Lunch at Le Bernardin (*) – NYC

The $135 prix fixe lunch at Bernardin continues to be, to my mind, one of the best deals in fine dining. In my multiple experiences here I have rarely found the food to have lost any of its luster, and while the vibe is decidedly old school, the kitchen team continues to produce pristine, and often innovative, food.

For $135 you get:
– Canapés (glad to see they’ve finally abandoned the salmon rillettes, which were excellent but needed a refresh)

• Appetizer course selection (I chose the uni “soufflé” with white asparagus, espelette pepper, and nori-dusted brioche. Ridiculously good.)

• Bread selection (olive foccacia and brioche were my choices)

• Main course selection (crispy black bass, roulade of Provençal vegetables, preserved lemon-smoked pimentón sauce. Not my favorite main I’ve had from them, but still delicious)

• Dessert (strawberry shortcake and Tahitian vanilla chantilly cream. Heaven.)

• Mignardises

Wine BTG selection also stellar—I picked one of my favorite producers from Germany, a Karthäuserhof Schieferkristall Trocken Riesling, and the somm recommended this fantastic Valdespino Moscatel with dessert. The martini made with fino sherry to start the meal was also divine.

Having done the tasting menu and lunch at Le Bernardin multiple times, I’ll always recommend the lunch prix fixe.