*Revised on March 19, 2016

When I first moved to New York over two years ago, La Grenouille was one of the first restaurants I wanted to try. I recently went for my birthday dinner and was blown away. This was probably the best traditional French restaurant I've been in New York. It is expensive but I've yet to discover another place with similar food in New York. You cannot compare it to Jean Georges, Le Bernardin or those type of places because they serve a more modern, nouveau type of French cuisine. If you are looking for solid traditional French food then this is the place for you.

Food/Quality

The food overall is very good and well made. The ingredients are fresh and you can taste the dedication and attention to each dish. I've been here four times now, both dinner and lunch. I have to say that everything I've tried so far was fantastic. The only dish that I wasn't really fond of was on the lunch menu, the spinach and cheese souffle. It just didn't quite suite my taste. I thought it was too "cheesy" and overwhelmed the spinach. But maybe I didn't add enough sauce to balance out the intensity. It is however one of the most popular dishes, so I'm not opposed to giving it a second chance.

Also note that the dinner and lunch menu varies slightly.

Dinner highlights:

1) Mushroom and truffle souffle—the sponginess and lightness of the souffle was perfect. It felt like I was consuming a delicious cloud.

2) La salade gourmande—this dish is a fresh string bean salad that I love. There are arugula, frisee salad and foie gras. A classic French salad done right.

3) Creme de celeri rave au foie gras—simply delicious. The celery cream was perfectly created and was complemented by the heaviness of the foie gras. The flavors intertwined nicely. Great starter and a classic French dish.

4) Chicken with champagne sauce and mushrooms—the chicken was cooked as it should, tender with no inch of dryness. The champagne sauce went very well with the chicken, it added just the right amount of seasoning. The side of mushrooms acted as enhancer to increase the intensity of flavors.

5) Chateaubriand —this was probably my favorite main course. The steak paired with potatoes and grapes went so well together. The steak itself was cooked medium rare and went excellently with the truffle sauce. I want to emphasize that the truffle sauce really complemented the dish and wasn't used for the sake of using truffles. There's been a recent trend to use truffles on everything because it has a stigma of "taste" and "pretentiousness". This is not the case. The grapes also added to the overall flavor profile and made it unique. I highly recommend!!

*Slight update: I recently went back again for dinner and unfortunately they've changed the Chateaubriand recipe. It is not the same. Without the grapes it is not as special. Hopefully they'll change it back...

6) Oxtail au vin de bourgogne—this dish is perfect for a cold winter evening when you are in need of iron and energy. Very tasty and deep in flavors. The softly braised oxtail cooked in burgundy red wine was thick, creamy and tender. The celery root puree mixed excellently with the heavy oxtail to give it a slight hint of sourness.

Lunch highlights:

1) Lobster salad—I was craving lobster when I ordered this dish and it satisfied my cravings. The generous pieces of lobsters were served on a bed of thinly sliced beets and various vegetables. The lightly candied lemon dressing was subtle and did not overpower the salad.

2) Roasted chicken with baby artichokes—I ordered chicken again for lunch and it was served with pearl onions, potatoes and artichokes. The chicken was tender and juicy. The waitors presented the full chicken on a platter before serving. Overall, it was light and tasty—but I have to say that the chicken with champagne sauce and mushrooms on the dinner menu is better.

Dessert highlight:

Souffle—this is their signature dessert and for good reasons. Delicious and not too sweet. They really know how to make souffles. Well I'd hope so. They have many different flavors and so far I've tried the passion fruit, pistachio and white chocolate. They are all good and it just depends on your mood.

Ambiance/Decor

The decor is very classic French and upscale. There are white table cloths, high ceilings and amazing floral arrangements. La Grenouille uses fresh florals regularly. The entire place is filled with flowers and looks so beautiful. At dinner the setting is intimate and lively. Especially on a weekend —dinner is packed. Lunch on a Saturday was not as packed as I'd expect when I went.

The dress code is definitely proper and a jacket for men is required. The crowd is generally much older, like in the 50s+. It appears to be people who've been coming here for the last 10-20 years. Can you believe this place has been around since the 60s? And it's still poppin' even today. I think its legacy is proof of what a solid restaurant it is.

Reservation

Friday and Saturday evenings are the most popular days so I'd recommend making a reservation two or three weekends in advance. They are very French so naturally they are closed on Sundays.

Lunch is more casual so you can make the reservation a few days to a week in advance. Walk-ins for lunch might also be an option.

Price

They've recently increased the dinner menu to $138 from $109 per person and lunch is the same at $60 per person. For this caliber of food, dedication and attention to detail I think it is worth it and not any more expensive than a lot of other places in New York. If it is your first time I recommend coming for dinner to experience its full liveliness.

*On a side note, since I last went, I feel the food has slightly gone done in quality and craftsmanship, thus no longer justifies the high price tag. I still recommend if you've never been. But I personally won't be coming back as often. Maybe just once a year.

La Grenouille

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