Is Le Bernardin Overrated? The Incontrovertible Verdict from a Decade-Long Patron.
So you want a piece of Slay Lifestyle’s concierge mind on Le Bernardin, New York, huh? Fine! Strap in because we’re going in raw.
Over a freaking decade, I’ve dined at Le Bernardin bi-monthly. Sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner, whatever fits into my New York escapades. And guess what? Each time it’s mesmerizing, etching a distinct memory in the gourmet epic of my life.
Let me shoot straight – it’s not overrated. It can’t be. Authenticity can’t be overrated. Excellence can’t be overrated. However, can they be under-performing? Yes!
Does Le Bernardin deserve its three Michelin stars? Yes and no. Yes, because the cuisine is nothing sort of interpretative art, cooked with almost surgical precision. The blend of exotic flavors is as adventurous as Neil Armstrong’s space odyssey. Yet, they manage to respect the sanctity of ingredients. For these, I tip my hat off to Chef Eric Ripert and his team time and again.
Why the “no”? Because being at the top means you set the standard. And here, I call upon Le Bernardin to step up its game. THAT restaurant ambiance and table-ware? I’ve seen more inspired designs on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. For a restaurant of this caliber, the atmosphere needs an adrenaline shot of sophistication!
Now launching onto the sputtering rocket of service. It’s a ballet of waiters zig-zagging with grace but the lack of personal touch makes it machine-like. The beauty of dining lies in engagement and interaction. Come on Le Bernardin, spill some soul!
Lastly, a special shout-out to the dessert menu which is, to my surprise, highly underrated. It’s got a Sinatra kind of charm – subtle, emotional, and timeless. It’s the humble understudy stealing the show in a Broadway play, filling in every tastebud with a heart-warming soliloquy.
To round off, Le Bernardin isn’t overrated. It still sits on its bejewelled throne, commanding awe and respect. But let’s not conflate reverence with complacency. Like the echoing vibrations of feedback in a live concert, adjustments are needed to perfect the rhythm.
Step up Bernadin, it’s time to polish off the areas dulled by time, and smudge-free the Michelin stars you quite rightly deserve. I’m rooting for you. We all are!
Engage, enlighten, satiate. Do more than just serve food. Stir up the magic that you’re famous for, renew the atmosphere, and shower us with culinary surprises because, if you don’t, the food world’s unforgiving tide will leave you behind. Now how’s that for an explosive ending?
Slay Lifestyle concierge recommendations
Scallop Ceviche
Caviar Hamachi
Thinly sliced Taragai saffron
Barely cooked salmon with truffle
Steamed halibut sauce Bourguignonne
Seared prawns with sliced coconut emulsion
Sweet corn salted caramel and puff pastry
Purple sweet potato (baba), caramelised pecan, smoke okinawa sugar ice cream
Location
155 West 51st Street New York NY
Tel
+1 212 5541515
How do you put a price on an experience that transcends the ordinary, catapulting your senses to another realm? Well, Le Bernardin does it with a finesse so sublime, it makes a mockery of what we so often mistake for fine dining.
Caviar Hamachi
Sweet corn salted caramel and puff pastry
Thinly sliced Taragai saffron
Purple sweet potato (baba), caramelised pecan, smoke okinawa sugar ice cream
Barely cooked salmon with truffle
Steamed halibut sauce Bourguignonne
Seared prawns with sliced coconut emulsion
The space
