Upscale French dining w/ creative menus & stellar seafood. Perfect for special occasions & solo adventures.
Amber Sutherland-Namako reviews Café Boulud, a revival of the classic French restaurant, awarding it three stars for its upscale dining experience with accessible pricing for multi-course meals.
This French eatery offers a refined dining experience, celebrating classic dishes with a modern twist. Diners can craft personalized meals from four distinct culinary concepts, including traditional French, seasonal, vegetarian, and globally-inspired options. Standout dishes like the black sea bass and seared scallops are expertly prepared and beautifully presented, making it a worthy choice for a special occasion.
The French cuisine here is highly regarded, with specific mentions of excellent seafood, foie gras, sweetbreads, and duck. The restaurant also offers appealing vegetarian options and a rotating global cuisine section, though some less unique items like pomme frites have received mixed reviews.
"Standout dishes include the black sea bass with potato crust, seared scallops with Champagne beurre blanc, and lobster ravioli. The foie gras, sweetbreads, and creamy spinach casserole are also highly praised."
Customers generally have a positive sentiment towards the restaurant, often recommending it for its French cuisine, seafood options, and suitability for special occasions.
Important Note
One review noted that the Eel Bar's caneles were superior to those at Cafe Boulud. Another mentioned minor issues like a wait for a reservation and the dining room's lighting.
"Cafe Boulud is recommended as an alternative if a walk-in at Monkey Bar does not work out."
Neutral"This user recommended Cafe Boulud's $60 Restaurant Week dinner menu as a pick for a special night out."
Positive"Café Boulud is participating in NYC Restaurant Week with a $60 dinner option."
Neutral"Cafe Boulud is suggested as a potential option, though it leans towards the fancier side."
Neutral"The user recommends Cafe Boulud as one of the restaurants to visit during French Restaurant Week."
Positive"Cafe Boulud was suggested as a potential location to find pommes dauphine, after a previous misidentification of the requested dish."
Neutral"This user suggested Daniel Boulud's cafes as a place to get a croissant, implying they are a good source for this item."
Positive"The original poster expresses a personal desire to visit Cafe Boulud, seeing this occasion as an opportunity to cross it off their list."
Positive"Cafe Boulud is suggested as a good fit for a quiet, classic, and not too adventurous dining experience, particularly among Upper East Side options."
Positive"Cafe Boulud is listed as a suggested restaurant."
Neutral"The original poster has heard nothing negative about Cafe Boulud and finds their vegetarian menu appealing, considering it as a potential best choice for a Michelin-starred experience with vegetarian options."
Positive"This user recommends Cafe Boulud as a consideration for its great seafood options, especially if the user prefers an à la carte menu."
Positive"Includes Cafe Boulud in a list of restaurant recommendations."
Positive"Recalls preferring Cafe Boulud over Daniel back when Gavin Kaysen was the chef."
Positive"Recommends Cafe Boulud for solo French dining."
Positive"Eel Bar caneles were better than bouloud cafe"
Negative
