Picholine

Just two weeks ago my wife and I hosted a friend and his partner for the tasting menus at Picholine. We are all New Yorkers and as such have frequented many of the best as well as the funkiest restaurants in the city. We have enjoyed tastings at from Montrachet (when they were open) and Nobu downtown, to Le Bernadin in the heart of the city to Asiate in the sky, Let me start by saying that the most of the service at Picholine is flawless. The Sommelier in particular stood out as friendly, and helpful. The captain and staff did their jobs impecably. However, I have never, ever, been served such stingy servings of tastes. Compared to these, nuveau cusine of the 80's was a banquet! All of these tiny courses, however, were outdone by an unimpressive (yes, I know what every one else said), array of cheeses which was so small that I said to my quests, 'no, no, I'm not in the mood'. I give bigger samplings of cheese to my dogs as treats! My wife described it best, saying, 'It was as if they served one meal and cut off little tastes for the rest of us at the table.' Very, very, very dissapointing!

My husband and I come to Picholine every year on my birthday and every year I am as excited as I was, when we first ate here three years ago. The food is absolutely mouth-watering, staff welcoming and knowledgable. I know, I already mentioned how incredible the food is, but there is really no way to describe this experience! Thankfully, I only have ten more days til we go to Picholine.

I'm a bit of a picky eater so there wasn't much on the menu that looked good to me. However when I asked how prominent the escargot was in a pasta dish, the server said the kitchen would be happy to make it for me without and slightly different. It was fantastic! I had the scallops as my second course and they were also amazing. My husband had the lamb as his main course and said it was the best he's ever had. The food here is very very good. The service was great. The atmosphere is very strange though. Someone on here likened it to a hotel restaurant in the 80's and that's pretty close. There's no personality in a very strange space. All the patrons (aside from us) were in their 60's. I think if they redecorated, it would be a huge improvement. But go anyway, for the food.

We decided to revisit Picholine after the revamp and the positive reviews in NYT a few months ago. The room is a bit better than before, but certainly not on par with other top restaurants in the City. You still feel as if you are eating in a hotel dining room circa 1985. Much of the problem is the lighting, which they should either dim or change completely. Most of the tables are well spaced and it remains a good place to go for a special occasion. The service is sporadic. We arrived at quarter to eight only to find the entire restaurant clearing out to Lincoln Center across the street. The line for coats was fifteen deep, and the coat check girl was totally overwhelmed. One would think that a fist class restaurant would realize this happens nightly and make the possible arrangements to get people out the door. Neither the hostesses nor the manager helped out the coat girl. While I waited to check my coat, my wife waited a similar amount of time to order a drink from the bar. The bartender did not even make eye contact. However, once we were led to our table, the service was flawless. The food is generally very good, sometimes great. The scallop sashimi is simple and refreshing. The polenta with egg and tuna bacon is rich, although the polenta appetizer at L'Impero is far superior. The squid ink pasta is excellent. The Chicken "Kiev" is a nice concept, although at the end of the day the foie gras center does not make up for the fact that this tastes like a good rendition of a wedding dish. The venison is superb. The meat is perfectly looked (rare to medium rare), the sauce the right combination of fruit and earthiness. Perfection. The cheese course is a must, although the cheese "menu" they give with the course is overkill. The meal is more expensive than it should be. The $65 price fix only includes two courses. This equates to about a $25 appetizer and $40 main course.

Very stuffy, way to pricey for what it is.The fois gras tourchon was good, but the Venison had no flavor, with a totally uninteresting sauce. We went there after teather, the place was almost empty and still we waited and waited for a glass of wine for my wife and juice for my daugther, as a matter of fact they had forgotten and we had to ask again. The atmosfere was like an old fashioned hotel with elegant but elderly dinners.

Never disappointed after having visited annually to celebrate our anniversary for over 9 years. The food is always spectacular as is the wine list. It is very expensive and therefore a perfect place for a special date. Don't miss the cheese cart which is the best in the country. Try not to let the Chef de Frommage -- Max -- take himself too seriously. Also the Duck Risotto is a must. The decor is appropriate and a relief after the hip and cool (e.g. cold) style of many new spots.

This place is wonderful! Despite the slightly older crowd the food is amazing, the cheese is out of this world, wine list is impressive and the service is attentive, friendly and caring. Despite the high prices it's a great value, good portions, lots of freebies--the free chocolates and little cookies at the end are worth a huge price alone! I'm in my thirties and always have a great time when I am there. I feel that they take excellent care of me and whomever I am with. The room is a little old-school though.