L'Ecole, The Restaurant of The International Culinary Center

Students at the French Culinary Institute prepare seasonal lunch and dinner menus with French flair.

(718) 285-8105

462 Broadway (Grand Street)
New York, NY 10013 40.7209 -74.0005

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Neighborhoods: Chinatown, Downtown

www.lecolenyc.com

Hours:

Mon-Fri 12:30pm-2pm, 5:30pm-9pm

Sat 5:30pm-9pm

Price:

$$$

Last updated 4.21.12

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot, Prix Fixe Menu

Cuisine:

French

Editor's Tips

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What People Are Saying About L'Ecole, The Restaurant of The International Culinary Center

The Owner

L'Ecole, The Restaurant of The International Culinary Center

Owner

When our guests look at our menu, they marvel at the bounty and creativity of its items. But what they find even more amazing is each delicious dish is being prepared by some of tomorrow's most-promising chefs: our own students.

During the last two levels of our Culinary Arts Program, students cook for restaurant patrons under the supervision of our chef-instructors. The seasonal menu changes every six weeks, as classes advance to the next level, and are designed to ensure that students use the core techniques they've learned at The French Culinary Institute. The cuisine is contemporary French, rooted in the basics and spiced with other ethnic influences.

CityGrid

Read more from the owner

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

There are no celebrity chef egos to be found at this restaurant, as Institute students helm the kitchen. Prix fixe options anchor the menu, and a la carte dining is available only at lunch. For dinner, guests must choose between a four-course or five-course menu. The dishes are classic French without being stuffy, and incorporate other ethnic cuisines taught at the Institute. Offerings might include country pate, spring pea soup, wild striped bass, and end with a sweet dessert.

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
The menus change about every six weeks. Check the restaurant website for details.
Save Money:
The prix fixe menus are more reasonable than at most of the city's other fine French restaurants. While a three-course lunch costs $28, both four-course and five-course dinner menus are $42.
ambiance
95.55999755859375% positive
  1. “The decor of the restaurant was really nice and clean and the service was decent.”
  2. “Food is not excellent but good, ambience is good (very pretty flowers).”
  3. “The location is warm and I never felt rushed.”
  4. “The staff and atmosphere is still great but the quality and value for food has declined.”
  5. “The selection was good, the presentation divine, the ambiance beautiful, the waitstaff cordial, and the food- delicious.”
  6. “The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was "the best”
  7. “The food was incredible, our waitress was top notch (she even offered to take a picture of us without asking), the atmosphere was great, and I dare you find a better value.”
  8. “They were attentive, the food was excellent, they answered all of our questions about the cuisine nicely, the ambience is romantic, and they let us linger and talk as long as we wanted.”
  9. “We came here on a Wed had a 6pm reservation, we were seated prompted, the deco and atmosphere is very nice and elegant.”
  10. “good service and ambiance”
  11. “This is the place to introduce your friends to really good French food without the heavy French restaurant ambiance.”
  12. “They had bazillian jazz (my favor) on which goes well with the cozy enironment.”
  13. “The ambiance was great - not rigid and cold like a lot of the French restaurants in the city - and the crowd there was jovial but not loud.”
  14. “the food is fun and delicious and I love this place!”
  15. “The apple tart dessert topped it off yum and they even through in a nice glass of champagne for my bday :) Great service, ambiance, food, no complaints at all!”
dessert
77.77999877929688% positive
  1. “really highly recommend the duck with rhubarb, the trout, and the chocolate tart for dessert.”
  2. “Our delicious four course meal, with dessert, multiple glasses of fantastic wine and after dinner coffee, was under $90.”
  3. “But the tender lamb and fish made the meal worthwhile, and the hot chocolate dessert made me forget about the bad salad.”
  4. “This place definitely has the best dessert!”
  5. “We were so pleasanly surprised that I guess we made delightful dinner guests, since the maitre'd treated us to post-dinner dessert wine.”
  6. “For dessert I had the passion fruit baked alaska wasn't so good.”
  7. “After a slew of yummy brunch cocktails such as the Ruby Blossom and Easy like Sunday Mimosa, we had no room for dessert.”
  8. “The desserts are also quite good.”
  9. “The apple tart dessert topped it off yum and they even through in a nice glass of champagne for my bday :) Great service, ambiance, food, no complaints at all!”
drinks
90.0% positive
  1. “We were so pleasanly surprised that I guess we made delightful dinner guests, since the maitre'd treated us to post-dinner dessert wine.”
  2. “Our delicious four course meal, with dessert, multiple glasses of fantastic wine and after dinner coffee, was under $90.”
  3. “Next time I think I'll go for 4 courses since 5 is very filling and the choices for the 4 courses looked a lot more appetizing (they gave us the four course menu by accident then switched it to the 5 course) Also, the bill was a little higher than expecte”
  4. “Overall, brunch was just mediocre although we enjoyed sitting at the bar and chatting up the friendly bartender.”
  5. “After a slew of yummy brunch cocktails such as the Ruby Blossom and Easy like Sunday Mimosa, we had no room for dessert.”
food quality
86.77000045776367% positive
  1. “The handful of people who gave it less than a great rating were looking for a place to eat goat food or chat rather than to experience the newest designs and tastes in culinary fare.”
  2. “The steak course was good I would say medium well next time I order.”
  3. “However the service and food quality is not good as you expect.”
  4. “After a slew of yummy brunch cocktails such as the Ruby Blossom and Easy like Sunday Mimosa, we had no room for dessert.”
  5. “Read all of the reviews and its easy to determine that the people who didn't enjoy L'ecole simply don't know food.”
  6. “The most outstanding aspect of our meal was the incredible, attentive service from our totally friendly and very knowledgeable waiter.”
  7. “especially liked the sorbet after the meal to clean my palatte.”
  8. “went expecting a great meal.”
  9. “Service was fantastic and the food more than words can describe.”
  10. “food was delicious.”
  11. “We were not disappointed and found the waitress friendly and knowledgeable while the food, especially the roasted octopus and smoked salmon, delectable.”
  12. “Without repeating all the nice -- and true -- things that have been written about the food, let me praise this place for something else.”
  13. “The food was so well-prepared, with flavors that were not too heavy or overdone.”
  14. “Great Service, great food”
  15. “If you go before 7:00pm, you will no longer get a nice four-course meal, you will get a three-course meal with a cheap sorbet substitute.”
  16. “This is the place to introduce your friends to really good French food without the heavy French restaurant ambiance.”
  17. “For entrees, my dining companions had the Croque Madame and the L'Ecole Burger, which were pretty good but the flavorful Duck Confit was probably the best dish for lunch, although no better than the duck at Balthazar.”
  18. “Tip: the rack of lamb is outstanding and goes perfectly with their excellent Cabernet.”
  19. “The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was "the best”
  20. “The restaurant looks good but the food and the service there isn't all that good.”
  21. “The selection was good, the presentation divine, the ambiance beautiful, the waitstaff cordial, and the food- delicious.”
  22. “Good French food hard to believe its prepared by students.”
  23. “the food is well but not perfect.”
  24. “There are obvious flaws in the prep in some of the dishes and the taste combination doesn't always come out perfect.”
  25. “tasteless boiled food not worth the price”
  26. “had the onion crusted salmon which was pretty good.”
  27. “The ONLY negative thing I could possible say, was that my lamb was slightly dry, but still tastey.”
  28. “the food is fun and delicious and I love this place!”
  29. “The food was nicely presented, some dished were little bland (the fish course), but overall a good experience.”
  30. “Although the food is a tad expensive, it's a nice treat.”
  31. “For Entrees, I had the roasted duck, it was tender and delicious, which was the best dishes out of the entrees we ordered.”
  32. “Also glad to see there are places in NYC where you can get a good meal at an affordable price.”
  33. “Great food at a great price”
  34. “I heard that sometimes the food and the service isn't great : it depends which students are on duty !”
  35. “FCI's definitely commited to quality service and outstanding food experience.”
  36. “The price is amazing and the food is scrumptious.”
  37. “The food was not good at all.”
  38. “Great service, good food & nice winelist”
  39. “Our delicious four course meal, with dessert, multiple glasses of fantastic wine and after dinner coffee, was under $90.”
  40. “It was a great meal.”
  41. “The food isn't all that great and i dunno y zagat gave it such a great review.”
  42. “delicious food and attentive, gracious service.”
  43. “Our waitress gave great recommendations, and the food was just perfect.”
  44. “Last night's dining experience was typical: a lovely room, attentive service, and tasty food on a rather ambitious, relatively inexpensive menu.”
  45. “We were there for the 5 course dinner which was great up until the 4th course, which was a simple garden salad with Italian dressing.”
  46. “Plus $30 for a 5 course meal is a great bargin.”
  47. “The staff and atmosphere is still great but the quality and value for food has declined.”
  48. “They were attentive, the food was excellent, they answered all of our questions about the cuisine nicely, the ambience is romantic, and they let us linger and talk as long as we wanted.”
  49. “The duck was delicious, accompanied by a terrific potato gratin.”
  50. “perfect french cuisine”
  51. “The food was incredible, our waitress was top notch (she even offered to take a picture of us without asking), the atmosphere was great, and I dare you find a better value.”
  52. “best food, great customer service”
  53. “Excellent, friendly service, delicious food and an overall unbelievably rare value!”
  54. “highly priced terrible food”
  55. “The food is actually very good.”
  56. “For appetizers, the Steak Tartar with quail egg didn't taste very fresh and had a darker red color to it.”
  57. “Great value for food”
  58. “The corn soup appetizer was okay but my boyfriend enjoyed the carpaccio as his starter.”
  59. “Great food, great experience and I will be going there everytime the menu changes.”
  60. “But the tender lamb and fish made the meal worthwhile, and the hot chocolate dessert made me forget about the bad salad.”
  61. “The apple tart dessert topped it off yum and they even through in a nice glass of champagne for my bday :) Great service, ambiance, food, no complaints at all!”
  62. “The corn soup was nice and packed a wallop; the pate was also fresh and delicious.”
  63. “Good Ambiance, good service and great french food (except for the bad salad they try to pass off as a course).”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “So choose your reservation the day when the menu is convenient for you !”
  2. “Everything I have ever eaten on this menu has been great.”
  3. “more variety, but now we know that everything will be good!”
  4. “Next time I think I'll go for 4 courses since 5 is very filling and the choices for the 4 courses looked a lot more appetizing (they gave us the four course menu by accident then switched it to the 5 course) Also, the bill was a little higher than expecte”
  5. “Last night's dining experience was typical: a lovely room, attentive service, and tasty food on a rather ambitious, relatively inexpensive menu.”
  6. “Great food, great experience and I will be going there everytime the menu changes.”
  7. “The selection was good, the presentation divine, the ambiance beautiful, the waitstaff cordial, and the food- delicious.”
  8. “The menu is creative and I am never disappointed.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Without repeating all the nice -- and true -- things that have been written about the food, let me praise this place for something else.”
  2. “this is a great place to bring the parents to but it's cheap enough that it can also be a more regular part of your diet.”
  3. “This is by far my favorite restaurant.”
  4. “my favorite restaurant”
  5. “L'Ecole is the best restaurant, value or otherwise.”
  6. “The handful of people who gave it less than a great rating were looking for a place to eat goat food or chat rather than to experience the newest designs and tastes in culinary fare.”
service
75.97000122070312% positive
  1. “The handful of people who gave it less than a great rating were looking for a place to eat goat food or chat rather than to experience the newest designs and tastes in culinary fare.”
  2. “Our waitress was attentive and serive was good, untill the end.”
  3. “The service is also fantastic.”
  4. “The most outstanding aspect of our meal was the incredible, attentive service from our totally friendly and very knowledgeable waiter.”
  5. “The food was incredible, our waitress was top notch (she even offered to take a picture of us without asking), the atmosphere was great, and I dare you find a better value.”
  6. “the service was terrible, we didn't even greeted when we came in.”
  7. “Last night's dining experience was typical: a lovely room, attentive service, and tasty food on a rather ambitious, relatively inexpensive menu.”
  8. “The service was outstanding and everyone was very attentive and we didn't have to ask for anything.”
  9. “Read all of the reviews and its easy to determine that the people who didn't enjoy L'ecole simply don't know food.”
  10. “The wait staff was very attentive and knowledgable.”
  11. “Overall, brunch was just mediocre although we enjoyed sitting at the bar and chatting up the friendly bartender.”
  12. “Good Ambiance, good service and great french food (except for the bad salad they try to pass off as a course).”
  13. “The apple tart dessert topped it off yum and they even through in a nice glass of champagne for my bday :) Great service, ambiance, food, no complaints at all!”
  14. “Service is good - there are plenty of people ready to help.”
  15. “However the service and food quality is not good as you expect.”
  16. “Our waitress gave great recommendations, and the food was just perfect.”
  17. “The restaurant looks good but the food and the service there isn't all that good.”
  18. “Only complaint would be that service is a little slow, but if you're with someone you enjoy talking to, it's not a problem.”
  19. “Seating is a bit crowded but service is very attentive and wait staff is knowlegeable.”
  20. “Professional staff.”
  21. “Our servers was perfect and did their job flawlessly with great timing.”
  22. “We were horrified by the poor service we received from the host to the server.”
  23. “The service was terrible.”
  24. “The server was wonderful and friendly.”
  25. “FCI's definitely commited to quality service and outstanding food experience.”
  26. “great service but very slow.”
  27. “I heard that sometimes the food and the service isn't great : it depends which students are on duty !”
  28. “Excellent, friendly service, delicious food and an overall unbelievably rare value!”
  29. “best food, great customer service”
  30. “The service was just terrible.”
  31. “Our server, Matt was warm and inviting while extremely professional.”
  32. “terrible service!”
  33. “Great service, good food & nice winelist”
  34. “The staff and atmosphere is still great but the quality and value for food has declined.”
  35. “good service and ambiance”
  36. “The staff is excellent, you want for nothing here!”
  37. “The decor of the restaurant was really nice and clean and the service was decent.”
  38. “They were attentive, the food was excellent, they answered all of our questions about the cuisine nicely, the ambience is romantic, and they let us linger and talk as long as we wanted.”
  39. “The waiter was great and polite but each courses took forever!”
  40. “We arrived 30 minutes late to our reservation, and I was worried that they might not seat us at all, but the staff was nothing but nice and welcoming!”
  41. “delicious food and attentive, gracious service.”
  42. “Champagne by the glass was first-rate, and the pinot noir recommended by the waiter was a perfect foil for the duck.”
  43. “We were not disappointed and found the waitress friendly and knowledgeable while the food, especially the roasted octopus and smoked salmon, delectable.”
value
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Excellent, friendly service, delicious food and an overall unbelievably rare value!”
  2. “"must try" for NY at a great price.”
  3. “The staff and atmosphere is still great but the quality and value for food has declined.”
  4. “Its not a huge space, but its quite and perfect for catching up with friends”
  5. “If you go before 7:00pm, you will no longer get a nice four-course meal, you will get a three-course meal with a cheap sorbet substitute.”
  6. “The food was incredible, our waitress was top notch (she even offered to take a picture of us without asking), the atmosphere was great, and I dare you find a better value.”
  7. “the best value and best experience”
  8. “L'Ecole is the best restaurant, value or otherwise.”
  9. “L'ecole was as good as some of the more expensive restaurants in the city but for a third of the price.”
  10. “The price is amazing and the food is scrumptious.”
  11. “tasteless boiled food not worth the price”
  12. “this is a great place to bring the parents to but it's cheap enough that it can also be a more regular part of your diet.”
  13. “Last night's dining experience was typical: a lovely room, attentive service, and tasty food on a rather ambitious, relatively inexpensive menu.”
  14. “Overall it's good value for the price you pay.”
  15. “Great food at a great price”
  16. “Great value for food”
  17. “Also glad to see there are places in NYC where you can get a good meal at an affordable price.”
  18. “Although the food is a tad expensive, it's a nice treat.”
wait time
70.0% positive
  1. “They were attentive, the food was excellent, they answered all of our questions about the cuisine nicely, the ambience is romantic, and they let us linger and talk as long as we wanted.”
  2. “We arrived 30 minutes late to our reservation, and I was worried that they might not seat us at all, but the staff was nothing but nice and welcoming!”
  3. “Only complaint would be that service is a little slow, but if you're with someone you enjoy talking to, it's not a problem.”
  4. “one of the best dinners in a long time”
  5. “great service but very slow.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

01/01/12

Sad, Disappointing Experience

by rifraf2013

After an enjoyable lunch we booked our son's 21st birthday 1 month in advance (per their reservation guidelines) in the separate private dining room. Being polite we called to say that we were running 20 minutes for the second and last seating. We were assured that our room would not be given away. Upon arrival with a 96 year old great grandmother and 2 grandmothers in their 80s we were greeted with "oh there were some really nice visitors from the UK who really wanted that table and we figured you wouldn't mind" Mind?

That's why I called at 9:01 AM 30 days in advance. Restaurant was messy, carpets dirty, extremely noisy, food plentiful but mediocre and then the staff harangued my husband on the way out for the small tip which we explained in a notation. I responded that they ruined my son's once in a lifetime 21st birthday (how I regret not going to 21) and that they should get their big tip from the party that got the table that we reserved a month in advance who were

still there when we departed. Ugh, Ugh triple ugh; so many terrific restaurants in NYC; this is not one of them and it isn't inexpensive either.

3 Star Rating: Average

07/21/11

Service was top notch

by TardyKat

We were very impressed with the Restaurant Week menu. There was so much to choose from. I had the warm asparagus salad with soft boiled egg and pancetta crumbs (I wish I had more bread to soak up the yoke!), grilled hanger steak with vidalia onion rings and creamed corn (more like soup, we needed spoons to eat it), and fresh strawberry tart and creme fraiche ice cream (which nearly melted away by the time I got it).

My friend had the seasonal salad with watermelon radishes, shimeji mushrooms, pickled cherry tomatoes with sherry shallot vinaigrette, hanger steak, and green tea opera cake with red currant sorbet (the cake was a small sliver and was too dry).

The portions weren't large but we were satiated. Excellent service.

3 Star Rating: Average

10/28/10

Many times was nice, once not

by nina nina

Well prepared, not expensive, good taste.

Went back 3rd time in december 2010 and nothig were right. Every dish had own problem. Probably new group of students. Way to much salt, too much dripping in oil-fat, way to much sharp dressing, pinenuts were tasting old. Even wine not good. Could not eat anything. Room manager was considering.

3 Star Rating: Average

02/28/10

A brunch that did not live up to expectations

by silverblue , Citysearch Contributor

My highly anticipated brunch experience at L’ecole was underwhelming, to my disappointment. I had high hopes for the establishment, although it must be noted that the $19.50 2-course prix fixe brunch menu is not part of The French Culinary Institute’s curriculum. Students volunteer their time and work under the supervision of professional chefs.

The course started off with the bread basket; an assortment of delicious and freshly baked muffins, gourmet pastries and crackers. I could eat these all day! The bloody Mary was one of the best I’d ever had – fresh and with excellent presentation! However, it was the food that disappointed:

For appetizers, the Steak Tartar with quail egg didn’t taste very fresh and had a darker red color to it. The Cumin Roasted Butternut Squash and Almond Soup was tasty but a little too creamy and heavy. The Butter Poached Shrimp was the biggest disappointment – it was cold and a little ‘hardened’ for my taste. For entrees, my dining companions had the Croque Madame and the L’Ecole Burger, which were pretty good but the flavorful Duck Confit was probably the best dish for lunch, although no better than the duck at Balthazar. After a slew of yummy brunch cocktails such as the Ruby Blossom and Easy like Sunday Mimosa, we had no room for dessert.

Overall, brunch was just mediocre although we enjoyed sitting at the bar and chatting up the friendly bartender. I would give it a second chance and come back for the 5-course dinner that is prepared by FCI’s students.

  • Pros: Great value at $19.50; amazing brunch cocktails
  • Cons: Subpar appetizers
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/14/09

Great food at a great price

by Scoop NYC

Darn. I thought I'd found a secret but there are already more than 50 reviews. Without repeating all the nice -- and true -- things that have been written about the food, let me praise this place for something else.

I had an 8:30 reservation on a Saturday night and walked in to find no table ready for 20 minutes. This happens at a lot of restaurants, and most of them act like my time is no big deal. L'Ecole, on the other hand, comped my party to a round of drinks after just 10 minutes.

By the time we were ready to order at about 9:15, the kitchen was already out of two things we had wanted. Again, this is pretty common when dining late, but L'Ecole went the extra step to make amends by comping us another round of drinks.

I realize that running a restaurant is a very complex task, but too many restaurants make no effort to compensate customers for their inevitable mistakes. I was delighted to find one that did, and did so cheerfully.

  • Pros: A really excellent dinner and an excellent value
  • Cons: Food can be inconsistent, menu changes and favorites vanish

The Details on L'Ecole, The Restaurant of The International Culinary Center

Place Categories:

  • great french food
  • great food experience
  • terrible great service
  • favorite restaurant
  • great quiet place
  • knowledgable wait staff
  • tasteless food
  • very nice atmosphere
  • great fourcourse meal
  • best value
  • great price
  • totally friendly waiter
  • great everything
  • warm server
  • never disappointed menu
  • great dessert
  • great course dinner
  • great ambiance
  • delicious duck
  • bad salad
  • nice treat
  • outstanding rack of lamb
  • great customer service
  • serive waitress
  • romantic ambience

Message from L'Ecole, The Restaurant of The International Culinary Center

  • Prix fixe daily menu
  • Seasonal/Artisanal
  • Elegant new setting

When our guests look at our menu, they marvel at the bounty and creativity of its items. But what they find even more amazing is each delicious dish is being prepared by some of tomorrow's most-promising chefs: our own students.

During the last two levels of our Culinary Arts Program, students cook for restaurant patrons under the supervision of our chef-instructors. The seasonal menu changes every six weeks, as classes advance to the next level, and are designed to ensure that students use the core techniques they've learned at The French Culinary Institute. The cuisine is contemporary French, rooted in the basics and spiced with other ethnic influences.

L'Ecole, The Restaurant of The International Culinary Center

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