09/10/08

Best dining experience of all time

by ari81

I went to Joel Roubuchon with my mother while on a recent business trip to NYC (from LA). It was a celebratory dinner of sorts, so we wanted to go big. We sat at the counter and had the best most attentive server, Katchie. This restaurant did not disappoint. The food was amazing, probably the best I've ever had. The service was impeccable, every detail timed with perfection. The counter was fun to watch the chefs "behind the scenes". I'm a big HELLS KITCHEN fan, so I appreciated their craft. One chef was placing the smallest bit of tarragon on the dish with surgical tweezers! The appetizers (day boat scallops), main course (hangar steak) and dessert (chocolate mousse!) was so tasty! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone - a bit pricey, so it's not your every day kind of place, but for special occasions for sure!

• Pros: The food! So gourmet, a true palette pleaser!
• Cons: Harsh on the wallet

03/14/08

Impeccable service and the food is devine!

by parisnyc8

We had 3 different appetizers and they're all very good, especially the foie gras. The wine selection is excellent, as well as the service. This place reminds me so much of Asiate in Mandarin hotel, less the view. The restaurant is next to the hotel bar which I thought was just ok. This is great for lunch but if you wish to have a romantic dinner, this might not be the place because the people sitting on the next table can hear everything that you say even if you're speaking in a normal tone of voice. But the food is exceptional!

• Pros: Great food and wine list!
• Cons: A bit pricey and not a lot of privacy

08/14/07

Foie Gras at it's Best!

by gkao007

The best of the best.

Here are the dishes that make the meal what it is.

*** Menu ***

Amuse Bouche - Citrus Gelee with Foam Sauce

Appetizers :

Sauteed Sweatbreads with Veal Jus

Smoked Eel with Foie Gras

Lobster Salad with Pickled Daikon

Foie Gras Ravioli Soup

Entrees :

Seared Scallops

Lollipop Frog Legs

Pan Seared Foie Gras with Grapefruit Sauce

Quail and Foie Gras

Foie Gras Stuffed Roasted Squab with Cabbage and Bacon

Japanese Hanger Steak

Desserts :

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

Baba Rum

Bitter Almond Souffle

Macarons

*** Highlights of the Meal ***

Foie Gras Ravioli Soup

Foie Gras Stuffed Squab wrapped in Cabbage and Bacon

Pan Seared Foie Gras with Grapefruit infused sauce

Bitter Almond Souffle

• Pros: Everything is Perfect
• Cons: Can't think of one

06/26/07

the finest cuisine i've ever had!

by carlapink

My boyfriend took me here for dinner once, and I was surprised to learn he paid $600 a person!!! It was very expensive, but I would say it was worth it. The food was exquisitely presented, the place was impeccable, the staff was corteous and respectful, and I was a few tables away from Cameron Diaz! The portions are small by American standards, but hey, it is a French restaurant after all. The dessert was my favorite part, I ordered this confection called "le sucre" that had a pearl-like ball of blown sugar. Reservations are best made way in advance (3-4 weeks) because this place is not very large and I guess their book fills up quickly. Brush up on your French before visiting (all dishes are named in French) and bring a credit card.

• Pros: great selection of food and wine, desserts, service, celebrity clientele
• Cons: a little pricey, small portions, reservations need to be made way in advance

06/11/07

I love this place!

by cloudberry71

I love to eat and I especially love to eat great food. If you have the money, then you should definitely try L'Atelier. The foie gras ravioli is something that I still dream about and the free-range quail stuffed with foie gras still makes my mouth water. The La Sucre dessert is not only an amazing end, but also a work of art. I won't go into the details of every item that I ordered, but I can definitely say they were all worth it. I will definitely be back soon.

• Pros: foie gras ravioli!
• Cons: frog legs

04/30/07

Gee Toto, we're not at White Castle any more...

by magscancook

Strange space. If the grand foyer of the Four Seasons Hotel reminds you of a scene from THX 1138, then this may not be the place for you. The room is an almost perfect cube with ceilings that seemingly rival Grand Central Station in height. The decor is stark and, when combined with the architecture, not especially warm, or comfortable. While the food says "stay" the feng shui says "go." But, all of that having been said, the food is incredible. Imagine France does sushi, without the sushi, and you get the drift. Almost everything on the menu is worth trying. Little plates, however, are not so little and while it's tempting to order a host of "small" tastes, two or three will suffice. Not to be missed are the steak & fois gras hamburgers on brioche that may be the most incredible things I've ever tasted (though at the price one could eat similar sized burgers at White Castle for a week). I wouldn't recommend it for a romantic date, but serious foodies would be remiss not to pull up a seat at the sushi (err, high French cuisine) bar and watch the culinary masters at work.

• Pros: Creative, diverse cusine. Informed and delightful service.
• Cons: Challenging room.

04/18/07

Good but not great

by alexkomarovsky

Whoever writes the glowing, eye popping reviews of this restaurant is the biggest phony and is smitten by Joel's name.

While the food is good and the presentation is excellent it lacks one basic thing - the great taste, partially due to the fact that the produce they use can be found in the average NYC supermarket.

In one word the price does not justify the substance. Try the Paris or the London version.

• Pros: Food presentation
• Cons: Average taste, unjustifiably expensive

01/14/07

Simply Amazing!!!

by ahazelrigg

I went for lunch - party of one and sat at the bar. The starter given to everyone was probably one of the most amzing items of food ever created - it's a fois gras mousse with a red wine reduction and mozzarella foam served in a shot glass - WOW! The fried frog legs were also to die for, however you only get 3 and they are each the size of a cherry. The presentation is wonderful and the server was very attentive and helpful. After eating here on the first day, the rest of the restaurants I ate at during my New York stay paled in comparison.

• Pros: The starter (fois gras mousse) and the frog legs
• Cons: Yes, It's expensive - but sometimes you need to treat yourself

12/24/06

Joel Rob-you-chon gets a 10 (on a scale of 1 to 100)

by rwl

This place is a joke and they know it. Change the word celestial to abyssmal in the editorial review and you will have a more accurate description.

My choice for best new restaurant in NYC in 2006 is Telepan.

• Pros: None really
• Cons: Very mediocre French cuisine at high prices - first-rate ripoff

12/18/06

French master Joel Robuchon's celestial cuisine touches down in the Four Seasons.

by Justin Hartung

As in its Paris, Tokyo and Vegas incarnations, L'Atelier's signature wraparound counter seats provide devout foodies a peek into the kitchen of their demigod, Joel Robuchon. Giant palms, bright red vases and colorful mosaics create a hybrid of Robuchon's Japanese-influenced style with the stately Art Deco flourishes of the Four Seasons. With eye-popping flavors, presentations and price tags, Robuchon's inventive creations work best in bite-sized portions.