The Lounge at Le Bernardin | Chef Éric Ripert, New York, NY

By Meryl Pearlstein

Dining at the bar at Le Bernardin

The AXA Equitable Building
155 W. 51st St. (Sixth & Seventh Aves.) New York, NY, 10019
212-554-1515 | View Website

Interested in eating at some of New York City’s best restaurants, but put off by the prices? Try dining at the bar! Not only is it less expensive, but the bar or lounge atmosphere is often a more relaxed experience than in the main dining room. It’s a wonderful trend that many top-rated New York restaurants are embracing, including Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park and Per Se, where diners can avoid having to order the prix-fixe menu by dining in the lounge.
 

Separated from the elegant restaurant space by a beautiful teak screen, the lounge at Le Bernardin is an oasis of Zen in busy midtown. Elegant but relaxed, this room is where those “in the know” come for exquisite pre- or post-theater meals at the bar or comfortable tables. A small menu samples the fine-dining seafood experience that keeps Éric Ripert’s restaurant among the most revered in Manhattan and a regular on GAYOT’s Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. Choose from small plates like salmon rillette with toast; scallop ceviche with chives and preserved lemon; or layers of thinly pounded yellowfin tuna with foie gras and toasted baguette.”

Personable and knowledgeable wine director Aldo Sohm has curated a selection of wines to complement your food. Look for his wine bar at 151 W. 51st., a stone’s throw from Le Bernardin. On the menu: 200+ bottles, light foods, plus beer and spirits.