We worked hard to choose a new restaurant for our special year-end celebratory luncheon, and were not disappointed. A lovely, central table by the window with those pretty curvaceous chandeliers made for a very attractive room. Very ably guided by Karim, assisted by smiling Paul we enjoyed a memorable meal. First a mimosa and a stiff "French 75" with the delicious leek and aubergine appetizers. Then my wife had the lobster special and I had the sweetbread etc. vol-au-vent - both wonderful. My favorite baba au rum desert, well doused by a bottle brought to the table, and a Marjolein desert finished us off! In addition to the food we chatted with many who helped us, hearing about their experience and backgrounds. To a person all friendly and charming. We had a really fabulous time!
Andrew L Savini
Overall a great time but something that didn’t click for us early in the meal lowered our score and our overall recollection of the experience — let me explain.
Everything started marvelously. Beautiful setting, open kitchen with tall French chef hats, impeccable and attentive service (exceptional service). for some context, we had initially come because we were visiting from Los Angeles and I had a hankering for French cuisine (which is sparse in LA). Le Coucou’s Michelin star was an enticing proposition, along with their Beef Tartare topped with Caviar.
From most angles this places would rank highly: Ambiance: 5/5 Service: 4.5/5 Drinks and Wine: 5/5 Desserts: 5/5 Main Courses: 4.5/5
It was the earlier parts of our dining selection that were confusing to us. The starters and the gourmandises were just not “our taste”. 1/5
Starting with the bread service — yum. Delicious fluffy warm sourdough.
Then we moved to the Beef Tartar and the Leeks… the leeks were exceptional, very well prepared and presented. The beef tartar was well presented but we both found that while pleasing to look at, texturally not muchdynamism, and very salty. Because no shallots or textural contrast it was “rich / creamy” on top of “rich / creamy”. This was a theme for half of our time eating… truly unfortunate I didn’t like it because I really love beef tartar and the dish was beautiful.
The gourmandises were, as Michelin says, “unapologetically French” which — again — is someone’s taste but I guess just not ours. Each dish seemed warm, “rich / chewy / creamy” which starts off the dinner quite heavy. The pike fish mousse with the lobster sauce was really not for us. It reminded me of a jello mold of fish with a very bubbly thick lobster sauce on top. Again, “rich / creamy / chewy”, and we left most on the plate. I was surprised the staff didn’t ask us about it, why we didn’t like it (especially after they recommended it as what the chef is known for) and then the Morilles Farcies dish (I think)… also sat as rich, creamy and chewy.
Ultimately both weren’t to our liking. Interestingly, the other gourmandises option would likely have been the same — sweat breads with a thick sauce? Again too much rich, chewy, creamy...
I suspected my dislike was possibly my Pacific / Asian palate… maybe I should have ordered the fish crudo / tartare dish they also had on menu (looks good, see other reviewers Google Photos). But my partner is half European and half Latina, and she agrees.
For our Mains, we loved the duck served two ways and the sole / fish. So well prepared.
Knowing what I know now I would go back — beautiful scene, gorgeous kitchen, great staff, world class wine selection, good bites here and there — I would just would avoid those dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Karin Garriga
I absolutely love this magical place with food cooked to five-star perfection! Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mariana Murrieta
We had an amazing time at Le Coucou. The whole experience felt incredibly romantic, especially with the candlelit atmosphere and the beautiful open-kitchen concept. The room itself was stunning and set the perfect tone for the night.
The drinks were amazing. We weren’t impressed with the tuna or lobster, but the monkfish was definitely interesting and unique. The bone marrow and steak were absolutely life-changing. The veal chop was also very good.
Dessert was a highlight. We loved that they offered cheese to finish, and the crème brûlée paired with the passionfruit sorbet was the perfect ending.
Overall, a beautiful experience and a place we’d definitely return to.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jason P
Nice restaurant but the food was bland and overpriced. My wife could not believe it was michelin starred. The duck was just okay. Quite bland as was the sauce. Our dirty plates sat for 15 minutes in front of us after we finished. After 2 hours and 10 minutes they were going to bring us dessert but we said forget it...and I rarely miss dessert. Wayyyy over priced and def not michelin worthy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Ava Giatras
Rose is wonderful, made our experience worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TOMAS A. FERNANDEZ G.
New favorite, Had a 7:30 p.m. reservation to meet a friend — and while the food was fantastic, the real joy was catching up over a beautiful meal in a stunning room.
We started with gin & tonics — cold, balanced, no fuss. Then came a series of dishes that show why Le Coucou earns its reputation: • Veal sweetbreads with tarragon cream and maitake mushrooms were rich, crisp-edged, perfectly executed. • Buckwheat-fried monkfish with cucumber and curry vinaigrette: incredible texture and flavor contrast — crunchy, tender, bright. • Halibut with beurre blanc and fermented daikon was subtle and elegant, with that perfect hit of acid. • The kitchen surprised us with an off-menu bay scallop (callo de acha) — delicate and fresh. • Dessert was the Vacherin aux fruits exotiques — passionfruit and mango sorbet, coconut cream, crisp meringue — like a tropical cloud to end the night.
Service was warm, attentive, and perfectly timed. The room felt alive but never loud. Every detail, from the plating to the pace, allowed us to focus on what mattered: reconnecting.
This wasn’t just a meal — it was a setting for conversation, memory, and presence. And that’s what great restaurants are supposed to be.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wajahat Khan
My wishes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Effy Liu
Recently came back and would say this place remains timeless. Wonderful service and good food, even better atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Hank Grogan
Fantastic food and service. My wife and I came here on our last trip to New York and it was 100% worth it.
Beautiful matches if you like to collect them too!
Incredible atmosphere. It’s probably one of the most beautiful dining experiences in New York.
Atmosphere: 5
Daniel Chen
This was our second time being here in a year. Great lunch experience. Good selection of delicious and unique dishes, all prepared true to French tradition. Aside from the good food, I also enjoyed the chic atomsphere and high levels of service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karla takahara
The food was delicious and very interesting! The service was impeccable and friendly which is rare these days! I am already planning to return! Well worth the expense for this experience I believe.
Roslyn Weinstein
Fabulous!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Martina Ruseva
My husband and I came here to celebrate our anniversary and loved the experience. The restaurant was beautiful and everyone working there was very kind and professional. The food was also delicious! You need to schedule your reservation a few days in advance because this spot books up especially for weekend reservations
We worked hard to choose a new restaurant for our special year-end celebratory luncheon, and were not disappointed. A lovely, central table by the window with those pretty curvaceous chandeliers made for a very attractive room. Very ably guided by Karim, assisted by smiling Paul we enjoyed a memorable meal. First a mimosa and a stiff "French 75" with the delicious leek and aubergine appetizers. Then my wife had the lobster special and I had the sweetbread etc. vol-au-vent - both wonderful. My favorite baba au rum desert, well doused by a bottle brought to the table, and a Marjolein desert finished us off! In addition to the food we chatted with many who helped us, hearing about their experience and backgrounds. To a person all friendly and charming. We had a really fabulous time!
Overall a great time but something that didn’t click for us early in the meal lowered our score and our overall recollection of the experience — let me explain.
Everything started marvelously. Beautiful setting, open kitchen with tall French chef hats, impeccable and attentive service (exceptional service). for some context, we had initially come because we were visiting from Los Angeles and I had a hankering for French cuisine (which is sparse in LA). Le Coucou’s Michelin star was an enticing proposition, along with their Beef Tartare topped with Caviar.
From most angles this places would rank highly:
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Drinks and Wine: 5/5
Desserts: 5/5
Main Courses: 4.5/5
It was the earlier parts of our dining selection that were confusing to us. The starters and the gourmandises were just not “our taste”.
1/5
Starting with the bread service — yum. Delicious fluffy warm sourdough.
Then we moved to the Beef Tartar and the Leeks… the leeks were exceptional, very well prepared and presented. The beef tartar was well presented but we both found that while pleasing to look at, texturally not muchdynamism, and very salty. Because no shallots or textural contrast it was “rich / creamy” on top of “rich / creamy”. This was a theme for half of our time eating… truly unfortunate I didn’t like it because I really love beef tartar and the dish was beautiful.
The gourmandises were, as Michelin says, “unapologetically French” which — again — is someone’s taste but I guess just not ours. Each dish seemed warm, “rich / chewy / creamy” which starts off the dinner quite heavy. The pike fish mousse with the lobster sauce was really not for us. It reminded me of a jello mold of fish with a very bubbly thick lobster sauce on top. Again, “rich / creamy / chewy”, and we left most on the plate. I was surprised the staff didn’t ask us about it, why we didn’t like it (especially after they recommended it as what the chef is known for) and then the Morilles Farcies dish (I think)… also sat as rich, creamy and chewy.
Ultimately both weren’t to our liking. Interestingly, the other gourmandises option would likely have been the same — sweat breads with a thick sauce? Again too much rich, chewy, creamy...
I suspected my dislike was possibly my Pacific / Asian palate… maybe I should have ordered the fish crudo / tartare dish they also had on menu (looks good, see other reviewers Google Photos). But my partner is half European and half Latina, and she agrees.
For our Mains, we loved the duck served two ways and the sole / fish. So well prepared.
Knowing what I know now I would go back — beautiful scene, gorgeous kitchen, great staff, world class wine selection, good bites here and there — I would just would avoid those dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
I absolutely love this magical place with food cooked to five-star perfection! Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had an amazing time at Le Coucou. The whole experience felt incredibly romantic, especially with the candlelit atmosphere and the beautiful open-kitchen concept. The room itself was stunning and set the perfect tone for the night.
The drinks were amazing. We weren’t impressed with the tuna or lobster, but the monkfish was definitely interesting and unique. The bone marrow and steak were absolutely life-changing. The veal chop was also very good.
Dessert was a highlight. We loved that they offered cheese to finish, and the crème brûlée paired with the passionfruit sorbet was the perfect ending.
Overall, a beautiful experience and a place we’d definitely return to.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Nice restaurant but the food was bland and overpriced. My wife could not believe it was michelin starred. The duck was just okay. Quite bland as was the sauce. Our dirty plates sat for 15 minutes in front of us after we finished. After 2 hours and 10 minutes they were going to bring us dessert but we said forget it...and I rarely miss dessert. Wayyyy over priced and def not michelin worthy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Rose is wonderful, made our experience worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
New favorite, Had a 7:30 p.m. reservation to meet a friend — and while the food was fantastic, the real joy was catching up over a beautiful meal in a stunning room.
We started with gin & tonics — cold, balanced, no fuss. Then came a series of dishes that show why Le Coucou earns its reputation:
• Veal sweetbreads with tarragon cream and maitake mushrooms were rich, crisp-edged, perfectly executed.
• Buckwheat-fried monkfish with cucumber and curry vinaigrette: incredible texture and flavor contrast — crunchy, tender, bright.
• Halibut with beurre blanc and fermented daikon was subtle and elegant, with that perfect hit of acid.
• The kitchen surprised us with an off-menu bay scallop (callo de acha) — delicate and fresh.
• Dessert was the Vacherin aux fruits exotiques — passionfruit and mango sorbet, coconut cream, crisp meringue — like a tropical cloud to end the night.
Service was warm, attentive, and perfectly timed. The room felt alive but never loud. Every detail, from the plating to the pace, allowed us to focus on what mattered: reconnecting.
This wasn’t just a meal — it was a setting for conversation, memory, and presence. And that’s what great restaurants are supposed to be.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wishes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recently came back and would say this place remains timeless. Wonderful service and good food, even better atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Fantastic food and service. My wife and I came here on our last trip to New York and it was 100% worth it.
Beautiful matches if you like to collect them too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible atmosphere. It’s probably one of the most beautiful dining experiences in New York.
Atmosphere: 5
This was our second time being here in a year. Great lunch experience. Good selection of delicious and unique dishes, all prepared true to French tradition. Aside from the good food, I also enjoyed the chic atomsphere and high levels of service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious and very interesting! The service was impeccable and friendly which is rare these days! I am already planning to return! Well worth the expense for this experience I believe.
Fabulous!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband and I came here to celebrate our anniversary and loved the experience. The restaurant was beautiful and everyone working there was very kind and professional. The food was also delicious! You need to schedule your reservation a few days in advance because this spot books up especially for weekend reservations
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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