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THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Bouley Restaurant Review

120 W. Broadway (Duane St.) Send to Phone
New YorkNY 10013
212-964-2525
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David Bouley translates his French roots, growth and vast life experiences in his namesake kitchen.

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Lunch & Dinner daily

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Dining room at THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Bouley, New York, NYWithin the vaulted ceiling framework that was the signature design element of the old Bouley Bakery, patrons have returned to experience and savor Bouley's exquisite French-Contemporary cuisine and reclaim the art of dining, if only for a meal. The dining room accommodates the throngs that seek a glimpse of the chef and experience what many consider to be the finest fare in the city. (An imminent move will relocate the restaurant to new quarters just around the corner.) Bouley takes pride in finding the best purveyors for the freshest seasonal ingredients, and incorporates them into his innovations often involving vegetable extracts and emulsions. He even has opened his own market across the street for organic products, fish, meats and cheeses, along with the Bouley Bakery, so customers can use his top ingredients in their home cooking. The chef’s been known to buy up an entire catch from a trusted fisherman. A dynamic wine list enhances his dishes, including his lauded “Return from Chiang Mai” combining chilled Maine lobster, mango, fresh artichoke and Serrano ham in a passion fruit, fresh coconut and tamarind dressing. He travels frequently to Japan, and his Far East influences can be sampled in his Kobe beef served with Asian celery purée. He may use ginger to bring out the best of everything from Hawaiian yellowtail with melon and mushroom to organic Long Island duckling with peas and wild rice. Menus change frequently, as to be expected, but truffles often accentuate his organic veal and lamb preparations. One-of-a-kind desserts may include blueberry and sweet corn parfait with soymilk gelée and huckleberry-sour cream sorbet. Bouley is not necessarily for the price-conscious but one of the best deals in town remains the four-course Tasting Menu, available at lunch for $48 or dinner for $95. Bouley has become an anchor in TriBeCa, a neighborhood that was, for a time, on the cusp of uncertainty. Warning: Reservations are difficult to come by, and with good reason.

User Ratings & Reviews for THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Bouley
Average rating    1
Reviews 1 - 1 of 11
Very Medoicre and Disappointing
by gallen720 on 07/01/2008
 
First, the service was atrocious. There were so many suited waiters and dining room managers running around they were literally bumping into one another. And,even worse, they were all hovering around - very distracting and unprofessional for a restaurant of this alleged caliber.
Also, right inside the doorway to the dining room, right next to our table, was what looked like an end table with a large plant on it. That was fine. But they used it to store menus in a drawer, so all evening they were opening and closing the drawer to retrieve and put away menus. And, they stored half empty bottles of water and wine on top, stuck around the plant. It was very busy, distracting, and unappealing to look at someone else's half empty bottles all evening.
Service was very poor. We waited over 10 minutes for our drinks (there were only two of us) after ordering, and we waited over 20 minutes between appetizers and entrees. We sat waiting close to 20 minutes after our dessert and coffee was finished, with our napkins on the table and the waiter standing watching us, before I finally gave in and asked for our check to get the hell out of there. No one ever came to us and asked how our meal was and if everything was okay. I guess they were all too busy trying to stay out of each other's way.
Food - decent, but nothing outstanding. The Blue Fin Tuna Sashimi appetizer was okay, but had very little flavor. The shaved fennel that was supposed to be on it was invisible and contributed none of the desired flavor . We both had the seared halibut for an entree, which was good, but nothing I couldn't make at home. Breads sounded interesting but were lifeless and tasted like a loaf I had last week from Safeway. We both had two different chocolate desserts - the souffle, and the chocolate brioche. We are both chocoholics, but these desserts were nondescript. Very little chocolate flavor. The little plate of cookies courtesy of the pastry chef was also nondescript and unappetizing.
Never again. Gotham Grill the previous night - OUTSTANDING!!!! Lots of other restaurants in NYC - go to one who cares, not Bouley riding on its now quite wilted and outdated laurels.
 
Reviews 1 - 1 of 11
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