“Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Le Bernardin and will definitely be back in the future.”
H3
All 1,331 rated mentions, most helpful first
“Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Le Bernardin and will definitely be back in the future.”
H3
“I thought Le Bernardin is very overrated, everything just had this same salty cream reduction sauce. There was also a small piece of plastic in one of the dishes.”
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“It’s a great seafood restaurant, and their guinea hen and steak I’ve had before are also great!”
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“Of course there's been so much said about this restaurant. It's a fantastic treat and I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed it twice in the last 16 months.”
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“Of the 12 or so different bits of the tasting from amuse bouche to petit fours I would say 6 of them were spectacular, 3 were ok and 3 did not cut it. I remember being more wowed from prior visits, this was a bit of a let down.”
H3
“my last visit was actually disappointing. We were rushed (lunch service) and all 4 fish main courses were over cooked.”
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“I’ve been to Le Bernardin quite a few times now, and while I’ve definitely had some wonderful experiences in the past, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a true mindblowing 3* experience.”
H3
“That salmon carpaccio is divine. I had mentioned to the server that I wanted another one for dessert it was so good and they brought me a mini portion as an amuse at the end of the meal. 😂”
H3
“With that said, last time I was there (2019) I was underwhelmed. My fish was clearly overcooked and I wasn't as wowed as I have been in the past.”
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“This was my first 3* restaurant visit and as far as food it didn’t live up to my expectations.”
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“On the inverse, Le Bernardin is perfection to me. I’ve seen multiple people say it’s over rated, not worth the hype. I completely disagree. I love that the flavors skew more acidic and light, and don’t use a ton of fat to compensate.”
H3
“The first few bites were exceptional, but then we were led into kind of the doldrums during the middle of the menu - a lot of fish that was unremarkably similar - until the final course, which was overwhelmingly salty.”
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“I personally loved my meal there, but they definitely often are lighter and more subtle but also more nuanced flavors than at other restaurants.”
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“Super delicious and always consistent. Always.”
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“This exact dish you say is amazing was extremely underwhelming for being their signature dish. The tuna was not of good quality and and chives weren’t even cut well”
H3
“I personally love their food and can see why they maintain their average (due to the fish quality and sauces,) but other spots are more nuanced. Their lunch menu is one of my favorites in the city”
H3
“the food is not exciting. If you want to have a perfectly cooked piece of fish, they can give you that, but it’s a very “safe” menu that lacks ingenuity and bold flavors, in my opinion.”
H3
“Absolutely Le Bernardin. The service is so spectacular, and the staff strikes the perfect balance of being knowledgable without being intimidating. True professionals.”
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“The level of cooking skill at Le Bernardin is top tier.”
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“Ive been there twice and was extremely disappointed. Service was rushed, unfriendly and kept pushing us to order more expensive add ons. The food was good but not $1k good.”
H3
“I love LB and go a few times a year for birthdays, anniversaries etc. and have been for almost 10yrs.”
H3
“However, the meal I had was flawless. Fish cooked to perfection. Sauce well seasoned and flavored. Dessert light and sweet. Portions were perfect.”
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“My lunch was awful everything was cold and under seasoned and the lobster had pieces of shell in it.”
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“The good news is that the sommeliers are excellent, and wine director Aldo Sohm is recognized internationally for his expertise. Wine pairings at Le Bernardin are not an afterthought.”
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“It's not the full 3 star experience, but it's damn good for the money and a great entry point for those that want to get a taste of fine dining without the four figure, for a party of 2, sticker shock.”
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“I would not describe Le Bern’s service as warm. It’s a large dining room and, as has already been mentioned, there are many regulars. I would describe the service as perfunctory.”
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“I would say they still heartily deserve their 3 stars. Everything about the service was impeccable, the wine pairings were perfect with incredibly knowledgeable sommeliers, and I would rate the food higher than you.”
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“You will enjoy it- the seafood is exquisitely cooked, but each course will “feel” similar- beautifully cooked piece of seafood with a wonderful sauce and some extra ingredient.”
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“I've done a lot of tasting menus, and LB is the best I've had. I think the great thing about LB is the exceptional sauces that are used in each dish. Truly excellent.”
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“I also thought everything was bland and under-seasoned and in no way worth the money. Ive been to several 3 star michelin places and this experience was by far my worst in this category”
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“Like slide 6 is just sole amandine, but it’s the best you’ve ever had.”
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“I love it to bits, flawless every single time.”
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“Thirding! The food is incredible and not overwhelming portion-wise, especially their 3 course prix fixe lunch.”
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“It isn’t close to my favorite restaurant, but it is an amazing deal (especially lunch) for a 3 star restaurant and it is hard to get fish (and sauces) more perfectly cooked”
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“The flavors didn’t quite hit the mark for me. My expectation with them having 3 stars is that my first bite would make me go wow, but it didn’t. The textures were great though. It’s a very classic style of cooking and not particularly exciting.”
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“I have eaten at Le Bernardin three times over the years, and it's still very much one of my favorite restaurants for the the reasons you noted. I'm not a huge fan of salmon or caviar personally, but their take on it is incredible.”
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“I went once for dinner and twice for lunch, good but nowhere near the hype. I understand the work involved behind the dishes but the flavors just don’t jump.”
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“When I went to Le Bernardin my fish had a bone in it that shouldn’t have been there, every dish was bland, and the staff was all super checked out.”
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“If you want the sauce to be the star, you’re more likely to love Le Bernardin. If you want the fish to be the star, you’re more likely to feel it’s not worth it.”
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“The tasting menu was good but was it 1k good with the wine pairing? No. Even without the wine pairing, it was not worth $300+ pp.”
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“I like Le Bernardin and think it’s by far the best of the 3’s”
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“The LB Lobster Roll on the Le Bernadin lounge menu - awfully expensive but worth every ~~penny~~ dollar.”
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“I cut my lips against defective cutlery with jagged edges, and I only got "sorry" and comp extra dessert I didn't want or ask for.”
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“It is the best meal of my life and they are so pleasant, they treat everyone so nicely and there is none of that "you are just lucky to be here" energy.”
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“The service is the differentiator. If they know you like X, they’ll bring a sampling out, for example. Lots of freebies and little things that make you feel welcome, etc.”
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“The tuna and foie is soooo good, and the scallop and uni is fantastic as well. Amazing service, unfortunately when I ate there I was a bit disappointed by the dover sole, found it lacking flavor despite being perfectly cooked”
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“However, if you want the best seafood, cooked to perfection, with great sauces, Le Bernardin is your place.”
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“It was good, but I found it a little boring. I get that their thing is pristine seafood, but for that much money, I want the food to be at least a bit surprising and at best mind-blowing.”
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“the clear stand out to me was the Dover Sole. OMFG that was a perfect fish. The pan toasted almonds on that perfectly cooked fish with that with that sherry wine emulsion. Absolutely outstanding.”
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“I kept feeling as if I was being fed fishy scraps and the sous chef was taking home our actual meal to serve his girlfriend. I returned the cod cheek course to the kitchen (rancid)”
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