Le Bernardin

Le Bernardin began in Paris in 1972, when the siblings Gilbert and Maguy Le Coze opened a small seafood restaurant named after a folk song their father used to sing. In 1986, shortly after winning a third Michelin star in France, they moved the restaurant to Midtown Manhattan, and it has held four stars from The New York Times ever since. Eric Ripert joined as chef de cuisine in 1991, took charge of the kitchen after Gilbert's death in 1994, and became co-owner with Maguy in 1996.

The restaurant has held three Michelin stars since 2005, the first year the guide covered New York, and it remains a benchmark for cooking with fish and shellfish. The style is precise and restrained, with the seafood barely cooked or served raw and accompanied by delicate sauces, broths and emulsions rather than heavy garnishes. Menus are seasonal and built around a prix fixe and longer tasting menus, with a wine list and sommelier team to match.

The dining room on West 51st Street was completely redesigned in 2012 by Bentel & Bentel, giving it a calmer, contemporary look and adding a large lounge at the front, where a lighter menu is served and booking is easier. For private occasions, Les Salons Bernardin can seat up to 80 guests, and Le Bernardin Privé up to 200.

Reservations are released well in advance and dinner tables go quickly, so plan ahead, especially for Fridays and Saturdays. Lunch can be an easier way in. This is a special-occasion restaurant priced accordingly, and the experience suits couples and small groups who want a long, unhurried meal; tasting menus take several hours. Smart dress fits the setting, and the service is formal but warm. Tell the restaurant about allergies when you book, as the menus centre on seafood.

Le Bernardin is at 155 West 51st Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The 50th Street station on the 1 line, 49th Street on the N, R and W, and 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center on the B, D, F and M are all within a few minutes. Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and the Broadway theatres are close by, so it works well before or after a show.