Caviar Russe
“Stumbled upon this little gem walking down Madison Ave.
Very romantic, posh and special.”
“My lunch mate had the spicy tuna tartare and the smoked salmon with blinis and creme fraiche.”
“Perfectly seared scallops, creamy risotto and just enough foie gras to complement the dish!”
Caviar Russe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
8 reviews
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The menu has items in the $20-$50 range for various entrees. This place is priced well only if the pre-fixe menu is available. It was online, but it was not in our menu. We had to ask for it. They explained that it's not provided in the menu because they had to remove a few items and they had a change of chefs. That was alarming as one would not know what to expect. They provided us the pre-fixe menu with the excluded items and it was a treat.
$29.95 for the pre-fixe menu
There were four of us so that gave us an opportunity to at least try 2 different thing among 2 different sets. For starters the: Caviar brouche was delightful and the salmon roe was very light.
The sashimi salad was better than expected and the John Dory was much more tasty. It was somewhat seared served on a bed of green beans which an asian flare to it.
For dessert it was a series of different choices, the chocolate was rich, the sorbet was normal. The walnut crisp was pretty good.
I didn't realize this place was on the second floor, so look carefully. The food and drinks were delicious. Service was generally good.
Food:
Caviar with blinis were the best here
Oysters with caviar – the cold granita was a bit overpowering but this was good
Blue fin tuna – very good
Striped bass – good
Veal – good
Passion fruit dessert – delicious and not as tart as I thought it was going to be
Caramelized brioche with caviar – delicious
So many times I have passed by this place however only first time am going to eat here. As a huge fan of caviar, I'm so excited and cannot wait to try out their signature dishes. Restaurant was high end from both inside and outside, and it has been perfectly judged by the price tag.
Many options were provided. Different prix fixe or even the caviar tasting menu. We opted for the caviar tasting, which provided six spoons of caviar upfront and each dish followed with caviar somewhere on the plate as well. My favorite among the six dishes was king crab. One thing that I didn't enjoy much was the whole grain bread, which was a bit hard to bite…
Our waiter has been extremely helpful in explaining both food and wine and he even let us try small sips before ordering it. Well deserved the Michelin star.
Best Caviar place in Manhattan,hands down. Highly recommend their 6 course Caviar dinner. You will not be disappointed
***Caviar Russe is a great option to indulge in caviar; I really like their large spoon servings, which allow you to try a variety of caviar without having to spend an outrageous amount of money; this caviar boutique also features a fine dining restaurant that serves elegant fare though some courses definitely shine more than others***
Caviar might be the most expensive premium ingredient in the country considering that reasonably priced truffles like Oregon truffles are available. Like truffles though, caviar seems to be more accessible now, which might be due to the rise of farm-raised caviar in the US. I've had caviar at several restaurants where chefs integrated tiny portions into courses. I've also had caviar (both in the restaurant and to go) at the renowned Petrossian, which has a LA boutique.
Petrossian also has a location in Manhattan and its main competition is Caviar Russe, which not only features a wide variety of caviar but a fine dining restaurant where you can enjoy high-end cuisine in an elegant dining room that has several contemporary touches.
Like Petrossian, many of the caviar tins at Caviar Russe are unbelievably expensive due to the nothing-quite-like-it-taste of caviar as well as its rarity. Fortunately, all of Caviar Russe's caviar can be purchased in a large spoon size (about 5 grams). While this is not a large portion, it is more than enough to get a good taste of the caviar as well as to have enough leftover to pair with traditional caviar accouterments like blinis and creme fraiche. And all of this comes at an attainable price with several selections below $20 and even an option below $10.
It was very illuminating trying several different caviar selections in the same sitting. There were a lot of differences in flavor profiles. Some were saltier. Some were brinier. The ocean and fishy flavor, which I really like, stood out more with some selections. What I noticed most was how salty the North American farm-raised caviar was compared to the Caspian Sea imported Osetra caviar, which had a stronger fish flavor as well as a smoother finish.
My favorite selection was the Gold Osetra caviar, which had a great color as well as a perfect balance of salty, briny and tasting-of-the-ocean flavor. The Classic Osetra perfectly delivered a salty note and then a strong fish note. I also really liked the Sterlet caviar; it was one of the least expensive options and had a smooth finish that was absent in the other lower priced caviars. The pressed caviar delivered an incredibly strong and fishy punch, but I did not like it since you lose caviar's delicate and unique exploding pearl texture.
The caviar accouterments were really good. The toast was a perfect crispy vessel for the caviar. The blinis were French crepes style and they were very thin, delicate and sweet. I also liked the rich creme fraiche, which had a mild flavor that did not wash out the caviar flavor.
Caviar Russe's tasting menu integrates caviar into a few courses, but there are several non-caviar French courses as well. Caviar Russe's open kitchen is very small (which is in the bar). With some hot courses, you can hear the snap and pop of the food as it cooks.
I went with their 5-course tasting menu and instead of an amuse bouche, I was presented a small complimentary course to start. It was very creamy and smooth uni custard with fragrant Australian black truffle, tangy avocado crema and crisp radishes. It was easily the best course of the night.
Next were raw oysters topped with minced apple and celery granita as well as a very generous portion of Classic Osetra caviar. It was a nice mix of ocean, salty and refreshing. I did feel that the celery and apple had similar refreshing notes and that the caviar and oyster had similar briny notes. While this actually made those elements shine more, I also thought that this course could have used something else.
The Bluefin tuna was paired with perfect sides though the fish itself (while fresh, moist and soft) lacked the great flavor of Bluefin tuna at top sushi restaurants. The lobster and bone marrow risotto featured perfectly al dente rice though there was not much lobster meat in the dish (a good amount of bone marrow though). The main course was moist and dense wild striped bass that was topped with a chorizo red wine reduction and garnishes like nicely smoked artichokes, artichoke puree, fennel, and mushrooms.
Dessert featured traditional sweet ingredients like chocolate, caramel and vanilla, but it was nicely done. Warm madeleines ended the dinner.
Service was very professional, polished and pleasant; Caviar Russe is expensive, but there are a lot of flavors here you will just not find elsewhere.
Caviar Russe is an excellent option for those looking to indulge in a classic caviar experience. Their French cuisine is good, but there are also more exciting restaurants in the city.
I am not sure what the parking situation is.
I've walked through this part of Midtown so many times that I never even noticed Caviar Russe – most likely because it doesn't have a location on the ground level but is instead located on the second floor above Madison Avenue. It probably explains why we were able to easily make a last-minute reservation on a Friday night – something pretty near-impossible to pull off at restaurants of this caliber. That said, I liked the upper-level location, which definitely isn't as noisy as it would be if it were on the ground level. The dining room is a nice mixture of Old World charm and modern fixtures (particularly all the mirrors, which make the space seem bigger than it is). All the servers were very friendly, giving good descriptions of the courses, as well as helping us select what caviar we should sample.
For dinner, you have the option of selecting caviar (going as expensive as $5,000+!!!) and some crudos/appetizers before addressing the main courses, of which you can do 3 courses (your selection) or 5 courses (chef's selection). You can also get all 10, but we figured that was probably on the aggressive side, so we stuck with 5, along with a couple 'spoons' of caviar (probably one of the more expensive spoonfuls of anything I've ever eaten) and the steak tartare. I'll start with the caviar, which was served with a few freshly-baked bellinis and creme fraiche, which we had with the classic osetra and Siberian sturgeon. I'm not enough of a caviar fanatic to know much of the difference (although the osetra was a bit crunchier and had a bit more of a tarter flavor than the sturgeon, which was saltier). The bellinis were done perfectly, and the creme fraiche provided a smooth, cool contrast to the warmth of the bellini and worked perfectly as a blank slate to impart the salty goodness of the caviar. Next up was the tartare, which was done in a unique fashion – the main tartare was wrapped in raw beef carpaccio, topped with caviar and a quail egg and served with an artful smear(?) of pesto underneath it all. The carpaccio was a unique (and tasty) way of keeping the tartare all together, but I really liked the kick that the pesto gave the tartare in particular. The caviar was added decadence on top, but it wasn't really needed. After that, we started on the bread – and while the whole wheat and mini-baguette were great, there's no reason to try anything other than the caviar butter with them. There's nothing wrong with either the salted or unsalted versions you are also given, but the caviar butter basically unsalted butter with little bubbly bursts of saltiness in each spread. Beware of getting stuffed on bread like we did!
The amuse bouche was great – a perfectly-poached portion of the meaty part of the crab leg, served with a dashi jelly that gave the cleanly-flavored meat a nice Asian twist. Our first course were 3 delicious West Coast oysters (a slightly larger version of Kumamotos, basically) served with – what else? – caviar. The oysters were sweet given their Left Coast persuasion, but the caviar helped add back the saltiness and made for as decadent an oyster as I've ever experienced. Next up was a large cooked wild Alaskan prawn, served with a lightly fried polenta cake (or something shaped just like it). The prawn was good, especially with the rich sauce it was served with, and the polenta was perfectly seared on the outside to have the right amount of crunchiness. Next up was a phenomenal risotto served with a rich kabocha (Japanese squash) sauce, topped with a tomato-infused fizz(!) and an incredible couple slices of pork belly – juicy and fatty in the middle, but with an intensely-flavored seared skin giving it a real bit and texture. This has to be my favorite dish of the evening, just because of how well all the different ingredients came together to make an intensely pleasing dish. The last main course was the black bass, cooked to perfect texture (flaky but firm, meaty and not too slippery) and served withh roasted cauliflower and a fume rich on greens (I forget exactly which). Dessert finished off with a delicious milk ice cream served with slices of meringue and chocolate with kalua-infused chocolate mousse and crunchy coffee bits on the bottom. And in case you're not full enough, you get a small-looking basket stuffed with MANY madeleines (probably close to 20, if I had bothered to count). They're really good, and I really like the sprinkled sugar crystals on the outside, giving it a more primal sweetness than just the typical buttery flavor it's known for.
This reminds me a bit of Zz's Clam Bar in some ways, given that it's a very upscale seafood restaurant that probably is a bit on the pricey side. However, it also executes very well, and unlike the former, which can be a bit exclusive to get into, you'll almost certainly have no issue getting a reservation – one of the best-kept secrets amongst Michelin-starred restaurants in NYC! Highly recommended.
Even without the caviar this would be a stellar restaurant, but for anyone who enjoys caviar it is an absolute must visit.
The dining room is elegant and intimate, and service is friendly and professional.
Food preparation is meticulous, complex, inventive and surprising. We had the caviar tasting menu, which began with a spoonful of each of six wonderful caviars, mostly osetras. The differences were in some cases surprising, yet subtle enough that it was great to be able to familiarize ourselves with the flavors unaccompanied (except for wonderful blinis–really more like crepes) and creme fraiche.
Then we were served six courses incorporating the same caviars. Our favorite courses were all the cold ones, including the oyster, tuna, and ice cream.
The caviar tasting menu is an amazing deal, as the caviar alone would cost more than the entire meal.
Wine pricing is also extremely reasonable. We had a half bottle of Krug Champagne and a superb bottle of Puligny-Montrachet. I doubt you could find these wines at a better price at any restaurant in the city.
Needless to say, Caviar Russe is on our must-visit list for our next trip!
This is a review for the pre-packed salmon roe from Caviar Russe that I purchased in the refrigerated section of my local Whole Foods.
The price point is fine ($13 or so) but the tin is all but impossible to open. I actually had to call the 800 number for instructions – and was told to "stick a quarter" between the metal crimp and the glass jar. My husband got it open – but wimpy me – could not.
Now – finally the jar is open and the lovely looking roe inside? Overly salty and fishy tasting. After a rinse it was better – but I will not be purchasing this again any time soon.
So disappointing.