Le Bernardin is a three-Michelin star French seafood restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Eric Ripert is the executive chef, and he is co-owner along with Maguy Le Coze.
| Le Bernardin | |
|---|---|
 Interior in 2009, prior to 2012 redesign | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1986 (New York location) |
| Owner(s) | |
| Previous owner(s) | Gilbert Le Coze |
| Head chef | Eric Ripert |
| Food type | French cuisine, seafood |
| Dress code | Business casual; jackets preferred |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide) |
| Street address | 155 West 51st Street Midtown Manhattan New York, NY 10019 U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°45′41″N 73°58′54″W / 40.76139°N 73.98167°W |
| Other locations | Paris (until 1986) |
| Website | le-bernardin |
History
Gilbert Le Coze and his sister Maguy Le Coze opened the original Le Bernardin restaurant in Paris in 1972;[1][2] the name came from a folk song their father sang to them as children, "Les Moines de St. Bernardin", about monks who "loved life – the good life especially".[1][2]
The Le Coze siblings relocated the restaurant, under the same name, in New York City in 1986, not long after receiving a third Michelin star.[3]
Eric Ripert joined the restaurant as chef de cuisine in 1991.[4] When Gilbert Le Coze died of a heart attack in 1994, Ripert succeeded him as executive chef,[5] and in 1996 he became co-owner of the restaurant with Maguy Le Coze.[6][5]
In 2012 the restaurant was completely redesigned by the architectural firm Bentel & Bentel.[7] A large lounge was also added.[7]
Menu and dining
Le Bernardin serves a four-course prix fixe dinner, and a 10-course chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings.[8] It serves a three-course lunch.[8]
The restaurant specializes in fish and seafood, prepared in a variety of styles and sauces[9] based fundamentally on French cuisine while also using various Asian ingredients[10][11][7] and other modern and international flavors.[11][8] The menu is divided into headings of "Almost raw", "Barely touched", and "Lightly cooked".[12]
Upon request, pasta, lamb, poultry, or filet mignon are served.[8] A vegetarian tasting menu, with six savory courses and two desserts, was added in 2017.[13]
The dress code is business casual; jackets are recommended but not required.[14]
For private gatherings, the restaurant has two options: Les Salons Bernardin, upstairs from the restaurant with its own entrance, with space for up to 80 guests;[15] and Le Bernardin Privé, across the building's Galleria on the ground floor,[16] which can seat up to 200.[17]
The restaurant's dinner service is open at 5:00pm.[12] Le Bernardin is closed on Sundays.[12]
Awards and accolades
Le Bernardin has maintained a four-star rating from The New York Times since 1986.[18][9] It is the only restaurant in New York that has kept a four-star New York Times rating for over 35 years.[19]
It has won several James Beard Foundation Awards, including Outstanding Restaurant (1998); Best Chef – Eric Ripert (1998); Outstanding Pastry Chef – Michael Laiskonis (2007); and Outstanding Restaurateur – Maguy Le Coze (2013).[20]
Le Bernardin received three Michelin stars in 2005, the first year that Michelin published a guide for New York City.[21] It is one of five restaurants in New York with three Michelin stars.[22]
In 2009, Le Bernardin ranked 15th in the world in The World's 50 Best Restaurants published by Restaurant magazine.[23]
Zagat rates Le Bernardin among the best restaurants in New York.[24] In Zagat's annual survey of restaurant patrons, Le Bernardin received the most votes of any restaurant in the city during the years 2009 to 2012. The ratings are published in a guide for the following year. In 2012, 44,306 restaurant patrons participated in the survey, and the ratings were summarized in the 2013 New York City Restaurants guide.[25][26]
In 2016, Grub Street ranked it as #2 in "The Absolute Best Restaurant in New York"; the #1 spot went to Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York.[27]
In 2017, Le Bernardin ranked second on La Liste, a privately published[28] list of the top 1,000 restaurants in the world.[29] In 2018, La Liste ranked Le Bernardin number one in the world.[30]
Since 2022, Le Bernardin has maintained a #1 ranking on The Infatuation's "The 25 Best Restaurants in NYC" with a rating of 9.5 out of 10.[31]
Cookbooks
- Le Bernardin Cookbook: Four-Star Simplicity (1998)
- A Return to Cooking (2002)
- On the Line (2008)
