tartare was fine, although the quality of beef seemed a little more supermarket, less Butcher. The two people having steak fritte were pleased that I found the hanger steak to be very tough. The soul was over buttered so that the fish was hard to taste, even before I drizzled any sauce on top. Our server was extremely relaxed and casual, which was fine, but she offered. No information about anything, and when a side of creamed spinach, and an extra order of palm, fruit were ordered and brought to the table it was very clear that we had way too much food for four people. It would've been easy for her to say "just to let you know, the steak tartare comes with french fries as dad does both orders of steak... And the fish comes with green beans, so... I think he might have enough food without all those extra things." But she didn't think about that and then when I mentioned it,she balked before offering to take an order of fries back. No one was happy about the service, and everyone was lukewarm about the food and yet when the check came, this is when we realized we were duped. My Dover sole was $85 with tax. It was "MP" on the menu, and I understand what market price means but mediocre quality aside, this is highway robbery. The meal was $500, including an OK bottle of burgundy. I would have a new wish you paying that for a meal for four in New York City if we got the service and the quality of food expected from an establishment with the name Boulud on the door. There are many French bistro's in New York, whose food is better, service superior, and prices commensurate that I would recommend over Le Gratin. The Odeon, PASTIS, and Cafe Un Deaux Trois to name a few. read more

Have been back several times since last review, and the place continues to be a winner. Some new dishes I recommend are the saumon à l'oseille, and the pâtes au pistou niçois (small, for appetizer). Still more to explore! read more

The chicken, pike, salad, onion soup were all at a high standard. The soup was a little greasy probably due a lack of skimming of the fat from the beef stock. Service was very good. The sommelier made a good recommendation for the wine. The restaurant was packed on a Saturday night. The restaurant looks like a typical high quality Beaux Arts style Paris bistro. read more

The sommelier recommendations were good; otherwise the service was below average. Server was less experienced and not as familiar with menu as I would have expected for this restaurant considering how excited my Mother was to try it. On top of it breading escargot masked the escargot. Disappointed since I rarely get this treat. The ambience was nice. I ordered an appetizer that was a special. And I can't remember what it was but had an egg. It was a shame because we went with family of 5, not cheap. They need some work. Hope this helps them improve. Heard reputable chef but I'm visiting from out of town. Visited in April but didn't get around to this review until now. read more

Came back from opening night. Staff was incredibly hospitable - really made us feel at home and part of the family. Service was top notch - attentive and well paced. And the food was everything we'd hoped for. I'm expecting to have sweet Quenelles filled dreams tonight. Definitely a new neighborhood favorite. Congrats to Daniel and team on this impressive new project! read more

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Waitstaff was excellent, atmosphere was interesting but our banquet seat was ripped in several places, food was okay but unimpressive, drinks were good but overall an average dining experience but overpriced. High expectations for a Boulud restaurant, disappointing. read more

The food is alright, met the par, but not amazed by it. Service is fine. A fair four star review. read more

We went to dinner last night and had a fabulous evening. Our cocktails were delicious, I got something called Motion d'0r and it was so refreshing and delicious. We had the onion soup, duck, chicken, gratin potatoes, and green beans. The servings were incredibly generous. Our server was also attentive. read more

Most incredible service to date, and we have dined at a number of restaurants around the world. Food was lovely. Very accommodating to our needs. Great wine selection too. Would highly recommend. read more

Great food - very poor front of house. Waited 39 minutes to be seated for our reservation. No water or cocktail order for another 15 minutes. Had to flag down staff for any needs, nobody checking on anything. Mistakes made. Food was delicious, great chefs - too bad about the service. read more

We had new year's celebration on December 30th there. All you can expect of a French bistro. Good attention to detail and wine list. I recommend it read more

If u want classic French, this is it. Came for brunch. All dishes were well executed. Had the smoked salmon, rilette, salad, branzino fillet, and escargot. Service was good. read more

Beautiful, comfortable room. For brunch, skip the croque monseur. - overpriced grilled cheese.

My wife and I had dined here several times before when this was Augustine and it was always a great experience. That said, I expected at least the same experience now that it is under Boulud as Le Gratin and still a French Bistro. The food and service were both good but the room temperature here is a real problem. Yes it's December and yes it is cold outside but I expect the temperature INSIDE a restaurant to be at a comfortable setting. When my wife mentioned it was cold to the hostess as we were being seated - in the back half of the restaurant - she responded, "Yes, we get that a lot but after a while it will start to warm up in here". For the record, it seemed to me under 65 degrees but jeez - get a clue! If your customers are telling you it's "cold in here" and women are keeping their coats on then it most likely is too cold. As I said, we were also here when this was Augustine and also in the winter when it was plenty cold outside but I never remember it being cold to the point of uncomfortable while I was seated and eating. The layout of Le Gratin is nearly identical to Augustine so what is going on here? Are there are problems with the HVAC or are you trying to save on your heating bill? For what it's worth, the best food (4 stars) and service (5 stars) will be ruined if your customers cannot even be warm - so overall 3 stars. Be advised. read more

Went here for Thanksgiving dinner and it was alright. They were able to accommodate people with dietary restrictions. Food was pretty good and the portions were pretty large. The service at times were slow and the seating space is small so when people walk by, they will brush up on you or hit you on accident. It took us some time to squeeze and wait to get in and out of the crowded restaurant. read more

The steak was chewy and service was not good. They were too busy and not prepared. Overpriced for the food.

Excellent quenelles, OK salad, OK tuna tartare, very exciting interior and attentive wait staff. The hotel lobby next door is a must-see.

We live in the area and are huge fans of this restaurant. Le Gratin is great for some charcuterie and drinks at the bar, a full celebratory dinner or anything in between. We always feel taken care of but the real reason we keep coming back is the food. The menu really has something for everyone. I have a hard time not ordering their amazing chicken, but when I have ordered the monthly special, it is consistently fabulous. Their steak tartar is the best I have had, the potatoes come in a huge baking dish and we always say we will never finish it all, but we do. This is the kind of restaurant where you leave already thinking about what you want to order the next time. read more

Deviled eggs, sole, peach Melba, and the potatoes were standout dishes. Lobster Thermidor was an expensive mess. The cream puff was dry. The room was beautiful, and full of beautiful people. Service was a half step behind most of the night. Follow up: The manager invited me to contact him about my review. I responded to him by email about a week ago and have yet to hear back from him. read more

Another Daniel interpretation, so it was au naturel to do another birthday here. The space is intimate, and got crowded quickly on a SAturday night. Waitstaff were really attentive and came around very frequently but discreetly, so it was never intrusive. They would also be intuitive too; my kids wanted to try my cocktails so they immedialtey appeared and asked if they would like their own mock-tails. We just loved the attnetion without the obsequiousness. Food was a little hit-and-miss, so it needs to get to the other Boulud restaurants. Steak: excellent and just right. Cooked exactly as ordered. Duck: OK, but lost some of duck's game dark-meat flavor. NOt sure why. Sauce too rich? Chicken: Waiter really endorsed it and I usually never get chicken ever...it did turn out to be a mistake as it was so salty I couldn't taste anything else. Escargot was to die for and certainly unique in its interpretation. Practically licked the plate. Pate and mussels were well-flavored. The portions are pretty big so plan accordingly if you want dessert. We couldn't actually. read more

Mixed review... food and service were great, but we only made a reservation at the because we had seen it was a $45 restaurant week dinner special with a whole separate menu according to the restaurant week website. Unfortunately, we showed up and the restaurant week menu only had one option per course. We would have chosen another French restaurant that was participating in restaurant week for dinner if we had known this was the case. Feeling pretty deceived... Nonetheless, it was a nice dinner but not sure I would return. read more

Came for dinner last night and had such a wonderfull time. The food is outstanding. Congratulations to the chef Guillaume and also his team. The service was also great ! Thanks Anais for taking care of us. I will defenitely come back soon read more