


In the heart of Midtown Manhattan’s pulsating Theater District, nestled a few steps away from Fifth Avenue’s grand shopping promenade, Benoit Restaurant and Wine Bar serves as an enduring landmark of French gastronomy in New York City. For over 15 remarkable years, this classic Parisian bistro by renowned French Chef Alain Ducasse has delighted guests’ palates with authentic, traditional French cuisine, including escargots, cassoulet, and quenelles. With its enchanting ambiance, award-winning French wine list, intimate wine bar, and pre-theater menu, Benoit is a sanctuary of culinary artistry and unparalleled service, ideal for romantic soirées, business luncheons, and unforgettable celebrations.
Alain Ducasse’s upscale French bistro, modeled after the Paris original, serves up classic fare.
Hours
| Thursday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Friday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Sunday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Monday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 60 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (646) 943-7373
Website: http://www.benoitny.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Benoit NYC – French restaurant, Wine Bar & Private Dining
Benoit New York (@benoitny) – Instagram
Benoit – New York – a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant
Reviews
Before the appetizer came out, they first gave me a couple of gougères. This consists of a choux pastry with a bit of cheese baked inside. It was airy with a slight chew, and if you have never had one before, it’s pretty similar to a pão de queijo in terms of saltiness and chewiness, but smaller. This was warm and good. Afterwards, there was a bread course with two types of bread as well as butter with a B carved into it. Both breads were of pretty good quality, but they weren’t warm, and the butter was unfortunately also a bit chilled. This was alright, but would have been much better if either of these two things had been at the proper temperature.
From the menu, I ordered the Onion Soup Gratinée, which was alright, with some cheese, onions, and a standard broth comparable to most bistros. I would say there were fewer croutons than usual, but since I still had some bread, I used it as a replacement. There was also less crispy cheese around the edges than in some other places, and the broth was a bit less rich and nuanced. The soup is normally $20 on the dinner menu, and I hope it’s at least larger to make up for all these other shortcomings. In terms of places nearby, it doesn’t really compare to Le Bonne Soupe, for instance, which offers a larger portion and a much better-flavored broth.
For my entrée, I had a choice among three courses not listed on the main menu. I went with the Coq Au Vin, as I am generally a fan of this classic bistro dish, and I also saw someone else’s fish at the table next to me, which looked paltry. Along with some button mushrooms, the dish had a nicely cooked-down red wine sauce, though it wasn’t as rich as in other places. I did notice a lack of lardons, which could be the reason. The chicken, while tender, consisted of two small bony pieces, which I didn’t really appreciate. Outside of them being more difficult to scrape off and enjoy with the sauce, a piece of chicken breast would have honestly worked better and been more substantial. My favorite thing on the plate was surprisingly the purée, which was silky smooth with likely plenty of butter. This was just fine.
For dessert, I went with the $12 Chocolate Mousse since it was the only item on the regular dessert menu. The mousse was presented in a unique way, with one of the waitstaff coming around with a large serving dish, removing a piece of mousse, and plating it. The bitter-sweet mousse was silky smooth, and there was also some unexpected crunch, maybe from hazelnuts or something else, which added a nice extra texture. This was my favorite dish overall and a satisfying end. After dessert and while arriving with the check, they came around with a pan of freshly baked madeleines, which was a nice touch.
This was an alright experience. I get there have to be shortcomings when the main dishes here tend to be $45 and up, but this was barely worth it and wouldn’t have been at all without the freebies. Upper 2.
Regardless of this, our server hardly paid attention to us after we ordered / had gotten our food. Didn’t check on us ONCE. We had originally wanted to order some coffee and dessert, but our server didn’t come over to us for another 20 minutes, so we just decided to leave. This is ridiculous for such a well rated restaurant. It was not overly busy and did not seem understaffed whatsoever, so that can’t be the reason. Note: The bussers however were kind and working very efficiently. We told a manager about this on our way out and he sort of tried to console, but didn’t really seem to care.
The food itself was good, and the interior of the restaurant was nice, but the service made us never want to come again. Service makes or breaks a customer experience. It ruined the atmosphere in the restaurant and at our table especially.
But other than that, wine list is pretty good.
The fish and filet mignon were good, but the chicory salad deserves its own comedy show. . $22 for a few bitter chicory leaves with barely any goat cheese is hard to justify. There was so little cheese that it honestly felt like a joke. I laughed about it all night, but at that price point, it’s not funny.
My main complaint is with the support staff. Several items dropped, including in the staging area between the restaurant and the kitchen. Additionally, the service involves a lot of tableside service. It’s a nice touch but it means that there’s trayjacks and trays often in between tables, reducing lanes for thoroughfare. I must have had my chair or body bumped five times during the meal, and I am not a large man.
Final comment is that for a $500 meal, the table ought to be crumbed and table properly set for dessert.
3.5/5 but I bumped it up for quite friendly, affable, and professional FOH staff. Somm, waiter, and host were all very nice to interact with.
The maitre and the staff were courteous and so professional. The bartender Nicholas was so friendly and knowledgeable with the wines and the menu. His recommendations of the tart Flambé and the lobster spaghetti were spot on for us.
When it comes to the food, our responses were more mixed. Some dishes are really delicious. The escargot is outstanding: buttery and garlicky, with a delightful little crunchy top. The crème brulée is also a standout: lovely silky texture and wonderfully balanced, rich flavors. No dishes were terrible, but some were a little disappointing. For my entrée I had the beef bourguignon. The meat was soft and flavorful, and the sauce was silky and delicious but none of the expect and desired components of a traditional beef bourguignon were present. No pearl onions or mushrooms or chunks of bacon: just a single chunk of that flavorful meat floating in that silky sauce. A tasty enough dish but not really what one wants or expects when ordering beef bourguignon. The mashed potatoes that come with it are divine, though.
My husband is from France and we both thought the pork rillettes appetizer was quite tasty but he thought it should have come with cornichon. The tarte tatin to share was also a bit of a disappointment: too thick and not quite warm or caramelly enough. It also seemed to have a sort of graham cracker-ish crust rather than the rich, buttery sort traditional to this dish.
Overall, given the challenges of finding a peaceful, unhurried tasty restaurant in midtown Manhattan on a weekend evening, I would return here and would recommend it to others – but would also warn that there may be some disappointments along with the pleasures.
Unfortunately, there was an unexpected incident where food was accidentally spilled on both of us, including on my fur coat, which needed to be dry cleaned. It shifted the tone of the evening, as we had to focus on getting cleaned up rather than fully enjoying the experience.
That said, the staff handled the situation with professionalism and kindness. We were promptly moved to a new table, checked on throughout the night, and management kindly offered to cover the cost of dry cleaning — a gesture we truly appreciated.
While we were grateful to have our drinks removed from the bill, we were a bit surprised that no further accommodation was offered, considering the nature of the mishap and the impact it had on what was meant to be a special evening. In similar circumstances, a more generous resolution is often extended.
Still, we genuinely appreciated the team’s attentiveness and care during a difficult moment. We hope this feedback is taken in the spirit of gratitude and as encouragement to continue offering thoughtful hospitality — even when things don’t go exactly as planned.