Chef Daniel Boulud’s flagship, the 28-year-old Restaurant Daniel, reopened in New York City at the end of September after an 8-week-long renovation and a menu refresh. Already, guests looking to score a table have to reserve a month out.
“We’re full every night,” said Boulud of the 150-seat restaurant. “People are anxious to celebrate and see friends and Daniel has always been a special place for New Yorkers, as well as visitors from all over the world. I don’t consider Daniel to be formal, but it’s a place to feel chic and special.”
Chef Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel
Boulud’s empire now includes 14 restaurants, spanning the world from Montreal to Washington, D.C., Dubai and the Bahamas, with another high-end spot slated to open in 2022 in Beverly Hills. And the majority focus on fine dining—a segment many naysayers claimed was killed off by the pandemic.
During COVID, Boulud did convert Restaurant Daniel into a more casual, Provencal-style popup decorated to evoke the South of France. It was a bit more relaxed and casual, complete with private heated cabanas for outdoor dining. But when it came to renovating the interior of Daniel for post-COVID guests, the restaurateur wanted to preserve its fine-dining pedigree.
The design team retained some of the polished wood accents, wallpaper and Neo-Classic architecture, but now the art displayed on the walls is a rotating collection from younger artists. The restaurant still offers a French four-course prix fixe similar to the pre-pandemic menu, with seasonal selections such as langostine as a starter, followed by cedar wood-smoked trout with potato gnocchi and Elysian Fields Farm lamb chops with black garlic. Desserts include a Lukan’s Farm Honey Mille Feuille and Oregon Wild Huckleberry Vacherin.
Langostine at Restaurant Daniel
“The price is slightly higher than pre-COVID because I am now paying my staff more and paying more for supplies,” said Boulud. Before the pandemic, the prix fixe was $158 per person, “but I have to be careful of price and can’t increase it too much.”
Now, for the same price—$181 per person without wine—guests can order the traditional or vegetarian prix fixe. This menu puts vegetables front and center, with offerings such as a harvest salad with black truffle vinaigrette, flageolet bean fricasee and fennel with creamy white barley and saffron potato.
In May, Boulud added Le Pavillon, also in New York City, to his portfolio. Although the contemporary French restaurant also qualifies as fine dining with its ambiance, polished service and elevated cuisine, “it’s more approachable; less expensive and more relaxed,” he said. “I call it ‘fine casual.’”
Bar area at Le Pavillon, courtesy of Le Pavillon
Le Pavillon’s interior emphasizes nature and architecture, as it’s built around lush gardens and boasts stellar views of the Chrysler Building. “It feels modern and classic and fresh and young at the same time,” said Boulud.
The restaurant also includes an inviting bar/lounge area where customers can come for drinks and light bites. Included in this a la carte selection are tempura squash blossoms ($19), Thai sausage stuffed squid ($21), herb crusted oysters ($21) and yellowfin tuna tartar ($18). For a splurge, there’s golden Osetra caviar with lemon creme fraiche and blinis ($175).
The three-course prix fixe dinner menu, which highlights seafood and vegetables “from Northeast fishermen and farmers,” is more gently priced than Daniel’s at $125 per person. Diners can choose from a wider selection of items as well. There’s also a six-course tasting menu of seafood ($195) and one of vegetables ($155)—a bargain compared to Eleven Madison Park’s vegan tasting menu at $335 per person.
Since Le Pavillon opened earlier this year in Midtown Manhattan, the 100-seat dining room has been busy and “bookings for lunch are especially robust,” said Boulud.
He also sees a good holiday season shaping up, but is approaching it cautiously. People can book the whole restaurant at either Le Pavillon or Restaurant Daniel, as well as his other New York City outposts, Bar Boulud and Boulud Sur. Each of the restaurants has private dining rooms. The chef also has a catering company called Epicerie Boulud, a less expensive option for hosting office parties and social gatherings.
“We bring a lot of choices to customers in every price range,” said Boulud.
As far as those skeptics who predict the demise of fine dining, he vehemently disagrees.
“Fine dining will never go away. Fine dining leaves people with memories they can’t replace, and big cities like New York can support it. There’s an expectation and demand,” Boulud said.
His peers agree, he said, with Boulud specifically citing celebrated chefs Jean George Vongerichten and Thomas Keller.
But he adds a qualifier. “Fine dining will never die, but it will redefine itself, perhaps with a less formal approach for a new generation of diners along with the more traditional,” Boulud said.