Le Jardinier — Restaurant in New York

Le Jardinier is an oasis in the middle of midtown Manhattan. Even though we technically arrived before service had started, we were able to sit at the lobby bar before moving to our table (next time I'd love to try the cocktail lounge upstairs!). My companion is expecting, so I joined her in one of their zero-proof cocktails, which was fresh and well-balanced. The bartender was solicitous, and not at all chuffed that we went non-alcoholic, which I have encountered before even when zero-proof beverages are on the menu.

All the staff are gracious and attentive, as I'd expect from a restaurant like this one. That said, the singular knock I'd give management is that they're clearly pushing the waitstaff to upsell the tasting menu, which we were definitely not going to go for on a Monday night at 5:30pm. I understand why, and I'm sure it's stellar, but I'd rather they not offer stand-alone ordering if they'd prefer tasting only.

That said, the a-la-carte offerings, with a strong focus on seasonality, were a truly stellar bunch. Before appetizers even came, we got a bread basket! For free! In Manhattan! And what a bread basket - light-as-air brioche topped with a kiss of melted cheese. Chewy, decadent sourdough rolls with the most delicate take on everything-bagel-seasoning dusted across the tops. Crunchy grissini, herbaceous and peppery with a strong bite of Parmesan. They didn't offer butter with the basket, just olive oil, and good thing! The breads were the star and we not only used them to sop up sauces throughout the meal, we took them up on an offer of a second basket which I cannot remember doing with a party of two maybe ever!

Once the mocktails were through, we ordered wine. They have a really incredible list with offerings at a variety of price points. And while I was more than satisfied with the standard offerings and had a lovely Grüner Veltliner, my companion was even more taken with the well-curated non-alcoholic list, and said her sparkling was the most 'normal' tasting non-alcoholic wine she's tried yet. Hugely impressed with the beverage team here, overall, and the sommelier was super friendly!

Back to the star though: the food. For starters we had the pork belly, evocative of a French take on char siu. It came with a bright, acidic kohlrabi salad, toothsome green grapes, and a punchy, citrus-forward calamansi dressing to cut the fat. We also had the burrata, which was what other autumnal dishes wish they were. Nuts, apple, fig, lots of black pepper. Everything was well-balanced and subtle, texturally precise, and perfectly sized for sharing.

For entrees, we went with the Icelandic cod and the honeynut squash agnolotti. Look: there is no universe in which a white fish in a perfectly executed beurre blanc doesn't slap, and this SLAPS. Bright acidity, a little fatty unctuousness, bright pops of ikura and some vegetal notes from the bok choy. And that pasta! I love a carb, and that perfectly executed, pillowy, sweet, creamy agnolotti is the type of carb I'll be thinking about for a long time.

To close things out, we had to get the cloud dessert. Did we need it? No. Does my friend normally skip dessert? Yes. Did we absolutely demolish the whole thing? We sure did, and we do not regret it. They also get HUGE points for having decaf espresso, an easy piece of hospitality for a variety of patrons that my pregnant friend really appreciated so we could enjoy coffee service together.

In conclusion - is this the splashiest, flashiest, most memorable one-star experience I've ever had? No. It is, however, the kind of flawless, tranquil, lovely evening that I will look back on with nostalgic fondness, reminiscing about the perfect fall weather and the subtly perfect bites and the impeccable company. It is the kind of place you can take a client, a date, or a parent and still leave with a slight smile on your face, knowing you've had a night making memories together. If it's in your budget, come here. I promise you...

As someone who truly enjoys dining out and exploring new restaurants, I was absolutely blown away by my experience at Le Jardinier in New York.

During January, shortly after the holiday season, the restaurant was not overly crowded, which made for a relaxed dining experience without feeling rushed. From the moment we walked in until we left, every staff member was kind, respectful, professional, polite, and accommodating.

I want to take a moment to highlight the hostess, who appeared very professional and genuinely seemed to enjoy her job. She escorted us to our table, which offered a lovely view of the entire dining room. I was thrilled to receive my favorite table—thank you!

Once seated, a lovely and genuine server named Paige came over to introduce herself. Her extensive knowledge of the food and beverage menu was impressive. While we debated which bottle of wine would pair best with our courses, she went above and beyond to help us choose the right one—an incredible service!

As a regular guest and huge fan of Le Jardinier, particularly of Chef Alain and Chef Salvatore, I was excited to share this experience with my company, who was dining here for the first time. We decided to sample a variety of items from the menu. For appetizers, we chose the famous Roasted Maine Scallops, which is one of my favorites at this restaurant. The dish has changed a bit with the new menu, but it was still delicious. We also enjoyed the Spanish Octopus—oh my goodness! The freshness, texture, and flavor were amazing, making it one of our favorites thus far. Lastly, we shared the Roasted Beets, always a great choice, especially this time of year.

For our entrées, we shared a risotto that was wonderful, along with a fish dish cooked to perfection.

Now, as a pastry chef myself, the best part of the night was, of course, the desserts! With so many delicious choices, it was hard to decide. Since my friend had never been there, I insisted we try the Butterfly dessert, which is a must. I'm also a big fan of homemade gelato, so I had to order the pistachio gelato—super creamy, rich, and delicious! The last dessert we ordered was the Mont Blanc, which is also one of my favorites. Its presentation was a perfect 10/10 and possibly one of the top three best-plated desserts I’ve seen in a Michelin-starred restaurant. To top it off, Paige surprised us with an extra dessert, showcasing the excellent work of Chef Salvatore and his team. Every single bite was satisfying and delicious; I didn’t want it to end!

As our dining experience came to a close, I can confidently say that even though I don't live in the city, every time I'm there, I make a point to stop by at least for a drink at their sister bar, Bastion, if not for dinner. That night, we ended up enjoying drinks upstairs, where the professional bartenders made the evening outstanding. As we finished, a manager graciously sent us two glasses of champagne—what a treat!

Thank you once again to Le Jardinier and Bar Bastion, and the entire team, for making our dining experience so memorable and special. A special thanks to Paige!

I wish Milfa and Michaela were there, as they are some of my favorite people to see during my visits, but I will definitely catch them next time!

Once again, thank you, and I wish you all a successful year ahead, filled with wonderful guests who appreciate the levels of hospitality you...

We'd walked past this restaurant so many times over the years and finally remembered to try it for a birthday celebration. I'm glad we did as we had a close to perfect experience.

The items we selected from the menu:

STARTERS BURRATA, Honeycrisp apple, black mission fig, pecan gremolata - I found this a little boring in comparison to other items on the menu, but mainly because I was comparing to the pork belly. POITRINE DE PORC GLACÉE, Pork belly, kohlrabi, calamansi vinaigrette, green grapes, hazelnuts - This was lovely, though I kind of wish it had some crackling on top, but it still had a very crunchy outer texture which I like.

MID-COURSE RICOTTA AGNOLOTTI, koginut squash, beurre noisette, whey foam, pain d'epice - This was really yummy! POULPE GRILLÉ, Spanish octopus, pumpkin seed romesco, lentils, purple cabbage - Always like octopus and this was cooked to near perfection.

ENTRÉES FLÉTAN DE L’ATLANTIQUE, Halibut, marinated courgettes, Thai basil, lemongrass emulsion - The fish was cooked perfectly. MAGRET DE CANARD AUX ÉPICES, Hudson Valley duck, plums, arugula & yuzu coulis, marcona almond - Always like duck and it was good, but my preference is for super crispy skin, not a fan of soft duck skin.

DESSERTS SABAYON CARAMEL, White chocolate ice cream, cocoa nibs, Valrhona guanaja chocolate - the presentation of this was absolutely exquisite and very nice to eat! AUTUMN MILLE-FEUILLE, Puff pastry, pumpkin cheesecake mousse, maple ice cream - An interesting take on a mille-feuille, rather than multiple laminated wafers this was constructed with just one wafer as the base. But still very yummy. BIRTHDAY cake - The restaurant kindly provided this as a freebie, I think it was a coconut mousse. In some respects I think this was actually my favourite of the 3 desserts.

Something to note was that they had a selection of 3 different breads. The spinach bread puff and mini French baguette were lovely. The breads sticks were a little too hard, but still nice too munch on! At least the restaurant is providing a selection of breads, which is more than can be said for most restaurants these days, even the high-end ones. We still miss Bouley and the huge selection of wonderful breads that were served at his restaurants.

There's a small selection of mocktails, the FALL FIZZ didn't have that much flavour but the second mocktail I had, the Nagranni, was better.

The dining space design is very elegant, mostly hard stone surfaces with foliage scattered strategically around. By the time we left the restaurant it was about half full and the noise level had increased, but still easy enough to talk quietly to one another, though I expect it could get quite loud if it was full. I'd also recommend you get one of the banquette tables, which are around the edge of the dining room. It's cosy and provides a little privacy as well. Because the restaurant was half full almost everyone was seated at one of them unless they were more than 4 people or dining alone.

The service was also excellent, warm and efficient from all the staff we encountered. Which is quite an accomplishment as it can be quite variable for most restaurants.

Definitely recommend this restaurant if you're looking for an elevated...