HALF-BREWED!

Le Bernardin is a French seafood restaurant in New York awarded with three Michelin stars. Executive Chef Eric Ripert runs the kitchen and restaurant for many years with the co-owner Maguy Le Coze.

I went to Le Bernardin with high expectations when I read the reviews about this restaurant. Unfortunately, it was one of the biggest disappointments I had as Misspector. 

I had some question marks on my mind regarding the objectivity of Michelin. After visiting Le Bernardin, my doubts increased swiftly. Michelin damages its credibility by favoring French restaurants all around the world.

Ambiance

The ambiance looks elegant and everyone was well dressed. You definitely feel that you are at a fine-dining restaurant.

Tables were really close to each other. I felt uncomfortable because I could easily hear what other people were talking. 

I went to Le Bernardin for lunch. However, the lighting was too dim and I felt like I was having dinner. 

Taste

There were a lot of options for the tasting menu including the vegetarian tasting menu. My choice was Le Bernardin tasting menu, hoping to experience the signature courses of Le Bernardin.  

The bread selection was rich, there were eight different bread you could choose from. Amouse bouche was nice but ordinary; smoked salmon with mayonnaise was a common starter that I had in many other restaurants. 

The first course was fluke and enoki mushroom spring roll with junmai and shiso infused tomato water. This dish was an original one with an Asian influence. Shiso is a plant from the mint family, used in many Japanese dishes. Junmai-shu is sake made from rice, water, yeast and koji. This sauce combination was amazing. It was a bit sour with an intense taste. The course was served with prawn crackers.

Following dish was seared langoustine with warm mushroom salad and truffle creme fraiche sauce. The langoustine was very tasty. It made a perfect combination with the sauce.

Baked red snapper with vegetable ceviche and shrimp mezcal mariniere was mediocre. Shrimp mezcal is shrimp cooked with tequila that is served with avocado and tomato. I didn’t like the taste of red snapper. I have eaten ceviche in Peru, where it is admitted to be the national dish. I’m not a fan of ceviche but the one in Peru was much better. 

Pan-roasted monkfish with squid ink fideos and chorizo emulsion was not impressive. Chorizo emulsion tasted really nice but I didn’t like the taste of the fish. This dish is popular at Spain’s eastern coast. Le Bernardin tasting menu consists of many different dishes and inspirations all around the world. There was a lot of culinary knowledge behind these dishes but unfortunately, in practice, it wasn’t successful enough.  

Next dish was baked lobster with creamy white corn polenta and red wine gumbo sauce. I had gumbo and gumbo sauce regularly at New Orleans; where it is the local food of Louisiana, a central dish of the Cajun cuisine. I regret to say that the one in Le Bernardin was a bad imitation.

Grapefruit sorbet with blood orange quince granite tasted so bitter. I just had one spoon and couldn’t finish the rest. I would prefer a refreshing sorbet; such as melon.

The last dessert dish; brandied cherries sauce with whipped vanilla cream and chocolate sorbet was another mediocre dish that I wasn’t impressed. Even the cappuccino after the tasting menu didn’t taste good.

The taste of the dishes was not satisfactory for a three-star Michelin restaurant. I am not sure how the restaurant maintained it’s stars for so many years. 

Service

It took a lot of time for the waiters to collect the dishes after I have finished. The empty dishes waited in front of me for a long time. Le Bernardin should host fewer guests and have fewer tables to increase the guest satisfaction. 

Creativity

I was expecting to see an outstanding taste at a three-star Michelin restaurant. When I couldn’t find that overwhelming taste, my eyes unwillingly searched to see some art for the presentation of the dishes. The presentation of the dishes was also mediocre, having nothing in special.

Most of the dishes were directly inspired by other cuisines of the world. If you are a three-star Michelin restaurant there needs to be more originality, bold ingredient combinations that haven’t encountered at any other restaurant perhaps throughout the world. 

Value

Le Bernardin wasn’t as costly as the other three-star Michelin restaurants in New York. I understood the reason for that after my visit. It doesn’t deserve three Michelin stars in the first place. I think Le Bernardin was a one-star Michelin experience. 

The wine menu was not satisfactory for a three-star Michelin restaurant as well. I regret to inform you that I don’t recommend Le Bernardin for a culinary experience at Manhattan, the home of many other really great restaurants.