The Leopard at des Artistes
“We were looking for a great neighborhoody spot to grab a special dinner before a NY Philharmonic show at Lincoln Center.”
“Overall though, the Leopard is a great place for a special occasion or time when you want to splurge on a great Italian meal!”
“With dinner, I enjoyed a glass of the Montepulciano "Dama" 2009 Marramiero ($12) that was jammy and accompanied the rabbit well.”
The Leopard at des Artistes
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Classy restaurant with DELICIOUS food and excellent service.
Everything we ate was amazing (see pictures below). They start you off with a gigantamous basket of bread.
Appetizer: "Gnudi" – ricotta gnocchi in a white sauce, topped with spinach
Entrees: Pappardelle with lamb (on their specials for the night)
Vegetarian options available and I highly recommend the ravioli with artichoke and burrata cheese in a tomato sauce.
Dessert: Profitteroli with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Unlike other high end restaurants in the city that bring out just a pinch of dessert (where you find yourself asking – is that it?!), this place gives you a huge portion that can easily be shared.
Food and service were both great, but the ambiance is slightly dull/boring/serious – maybe that was because we were here on a weekday evening. It might be more lively on the weekends.
This place is perfect for a family dinner with your grandparents or even a business meeting. But may not be the best idea for a first date.
We went to Leopard on a weekend in the evening for their restaurant week special. We were greeted promptly at check in and they took our jackets – they don't give you a coat check ticket and they remember your face, which is cool.
The restaurant is very pretty inside. The tables in the front are standard, but in the back by the bar they're sectioned off in little alcoves, which give you privacy from other diners but makes for a close situation with the other table in the alcove with you.
I ordered a glass of champagne and then we ordered our meal. We got:
APPETIZERS:
Smoked trout – This was served with green apples and radicchio. The smoked trout itself was nice, but the whole dish had a sour component that made it hard to consume. I think that this could have benefitted from less radicchio and perhaps another ingredient? We did not finish this dish.
Bresaola and caprino cheese "bocconcini" – VERY interesting dish, did not look like I would have expected at all. Bresaola stuffed to look like little flowers with a soft cheese that almost reminded me of a cross between a goat cheese and a refreshing tzatziki. The pickled vegetables with this were delicious. Dining partner did not like this, I loved it.
ENTREES:
Risotto – This was a nicely prepared risotto dish with sage and butter, topped with toasted almonds and served in a butternut squash sauce. This was perfectly cooked and hearty. We liked it.
Branzino – A nice piece of fish served in a very light, fresh tomato sauce with thinly sliced small potatoes and some olives. We finished this one quickly.
DESSERTS:
"Bonet" semifreddo – Recommended by our server. This was alright. Extremely chocolatey.
Hot canederli – Little Italian style "dumplings" stuffed with apricot and served with a little flavorful apricot yogurt ice cream on the side. Interesting dish. Desserts were OK overall.
We would come back to try the main menu. The place were this restaurant was lacking a little was with the service. Our server never came to check on us after we received our dishes and he took away my champagne glass without offering me another drink. Additionally, at the end, he dropped our check off without asking us if we wanted anything else. While he was knowledgable about the dishes and was nice in general, it felt like we were being rushed out and the normal nice touches of premium dining weren't hitting the mark.
All in all, a nice meal that we did not regret.
From the moment we walked into this restaurant, which I had not dined in since it was Cafe des Artistes, until the moment we left, we had a perfect evening.
I was early, and was greeted by the Maitre d' and by the hostess, who took my coat. No need for a coat check, they assured me. I was escorted up to the bar — they took care to caution me about the stairs, and I sat at the bar, which had a really excellent selection, particularly for a smaller establishment.
When the rest of my party arrived, the hostess came to me to let me know and to escort me to the table. The bartender offered to take my drink to the table.
Our lead waiter for the evening, Marco, was just outstanding. Warm, friendly, accommodating — he, himself, like the Matire d', is Italian, and I urge you to take advantage of that. Ask the server's advice — ask which wines he would recommend with your dish, and what his favorite dishes are. Every suggestion he made proved to be an excellent choice. We had three other waiters who appeared throughout the meal, and they were equally nice and helpful.
We were a group of non-bread eaters, but the bread basket they put out at the beginning looked wonderful. They also brought out a plate with four very small amuse-bouches that were polenta flavored with what we think was fennel. A nice little surprise.
Appetizers: One person got the lentil soup (which is vegan) and said it was perfect. Someone else got the Caponata and enjoyed it, and the third person and I shared the mozzarella and tomatoes. Excellent, creamy, bufala mozzarella. Their olive oil is also delicious.
Main courses: Two in our party got the special fish for the evening, and it was brought out and deboned in front of us; it was like watching a surgeon in action — except he took the bones out, in one piece, using a SPOON. Dude. A spoon. Once he had finished, two other waiters appeared with the other two dishes, and we were all served at the same time.
The other person had a pasta dish with a Milanese bolognese sauce, made with veal — a white sauce, that gets much of its flavor from the copious amount of onions used in it. I had the roasted chicken — simple, straightforward, yet cooked perfectly and exquisitely. The chef is truly to be commended.
I did not have any dessert, but the coffee was wonderful — one person in our party had the cannolis — two small come on a dish, and small is most welcome after a meal so that it's not overwhelming. The other person had the Baba, which came with fresh berries.
We did not feel rushed at all — we were there on a weeknight, and it was certainly full. When we left, we were given our correct coats (remember, no coat checks?). I asked about whether they had private parties there, and the Maitre D' showed me a small, private room that is across the lobby hallway of 1 West 67th. It's like a small salon — one large table, with bookshelves filled with books. I plan to book an event there in the fall, and will report on how that goes.
For the Upper West Side, and Manhattan in general, the price was not outrageous — under $100/person, including wine. I would definitely return and highly recommend it to others.
Another great spot we got to visit during the Restaurant Week Summer 2016 was The Leopard at des Artistes. We went for a weekend Brunch. It is located nearby Lincoln Center, nice quiet area. This restaurant offers the Southern Italian menu, from the regions of Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Apulia, Sardinia, and Sicily.
As soon as I walked in, I was amazed by the beautiful, huge mural at the far end of the wall. The table setting and other interior design were kept simple, as to not fight against the artworks on the walls.
So, where does the "Artistes" part comes in, other than these mural paintings? Well, it sits inside the Hotel Des Artistes, which was designed and built as an artist's apartment building in 1917, for artists like Norman Rockwell.
The food that we ordered from the special Restaurant Week was really nice. The Region of this particuar weekend was Campania, so we got to taste some of their cuisine, starting with Campania soup called Stracciatella, Baccalá "mantecato", Uova all'Amatriciana" and Scramble eggs with Italian sweet sausage. They were flavorful, comforting, and some more interesting than others. I must confess, I loved the restaurant itself better than the food, I wish if I could give 3.5 stars…
We had a very relaxing, pleasant Brunch here. The waiter was very nice and polite. He was always within reach, without hovering over us. We got there when opened, so it was quiet and tranquil. The service was great and we enjoyed our food. This will be a great place to bring our parents for a nice, relaxing weekend brunch! Read my full review of this restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.
Update: I came again for brunch with some friends and it was more of a 3 star experience the second time round. It was Sunday at midday and the place was almost empty. I think we made a mistake with ordering as well – stay away from burgers etc. (bland, unimpressive) and stick to the Italian food, which is what they do best.
We came for Saturday brunch and I absolutely loved it. I honestly can't stop talking about it.
The food was fantastic – started with bread and great quality oil, then I had the carbonara which was cooked and seasoned to perfection – just the right bite to the pasta, rich but not too rich, with wonderful tasting cheese. My husband had something which was sort of like an Italian croque monseuir – toasted rustic bread with melted buffalo mozzarella and Parma ham with a side of tomatoes and red onions which were in this great oil and garlic dressing. Everything tasted SO GOOD. Fresh and simple good quality ingredients put together really well. We also had a couple of mimosas each which tasted amazing (proper champagne and fresh juice, not sugary rubbish). We were too full for dessert but they gave complementary mini fresh cookies which is always such a nice touch.
Service was great and the atmosphere was perfect, quite posh but still relaxed and welcoming.
The final happy surprise was the price. Entrees and drinks were around $14, $5 less than most overpriced chains in the area charge.
I cannot wait to go back for brunch again and for dinner. Can't speak highly enough, the food actually put a big smile on my face for the rest of the afternoon.
Absolutely fantastic upscale Italian restaurant. It's a bit of a hidden gem – which is fine by me because I love not having to fight for a table here (cough cough the smith & boulud sud cough cough). The Leopard is a great choice for pre- and post-show and also when you're in the mood for a great plate of pasta.
I'm obsessed with the rigatoni a la norma here – the eggplant and ricotta are perfection, although every dish here is great, including surprisingly good french fries and a delicious dessert menu.
The decor is classy and the service is impeccable. Coming here feels like escaping the hustle and bustle of the New York restaurant scene. Highly recommend for anyone in the area.
We ordered a bottle of wine and the tasting menu.
Couple things may have happened here. 1.) we just returned from three weeks in Italy. 2.) due to wisdom tooth extraction I am currently eating on the right side of my mouth. 3.) I can't come up with any more excuses.
Say it isn't so! A place that boasts itself as a true Italian restaurant, like from Italy and the pasta was terrible. Seriously! What happened?
Yelp folks you have let us down. Ok it is only this one time but why does this place have 4 stars?
The good? Awesome Italian wine and great selection. The dessert was fantastic. Italian donuts kind of like beignets served with chocolate espresso gelato. Yum! And uh, yeah, good espresso.
The bad? Food lacked flavor.
The ugly? The inconsistently cooked pasta. Some bites of ziti were al dente, others chewy. We ordered the ziti with sausage and black truffle. Basically a bowl of pasta with a very tiny amount of sausage and what truffle? I had one in my dish. And they didn't taste right.
Takeaway, if you go, sit at the bar. Order wine and dessert.
Must say, service was exceptional! 5 stars! Our waiter was attentive, friendly and knew his wines. Appetizer of octopus was good but missing something. The ricotta gnocchi appetizer was the best food of the night outside the dessert.
If I could I would give 2 1/2 stars but the Yelp system rounds it up to 3.
Went to this fancy brunch spot a few months back with RW. It was real yummy!
The portions are smallish, but quite rich. The burger was divine and the fries were perfectly seasoned. I had the tuna tartar, which was super fresh and incredible. We also split a pancake w/Nutella creme — this broke the rule of small portions, as it was ginormous and holy-hell level delicious.
The desserts were nice, especially the sponge cake w/ cherry compote, but nothing mind blowing.
The hostess when we walked in was strangely snotty, but the waiter was pretty good. All the waitstaff wear short white lab coats, which as a medical student I found very amusing.
Overall, it was a very good meal and would be a nice place to take your nana before checking out a museum or on your way back from church, but is probably not the best place for a relaxed hangover-relieving brunchy brunch.