When I heard Daniel Boulud was bringing a restaurant back to his old corner across from Lincoln Center, I had to go. I’m a big fan. His La Tête d’Or makes my favorite steak frites in the city, and I will fight anyone on that. Politely. After a martini.
Now, getting there was its own adventure. My first try was a Saturday night, across from Lincoln Center, with zero planning. Rookie move. I couldn’t get a seat, and that’s how I ended up at The Palm in Times Square instead. That’s a separate story for a separate post.
On my second try, I made it into Brasserie Boulud. And it was interesting. Not bad interesting. Just interesting. You’ll see.
The Room
The interior looks amazing. It’s a big upgrade from the old Bar Boulud days. Sexy red leather, hardwood, bright colors. It’s light and bright, but it still has that cozy brasserie feel where you’re close enough to the person next to you to know what they ordered, but not close enough to know their business.
The bar is very friendly and open to walk-ins. Which is great. But fair warning: a lot of people walk in. A LOT. It’s right across from Lincoln Center. What do you want me to say? Everybody needs a drink before the opera. Some of us need a drink instead of the opera.
The Bar Crowd
Sitting at the bar is the move here. You make friends easily. I was talking to a bunch of people the whole night, super friendly, super chill. The crowd is a mix of some tourists and a lot of locals. I mean a lot of locals. Upper West Siders know what they want, and apparently what they want is to sit next to me and hear about burgers.
The Martini and the Bread
I went with a normal Tito’s martini. Cold, clean, hit the spot. Sometimes you have to shake things up. Literally.
Then they brought out the baguette. That baguette is crack. Crusty outside, soft inside, perfect. It came with butter, and my one tiny gripe is that I wish the butter had been a little warmer so it spread easier. But that’s a minor complaint about great bread. I’m a man who notices butter temperature. This is who I am now.
The Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinéem(French onion soup) Is Dialed In
Next came the Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée, the French onion soup, with Alpine cheese and croûtons. This is where Brasserie Boulud showed off. It was a little bit of a cold day, and this soup warmed me right up from the inside. Not too salty. Full, deep flavor. You can taste the hours that went into those onions. It was dialed in. Bullseye.
If you go for one thing, go for this.
The Brasserie Boulud Burger: I Wanted to Love It
Here’s where it gets interesting.
I was going to order the steak frites. Then the bartender talked me into the Brasserie Boulud Burger instead. A 6 oz brisket blend with raclette, pork belly, and tomato compote. On paper? Sounds incredible.
In reality? I wasn’t a fan. It wasn’t pretty. The bun looked like it had been hit with a hammer. Squished flat. The cook on the patty was good, I’ll give it that. But the pork belly was thin, and the flavors were just okay. After a French onion soup that hit the bullseye, this burger hit the wall next to the dartboard.
It wasn’t bad. It was just lackluster. And that’s the thing about a Boulud restaurant. You expect more, because he’s shown you more. This is the man who makes my favorite steak frites in the city, and I walked away from steak frites. That’s on me.
The fries, though? Really good. The fries showed up for work. The burger called in sick.
Tarte Tatin and an Espresso Martini
Dessert brought it back. The tarte tatin is like an apple pie where everything got caramelized together and decided to become something better. Really, really good. Pair it with an espresso martini and you’ve got a perfect ending. It almost made me forget about the burger. Almost.
The Verdict
Not every restaurant hits on everything. It happens. Brasserie Boulud is new, the room is gorgeous, the bar is fun, the bread and soup are excellent, and the tarte tatin is a must. The burger just didn’t land for me.
Am I going back? Definitely. Am I ordering the burger again? Probably not. Next time I’m getting the steak frites, the way the good Lord and Daniel Boulud intended. And I’m already thinking about that French onion soup now that it’s getting colder.
Help Me Find the Best French Onion Soup in NYC
Speaking of which, I’m putting together a full ranking of the best French onion soups in the city, and Brasserie Boulud just set the bar. Drop your favorites in the comments. I’ll do the hard work of eating every single one. Somebody has to.
As always, what do I know? I am just a fat guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the week, one martini at a time.
Looking for more NYC restaurant reviews? Check out my Best Steakhouses in NYC, Best Burgers in NYC, and Best Restaurants in NYC lists.
Every dish look delicious!! I must visit soon.