Brasserie Cognac Midtown East — Restaurant in New York

We went to Cognac for a classic brunch menu, hoping for and expecting a lovely experience based on reviews. We were sadly quite disappointed.

We made a reservation at 11:30; the host seated us with hardly anything more than a half-hearted hello. Not the end of the world by any stretch.

We were quite pleased with the vibe of the place, has a lot of that classic but charming French chic. When we came in, there were a couple of larger parties finishing up their meal. When they left, we were (I believe) the only customers in the restaurant; quite odd for Sunday 11:30 brunch.

There was just one server on staff it seemed, clearly not having the best day, but she still was very friendly to us! We mentioned going to Brooklyn later in the day, and she wrote down some recommendations. She was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal experience.

We ordered Iced Coffee and a Quad Iced Americano, which were serviceable. We then started with the Gougères which were the best thing we had by far. (Hard to mess up cheesy bread!)

I had a Salmon Benedict with roasted potatoes. The Benedict was fine; not great, not horrible. I added hot sauce to it to add flavor. My plate came with 7 small-ish cubes of roasted potatoes, and then a large handful of undressed lettuce, perhaps to cover the rest of the plate? The dish was disappointing overall.

My partner ordered the Quiche, asking for roasted potatoes instead of the salad. When the plate came with the salad, we kindly mentioned the error to the man who brought it to us, and he seemed perturbed at us! Definitely not great. While we waited for the potatoes, the quiche proved to be very bland. We expected something along the lines of a Quiche Lorraine, but it was just flavorless. We had no desire to finish it.

My partner’s potatoes did come out eventually, and it was clear these ones were fresh, with some roasted red pepper thrown in. These were actually delicious, in contrast to the potatoes I was served; they showed some of the potential of the menu that we never realized.

Overall, we were left wondering if we were just given what was left sitting under a heat lamp. A disappointing experience, and we do not plan to come back when we are...

Went here on a Friday with coworkers for a farewell lunch. Table for six was reserved in advance, when we show up they didn't even ask any questions except for "how many" and then led us to a table. Okay, so it's not busy... no big deal. Server was friendly and nice, all good on the service end. I ordered the "Berkshire Pork Chops" for myself. When the food arrives, first problem is that it is one single chop. Now I personally do not need multiple chops for lunch, as that would end up with me in a food coma when I go back to the office. But you named its chopS, that is plural. With an S on the end. So either change the name to be singulat or add another chop. It's the intentional misleading name that just bugs me. NOT THE PORTION SIZE. Second issue, pork chop was dry as dry could be. Apparently the entire time spent cooking this dish was focused only on cooking the moisture out of this chop. Third problem was the potatoe side, little half inch cubed potatoes.... Oh those poor potatoes cubes got zero time/attention during the cooking process as they were fairly raw. Even had a co worker try them to make sure it was raw and not just the awkward mustard sauce on them. I am sorry but Dijon does not automatically make something French. Last issue with my dish, I could swear the description of this dish said there was jus. Now taking into account that the chop itself was cooked into cardboard, I was hoping the jus would make up for it (one can hope). But nope, no jus. Must have been cooked into vapor along with the chop.... In this post covid world of rising costs and loss of actual people being in the city, it's understandable to need to raise prices or cut back (to certain extents). But this place is definitely not worth going to. So why 3 stars? I'm not here to shut people down. Just to share my own...

I usually give restaurants at least 2 tries before leaving a review. I feel justified in leaving this lacking first impression. The service we received at Brasserie Cognac was less than impressive. First our hostess failed to greet us warmly, but it is NYC, and it was a Wednesday, so I was willing to forgive a chilly greeting if the rest of the service went well. Later, we were discussing the menu and our server, Edgar asked us if we were ready to order. I was not, so I asked politely for a few more seconds to peruse the menu, to which he grimaced, sucked in his teeth and asked if we had a reservation. We did have a reservation, but I was curious to know if he would have asked us to leave if we did not. When I ordered a glass of wine he carded me in the strangest way, repeatedly asking how old I was instead of just asking to see ID. Not sure when it became polite to ask a lady on a date out loud how old she is, but I guess we are in the modern century. Finally, I witnessed him haranging a poor busboy and angrily shoving him. Snobbery is one thing, but mistreating your subordinates is another. Our server never cleared our plates before the entree, and our tiny table was very crowded as result. The food itself was okay. We did not order much, just a glass of wine and two entrees and the bill was $80. My salmon burger was fine, if a bit small for the price. For such a high bill, please go to a place that actually serves good food in an accepting and welcoming atmosphere. Despite the poor service we did tip, as it is almost a requisite when you dine out in NYC. As an alternative I suggest the Smith, which has 5+ locations all over NYC and much better food and service. La Pecora Biana, which I have not reviewed yet, is another nearby candidate much more worthy...