Updated
Phone: (212) 542-3898
Address: 412 GREENWICH STREET 10013
Refined French-Japanese fusion w/ subtle influences. Upscale ambiance & impeccable service.
Nestled on a cobblestone street, this New French restaurant offers a visually stunning and refined dining experience. Chef Mitsunobu Nagae, with experience from Joël Robuchon, crafts approachable dishes that artfully blend French techniques with subtle Japanese influences. The ambiance is luxurious, complemented by impeccable service.
The cuisine is New French with subtle Japanese influences, noted for its refined techniques and visually appealing presentation. While some patrons find the food exquisite and highly recommend it, one incident involved a diner finding a fishbone and cold mushrooms, leading to a dispute.
"The a la carte option at the bar is recommended."
Customer feedback is mixed, with some praising the restaurant as top-notch and highly recommending it, while others have had contentious experiences regarding perceived minor issues.
Important Note
One Reddit thread details a highly contentious experience involving a diner finding a fishbone and cold mushrooms, leading to a dispute with the restaurant, which referenced past negative reviews. Some users felt the diners were overly critical or entitled.
"100% recommends La' B'eille for its perfect food, wine, and service. Even dining at the bar provided an excellent experience without feeling less valued."
Positive"This user finds L'abeille to be great, noting it seems to host guest chef nights, unlike Essential."
Positive"This user states that L'Abeille is top-notch."
Positive"This user loves L'abeille and recommends the a la carte option at the bar."
Positive"l'abeille is mentioned as one of the restaurants that appear on both OpenTable with a dining credit and the Blackbird app."
Neutral"This commenter highly recommends L'Abeille as a strong contrast to SAGA, which they found underwhelming."
Positive"Labeille is listed as a recommendation, with the caveat that its pretentiousness depends on one's definition."
Positive"The user pointed out that the diner mispronounced 'maitake,' suggesting that learning proper pronunciation would show more respect for the cuisine and culture."
Negative"The user mentioned that this specific group of diners has a history of being difficult at other restaurants in NYC and that they are often rude to staff. They also noted that other diners at the l'abeille event claimed this group was disruptive."
Negative"The user suggested the restaurant might have perceived the guests as critics rather than diners enjoying the meal, explaining the restaurant's reference to a past negative review. They agreed about the reasonable expectation of no bones but noted a potential language barrier in communication."
Neutral"The user stated that for a $425 per person meal, the expectation of no fish bones is reasonable. They mentioned that the diners did not ask for replacements and suggested a language/cultural barrier might have contributed to the restaurant's negative reaction, citing the restaurant bringing up a past negative review."
Neutral"The user, claiming to be part of the dining party, stated that finding a bone in their dish was an issue given the meal's high cost ($425pp) and that this wasn't the first occurrence. They clarified that mentioning the bone was to inform the restaurant of a lapse in quality, not to seek compensation."
Negative"The user argued that fine dining establishments often recognize guests and their dining history. They asserted that restaurants have the right to refuse service to disruptive or overly critical patrons, even over minor issues like a single fishbone."
Positive"The user sided with the restaurant, noting that the diner was filming, used the phrase 'do you know who I am', and was offered a refund, all of which suggested entitlement."
Positive"The user questioned if a fishbone in a dish and cold mushrooms were significant issues, suggesting the diners might be overly demanding despite the restaurant's sensitive handling of the situation."
Neutral"The user interpreted the phrase 'do you know who I am?' as a genuine question about the restaurant's awareness of the diner's identity, rather than an assertion of importance, given the context of the restaurant mentioning the diner's online reviews."
Neutral"The user questioned the diner's actions, asking why they would post negative feedback while still at the restaurant and then act surprised by the restaurant's reaction."
Neutral"The user stated that if a diner is refunded and offered to leave, they should do so without further complaint or posting negative feedback online, emphasizing that private businesses have the right to refuse service."
Positive"The user found both the restaurant and the diners to be at fault, criticizing the diners' perceived entitlement with the phrase 'do you know who I am?' which made their complaints about cold mushrooms seem less credible."
Negative"The user strongly criticized the diner's behavior as entitled and suggested that posting negative content online while still at the restaurant was inappropriate. They also advised the diner against making videos that could lead to harassment or legal issues."
Negative
