La Grenouille in New York: Elegant Dining Experience (New York Restaurant Review 1)

Every summer, we spend a long weekend in Manhattan. One of our favorite parts of that weekend is to go to a "dining destination" type restaurant. This year, we picked La Grenouille and we loved it. We started with an amuse bouche, compliments of the chef. It was cucumber-watermelon gazpacho. Though not normally a gazpacho fan, Lisa really enjoyed the fresh cucumber taste mixed with watermelon, and she ate all of hers. Steve found it a bit out of his tasting range, and stopped after a sip.

Next, we had a cheese plate which contained three unidentified cheeses. Perhaps the management intentionally kept us in the dark because this course was the only mediocre one in an otherwise excellent dining experience. The appetizers picked up the pace. Lisa had lobster and saffron ravioli, which was good, though the saffron was a little strong. Steve, trying to match the order with the nature of the restaurant, had caviar (which he did share with Lisa) which we both loved.

For the main course, Lisa ordered the prime rib of beef special. The steak was a perfect medium rare throughout and Lisa thought it was among the best tasting red meat she's had. Steve loved the appearance but found it a bit lacking in taste. However, he loved his sirloin and short rib entree. The two steaks were perfect complements to one another.

For dessert, Lisa ordered rasperry chocolate torte, and Steve had an apple tart. The desserts were good, but not as good as the entrees. The chef also included complimentary petit fours and bittersweet chocolate nuts, both of which were very tasty.

We expected a fine wine list from a restaurant like La Grenouille and were not disappointed. We picked a Chateau Le Conseillante Pomerol. It was very smooth and a perfect accompaniment for the meat and cheese.

As would be expected, the bathrooms were excellent, but we can't give them a 3 because both had mirrored walls on all sides, which we found a bit jarring. But the bathrooms were impeccably maintained with nice fixtures.

Even though it doesn't sound from how we described each individual item that this was a stellar restaurant, the whole at La Grenouille was much better than the sum of its parts. Overall, this was one of the best dining experiences we've had. Part of that is the tranquil and sophisticated almost eastern European decor, the well-spaced tables, and the top notch, pleasant service. But the food also, as a whole, was superb, which it should be -- see below.

The total bill at La Grenouille was $900, with a bottle of wine costing $250, and a larger than necessary tip given our lack of prior research on how much one tips a captain and a waiter when tips for both are listed. (We looked on the Internet later and learned that the appropriate percentage is 5% for the captain and 15% for the waiter.) So, with wine by glass and a reasonable tip, it would have been about $600.

This is a classic dining experience, not a trendy New York spot, which is why we liked it so much. We highly recommend that anyone who wants elegant quality dining try La Grenouille.

Our rating for La Grenouille Restaurant. 3 E. 52nd St., New York, NY:

9 of 10 Steak Knives; 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes