Reviews Cafe Boulud

For a Daniel Boulud restaurant, I enjoyed Cafe Boulud even more than Daniel (the flagship restaurant). The dining room atmosphere is elegant but not stuffy. The food was fantastic of course and I especially enjoyed the way the menu is laid out: four menu options of first and second course separated out by: a regular menu, vegetarian, seasonal, and a city of choice. This month's city was New Orleans. The service was 5 star all the way and while I felt attended to, I did not feel hovered over. I would definitely come back.

Warm welcome with very polite staff and sober decor with the traditional french atmosphere. We were pleased to notice the manager was speaking french as we are french canadians travelling to NYC for the Christmas holidays. Food was served and prepared with extreme delicacy and the restaurant definitely lives up to its name and it's Michelin Star. We each had a handcrafted cocktail that, for my taste, justified the price they cost us. 5 stars for me! Definitely going back if I ever return to Upper East Side.

We absolutely loved dining at Cafe Boulud! From their scrumptious Neo French cuisine to their exceptional and knowledge staff, we found all of our appetizers, entrees and custom complimented wines to be more than delightful. Dining in this restaurant paired with the comfortable and shek atmosphere of the Bar Pleiades is a must try experience.

This is my favorite lounge. Great selection of drinks and the food is unbelievable. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

After a mix-up with my dining companion, the staff today, including our server Renata, were beyond kind and so very accommodating! The food enjoyed was delicious and the restaurant lovely. This is my second in the Boulud family and I'm a fan!

Excellence is an understatement, Heavenly Delicious Food and super great service, pleasing, friendly & accommodating staff

After our incredible meal at Daniel, the eponymous restaurant of acclaimed Chef Daniel Boulud, we were looking forward to dining at Café Boulud, located at The Surrey Hotel on the Upper East Side. Boasting one Michelin Star, Café Boulud celebrates 20 years of existence in what used to be Daniel’s original location and is a nod to the Chef’s family run restaurant in Lyon (just so you know, Lyon is considered the capital of French gastronomy, although I am sure some people would disagree). The menu, prepared by Chef Aaron Bludorn, is very interesting, declined in four sections:- La Tradition (no need to translate) is about French classic dishes, elevated. - La Saison (The Season), this time Summer, seasonal and local produces. - Le Potager (The Garden), vegetarian dishes. - Le Voyage explores cuisines of the world with a French twist. This time it was Mexican as it was the first voyage celebrated 20 years ago when the restaurant opened. They also had a special menu for La fête de Bayonne, to celebrate basque cuisine, but it is for all the table and, as Jodi is vegetarian, we dismissed it, most of the dishes being non-vegetarian. And to continue on the celebration theme, they had a live band that payed some nice music, not too loud, allowing us to have some conversation without having to shout.

Café Boulud
January 30, 2016

Upper East Side, New York City

Chef & Owner Daniel Boulud 
Executive Chef Aaron Bludorn
Executive Pastry Chef Ashley Brauze
General Manager Cherif Mbodji 
Maitre'd Jason Ferretti 
Head Sommelier Edouard Bourgeois 
Sommelier Cole Parry 

Accolades:

-1 Michelin Star 
-3 Stars, New York Times
-Relais & Chateaux
-James Beard Outstanding Restauranteur 
-James Beard Outstanding Chef
-James Beard Best Chef, NYC
-Gayot, Top 10 US Hotel Restaurants 

Review:

Just a few blocks north of Daniel, Star Chef & Restauranteur Daniel Boulud's flagship, is its sister restaurant, Cafe Boulud. Located inside The Surrey Hotel, Cafe Boulud holds 3 Stars from the New York Times as well as 1 Michelin Star. With Executive Chef Aaron Bludorn manning the kitchen, it's no wonder this is the case. Aaron's rise to his position was no small feat. He is an example of a Chef who rose in the ranks at Cafe Boulud since his arrival in 2009, working his way up the ladder to eventually take over the position of Executive Chef after the departure of Gavin Kayser who left to open his own restaurant in Minnesota. 
At my first trip to Cafe Boulud last night, Aaron and the entire staff were firing on all cylinders. The evening began with a very nice greeting from Maitre'd Jason Ferretti. With our coats checked, my dining companion and I followed Jason to a very nice table for two situated with a perfect view of the entire restaurant. I really liked the subtle elegance of Cafe Boulud. The restaurant was fancy without at all being stuffy. Just like Daniel, we were first presented with a cocktail list and wines by the glass. As I mentioned in my review of Daniel just a few weeks ago, I really enjoy when a restaurant takes it one step at a time and first gives you the drink menu before later giving you the dinner menu. When both are presented together it sometimes feels overwhelming, as if the restaurant wants to rush your decisions. Not the case at Cafe Boulud. After enjoying my cocktail for a bit along with a nice Amuse Bouche of a Butternut Squash and Parmesan Honey Crisp, our server presented our dinner menus. He explained the format which was actually quite unique. The menu is all a la carte and is categorized by themes consisting of "Classics & Country Cooking," "Winter Flavors," "Farmer's Market," and finally "Indian Cuisine." Our server began to read each dish on the menu to us and explained them thoroughly. This was a nice gesture although it was a little much to read the entire menu to us. I would have preferred to have read it myself and then ask my questions later. But this was of course, no big deal. Before placing my order I decided to speak with Cafe Boulud's Head Sommelier, Edouard Bourgeois. Having heard great things, I decided to put myself in his hands and elected to do "Reserve" Wine Pairings. After then making our food selections, we were ready for what we knew would be a memorable evening at Cafe Boulud. 
Shortly after ordering, Edouard returned with a really nice bottle of champagne to pair with a surprise course that Aaron would be sending out. The champagne was a Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot which I am familiar with, having had their Chardonnay a few months back at Per Se. Our server then arrived with a complimentary course of Smoked Sturgeon à l'Oseille which paired spectacularly with the Blanc de Blancs champagne. The Sturgeon was prepared with sorrel créme fraîche, a tiny buckwheat crepe, salsify and finished with a dollop of hackleback caviar. The flavors combined very well to create an excellent dish. 
Next up was my first course which was new to the menu. Seared Foie Gras which sat on top of a piping hot donut filled with tonka bean and sweet potato. This was my favorite dish of the night. I loved the dessert-like flavors accompanying the savory lobe of foie gras. The dish was made even better by a fantastic pairing of a 1998 Château Guiraud Sauternes. Having had a Château Guiraud a few times now, I have to say they make a hell of a Sauternes and it only gets better with age. 
For my next course I chose one of Cafe Boulud's most popular dishes, the Seared Duck Breast. It was served with beets, yogurt, roasted fennel and pistachios, and finished with sauce au poivre. The duck was cooked to a perfect medium rare, leaving the meat tender but still having the skin be nice and crisp. The wine pairing for this course was a Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon from Austrailia. It was such a unique wine with quite a different flavor profile than a Napa Cabernet. I really enjoyed it and it paired very well with the duck. 
Having finished our entrees and being allowed some time to enjoy the rest of my wine, we received a surprise visit from Chef Aaron Bludorn. It was a very nice gesture for him to leave the pass and come out to see how we were enjoying the meal. After our conversation with Aaron, we decided to add a cheese course to our dinner before having dessert. Shortly after, Edouard came over with two different wines. A lovely Pulginy-Montrachet white Burgundy and a fantastic 1990 Volnay-Santenots red Burgundy which was opened with the Coravin system. This was truly a special wine and my favorite of the night along with the Sauternes. Soon after, our server returned with a nice assortment of domestic and international cheeses that were presented beautifully on a wooden plank and served alongside toasted house baked bread and seasonal accoutrements. A very nice addition to the meal. 
With the meal moving at a perfect pace, the Maitre'd, Jason came over to tell us that the Pastry Chef had something in mind for us and asked if we wouldn't mind them proceeding without us looking at the dessert menu. We were all for it. Soon after, a dessert called "Milk & Cookies" arrived. I was very happy that the Pastry Sous Chef, Orlando (covering for Ashley Brauze who is out of town), chose this for my complimentary dessert. The Milk & Cookies was really a fabulously presented dessert and consisted of dulce, gianduja, manjari ganache, and a unique reduced milk sorbet. Each of these flavors complimented the other and had just the right amount of sweetness. 
After finishing dessert we were told that Aaron would like us to come back and see the kitchen. I, of course was all for that. I always enjoy a kitchen tour to end a special meal and see where all the magic goes down. I thanked both Aaron and Orlando for a wonderful meal and we were then led out to a table in the adjacent Bar Pleiades for some complimentary Amaro and Espresso. This was an extremely nice and unexpected gesture by Cafe Boulud to conclude a truly fantastic meal. 
All aspects of my dinner at Cafe Boulud were perfect and it will absolutely be a restaurant I return to. Not only that, but I can say with ease that this restaurant deserves far more recognition and actually should be talked about with some of the top restaurants in NYC. 

3.5 Stars. 

⭐️ Good
⭐️⭐️ Very Good
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent 
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ World Class

Flawless. Everything from the arancini amuse-bouche to the after-dinner madelines is well thought out and expertly done. Service is seamlessly choreographed. The menu is simple enough to avoid overwhelming guests and is divided into four diverse categories to offer enough choices.

The deconstructed Gravlax was an excellent first course, followed by a medium-rare duck breast with an ideal blend of winter flavors on the plate. The Honeycrisp apple tart had a good crust and was accompanied by buttermilk ice cream and Honeycrisp apple foam.

Definitely make a reservation more than a week in advance as the tables fill quickly.

Warm, friendly and delicious. My friend and I got a table for an early dinner, 6:30. Since this restaurant is quite rich for our blood, we shared on appetizer and each ordered another as a second course. Given the service and attention we received, you think we were among their usual wealthy clients. The braised beef dumplings were amazing, my pasta was delicious, and my friend's risotto perfect. It was a wonderful dinner and a wonderful time.

IMPRESSIVE. There is a reason restaurants run by great chefs such as Mr. Boulud, Mr. Vongerichten, Mr Ramsay and the like have survived this economic meltdown and that is by consistently delivering a fantastic experience time after time.

Cafe Boulud is no exception. My wife and I have dined at both the NYC and West Palm Beach properties and were equally delighted by the high level of service, ambiance and food quality.

Keep up the great work.

DANIEL BOULUD. Best Pea Soup in the world.

Irresistable. I have had the pleasure of eating at this restaurant whenever I am in NYC . If I lived in the neighborhood, I would be a regular customer as the food is spot on everytime as is the service . I have created my own tasting menu and experienced flavors that are unique and rich ,because of the talented chef and quality ingredients.

Rather the question should be, will it be allowed to? Lets take a step back before we answer that question, and provide a little bit of background. Among the top tier chefs of Manhattan, I'm a huge fan of chef Daniel Boulud. All of his restaurants are con

What does Daniel Boulud touch that doesn't turn to gold? Café Boulud metes out terrific food and service to a well-heeled clientele looking for casual chic dining.

We went there during Restaurant Week and I can say that it was an excellent choice! Everyone was very polite and attentive. The restaurant is elegant and they have a coat check at the entrance which is essential during winter months. All the dishes were beautifully served and were very delicious (especially the chocolate mousse cake!), the portions are not huge but the 3-course lunch was absolutely enough. Only one small thing that could be improved is the bread they served up before the appetizer—it was rather dry. Otherwise highly recommended!

Where do I even start, such an amazing experience here. Came for Restaurant Week lunch and we got seated right away since we had reservations. Menu was excellent and between 4 of us we tried everything on the menu. Salmon was perfectly cooked and melted in our mouths. Pate for starters was delicious and so was the soup/salad. Desserts were a treat to the eyes and palatte. Coconut cheesecake and chocolate torte were to die for. Service was impeccable and we had an excellent meal. We got complimentary freshly baked Madeleines which came out warm, and cauliflower stuffed appetizers which were amazing. We also got plenty of freshly baked bread.

Best lunch I've ever had. The butter for the roll tasted very high-quality, the ceviche had a kick of spice to it without being too overwhelming and the smoked salmon was just the right saltiness. The Mains(the duck leg and cod) were perfectly portioned and were extremely flavorful. Dessert was amazing as well.

Magnificent. Everything was fantastic. Second to none in my book. One must visit and experience it to understand what top notch means.

Exquisite French cuisine, impeccable service and elegant atmosphere at this 1-star Michelin restaurant. Came here for a lovely lunch where I enjoyed a refreshing & vibrant Chilled Roasted Beet Soup, a perfectly crispy & juicy Roasted Poussin, and a duo of desserts, both of which were outstanding. An excellent choice for a business or romantic lunch on the Upper East Side.