Brasserie Cognac East

“Most favorite order was the soufflé with pistachio creme Anglais.”

“It's a quaint little French bistro on the Upper East Side.”

“Bernard, the manager, was very accommodating and Alvero, the waiter, was very attentive.”

Brasserie Cognac East

Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes

Price range.

$$$ Price range $31-60

6 reviews

  1. I like the atmosphere, food, location and price.  Most favorite order was the soufflé with pistachio creme Anglais.  Next is the seared foie gras.  The steak has very good French fries and good amount of vegetable.  It's a balanced diet! I'm going back. Food is well prepared.  The night we were there we were serenaded by two musicians – one with trombone and the other a guitar.  They sounded like the 30s music.

    We had a great time!

  2. I was taken for my birthday and WHAT A BIRTHDAY TREAT!  A small venue with a very long wait, even with reservations.  The maître d' sent us a bottle of champagne to compensate, so…fine with me!  A delicious beet salad followed by possibly the best lamb I've ever had..crispy crust, tender center.  The dessert was the star..a white and dark chocolate soufflé..to die for!

  3. I headed out one morning with a friend and we weren't sure if we wanted to do coffee and a bagel or something a little more robust.  We stumbled on Brasserie Cognac East and its street presence and cozy look drew us in.  It is an A+ location on the corner of Lex and has sidewalk seating for the nicer months.

    The inside is quaint but their is such an air of stuffiness that I nearly suffocated on the smug in the air when I walked in.  I wasn't dressed poorly, but I wasn't in a sport jacket either; the looks I received made me feel very unwelcome in the restaurant.  We got great seats by the window for great people watching and again I must say this is a great little location on the UES.

    The brunch menu was typical french: eclectic offering, mostly unappetizing, expensive.  I will say the service was pretty top-notch as they touched the table on numerous occasions and were quite polite.

    Unfortunately my lasting memory is the stuffiness and unwelcome feeling I had while in the restaurant.  The food isn't good enough to endure that sort of priggish attitude from the staff.

  4. Came in here for quiet lunch. Nice to actually have a quiet lunch where there are no problems speaking and hearing the people you are with. A bit surprised to be having a Salmon Burger with avocado, spicy tomato & ketchup remoulade at a French place but it worked for me and there were also kid friendly items available for the younger people at the table as well. Overall a great experience for all of the tastes we covered for our small group.

  5. For breakfasting/brunching the food is good. However you may pay $3 for a little glass of milk, or a little scoop of ice cream. Doesn't seem right in the scheme of things. Is this acceptable purely because of the locale??

    The lemon ricotta pancakes are fluffy, light, and delicious. The orange cinnamon brioche french toast was good as well but I found it to be a little more on the soggy side as far as french toast is concerned. Probably due to the nature of brioche.

    The waitress kindly offered me all kinds of appetizers, breadbaskets, and alcohol. Maybe next time, and for a PM meal.

  6. This is a nice place for a relaxing dinner. The manager was pleasant, but I thought that my server was confused. Maybe it was her first day? I had their hand cut fries and goat cheese tomato tart: roasted tomato, fresh goat cheese, thyme, and olive oil on warm puff pastry. The puffed pastry was a little overcooked, part of the tomato was burned (see photos). Overall, though, I had a relaxing evening and recommend the place for the ambiance.

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Lexington Avenue 963
New York 10021 NY US
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Monday, 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Tuesday, 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Wednesday, 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Thursday, 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Friday, 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Saturday, 11:00 am - 11:30 pm
Sunday, 11:00 am - 11:00 pm