A restaurant brave enough to open in Midtown Manhattan during the height of the pandemic has my vote before I've even tasted a morsel. When La Grande Boucherie opened in November 2020 with room for over 500 diners, it made a statement that NYC would be back.
It's tucked away in a pedestrian gallery that has the energy of a Parisian public plaza. The French doors are always open, and there's a mix of indoor and outdoor seating.
Soaring glass ceilings, subway tiles, mix-and-match artwork, Art Nouveau-style balconies, and the traditional pewter bar scream Belle Époque grandeur. The vibe is boisterous and overflowing, and the food is as impressive as anything I've eaten in the most refined brasserie in France. Boucherie means butcher shop in French, so the meat here, including house-made charcuterie and beef sourced from single-family farms, is high quality. The steak frites is mouthwatering, and the striped bass on a bed of fennel with an accent of piquant olives is equally tantalizing. The show-stopping raw bar overflows with wild oysters, periwinkles, clams, and langoustines.
Their Francophile desserts have an Asian kick, with yuzu and lychee adding unexpected citrus notes to pastries like Paris-Brest and raspberry tart.
While the space is large and bustling, I've had a personalized experience each time I've dined here, and always find the staff to be especially attentive.
Must try: Raspberry tart with pistachio cream and lychee coulis.
Price: Moderate
Find out more about La Grande Boucherie here.