Daniel
“– Warm Guanaja CHOCOLATE COULANT (As my b/f described it: "It is like a chocolate molton cake on steroids."”
“You may even leave feeling indebted to Daniel Boulud for providing a restaurant experience that you will always look forward to.”
“when you are enjoying your decadent desserts, you will be offered a napkin basket of fresh baked madeleines.”
Daniel
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
8 reviews
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My boyfriend brought me here for our 6-month anniversary. He made a dinner reservation for 10:30pm as it was the only time slot available. When he called to see if they could move us up to an earlier spot since we both were very hungry, the hostess was very nice to try to see if they could seat us earlier (my boyfriend asked if they had a table reserved for Kayne West in case he would stop by and maybe they could seat is at that table early :D). However, they were fully booked that evening and the hostess said they also had someone famous going there that evening. Even though they could not accommodate us for an earlier seating, they agreed to put us at one of the more romantic spots at the restaurant. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the hostess and taken to our table. When our server came over, he said "the hostess mentioned that you were hungry, so I am going to give you the menus as soon as possible." And another person brought over a mini stool for my purse. They placed us at a spot where we're facing the floral arrangements and decorations towards the back of the restaurant (so the hostess took great notes about us being hungry, etc. the attention to details is very impressive!)
For dinner, we ordered the 4-course prix fixe.
Amuse broche –
Blue cheese tarts – I don't like the taste of blue cheese, so no comment on this.
Salmon sashimi, Beet purée and shrimp – all 3 dishes were done in an excellently way. The beet purée is probably my favorite, it's light and flavorful.
First course –
1. Quail and foie gras galantine – the quail was cleverly cemented to a bed of foie gras and both were seared. It came with pieces of hazelnut toasts. This is an innovative way to enjoy the quail with foie gras, as normally, you would just stuff foie gras cream with the quail and honestly the whole combination would just make your meat more gamey. And surprisingly, this combination/version by the Daniel is not gamey or greasy. Very nice execution of this dish!
1. Fluke – they poured a sauce over the fluke sashimi, the sashimi was topped with white sturgeon caviar and sea urchins. It tastes very fresh. The dish is perfect for summer as it has a very refreshing citrusy taste. One of my favorite dishes of the night.
Second course –
2. Halibut – this is probably my least favorite dish of the evening. It is slow cooked and topped with clams, Swiss chard and lemongrass emulsion. The fish itself doesn't really stand out and it's not very flakey. The buckwheat stuff on the side just tastes weird and bland and seems to have no reason to join the rest of the ingredients for this dish. I do not recommend ordering it.
2. Escargots – it's garlicky, encrusted with creamy barley, etc. It's perfect!
Third course –
3. Wagyu beef tenderloin – ordered it medium rare. The meat was cooked to perfection. It's very flavorful. And the Daniel's not trying to overpower the taste of the steak with pepper. I would recommend this dish.
3. Duck – it's delicious. The skin is crispy and the meat is tender and moist. The goji berries, etc. make it less heavy.
Forth course –
4. Saint honore – oh my! Oh my! This is the highlight of the night (or highlight of my life :D). The Daniel's version of the Saint honore combines the classic with Salted Pistachio Cream, Fraise des Bois and Linzer Sablé. And that combination makes this classic dessert taste even better. When I took my first bite of the dessert, I thought I was in heaven. The salted pistachio cream on the tart shell was so delicious. And my palate was stimulated with the sourness of the fraise des bois and it was like a big and memorable party in my mouth. After the meal, all I could think about was Daniel's Saint Honore, and my boyfriend questioned who I was thinking about (because he thought Saint Honore's a person :D).
4. Chocolate – this chocolate dessert presents different forms of chocolate sweetness but it's nothing too special.
After desserts, we were presented with a tray of chocolates to choose from. I would recommend trying one of each. And they also sent us warm madeleine, the basket came with 4-5 pieces of warm right out of the oven Madeleine, they were delicious.
At the conclusion of the meal, they give you a complimentary Canelé (wrapped in a ring box packaging) to take home. I had it the next morning, it was delicious.
Knowing that it's our anniversary, they were kind enough to give us a complimentary dessert with a lighted candle, the shell surrounding the candle looks like wax, but it's actually edible white chocolate. The dessert was made with chocolate with a little bit of raspberry sauce, coincidentally, a perfect analogy of what a relationship is usually like – it can be sweet or bitter or sour (sad) at times.
On a side note, tea and coffee do not come with the prix fixe, you would need to pay extra for those. A pot of tea is about $20+.
Service at the Daniel is exceptional.
DAMMMMMMN DANIEL
This establishment is just over and beyond. I think most people have a very high expectation going in, and every expectation is met and exceeded. My family went and got the tasting menu and it was so much food that we were asking them when it was going to end by the third dessert round… Even the bread basket was phenomenal and I usually don't like filling up on bread.
The pea soup was soooooooo creamy and smooth. I honestly hate pea soup, but if I could, I would bath in it. It's so good. The escargot is phenomenal as well, with everything cooked perfectly. The textures in each dish mesh together perfectly, and compliments one another.
The service is equally on par or even beyond the food. It was my graduation dinner, but we didn't tell anyone in the restaurant. My mom handed me a card and I guess the floor manager saw it. During our first dessert course, they brought me an extra dessert with congrats on it and even printed out a memorabilia menu that said congrats to take home. We were never waiting on someone to come around, but it wasn't intrusive as well. I think service really makes or breaks a restaurant and this was definitely some 5 star service. If you have an opportunity to treat yourself or a loved one, GO HERE instead of spending it on a material gift. It'll definitely be worth it.
KenScale: 9.0/10
With all the restaurants I've been to in NYC, I still haven't been to a number of three Michelin starred restaurants like Per Se and Daniel. As much as I spare no expense when it comes to my culinary journey in the city, I have been less successful in finding friends or acquaintances who are willing to go as far as I do. Which isn't surprising considering how expensive dining out in NYC is in general. In the meantime, the restaurant world was thrown into chaos when Daniel, that bastion of fine dining from acclaimed chef Daniel Boulud which had maintained the highest four-star rating in NY Times, was demoted to three stars three years ago, followed by its demotion from three Michelin stars to two stars last year. Per Se was also dealt a severe blow in a rather scathing review from NY Times which demoted it from four stars to two stars as well. Does this mean the old-school fine dining as we know it is dead in New York City? You can certainly make a case; given the punishing rent and cost of operations, new restaurants have eschewed extravagance and opted instead for pragmatism in their approach. You don't often see new fine dining establishments that provide exquisite dining experience, not just for food but for the overall atmosphere and services as well. While my mom was in town, I decided to see for myself at Daniel. After my meal, I beg to differ on all the skeptics on fine dining in general and Daniel in particular. I've had quite a memorable dining experience.
If there is any suggestion of decline in quality of food at Daniel for whatever reasons (people often cite the ever-growing Boulud empire that probably distracts chef Boulud's attention to his flagship restaurant), I just couldn't see it in the four-course menu (at $142 per person) that I shared with my mom (i.e. we got 8 dishes total to sample). The Long Island fluke with sea urchin, Granny Smith apple, seaweed crisp and white sturgeon caviar was expertly prepared with light touch that would do well in any fine-dining establishment, as was Maine lobster salad with mango and chayote-lime panna cotta that displayed complexity of flavor without overpowering my palate. The second course turned out to be the best in my meal. I seriously could eat the slow baked black striped bass with farm yogurt, wasabi and avocado-cucumber emulsion every day if possible. The bass was lightly cooked for impeccable texture, and the combination with avocado-cucumber emulsion that had soothing effect was simply marvelous. I haven't had a ton of escargots in the city before, but Daniel's "petit gris" snails with creamy barley and basil salad was another phenomenal dish that displayed a ton of richness but the ingredients all came together so harmoniously that I really didn't feel tired. Liberty farm duck roasted breast with dandelion flower marmalade and gooseberries was delightfully tender, and the salt crusted lamb chop (which the server pulls out of baked crust) with bean fricassee also displayed great textural effect even though I wish the seasoning were slightly even across the meat and overall toned down just a bit. The desserts were just as remarkable. Nougat parfait "Provencal" melons with lime biscuit and herbed yogurt sorbet had the absolutely refreshing quality that would neutralize any heavy meal, and lemon-bee pollen sorbet with honeycomb meringue, mango and papaya displayed memorable combination of ingredients that created very elegant flavor without being overly sweet.
Getting a reservation is not as daunting as it used to be, but still I highly recommend booking in advance. The dining space was by no means empty during our meal, and my mom and I recognized a lot of celebrities out there dining with their friends and family. For gentlemen, jackets are required. I absolutely love the classy vibe of the dining space that is simply perfect for impressing your family, date, out-of-town friends, etc. if the budget is not an issue. The service of professionally dressed staffs was nearly flawless, and I enjoyed an Old Fashioned cocktail and a couple of wines by the glass. Overall, my meal at Daniel made me wonder whether all these talks about the restaurant not being what it used to be is simply overblown or whether the restaurant responded big time after all these skeptics voicing their opinion. Either way, I really couldn't find a ton of fault with my meal, and would gladly come back here for another special occasion.
oh wow. Seriously amazing. I've done Michelin 2 & 3 star meals and I'm shocked this at some point lost one. That aside, one of the best meals I've ever had. I normally restrain myself from taking photos of my food (even at Michelin star restaurants) but I really couldn't help it here. We brought 3 colleagues out for a reward dinner and did the 4 course tasting and it was not just fantastic but also plenty of food. I came hungry and while I did consider the 5 or 7 course (because the items sounded awesome) the 4 was plenty for me. Definitely get the fois gras, which they flambee table side, outside of a Michelin 2 star in Paris I haven't had it as good (I'm sure they always have that one). Other than that I didn't get the feeling that if I came back the menu would be all that similar so no reason to parse out too much (I'll post some photos tho). If your planning a meal here, enjoy!
You know, compared to some of its peer restaurants, the four course prix fie at Daniel is kind of a steal. I won't go too far into the dishes because the selection will probably be different when you go but the dish that stood out most was mullet served with a tahini based sauce and these sort of eggplant macarons. It was a wild dish and the sort of deep nutty savoriness of the tahini plus the whitefish meat of the mullet was a combination I'd not tasted before and was quite blown away by.
Anyways, the service here is incredible. I brought my girlfriend for her birthday and while she's more-less quit smoking she was hankering for a cigarette and sheepishly asked our super nice waiter who came back minutes later with a loosie wrapped in a ribbon and a pack of matches on a plate. Game recognizing game, he recognized her as having worked in the industry and we got to go check out the kitchen and the chef's table.
What an experience! What a pleasure! What a delight!
My friend and I celebrated my birthday at Daniel and I'm not even sure how to pen the experience to paper.
We walked in and were graciously greeted by rather friendly women at the reception desk who then proceeded to show us to our table. The table we sat at was interesting as we were seated next to each other instead of facing one another. For a moment there it annoyed us but it grew on us the moment our waiter brought the menus and amuse bouche.
We were offered a choice of doing the 4 or 7 course menu with a choice of wine pairings too. We chose the 4 course as the 7 didn't have the dishes we thought we'd enjoy. And then chose the $135 wine pairing menu. What amazed me most was the amount of staff serving us in a short 3 hours. It was incredible.
So we scoured the menu and eyed the dishes that we felt would be incredible and began the ordering process. First course — Long Island Fluke and Quail and Foie Gras Galantine. Second Course — Slow Cooked Halibut and Vodka Flambéed Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Third Course — Liberty Farm Duck and Imperial Wagyu Beef Tenderloin. Fourth Course — ALPACO and ILLANKA.
While waiting for our food to arrive, we were presented with the amuse bouche and then another dish shown in the pictures I have posted. When we were done with that, a server came around with the most phenomenal breads I have ever tasted with butter and salts so remarkable it was hard to resist not taking more as they came around again. True tastes of Paris right here in Manhattan.
Each dish arrived to our table with incredible presentation, presentation worthy of a recording. For shame we were so busy salivating over the dishes there was no time. I ordered the Long Island Fluke as my first course but felt the tastes of the sauce was very overpowering and took away the beauty of the caviar and fluke. My waiter noticed and offered us both the Asparagus dish before our second course arrived.
If you do find yourself sitting at Daniel, I demand you absolutely order the Hudson Valley Foie Gras and the Imperial Wagyu Beef. They were the highlights of the night. Especially with the wine pairing the sommelier chose.
When we were done with our first three courses, the waiter presented us with the dessert menus. (The fourth course written above).
Before they brought the dishes we ordered they brought out another dessert dish with a Happy Birthday Rebecca note. I thought that was really nice and thoughtful of them (and my friend of course). They brought the other two dessert dishes on the heels of that one. Gosh! Seriously — Daniel puts so much effort in creating this world of flavors and stories in such small edibles — I want to cry!
Our waiter finished off our meal with 3 little dessert items and small chocolates — Chili and Passion Fruit –.
From A – Z there were no glitches. No disappointments. No aggravation.Happiness! Pure pure happiness and elation. After this dinner was done I thought to myself, how could I possibly go back to eating the trash NYC presents 😛 (I'm kidding – don't hit me).
Now. We're. Talking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Worth every penny, every nickel, every dollar.
Whoever took away one of Daniel's stars (went from 3 to 2) should be permanently banned from the food industry, period. Good riddance to you my friend! I can't take that person seriously anymore. Daniel should be a billion Michelin stars. I've eaten at just about every fine dining establishment on the entire island of Manhattan and eat all over the world, Daniel is without question in my top 3 if not taking the #1 place.
One taste of the foie gras and you will be instantly propelled into an alternate universe after your tastebuds explode out of your mouth. Sweet Baby Jesus!
2 out of the 3 occasions that I've dined here, Daniel was there (so now I have two photos with the man himself) which I thought was awesome.
Ambiance: Perfect. Not too modern, not too old (not a fan of the decor/ambiance at 11 Madison Park, etc. and I'm quite picky) It's just right. The lighting is great. Everything works well. Even the bar is a great place to snag some food and drinks.
Cocktails: White Cosmo was very tasty and shockingly light (not too sweet, not too tart), Cucumber castle (which is non-alcoholic but I added vodka to it) was also very good.
The first bottle of wine that we ordered was too oxidized (bad) so we had to order another bottle but the sommelier was great about providing us alternatives to the bottle that we ordered.
Food:
+ FOIE GRAS – Don't step foot in the damn place without getting the foie gras. Even if you hate the taste of foie gras, I don't care. Even if you have never tried foie gras and it makes you scared to do so, I don't care. This is THE best. It is a must-order.
+ Lobster salad
+ Oysters – My friend stated that they were the best oyster's that he's ever had in his life
+ Caviar – Worth the $400 price, YUM
Will absolutely keep coming back.
Not that this restaurant needs another review- but what the heck.
What an experience! I came here with my family for a birthday dinner. This restaurant does it ALL! They even brought out a stool to put my bag on so that it was not sitting on the floor.
Our waiter was exceptional and explained everything to us. We did the 4 course meal, which although we thought it may not be enough food, it was MORE than enough!
To start I had the lobster, followed by mushrooms, followed by wagyu and then the honey comb dessert. The wagyu was by far the best dish – so tender and delicious. The lobster was okay but nothing special. I'm giving four stars just because I could tell that the food was prepared perfectly, but they weren't the type of dishes that tasted indulgent and amazing. Like, I'm not going to be craving those mushrooms. Between each course came the bread basket. We learned that each bread basket is made to order per table. We took two pieces of bread each time she came around…they were amazing!!!!!! That garlic focaccia….wow. just wow.
The dinner took 3.5 hours so don't come here if you don't have an empty schedule! Overall a great experience and 5 star service! Our waiter even shared that the restaurant has cameras all over to ensure that waiters and cooks are preparing everything to perfection. I felt super assured that my money was well spent.