L'Ecole

I went there yesterday for lunch with a friend who goes there frequently and knows French cuisine. A wonderful experience. The quality was on a par with the meals I was served on 2 recent barge trips in Burgundy...well-prepared, imaginative, well-presented. The choices were varied. We had a glass of wine each, a wonderful Sancerre. The staff could not have been more helpful or pleasant. I plan to go back, in fact I just finished recommending it to another friend.

You get a lot of food for your money! I did not like the service, mainly driven by the wine pairing being a big disappointment: the waiter litterarly only filled the glass 1/4 of the normal amount you get. My friend ordered it by the glass, and the comparison was a bad surprise. Food is OK, though not French Cuisine, more good NY deli type of food. It is not a fancy restaurant, so I did not expect a great atmosphere: some music in the background would be nice.

I went there for dinner with my mother and it was a rather disappointing experience. I agree with the other writers that the portions are large, but we did not like our dishes at all. You could taste that it was made by someone with limited prior experience. We got seated immediately, but service was slow in general. Did not get refill of water the entire time! "L'ecole" is French for school: and school-type food it is!

Having read all the positive reviews, I was looking forward to a great evening with good food and nice service. I went with a friend for dinner and we got seated at a table in the window. The portions were huge, but missing quality ingredients. The variations offered combined ingredients that do not go together. The wine pairing was quarter of a glass per course and I would recommend everyone to buy the wine by glass or bottle! Also, the service is extremely slow!! You get a lot of food, but no quality or ambience. If you are looking for great French food, this is not the place to find it.

On 11/24 I had lunch with a friend there and from the moment we walked in and attention to detail was very evident. How our coats were taken, how the hostess took us to our cozy table (as requested during the reservation), all was done gently and with good natured disposition. The waiter was very helpful in explaining the menu and the wine selections that meshed well with what we opted for lunch. I observed the other waiters and waitresses, all seemed to enjoy what they were doing and importantly their attention was on the customers. We had the most pleasant lunch for the more-than-reasonable value we've paid. This place is a must for those picky and details are their forte. I am going back there in March when visiting NYC again. Great job!

Best, food, service, and overall experience i've had in a long time. Is one of the first places i've been to where every person there from the waiter to the students and chefs have a true love and passion for food. And you can not beat the price. just an A++ all around.

Having both cooked here and recently returned for lunch, I can say that there a few places in NYC that have similarly excellent food and wine at the same value. Service is quite polished and efficient; the matching wine courses are an absurd bargain ($14 for 3 full pours at lunch); the quality of the food is always good to excellent; and the desserts are always impressive. If you are looking for a traditional French bistro, this is not the place; the menu always contains a mix of classic French recipes and more modern French-influenced foods.