Bouley
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Reputed as one of the best restaurants in NYC, Bouley more than succeeds in delivering a superlative all-around dining experience. The ambiance is extravagant yet comfortable, the service perfection, and the food is without question some of the finest we have experienced. Although the best way to experience Bouley is through the tasting menus, the $150 dinner menu may be cost-prohibitive. As an alternative we suggest the $48 lunch tasting which is just as gratifying though you will most likely need an after-meal nap.
Atmosphere
If you are not familiar with Bouley's location, it is easy to miss. Located on a very visible and very busy corner in TriBeca you think it would be waving large flags and shining bright lights, but Bouley has gone the opposite direction with a very plain, obscure entrance of a single, small door, and one very easily-missable sign. Once inside, the magic of Bouley turns the other way, with a magical entryway of rows and rows of apples sitting on simple wooden shelves. The result is like stepping into Snow White's lair, and the effect is mesmerizing in it's simplicity. By the way, there are roughly 1,400 apples in that room.
Inside the dining rooms the ambiance is Old-World elegance, with large, well-spaced tables draped in crisp linen and set with fine china and silver. The tables are flanked by plush velvet chairs, or banquettes with the softest, most comfortable down pillows imaginable. The room itself is designed to look old, with high rounded ceilings, like old underground cisterns, and walls frescoed to appear aged. Large elegant doorways are famed in dark purple velvet, as are huge oversized oil paintings on the walls, and elegant French antiques are used as service stations. Oversized and complicated floral arrangements complete the scene, and soft French or instrumental music plays overhead.
Inside the dining rooms the ambiance is Old-World elegance, with large, well-spaced tables draped in crisp linen and set with fine china and silver. The tables are flanked by plush velvet chairs, or banquettes with the softest, most comfortable down pillows imaginable. The room itself is designed to look old, with high rounded ceilings, like old underground cisterns, and walls frescoed to appear aged. Large elegant doorways are famed in dark purple velvet, as are huge oversized oil paintings on the walls, and elegant French antiques are used as service stations. Oversized and complicated floral arrangements complete the scene, and soft French or instrumental music plays overhead.
Service
Service is impeccable, as expected, though not as stuffy as one would imagine. Our Captain was professional but also dryly witty, which was a nice surprise.
Food
Wanting to sample a large array of food, but not being able to commit to the $150 dinner tasting menu, we opted for the tasting menu at lunch which is, relatively speaking, an absolute bargain at $48 per person.
To start, warm rolls, one rosemary and the other apple raisin, are brought to the table with a small silver pot of perfectly soft butter. Suffice it to say, that bread is one of the many things that Bouley does exceptionally well, with each roll having a perfect hard crust, and a warm soft inside. With the bread, an amuse bouche of squash-chestnut soup with pine nuts was creamy, soft, and rich.
For a first course, Big Eye tuna sashimi with a yuzo-miso dressing was light and delicate, though I found the texture bafflingly slimy. Porcini flan with truffle and crab was outrageously rich but had wonderful flavor; the creamy subtlety of the flan melted in the mouth as the truffle permeated the senses. The combination sent me onto a cloud of ecstasy and I was seriously tempted to take off my clothes and swim in it. Luckily, I have manners.
For the fish course, cod swimming in a decadent mushroom and dijon hollandaise and dusted with a coating of black onion powder, was a little too much for me but, nevertheless, had that luxurious self-indulgent creaminess that one is to expect at an expensive French meal. On the other hand, the crispy-skinned mackerel was light and delicate, with a slightly-sweet sauce with peas and chestnuts.
For the meat, a predictable striploin with bordelaise and potato puree was expertly done, but we preferred the perfectly-cooked duck with truffle, honey, and quince, served with chewy wheatberries and Tokyo turnips.
Between courses, a coconut soup with tropical fruit sorbet and pineapple granite was light and refreshing, with the perfect amount of tartness.
For dessert, a warm Valrhona chocolate souffle was dense and eggy, with cool and creamy maple and vanilla ice creams and chocolate sorbet. There is nothing wrong with warm chocolate souffle, of course, though after having it in almost all of the restaurants we visit, I admit I am growing a little weary of its appearance. On the other hand, a tangy and tarte mango and passion fruit dome was surprisingly satisfying, with interesting rosemary ice cream. On the house, we were given a nice crème brulee with the custard still warm. Though I prefer my custard room temperature, the sugar on this was perfectly crisp and charred, and, on the whole, it was excellent.
As the finale, a plate of petit fours arrived consisting of macaroons, truffles, chocolates, fruit gelee, etc. At this point, we were truly ready to explode, though, for the review's sake, I concede to try all of them. They were good, but not good enough for me to stuff them down, or wrap them up in a napkin and to take home, again, manners. I especially liked the truffles.
For coffee, Bouley has a selection of your typical espresso, cappuccino, latte, and the like, however, if you choose regular coffee you are confronted with an actual coffee menu with several varietals from which to choose. This was a first for me, and made me chuckle, though as coffee becomes increasingly as elite as wine, I definitely see the trend taking root. I chose what appeared to be the strongest coffee on the menu though, to my dismay, the end result was neither remarkable nor strong, nor particularly hot.
To start, warm rolls, one rosemary and the other apple raisin, are brought to the table with a small silver pot of perfectly soft butter. Suffice it to say, that bread is one of the many things that Bouley does exceptionally well, with each roll having a perfect hard crust, and a warm soft inside. With the bread, an amuse bouche of squash-chestnut soup with pine nuts was creamy, soft, and rich.
For a first course, Big Eye tuna sashimi with a yuzo-miso dressing was light and delicate, though I found the texture bafflingly slimy. Porcini flan with truffle and crab was outrageously rich but had wonderful flavor; the creamy subtlety of the flan melted in the mouth as the truffle permeated the senses. The combination sent me onto a cloud of ecstasy and I was seriously tempted to take off my clothes and swim in it. Luckily, I have manners.
For the fish course, cod swimming in a decadent mushroom and dijon hollandaise and dusted with a coating of black onion powder, was a little too much for me but, nevertheless, had that luxurious self-indulgent creaminess that one is to expect at an expensive French meal. On the other hand, the crispy-skinned mackerel was light and delicate, with a slightly-sweet sauce with peas and chestnuts.
For the meat, a predictable striploin with bordelaise and potato puree was expertly done, but we preferred the perfectly-cooked duck with truffle, honey, and quince, served with chewy wheatberries and Tokyo turnips.
Between courses, a coconut soup with tropical fruit sorbet and pineapple granite was light and refreshing, with the perfect amount of tartness.
For dessert, a warm Valrhona chocolate souffle was dense and eggy, with cool and creamy maple and vanilla ice creams and chocolate sorbet. There is nothing wrong with warm chocolate souffle, of course, though after having it in almost all of the restaurants we visit, I admit I am growing a little weary of its appearance. On the other hand, a tangy and tarte mango and passion fruit dome was surprisingly satisfying, with interesting rosemary ice cream. On the house, we were given a nice crème brulee with the custard still warm. Though I prefer my custard room temperature, the sugar on this was perfectly crisp and charred, and, on the whole, it was excellent.
As the finale, a plate of petit fours arrived consisting of macaroons, truffles, chocolates, fruit gelee, etc. At this point, we were truly ready to explode, though, for the review's sake, I concede to try all of them. They were good, but not good enough for me to stuff them down, or wrap them up in a napkin and to take home, again, manners. I especially liked the truffles.
For coffee, Bouley has a selection of your typical espresso, cappuccino, latte, and the like, however, if you choose regular coffee you are confronted with an actual coffee menu with several varietals from which to choose. This was a first for me, and made me chuckle, though as coffee becomes increasingly as elite as wine, I definitely see the trend taking root. I chose what appeared to be the strongest coffee on the menu though, to my dismay, the end result was neither remarkable nor strong, nor particularly hot.
Cleanliness
Perfect! Plus, a trip to the bathroom is an event: down one floor there is a wonderful castle-like hallway with warm lighting and plush seating. Off to the sides is the wine cellar, which you can peek in, and a lovely, cloistered room for private events. The bathrooms themselves are overdone in lots of red velvet and ornate mirrors, bringing to mind a medieval bordello (not that I would know), but I can't say they aren't fun.
Pros
Beautiful warm ambiance that screams luxury, exceptional food and service.
Cons
Cost-prohibitive, may be too stuffy for some, coffee was disappointing.
