Le Gratin

Came here for dinner tonight and tried their Winter Restaurant Week menu. They are one for the few restaurants who extended the restaurant week deal for an extra 2 weeks.... 3 courses for $60. The ambiance can be compared to a French cafe feel. We were seated in a corner table near the door but away from the breeze. Even though the table was next to the heater, there was a small space heater on the other side of the table so we were pretty warm. I felt like we were forgotten about as we barely saw our waiter and our plated were handed out by different servers. When we sat down, we were given both the regular menu and the Restaurant Week menu, but we all chose off the Restaurant Week menu. We all different items so that we can share plates. Although we should have asked, our waiter did not tell us what the "soup of the day" was when it was ordered. We shared the kale salad and charcuterie board. For the main course, we shared the pasta and beef bourguignon. One of my friends ordered the steak frites which had a $10 additional charge. The beef bourguignon was a little dry and overcooked. I had to eat it with the mash potatoes and sauce. The steak looked more tender and was cooked to a perfect medium rare/ medium. For dessert, we got the chocolate ganache cake and caramel vanilla pudding. I was so full by this point I barely ate the cake. My friend took her dessert home. From what I had, it was very good and chocolatey. 3 courses was more than enough for me. I probably could have ordered an entree only from the regular menu and been content as well. I would come back here again to try their regular menu items.

Returned to Le Gratin and had a wonderfulValentine's Day dinner. The Foie Gras, Duck and Chocolate Cake from their special Valentine's Day menu were all excellent (all things considered, the menu was also reasonably priced for the holiday).Terrific service as usual and the restaurant was nicely set up for the occasion.

We had a wonderful dining experience for brunch/lunch, and I have to say it was amazing. The restaurant struck a balance between being upscale and formal yet casual, which made the Sunday brunch vibe perfect, especially as we were celebrating my best friend's birthday! The live music was a great touch.Our server was very pleasant and friendly. We were not rushed to decide on our lunch, which we appreciated. The food was outstanding! Everything we ordered was superb. For our appetizer, we decided to share a beet salad that had a nice crunch from pistachios, along with a selection of cheeses we enjoyed with some bread. My friend also had foie gras and a must-try dish, Chef Daniel's famous Le Gratin potato. The flavors were incredible, and I couldn't stop thinking about them!For our entrees, I had a lobster roll that came with fries, just like my friend, while her husband chose the Le Gratin burger. We made excellent choices for brunch.As pastry chefs, my best friend and I were especially excited for the best part of the meal--dessert! We indulged in profiteroles filled with chocolate hazelnut, gianduja ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce. We also tried crème caramel. The selection was fantastic!Once again, thank you, everyone! I hope this year brings only the best to the Le Gratin team and Chef Daniel Boulud!Best, Srdan Dokovic

Le Gratin is conveniently located and spacious without any hassle with getting a reservation. In fact, they are quite open which is hard to find in NYC.I enjoyed the non alcoholic Negroni. We split the leek salad which was simple. I got the mussels with fries. I should've gotten the duck instead. The mussels were average without much flavor which is surprising bc I feel like most mussels cooked in a good sauce should retain some of the flavor of the sauce. I can't even tell you what the sauce tasted like. A handful of my mussels also didn't open all the way. Possibly would come back if I needed a place to have a mini reunion with friends given the ease but not really running back here for the food.

My friend and I came here for French Restaurant Week lunch. This restaurant was opened at least over a year ago. I've been wanting to dine here since it was walking distance from work.We started off with the soup of the day, which was a cold summer corn soup, and my friend had the salad. Both appetizers were delicious. We also got freshly made complimentary bread, and they serve both gluten and gluten-free versions. For the entrees, we both ordered the mussels. I got mine with French Fries, which I took home for the baby. My friend got another salad. Service was quick and efficient since I was on the clock. The ambiance was pretty, especially since this is one of David Boulud's restaurants. I'd definitely return for martini hour one Friday. The restaurant is offering the same prix fixe for restaurant week.

Came here to celebrate and treat myself to a nice dinner. My bartender Jon, made my whole experience. He was so engaging, friendly and attentive. I mean we talked almost the entire time about everything it seemed. He made great recommendations for drinks and food wine being in the industry we just had so much in common. Yes the place was upscale and fancy and French, but Jon made me feel very hospitable and comfortable. Honestly I wasn't completely blown away by the food, but I enjoyed it for what French cooking is known for. I know they love butter, and while I also love butter I felt my rainbow trout was swimming in it and there was just too many almonds. I wanted to really taste more of the fish because it was cooked so well. But I did enjoy the cocktails a lot! Overall I had a pleasant experience mainly because the service was really great and that elevated my time there. Thanks Jon

Some things about this restaurant were wonderful - the ambiance, which feels exactly like an upscale Parisian bistro, and some of the dishes we had, like the beet salad, the chicken liver pate, and the sole. However, it felt like there were still some glitches to be ironed out - they didn't seat us until 40 minutes past our reservation time (I think they sat walk-in favored patrons before us), my husband's liver came out almost raw, and there wasn't enough broth to flavor the mussels, which made them taste quite fishy and feel grainy in texture. Service was indifferent at best, but I do give them credit for recognizing their mistakes - like our delayed seating, and the raw calf's liver - and trying to make up for it by comping us our first round of cocktails (which were stellar) and also the calf's liver. I want this restaurant to succeed, so am hoping that it irons out the kinks in the future.

Great experience of The Beekman, while tasting Le Gratin flavors of the month.Impeccable service, inviting atmosphere and delicious plates created an unforgettable point in time.We enjoyed every moment and will return.

Came here for a work dinner because I didn't want to leave the neighborhood. It was actually a fair walk from the office but such is life. Inside of the place is nice and service was good. My hesitancy with a French restaurant is usually that it's overpriced, pretentious, and underwhelming. We got 2/3 here.Appetizers were very hit or miss. I've never had a worse pates at a French restaurant. Even the foie gras one was just ok. Not enough condiments to go with them either. Beet salad was pretty good, as was the steak tartare; pretty decent rendition even if not the best I've had, however some folks really loved it. Deviled eggs were the best appetizer by far, and weren't far off from being some of the best I've had.Tried the Dover sole as this was the real deal fish versus a deliberate mislabeling on a menu (usually the latter, and I'd seen it way too many times on dining menus. The fish itself was good with the citrusy flavor and lack of sea flavor that is promised, however I do not understand why the restaurant cooked the 2 small filets separately versus together. This limited the flavor of the flesh--which is the main attraction--and dried it out. Green beans it came with were great. Lemon caper brown butter had very little flavor so it really was the fish trying to shine against the odds. Lots of people got burgers which in hindsight was not a bad idea. The namesake potato's au gratin, on the other hand, were sublime. They're the chef's mother's recipe and I have nothing but good things to say about them. Desserts were simple (cherry tart and flan) however very good. Very much the definition of a mixed bag, with the highs/lows of a French dining experience. Wouldn't be that big of a deal if the prices weren't as inflated as they are. Probably a combo of the big name chef and the big name hotel, however unless you're huge on French cuisine, shame on you if you can't do better than this for these prices.

Excellent service from everyone, maitre de (sp?), waiter Valentin was really good, all the other people that helped as well. Not on top of us in that cloying way that we dislike, but in a friendly way and when needed.Attractive restaurant, comfortable seating (not like Massara or Rezdora with their wooden benches without any type of cushioning), soft lighting, and music that is behind the scenes at a nice volume allowing for comfortable conversation.Rest rooms a little bit inconvenient (down stairs in Temple Bar which is next door and there is a doorway connecting it with Le Gratin) but not too bad.And the food was great. We loved it all.After the baguette,Crab Marie Rose salad 10/10 nice size, very tasty, plenty of crabLe Gratin Burger 10/10 loved the multiple flavors and the fries were terrific. Recently been to Au Cheval, Minetta Tavern, Polo Bar and others, tried the burger at each, and this one at Le Gratin is at least the equal of the best of thoseHalf Poulet a la Rotisserie 10/10 terrific flavor, terrific jus just wowMushrooms 10/10 so goodCreme Caramel 10/10 every bite kept getting betterGlaces (2 scoops) with chocolate sauce 9/10 the chocolate sauce was great but the texture of the ice cream was not ideal for our preferencesWe will for sure return to Le Gratin.