Le Coq Rico
“He was confident I would enjoy the Quarter Chicken with Seasonal Salad and Macaroni Au Gratin.”
“Highlight dishes: En meurette, fried & crusty, terrine en croûte of duck foie gras, roasted brune landaise chicken, and Thomas Farm roasted squab.”
“To top it off Chef Westermann was in the restaurant greeting people.”
Le Coq Rico
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Impressed with my first visit. This is the Frenchiest place in NYC! Seems that all of the waiters speak French. Food was very good from start to finish. Wine list is a bit pricey but well thought out. The roast bird was excellent as was the french fries. Will definitely return.
I really wanted to like this place. It would have been an aces stop for food-anxious and picky relatives and friends.
I took my mother here for Mother's day. My mother is usually pretty game for the more outre type places I've taken her before, as long as they have a safe choice, usually chicken or salmon. She marvels to this day about the time I got her to eat a piece of octopus at Il Buco. So, when it's time to take her out for Mother's day, I figured, chicken restaurant, right? Fancy chicken! All chicken! Can't go wrong! Right?
Wrong.
Reservation was for the most primest of times, 8 PM. Essentially when you'd expect the kitchen to be running at optimum. Well, upon arrival, we were informed by the maitre d that they were OUT OF CHICKEN. NO whole chicken, no quarter chicken. They had a few game birds (why is the Cornish hen the same cost as a chicken, by the way?), and they had the large format $150 stew. The combined dishes were still available. But no whole chicken, LITERALLY the restaurant's raison d'etre. At prime time. On a holiday. How a restaurant running for a few months with a seasoned management team could possibly not think that a holiday famous for dinner out might require extra birds is beyond me. And it was 8 pm, on Mother's Day. We weren't going to be able to walk down the block and get a table immediately at Gramercy Tavern, y'know? We were stuck.
The service was affable, but a bit rushed…the place was not running at capacity (perhaps everyone eats early on Mother's day? Or perhaps there were a number of tables that just said NO when told that the famous chicken restaurant has no chicken), and we were seated at a lovely corner table, but then wait staff essentially hovered over us to grab any plate that was finished, the second it was finished.
How was the food we actually got? Serviceable. Which for the cost and the pageantry, left me rather cold. I really wish I could give it a dispassionate review, but I was so peeved about the lack of chicken at a chicken restaurant that everything seemed to be seasoned with a patina of disappointment. But here's the rundown:
Soft-boiled egg – it's a soft boiled egg. A single one. With salmon eggs and toast soldiers. For $14.
Terrine en croute – It's a terrine. Very large amount of foie. Tasty.
Lobster and Chicken – the sauce was actually quite delicious. It is a smallish serving, and there is very little lobster. It's $34. There should be a lobster tail in here. A whole one. There is not.
Poule au pot – The half breast and full thigh in this was delicious. It only made me madder that this was not the chicken as advertised. Routine potato, carrot. There is a meatball of chicken and liver stuffed in a cabbage, and it was the only delightful surprise of the meal. Soup was VERY well seasoned. Get this when they are chicken-less.
Pommes Puree – Excellent mashed potatoes. They were available. Perhaps they should refocus the restaurant on their potatoes.
Vanilla Strawberry Vacherin – Good.
All of the above, plus two cocktails, 1 bottle of (very modestly priced) wine, and two dessert wines came to $280 plus tip. I wish I could come back and try their chicken to see if it justifies the price tag. I will not come back and gamble another $300.
Gotta love those impromptu late Sunday dinners. Came here straight from LaGuardia after a weekend of being out-of-town. Seeing that there were reservations available, we snagged one immediately, on the cab ride back to Manhattan.
Had heard a lot of great things about Le Coq Rico, and was intrigued by their poultry-centric menu. Not quite at all familiar with Chef Westermann's restaurants, but was eager to try. The vibe and decor of the space definitely screams fine dining, but it didn't feel stuffy, which I really liked. There seemed to be a lot of low-key, casual dinners going on in the dining room, and it was just a comfortable scene.
What we got:
– Phantom of the Sazerac (for 2): Maple smoked in a clamp-lid bottle, the cocktail was very strong and smokey, and we really liked the star anise flavor as well.
– Offal platter: Livers, wings, other non-traditional parts. Delicious and well-seasoned, although not the most pleasant-sounding.
– Crispy & Crunchy egg: Came with blanched cold asparagus which actually paired reasonably well with the runny, fried, crunchy, crusted egg.
– Seared foie gras: Crusted in poppyseeds, the flavor and texture was perfect, and had that richness you get from foie gras.
– Roasted squab: Wrapped in braised cabbage, the meat was very tender, although I didn't quite get any squab flavor.
-Île flottante (Floating Island): Legitimately amazing. The perfect sphere of meringue was light and airy, and the pool of creme anglaise was velvety and not too sweet. Have yet to see any dessert quite like it.
I was actually pretty impressed with the price points, considering most appetizers were less than $20, entrees were about $25-27, and the portions were quite sizable. Quite a good value all around, and we were stuffed afterwards, despite only ordering one entree. Our server was very personable and attentive, and gave us some really good recommendations, including that dessert.
Will be back for that the ile flottante, and likely to try their other aged poultry.
KenScale: 8.5/10
At the moment, New York is having a bonanza with large format chicken dishes. How good can a chicken be? I still consider the NoMad as a standard bearer of awesome chicken, and many other restaurants that have tried to replicate this formula have had success with varying degrees. Enter Antoine Westermann, a French chef who has a three Michelin star restaurant in Strasbourg famous for having awesome poultry selections. The moment I walked into Le Coq Rico, the first venture from chef Westermann, I could tell that the restaurant was displaying a ton of confidence in the authenticity of French poultry cuisine, with a French maître d greeting my dining group and most if not all of the staffs seemingly all French. The restaurant bills itself as the bistro of beautiful birds, and if you see the menu, each large format poultry dish shows the number of days the bird has been raised before it is brought to the dining table. In some ways, such bravado can be seen as arrogance, but in this case I have to give credit to Le Coq Rico because I've had one of the best chicken dishes in recent years.
Before you dig into one of the large format poultry dishes, make sure you get a couple of appetizers because I had a lot to like about the ones that I tried. Among the egg selections, the one "en meurette" (with bacon and mushroom in red wine reduction) had very elegant flavor without being overly heavy. It was quite a nice start to the meal. My dining companion, who is not in general a fan of foie gras, didn't like the terrine en croute (i.e. in pastry crust) of duck foie gras, but I thought it was one of the better foie gras dishes in the city, with nice balance of flavor and texture. Now on the to main part. There are a number of options on the menu, but the fact that the restaurant left a separate section for "Westermann's Baeckeoffe" (I didn't know previously, but baeckeoffe is a classic chicken dish from Alsace region) apart from other dishes tempted me greatly to try this dish despite the hefty price tag (at $120). Let me say this was an absolute show stopper. First you see a bird inside a giant pot with smoke coming out of it (it was a shame I couldn't get a good photo of this decadent scene due to the smoke). Next comes the bird in a plate accompanied by artichokes, potatoes, tomatoes and Riesling jus. Not only was the bird perfectly cooked with juicy, tender meat, but I was just swooning over with the rich flavor of all the combined ingredients that worked so beautifully like a well-orchestrated symphony in my mouth. If you ever think a chicken dish is boring, think again. Even if the baeckeoffe didn't have anything fancy like truffle or foie gras, the elegance of this dish behind deceptive simplicity was a revelation. Add macaroni au gratin on the side, and I was one very happy (albeit extremely full) man. While the dish was suggested for up to four people, my dining companion and I, both already starving after intensive gym workouts, almost finished that entire thing! For dessert, l'lle flottante (the "floating island") of soft meringue, red praline and crème anglaise is the way to go, with the silky smooth sensation of the dish that was delightful (after all the chewing of the chicken, I needed something on the softer side).
Getting a reservation at Le Coq Rico seems on the harder side, so I suggest booking in advance if possible. The dining space has a modern bistro feel to it, a trendy yet warm vibe without much pretentiousness. There is a full bar at the restaurant with French-centric wine selections. Get a bottle to wash down all the glorious poultry dishes you sample here. I wasn't sure whether I would like Le Coq Rico given their focus (how good can you be just with chickens?); at the end of the day, I'm so glad chef Westermann decided to cross the Atlantic and open this winner in Flatiron.
Service is excellent. Our waiter was very funny. Food is very good. Dessert was excellent.
Food:
En Meurette – okay but I don't eat bacon, so I just didn't enjoy this one very much as I picked out the mushroom and egg
Seared foie gras – delicious
Macaroni au gratin – very good
Brune Landaise – rotisserie chicken was very moist
Rhubarb souffle – very good but a bit too sweet
Vanilla and raspberry millefeuille – excellent and a must try
We went there thinking there will be lunch but on the weekend they only had brunch. Luckily on the menu there was the signature chicken served with salad. We ordered some roasted vegetables and macaroni/cheese to go with it. So Le Coq Rico in France is well known for its "designer" chickens from some of the best regions such as Bresse in France. Here in NY, they also sourced from farmers in the region. I think we had the Brune Landaise chicken aged 110 days, the skin was a bit yellow with the most amazing flavor and the meat was so tender. The jus was also really good, as my hubby said it's real jus not some kind of gravy. The jus was full of umami flavor! The salad dressing was balanced and so were the other dishes. Our brunch was about $60 per person but it was well worth it! We really wish we could have the lunch menu. Until next time!
And so we found ourselves at this white-hot new Flatiron brasserie that is a kind of love letter to chicken. Chicken in all its forms: stewed, roasted, placed in terrines, livers, etc. all prepared with a uniquely deft touch.
The waiters here are super French and super over the top (et voila), like creepy dudes your friends introduce you to who are so good looking or have such cool accents that it doesn't really matter. The food walks a similar line, bouncing between crazy buttery/chicken-fatty richness and light, almost provencal touches.
It all reminds me that the shape of love is one of negative space: it is that which surrounds the thing that is loved. The thoughts and feelings we get when we see someone, the ambiance of a place, the memories that surround a location: these are what love is–not something that exists within the thing itself.
This restaurant is like that. It is a way of talking about chicken, about food, about togetherness that makes it great. The Fried and Crusty egg is wild–spilling yolk onto bright vegetables perfectly dressed with a combination of chicken fat and herbs. The consomme is one of the best soup dishes in all of NYC, the roasted chicken is godlike (sorry Rotisserrie Georgette), and the lobster and chicken fricasee is super rich, aromatic, and satisfying. I also want to shout out to the great dessert menu here.
So, I recall this place and tears almost come to my eyes. It is as when you hear the name of the person you love, walk into the room where you both first met, wander through the home where your mother kissed your head each night before you fell asleep.
Oh Franny, be gentle with my love… You know when a hot new business opens, Franny A is gonna be on the scene with live coverage.
My wife & I have tickets to a matinee. I planned out the day, from parking to brunch to after theater treats. The first stop on the Billy Salts Saturday fun day is drinks and brunch at Le Coq Rico.
My dad back in the day owned a supermarket in The Hamptons. He had a chicken rotisserie where locals can purchase freshly cooked chicken before heading out to the beach. Well, cooked chickens in a rotisserie make an incredible amount of grease. The deep tray needed to be emptied daily, it was the consistency of cooking oil. Guess who emptied the drawer? Yours truly so when i see a chicken rotisserie, I can appreciate whats involved.
What had me intrigued about Le Coq Rico was their French method to chicken. What Le Coq Rico does is use free range birds and let them age longer than a typical chicken. The end result is a chicken with flesh that has more depth than what you'd get at Boston Market.
My wife and I are seated in a elegant dining room. My Brooklyn-French/Canadian wife is looking forward to drinking a glass of French Rose. I ordered two glasses and started with the Artichoke salad à la Barigoule. Very French, at first glance I thought it was mushrooms but was in fact sautéed confit gizzards. Amazing!
Rose wasn't cutting it for me, I wanted to order a Scotch but instead I ordered a glass of another outrageous glass of French wine.
I have a little buzz going and the waiter comes over, today we have a special of a fully cooked chicken prepared for you with a side salad. Perfecto! Well, a 1/4 chicken is $24 bucks. A whole chicken?? That was some mighty expensive fowl.. Where's the special?
While sitting, the maître d' comes over and welcomes us to the new restaurant. Very charming and friendly, it was hospitality at its finest.
The chicken comes out and its bangin'. Man.. the chicken is flavorful, succulent and the Au Jus was the right touch to the meal.
My Brooklyn-French/Canadian wife? Looks happy, she said every detail was amazing but the cooking was truly amazing.
Le Coq Rico, I look forward to coming back but this time with my wifes sister.
C'est moi qui vous remercie!