Le Coucou
A fine French meal that turns any night into a special occasion.
GO HERE: for a grand return to days gone by. This is New York extravagance by way of mega-restaurateur Stephen Starr, with invigorated French cooking from the American-born Parisian sensation Daniel Rose.
ORDER THE: pike quenelles, oblong dumplings so airy and delicate that to bite into them is to taste a cloud. The sweetbreads are similarly inexplicable in their perfection: Rose’s version tastes like the best fried chicken on earth. For your main course, you want the tout le lapin (rabbit every imaginably delicious way), and you want a beautiful bottle of Burgundy, and you want someone with a very nice credit card to pick up the bill. Is that so much to ask for?
THE VIBE IS: candle wax dripping from long tapers onto the table, chefs wearing toques without a hint of irony, and plush banquettes that you’ll sink into like they’re a bed of pillows. Designers Roman and Williams manage to make the space feel modern and stylish yet still rooted in a classic French spirit.
GETTING IN: is not going to be easy. Call a month in advance if you want to make your way past Reservations Siberia (those 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. slots). The bar area is gorgeous, but it’s tiny and not built for drop-ins.
YOU’D NEVER GUESS THAT: Le Coucou also serves breakfast. It’s a lovely, though not particularly abstemious, spot for a morning meeting.
