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Tocqueville
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants French Canadian (New), French [Edit]
1 E 15th St(between 5th Ave & W Union Sq)
New York, NY 10003
Neighbourhoods: Union Square, Flatiron
(212) 647-1515
- Nearest Transit:
-
14 St - Union Sq (N, Q, R)
Union Sq - 14 St (L)
14 St (F, M)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 5 pm
Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
116 reviews for Tocqueville
Review Highlights
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"...Creamy Parmesan Grits and Sunny Side Up Country Egg." In 3 reviews -
"...3-course $24.07 prix fixe lunch was delicious and plentiful." In 5 reviews -
"The foie gras is usually my favorite appetizer." In 7 reviews
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115 reviews in English
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Review from Maureen M.
Los Altos, CA
5/13/2012
This was the best dining experience I've ever had, hands down.
Made same-day reservation for 4 at 8:30 PM on a Saturday. Started with drinks at the bar, I had the Elderflower Grapefruit Caipirinha. Bartender said they only use fresh ingredients in the drinks, and it was incredibly light and fruity.
The four of us did the five-course tasting menu with wine pairings. The talented sommelier paired the perfect wine with each of our courses in just the right amount. Four is the perfect number for the tasting menu because for each course, half of the party can have one dish while the other half samples another dish, and then everyone switches. In this way, each of us were able to try everything we wanted to on the menu!
We had been talking about wishing we could meet the chef to thank him for such a wonderful meal, and our host must have overheard us because he brought out the chef to surprise us! Jason Lawless was so grateful that we enjoyed our meal as much as we did. He even offered to give us a tour of the kitchen after we were done!
Our four-hour meal at Tocqueville felt as though we were just having a family dinner in someone's living room. The service was perfect without being too overbearing, and everyone we encountered treated us beautifully.
Yes, a meal Tocqueville is an expensive endeavor. However, you can't take it with you, so you might as well spend it while you can!
Highlights:
Parmesan Grits with Country Egg
Sea Urchin Carbonara
Duck Breast
Also, Jason loves to use truffles and truffle oil, so if you're a fan of those then you are in for a treat. -
Review from Sumito A.
Manhattan, NY
Get to the Chase:
LEMME get this off my oompla chest....$276 for 2 people!!!!!!!! with the Gilt City coupon of paying $60 for $100 credit it came to a final bill of $176 (20% mandatory gratuity included)
Pros:
1) Food is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
Dinner on Saturday for a couple included: Grilled Octopus and Parmasen Lemon Risotto for appetizers, Duck Breast and Butter Poached Lobster for entrees, Chocolate Pudding and Banana Souffle for dessert, accompanied by 3 glasses of red wine (Pinot Noir)
2) Appetizers were the perfect size, not too filling and not too small to cheat you, and don't get me started on the flavor! IT WAS there and more! Succulent, well-cooked octopus with some pesto and tomato sauce with a slight char....creamy, and balanced with a slight acidic lemon taste was delicious with the mushroom and pine nuts...Entrees were GODLY! Duck breast was a generous portion, with a slight bit of fat to capture the juices and deliver a juicy, mouth-watering piece of meat, and the lobster was so well cooked I inhaled it with the squash medallion and lobster ravioli that came with it. The lobster reduced sauce was divine!
Desserts...gaah just try them
3) Service was aaaaaabsolutely top notch! Our waiter was kind enough to let me try 2 of the times before making a choice, he respected our time with eating and did not interrupt about more water or food amidst conversation, and he topped up my glass of wine a little bit as courtesy for ordering another glass for my date! No wonder there's mandatory gratuity of 20%
Cons:
1) The price! $$$$$$$$$$ this is not some iron chef or famous restaurant....but it commands a huge price tag which leaves you with a sour taste and an empty wallet leaving the dining table....I understand quality justifies it...but when you're paying nearly $300 for 2 people...that's just a bit much unless it had Michelin stars
2) Bread was stale and hard as rocks -
Review from Kiki D.
Hoboken, NJ
4/11/2012
Service: 5 stars
Food: 5 stars. Stand out dishes: Sea Urchin Pasta, Duck Breast and Grand Marnier Soufflé
Drinks: We brought our own wine and were charged a corking fee. Can't remember how much they charged but it was more than $30.00.
Can't wait to go back! -
Review from Lina C.
New York, NY
5/21/2012
Good wholesome french food, when i feel like Daniel but can't afford it, I come to Tocqueville.
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Review from Lawrence C.
New York, NY
3/18/2012
Heretical for a sushi purist like me to admit, but I often prefer uni (sea urchin) as an element in a larger dish, rather than unadulterated. Soto's uni with sliced squid and quail yolk, Aldea's sea urchin toast, Sakagura's uni-topped hot springs egg: marvelous uses of the tricky ingredient. But especially close to my heart are uni-inflected pastas. I've had the dreamy version at Marea, the respectable Donatella one, the classical Esca prep, even the bizarre take at Basta Pasta.
Tocqueville's is, simply, perfect.
Let me qualify that: a purebred Italianist might scoff at the pool of cream that nearly submerges the delicate angel hair. But Tocqueville is, if not precisely French, certainly informed by the French dining mode, from the emphasis on deeply flavored sauces to the eminently civilized atmosphere of its hushed, high-ceilinged dining room.
Now, I am assuredly not a white-tablecloth specialist: out of the over 200 Yelp reviews I've previously written, only one was for a place where I felt I HAD to wear a tie (Daniel). It's the nature of the NYC culinary climate these days, that you can spend all your time eating at more casual joints and still hit the vast majority of what's exciting on city plates. The pomp of the classically formal is passe! Take that, the 1%!
In that light, Tocqueville's upholding of traditional standards is actually touching. It's a vanishing breed of restaurant where the servers can keep your water glass full throughout the meal without being intrusive or, indeed, you even really noticing... Where you can linger in conversation with your convive after the meal with not a hint of pressure to depart... Where the sommelier exudes not pretension but a high-minded yet quirky charm -- a little trill of thrill in her voice as she half-whispers, almost to herself, "The Vouvray demi sec for your meal tonight... yes, with the armagnac in your lobster, and the scallops in *your* dish... just that hint of sweetness... but only if you're feeling it..." She convinced my convive and me so smoothly that I don't care if it was an act.
I had only a bite of my convive's tenderly poached lobster, but it burst with freshness against the background of that armagnac. Her starter, pork cheek done up like a pied de cochon panee, was less successful, but still matched well with maple-syruped onions. As for my scallops main, it felt decadent indeed: their impeccable sear overperched by a slabette of lush foie gras, the two proteins assertive but bound together by an incredibly lucid cider vinegar gastrique.
But all this seemed merely a pleasant bonus after that uni pasta. The tongues of uni seemed to be transubstantiating themselves from the sea of cream sauce, so naturally blended did they seem. The uni's brininess was mellowed by the cream, whose luxuriousness was in turn cut by a hint of lime essence. And the high surface area afforded by the angel hair pasta picked up plenty of the sauce, the slick uni paradoxically serving as a kind of glue between the two. Even the leaf of sea lettuce bobbing above it all seemed less a superfluous garnish than another callback to the sea, a slight crunch to highlight the smoothness of the rest of the dish.
That menu item alone might earn Tocqueville 5 stars from someone more bewitched by formality than me. Perhaps my 4 rating is just me falling into the affective fallacy: judging not by absolute quality, but by how a place made me feel. I'm just not quite comfortable in the straight-up formal European setting. Remember, though: the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves...
Probability of return within 1 year: 10% -
Review from Lissa V.
3/12/2012
I really don't know why I haven't heard more about this place, but I'm certainly not complaining about how painless it is to obtain a table. Tocqueville is an elegant, fine dining option that feels more "uptown" than Union Square; however, they are connected with the Un Sq Green Market to offer the freshest ingredients and options.
FFF (Fav Foodie Friend) and I headed here last Friday night and were possibly the youngest (and clearly the coolest) Cats in the place. Service was impeccable from start to finish. The quirky but knowledgeable Sommelier helped us pick out a lovely Vouvray in our price range that progressed well with the entire meal.
We had a Gilt City deal for the 4 course tasting menu. Each dish was complex, full of flavor, and pretty much an orgasm in our mouths. Great attention was paid to every detail of the meal. I really don't think there was one course I preferred over the other. We started with a cheddar, fennel, hazelnut salad with glazed pear, then the truffled grits and sunny side egg, then the scallop and foie gras, and lastly we ended our meal with a grand marnier souffle. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I'd definitely recommend Tocqueville for an upscale evening. Perfect to take out of town relatives you want to impress or for any type of celebration.Listed in: The Birthday Dinner
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Review from Shira F.
Massapequa Park, NY
5/10/2012
I had the privilege of being brought here for dinner a couple of weeks back, and let me just say, that it was the most beautiful dining experience I have ever had. Everything about this place is incredible, especially the service. We were promptly seated and given the wine and cocktail menus. My date had a glass of red wine that was recommended to him while I enjoyed the Chinese Storm cocktail. We skipped appetizers and went on to order our entrees. I ordered the duck, and he ordered the sea scallops and foie gras. Both entrees were delicious, but my duck was exceptional; it was cooked perfectly. After we finished with our entrees, we ordered desserts, the steamed chocolate pudding cake and frozen banana souffle, both great. This is an amazing restaurant, and worth the splurge!
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Review from Matt E.
Flushing, NY
5/4/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Food and wine definitely is center stage. The place is very upscale and the overall dining experience is flawless.
Meals eaten here can easily be described by "epic", "delightful", "delicious", and "an experience". This place will meet or exceed any expectaions of the most discriminating diners.
That being said, don't be mistaken, this is indeed an "upscale" restaurant, on par with Grmmercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, and Per Se. Expect to use $$$$, but feel good the companion you're with will feel very special. -
Review from Anne S.
Nantucket, MA
3/27/2012
Our dining experience was exceptional. We loved the space with its warm palette and understated elegance. The service was impeccable from the front door to the table wait staff.
Everything was beautifully presented and equally delicious. Too many to mention but here are a few: puréed beet cannelloni appetizer, sea bass entree, blood orange cheesecake with peach sorbet.
We were very impressed and can't say enough about our entire experience. Upscale and comfortable, elegant.... -
Review from Ida C.
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you are looking for a celebratory and unapologetically over-the-top Saturday lunch, Tocqueville is your perfect option!
The intimate dining room is done in luxurious tones of sand and sea and the service is impeccably polished, resonating with quiet pride in the restaurant's high caliber food and dining experience.
We opted for the 5-course tasting menu ($68) + the ($20) truffle supplement to celebrate an professional milestone, but for an everyday occasion, the $29 3-course prix fixe option looks like a fantastic deal!
The wonderful thing about the tasting menu at Tocqueville is that it is entirely customized based on your personal tastes. We declared our love of all things truffles, foie gras and eggs, and what followed was the stuff of culinary legends. Course after course of such delights as diver scallop topped with seared foie gras, truffled parmesan grits topped with a sunny side up egg, foie gras terrine with apple chutney and much, much more! We washed everything down with excellent champagne and concluded with a vast spread of house made sorbets, poached pear and chocolate hazelnut torte.
Truly epic meal, replete with fuzzy, happy feelings.
PARTING THOUGHT: I was rather sad when Picholine discontinued Saturday lunch service, but Tocqueville has come to the rescue! For a romance, I would recommend requesting one of the corner tables -
Review from Ashwin T.
2/27/2012
pretty good spot for a date, although perhaps a little pricy. The restaurant is well decorated and being greeted by the hostess in a dedicated reception is a nice touch (I find it kind of annoying that a lot of new york spots have you rubbing shoulders with diners while waiting to be seated).
We were seated in a small dining area upstairs. The extra privacy afforded by the smaller area was nice for our date, but it was a shame to miss out on the expansive main dining hall.
Waiter was friendly had a great knowledge of the menu and specials (although he had to be prompted to tell us about them). We ended up ordering two appetizers and two entrees, which is a little heftier of a meal than we usually get, but ended up being the right amount of food given the portions.
Food:
-Amuse bouche was a foie gras foam that was very tasty
-Octopus: This was served with some mediterranean-ish accroutements and was pretty much delicious. Meat was tender, and everything went well together.
-Sea urchin and angel hair carbonara: sea urchin was great but the pasta was nothing special
-Sea scallop with seared foie gras: scallops were good (nothing special), but something tasted off with the foie gras (tasted really bitter). After we complained to the waiter, he brought out another piece of seared foie gras that was probably twice the size of the foie gras in the original dish. A classy way to recover from a snafu with the cooking - other snooty New York restaurants take notice
-Lobster: can't go wrong with lobster. On the plus side it was pretty reasonably priced relative to a lot of places.
Nothing really caught our eye from the dessert menu, but we were pleasantly surprised by a plate of petits fours
Overall a good experience, but not really anything special for the price. -
Review from Lucy Y.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 1/28/2012 15 photos
Since my initial review , I returned to Tocqueville for the third time with two friends and had a fabulous lunch.
The restaurant staff did a remarkable job to accommodate our table, allowing me to order the tasting menu and my friends to order a la carte. The timing difference made the staff's work more difficult, but they pulled it off superbly (this was while the dining room was almost full capacity). We dined like queens for nearly 4 hours. By the time we left, it was almost time for dinner service.
The food was fantastic as always. What a wonderful establishment this is!Listed in: Best of Restaurant Week
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/9/2011
Fantastic American fine dining restaurant with French technique. Just came here for a solo lunch on… Read more »
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Review from Donna W.
McLean, VA
3/12/2012
It was a pleasure to visit Tocqueville last week. We were fortunate to be seated in the upstairs area overlooking the main dining room. To say the service was impeccable, was an understatement. It began upon arrival and lasted until we exited. It's the little things that can make your experience even better.
The decor was classic yet modern and provided a very cozy and intimate experience. Our seating area allowed the lights and music to be controlled which was good since with nine other people, the romance factor wasn't so important.
However, the food was the star! While the menu can be intimidating for some, there was nothing on it that seemed inaccessible. Sometimes New American cuisine can be fussy and over chi chi but not at Tocqueville. You do have your standard chic: foie gras, something truffle inspired..., but you weren't overwhelmed with these things. I personally had the cauliflower soup (poured table-side) and the poached Maine lobster. A wonderful meal! Others also raved about their dishes. Desserts offered something for everyone from sorbets to cake. I had the bon bon with its crispy bottom and rich, dark chocolate cream...delectable.
Tocqueville is the restaurant that many strive to be; kudos to getting it right! -
Review from Stan P.
Manhattan, NY
4/9/2012
Tocqueville definitely exceeded our expectations - for some reason, I didn't have too high of an expectation perhaps due to the fact that the restaurant has not been hyped like other fancy places. We decided to try three entrees instead of any appetizers - we tried the scallops, the lobster and duck. We loved all the entrees. They even divided them into two portions and they came in the order like a tasting menu. By the third course, we were so full we couldn't order any desserts.
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Review from Ajit G.
Forked River, NJ
1/9/2012
My new favorite upscale restaurant in NYC. Yes. It really is that good. From beginning to end, Tocqueville was a special experience.
Decor: Classy. Romantic. Intimate. The place is beautiful, with a lovely, inviting layout and atmosphere. While it is definitely upscale, it isn't so much so that you're forced to wear a jacket or tie, yet both would be fine if you were on your way to a splashy event afterwards. I like that sort of flexibility. Also, it doesn't seat too many people, unlike other upscale restaurants I've been to, so it doesn't feel crowded or like a warehouse.
Service: The staff was impeccable, each and every one of them. The maitre d' was a man by the name of TJ--personable, polite, yet warm and attentive. The sommelier was Marissa and she was energetic, quirky and a lot of fun--she directed us to an "orange wine", which we loved, and she served us up a couple of glasses of complementary champagne while we waited for it to decante. The rest of the staff was equally exceptional, friendly and inviting and they made us feel extremely welcome and appreciated.
The food: Delicious. To the last morsel and crumb. My girlfriend had the 5 course vegetarian tasting menu, while I had the normal 5 course tasting menu. In truth, after the amuse-bouche, second desserts, and other complementary dishes, we must have clocked in at 8 or 9 courses. We lost track, but we loved it all and each and every course built off the previous one, while maintaining their own distinct flavors.
I also give them kudos for fitting it all in 2 and 1/2 hours. I'd called ahead and told them I had tickets to an event later that night and had to finish by a certain time--they made sure they accommodated me, pacing the courses fast enough to keep to the schedule, while slow enough for us to savor everything unrushed. Finally, we were brought down to the kitchen and met the executive chef and the tour was enjoyable, allowing us to see how they made the food and also giving us the chance to thank the chef for such a wonderful experience.
Tocqueville may not be as famous or as chic as some of its Michelin starred brethren, but it holds its own against them in most categories and exceeds them in others, while offering up a much less painful final bill. -
Review from margaret l.
Long Island City, NY
5/5/2012
I went for lunch with my friend and we had one of the best food experiences in NYC. We have gone to many other highly rated places including Daniel, Jean George, Gramercy Tavern etc; This was one of the best in terms of their elegance, quiet and efficient service, low noise level, and the absolutely delicious food. We choose the prix fix for $29 for three courses, appetizer, entree and dessert which is a real bargain consider the quality and ample portion size. I concur with all of the other viewers on the food. Everything that we had were delicious.
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Review from Valerie J.
Forest Hills, Queens, NY
3/2/2012
Three stars on Yelp equates to, according to their rating system, "A-OK", and that seems pretty accurate.
My friend and I went here last Thursday, and I admit that I fell in love with the door/coat check woman. She was not the typical 20-something, but at least in her 40's, but no less pretty and in trim shape. Her ebullience bowled me over, and I felt like handing her my coat and having her show us to our table were those things in life that made her the happiest. She was great!
I would say the service, for the most part, remained impeccable. Our waiter was decidedly educated, efficient, and helpful - and in regard to wines, extremely knowledgeable. I appreciated his eloquence and patience as I tried and dismissed wines until he found one I liked, though I have to say I always felt he was trying to 'upsell' me at each turn. "Which is the fullest white?" Why the most expensive. "We are having the uni carbonara and beet salad appetizers, do you recommend the Scallops and foie gras or the "Lavender skewered Arctic Char with ginger spaghetti squash, tokyo turnips, thumbelina carrots and champage arragon emulsion."
IMO Arctic is a delicate fish and sounds, in this fashion, to be prepared in such a way. My waiter said he thought the scallops with foie gras (a lobe of foie, mind you, not a mere dressing) would be the lighter dish? Is this because it was $38 to the Char's $28? I had to wonder.
Regarding the food itself... I might be unfair having eaten in some excellent restaurants, but when a chef sends out a tiny round of 'crab salad' on a toast point as an amuse, something is wrong. There is no ounce of creativity in that, and from that point on, I was disappointed.
The urchin in carbonara was delightful in so much that it was of course excellent urchin, which I've never had served warm and which I found made it that much more extravagant. Extravagant as well was the carbonara - which I feel, while being made, the chef thought, "One stick of butter per plate shall suffice, and a pinch more!" - WAY too heavy for me, or for any appetizer.
The beet and artichoke salad was this dish's polar opposite - beautifully assembled it was all clean tastes and true to each item on the plate. (Bernard Louiseau would have approved).
My scallops came and tasted... well... like scallops. The foie gras lobe was seared fine and tasted like... foie gras. What I mean to say is I found nothing adventures in this dish nor its pairing of these two potential spectacular, and potentially dull, ingredients. I found it fell flat.
I mention my friend's tofu only in so much as it should be looked at as how not to treat tofu. Bland as a rule - tofu can easily be dressed up. This wasn't.
The gimme of petit fours at the end was a nice surprise.
At least the night ended with another enchanting trip past the coat check woman. I may try the arctic char, but it would probably disappoint me as well.
Oh, the interior really is beautifully decorated, so perhaps go for this alone.
Post Script:
I have to mention that the next morning I woke to a program-already-in-progress of diarrhea that lasted the better part of 5 hours... Clearly *something* of my meal was not handled-with-care. I pray it wasn't the uni! -
Review from Thomas M.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
There's a great $30 lunch prix fixe here.
I got the butternut squash soup with some fixings. The presentation was spectacular, the dish arrives in a large bowl with just the fixings and a server pours the soup in. The soup was a real winner. Creamy, butternut squashy.. yeah, it was good
I order the steak main as medium rare. It came out as medium rare and a bit charred. Nothing to write home about IMO, but the other guests seemed to be digging it.
For dessert, I had the chocolate I don't remember.. Chocolate layered with some kind of cream and another thin chocolate underneath it. When I first tasted it, I had this weird sensation happen on my tongue.. then I realized there's a tinge of alcohol in it. It comes with espresso ice cream and some dots of chocolate sauce, it was pleasant. But the real stand out was the assorted sorbets that my cousin had ordered. -
Review from howard T.
Brooklyn, NY
1/9/2012
I love my dad but where does he find these places, maybe its me? I guess deep down I'm not a fan of nouvelle, fusion, micro sized, over priced cuisine, (you and i know it as food),
We went for a Christmas lunch with my dad and his wife, their choice, it was a lovely place the staff was helpful, considerate of my wife who's in a wheelchair, and the place is beautiful, kind of belle epoch meets new york plush,
We had some similar experiences to some of the other writers, the multiple menu's, the Maître d', we couldn't quite understand, etc., the foods good but way overpriced,
we all started with an appetizer, my father and his wife had the chestnut and squash soup, it was alright, nothing incredible, my wife and I had the oysters, fresh, clean, but I had to ask for a slice of lemon, I dislike mignonette sauce, as does my wife why hide the flavor of the oyster,
The Maître d' had told us the special of the day when we came in and most of us had decided to have the venison, but when it came time to order they actually only had one special of the day left, this also happened with another standard menu item the lightly smoked duck breast and leg confit, they only had the breast so we all had to scramble to re think our orders,
I had the venison well done overly peppery (and I love black pepper but it was to much even for me) and the accompanying sides were totally undistinguished, I make better braised red cabbage at home,
My wife who had wanted the duck confit settled for the diver scallops with the foie gras, the scallops were OK, the portion of foie was tiny ( i mean match book size), hard from overcooking and generally nothing special and the accompanying mushrooms and artichokes were again nothing special.
My fathers wife had the aged sirloin she had asked that they prepare it medium but when it arrived it was blue, and totally raw except a sear on the outside she sent it back, they cooked it to medium and it became so tough she could barely eat it, feeling bad for her I traded with her she enjoyed the venison and it was much easier for me to finish the steak for her. the poached egg and toasted brioche were perfectly done and the accompanying salad and mushroom jus were OK.
My father had the hanger steak, as he had ordered the prix fixe lunch, it was for lack of a better word egalitarian well done for what it was, but nothing I would recommend to anyone.
on to desert, we were all pretty full, even given how small the portions were, we had all eaten a lot of bread waiting for our food, the brioche was excellent, the focaccia not as good as my local Italian bakeries and the sourdough was also just OK, that said we decided to split two deserts,
My father and his wife had the bitter chocolate mille feuille, it was good but tiny I mean petit four size, my wife and I had the steamed chocolate pudding cake with bourbon pecan ice cream, let me start by saying I've had miniature cup cakes that were bigger, and as a pudding cake it should be soft in the center but this again for lack of a better word morsel of a cake was hard and dry and the accompanying ice cream lack any bourbon flavor.
on the whole at almost $300 for this bounty or lack there of, of food it should have been more special or more abundant, neither was the case,
and here again is a dig to YELP, why is this restaurant listed as handicapped accessible? it doesn't have an ADA compliant restroom they're all downstairs. -
Review from Kerry S.
Waltham, MA
10/30/2011
Visited Tocqueville during an overnight visit to Manhattan. I researched a bunch of different upscale places to eat. I am a sucker for a good chef's tasting menu, but the thought of spending $200-300 each made me a little sick. I stumbled upon Tocqueville and it looked like a good option while remaining within my comfort zone price-wise.
My husband and I really enjoyed our time here. We got the 7-course chef's tasting menu for $125.
The first thing that really impressed me was the reaction to our choice of wine. We decided since we were going balls to the walls with the tasting menu, we wanted to order a cheaper wine. We don't have very sophisticated wine palates, so we'd never notice the difference between a $40 and a $70 bottle of wine anyway. We literally went with the cheapest bottle on the menu. And the sommelier made us feel like we ordered a really great wine even if it was at the lowest end of the spectrum. And since it was the house wine, he let us have a taste before he opened the bottle. This was illustrative of the service we'd have all evening. Excellent but friendly -- no pretentiousness.
We had a bunch of little amuses to start the meal: a warm, cheese basket of gougeres; a crispy beet "cannoli" filled with goat cheese; a potato croquet topped with black truffles. I love stuff like this. They were all a couple of very tasty bites.
I don't want to outline every course, but they were all really good. Super star courses included the lobster which was perfectly cooked with an amazing lobster broth. And the "peking" duck with a honey crust and anise sauce served with baby bok choy. I don't like bok choy and I liked this! Also, a pre-dessert course of passion fruit sorbet was awesome. Tart and sweet sorbet -- with the seeds left in to give a great crunch as an extra texture to the smooth sorbet.
A few things I didn't love: the over use of celery ... played a supporting role in a couple of dishes and it just seemed a little redundant. Also, overuse of a huckleberry sauce which worked well with the passion fruit sorbet (a deeper, spicier sweet addition to the tart sorbet), but also showed up on the cheese plate and on the dessert plate. It just seemed a bit unoriginal each time we got it.
Overall, we really liked this place. Courses were served at a good pace. Kind of quicker toward the beginning and a bit slower toward the end of the meal which I liked. Service was first-class. The dining room was beautiful. Seating was comfortable (which was good for our 3 1/2 hour meal!)
I promised my husband that next time we'd go to Morimoto -- but if I didn't promise that, I'd probably go back here again!
P.S. I almost forgot -- do get the Elderflower Grapefruit Caipirinha. It was amazing. -
Review from Wendy G.
Classy, stylish and family-friendly!
5 star (to the perfection!!) service + 5 star presentation of food.
4-4.5 star taste of complexity of the food.
4 star of the ambiance. (dim light, but a bit too dark and too intimate for a really classy setting)
I got the 7-course chef's tasting menu for $125. But guess what, since they were so nice to add this and that as compliment, at the end of the day, I think i had 15 courses!! Yeah yeah i know, almost their entire menu.
Please, check out my ten photos. Pictures tell more than anything.
PS: It resembles one restaurant a lot in many different ways: Gotham Bar and Grill. -
Review from Buo Z.
10/22/2011
After many years of passing this place, I finally made it in. There is no AT&T cell phone reception in the back room so it's not great when you're on call for something. The food was good, the service was great, and the decor was quite beautiful - modern and elegant. I was surprised the place was kind of empty - maybe it's just the location.
Tried:
Sea urchin with carbonara pasta - looks better than it tastes
Scallops with foie gras - pretty good
Mixed berry souffle with ice cream - delicious -
Review from May L.
8/10/2011
I love Tocqueville because it just doesn't get the same sort of traffic and hype as other places with a similar rating. The menu changes so it's not worth identifying anything in particular to hone onto.
Their lunch prix-fixe is one of the best values. They do generally participate in Restaurant week, which saves you 3 dollars (immaterial). The food is delicious and the service is typical of a 5 star place.
I would mention, while you don't have to wear a coat, you can not wear flip flops, even if they are the trendy ones that men tend to wear in the summer. This actually goes to the men and not the women. In other words, it doesn't matter that you got your flip flops from Johnny Varvatos or Gucci, you come in with them; and you will be sitting at the bar or finding other accommodations for lunch. That's really sad if you come for brunch because the main dining room is gorgeous and the bar is dark.
Also, its says Union Square, but it's actually in that ambiguous area between Union Square, north of 14th and too far East to be West Village/Chelsea.Listed in: Four $$$$, Five Star…, Good for Upscale Business…
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Review from Alan Z.
Long Beach, NY
2/11/2012
Almost a perfect meal. Almost perfect service: very well trained wait staff , knew the menu cold, then disappeared when it was time to prepare the souffle' (I did it).
Gave us extras of champagne , but at $25/glass it's. Or surprising.
The food was superb/fab, each dish a winner
Tab $250 including T & T
Well worth it for a splurge -
Review from Bill F.
Butler, NJ
2/21/2012
There is only one word to adequately describe a dining experience at Tocqueville: fantastic! I recently called to arrange a surprise birthday party for my wife. Ashley Bradford, the hostess in charge of private dining, could not have been more helpful. She took all the worries off my shoulders, planned the menu, and greeted us at the door when we arrived. Needless to say, as we walked into the beautifully decorated room, my wife's jaw dropped.
The rest of the evening was absolutely enchanting: the food was exquisite, the wine was excellent and the service was not to be believed. Before I could even wish for anything, there was a waiter at my elbow, providing the canopies, the wine, drinks-anything that we desired.
Whether for a special party like this or just a delicious dinner for two, Tocqueville is one of the finest restaurants in New York. We will be back - often. -
Review from Ashley Z.
Hamden, CT
1/24/2012
The first place I've ever gone that I enjoyed enough to go out of my way and write a review. The waitstaff was friendly, attentive and not in any way overbearing. We were on a tighter schedule, having an early show to see, and they timed the tasting menus perfectly.
I got the vegetarian tasting menu, my boyfriend the 5 course w/meat. Every dish was fantastic and the presentation was on par with the taste. The Parmesan grits with egg is a must. I had to pause the conversation so I could fully enjoy the moment.
The two of us make an adventure in trying new restaurants as often as we can and Tocqueville knocks all of them out of the running, even the Michelin rated places we've been to. -
Review from Elliott B.
New York, NY
12/5/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Perfect for that slow, romantic dinner you always thought you should take your wife out to but never had time to do! The food was great, and the service was even better--we were surprised and amazed the entire night. I recommend their white Rioja by the glass, very full bodied and rich.
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Review from Tony O.
New York, NY
2/24/2011
Will go back for the prix-fixe lunch, which sounded good (Three courses for $24.07 without wine, a few dollars more for wine pairings). Had the Nicoise, which was great. Windowless dining room for a rich older crowd. Service was okay; noticed that our waiter's suit was comically small on him. The coffee, though, was perhaps the best I've ever had in a restaurant IN MY LIFE. :D
Going back to sample the creamless sunchoke puree, the duck breast, and the cheese plate for sure.
This place is neither young nor hip. Impress your grandparents by taking them there. -
Review from Alden W.
New York, NY
9/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Short version: Pretentious, good for old people, unintelligible and bumbling wait staff.
Long version: Let me preface this by saying we had a pre-show dinner. I know it's a dumb idea to show up at 5:30 for a dinner in NYC, but I had relatives visiting from out of town and that's what they decided to do. If I had my druthers, we would go to the show THEN dinner.
Obviously, it was pretty empty when we showed up. The whole place just oozed pretentiousness: understated brown and white decor with high ceilings and a chandelier, linen napkins and table cloths, old person jazz music, chair pulled out for you, etc etc.
Between his thick accent and garbled mumble, we couldn't understand ONE THING the waiter said. He handed us three menus: a regular one, nicely edited with some tasty offerings, a second with a Green Market prix fixe menu (which is why we chose this place) and a third Rosh Hashana menu. As I strained to hear him, I thought he said "Oceana" so I figured it was fish. The rest of the night went similarly.
I was disappointed with the green market menu. It's not that it wasn't tasty, just, well, a prix fixe. They way my relative described it, the restaurant was a big proponent of using ingredients from the Union Square market, only two blocks away. This seemed more like a grudging nod to the farm-to-table movement.
I ordered it anyway. First came a complementary cucumber soup that was nice enough. Then our appetizer of fried green tomatoes. Delicious. After a long wait, our main course of pork that was pretty good. On of my relatives got the forest mushroom, pea and parmesan risotto, which she said was the best of her life. Unfortunately, she spend the second half of the performance in the bathroom paying for it. Too rich perhaps?
The waiter came by again, stumbling over some questions and just confusing us all the more. Since we were so early, he must have been bored, since he bothered us every 10 minutes to ask us how we were doing. The bread boy didn't know how to talk either, and stopped by three times to try to give us bread.
The cheese plate addendum to the prix fixe was delicious, with a strong cheese, white wine jelly, and crystalized honey. The dessert was... interesting. The other person who got it as well was totally turned off by the gelatinous, egg like basil seeds on the top of our white and red grilled watermelon, which I thought was kind of cool. We agreed the sweet jello cubes were delicious, as was the rich papaya sorbet.
After dinner, they place a complementary plate of petit-fours that we could only sample before running out the door. I wanted to stuff them in my pockets they were so good.
I would recommend this for those above the age of 45, who enjoy pomp and circumstance with their dinner. I myself prefer a more fun, experimental atmosphere. -
Review from Kevin S.
Santa Clarita, CA
2/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came in for restaurant week, and boy, was it a good choice! Cauliflower flan with roasted romaine, a nice lettuce salad with walnuts and mandarin vinaigrette, butternut squash risotto with sage brown butter and mushrooms, frozen Grand Marnier and pannetoni soufflé, and bittersweet chocolate mousse with chocolate nougatine and chocolate sorbet and fresh whipped cream. Plus excellently paired wines for me.
Service was pretty good, our waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. It's a nice-looking place, too, with some nice artwork serving as conversation pieces.
I'm sure I couldn't possibly afford this place normally, which is what's so wonderful about restaurant week. Yay! -
Review from Ashley L.
9/2/2010
A pretty old-school-fancy French restaurant right outside Union Square. The choice of breads and amuse-bouche were very nice. The food overall was very delicious and the service was fantastic. The restaurant itself is quite small and quiet so I would recommend you make a reservation. The water also accidently tapped someone in our party's head with the water pitcher and gave us free dessert. The waiter was extremely apologetic when it was such a small incident but you know places like this have such great service.
Food: 8
Decor: 8.5
Service: 8.5
*ratings out of 10 -
Review from McGibblets C.
New York, NY
1/24/2012
We stopped in for lunch on a Sunday and the restaurant was all but empty except for another couple (a large party came in soon after). The restaurant really is an intimate space, perfect for a quiet and romantic meal. I didn't catch the name of our waiter but the service was excellent. He was attentive but never intrusive and very knowledgeable of the menu. I had the morel mushroom and parmesan risotto for my appetizer, and for that alone I would go back to Tocqueville. For my entree I ordered the 60 second seared dry aged sirloin. I like my steak medium usually, and our waiter made sure to inform me that the chef prepares the steak raw on one side and cooked on the other. It was very good, but I liked the risotto better. The dish came with toasted brioche with a runny egg on top, which was delicious and the frisee salad was promptly finished by my boyfriend. He ordered from the prix fixe menu, and the portions were surprisingly substantial considering the price. I chose not to order a dessert, but when that of my boyfriend's was brought out, the waiter presented me with an assortment of sorbet, compliments of the chef. Awesome.
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Review from Tricia K.
10/27/2010
$24 Prixe Fixe Lunch - excellent.
Dined here on a Friday afternoon, the restaurant was mostly empty. The dining room is gorgeous, definitely a good place to take a date. The $24 prixe fixe lunch is a great deal, I had the butter lettuce salad, monkfish (perfectly crispy in a buttery sauce), and chocolate ganache dessert. My boss had the sunchoke soup, which he enjoyed, and the Lamb Ravioli, which was quite a large dish! The waitstaff was attentive, but I was not blown away. I am not sure if this place is worth the price for dinner, but lunch is a steal, highly reccomend. -
Review from Jason N.
7/12/2010
Came for restaurant week with mediocre expectations because I did not want to be disappointed. Reviews I had read were generally positive but noted weak points. Overall, I was not too impressed and was glad we did not shell out for a full priced tab.
The dining room feels like just another Upper East sider, and perhaps it was the fact that we had 7:30pm reservations (on a Monday) but apparently we were in with the early bird special crowd. Little old ladies whose heads just barely hovered above their plates as a result of too-low bench seating at the otherwise choice seating-- banquettes that cap the corners of the main dining room.
Magically, at around 9pm, the tables turned and it went from blue hairs to Asian night. Only notable because I just don't think I have ever seen this juxtaposition before...
Speaking of the main dining room, why do I feel like I've just stepped into West Elm's showroom? I mean, if that's your bag, that's cool. It was just a bit bland for me. Kind of like the kind-of-chain-but-local-popular restaurant in the you-name-the-metropolitan-area-that-that-blends-in -with-generic-suburbia kind of vibe. Just a tad more upscale. A bit new-money. But not too much money. There's nothing loud about the place- it's just playing it "safe."
If there was not a sign on the door, the place might not even have a name. It could just be an extension of the lobby-- the airport Marriott's lounge/bar/restaurant.
Anyway, if I love dingy places for the food, I can't hold this room full of light taupes and the oh-so-nineties chandelier hanging above it all against the place.
So onto the food. Well, it frankly missed the mark.
I mean, I know I'm in the cheap seats as part of restaurant week, and I hope, therefore, I do not appear ungrateful. But the entree we both ordered was listed as $32 a pop on the regular menu. I'm glad I did not pay that, as what was billed as roasted monkfish came out more like-- oh let me reach back far to summon this up from the past-- chicken fried steak from the K&W cafeteria in Chapel Hill. A bit chewy? A tad gamey, perhaps? Adjectives not normally found in the same sentence with fish. Specifically, monkfish. Where is that sweetness? Not here.
But instead of K&W's succotash and gravy, Tocqueville's monkfish came alongside a pea-green puree, summer bean fricassee, lemon verbena and morsels of the lone highlight of the meal- delectable chunks of pancetta (impossible to mar, no?).
The chilled tomato soup with a spoonful of eggplant marmalade was just another forgettable gazpacho. The skate brandade first course, with an herb crepe and parsley broth was subtle and tasty, and appropriately portioned, as more than a few potato-y bites would have become monotonous.
Of the desserts we sampled, the frozen apricot parfait (with pistachio anglaise and caramelized pine nute) was the clear winner over the goopy mess of coconut sorbet, spiced pineapple broth which stumbled as it was studded with triangular cucumber wedges.
The passed bottomless servings of bread, particularly the brioche, were quite good and generously offered. Our server was pleasant and punctual, as were the rest of the staff. The wine list offered tasty options by the glass for the $10-$12 range.
Unfortunately though, the restaurant comes off as a bit all over the map. The decor, the servers, the menu offerings, seem to be generic. Restrained. As if showing true colors or a singular mission might alienate some to the venture's detriment.
The total experience this evening kind of reminds me of this week's "public eye" feature in Time Out NY magazine. A 26 year old leggy foreign model stopped on the street in SoHo who, when asked about her aspirations, hikes up her furtive fear of rejection, coolly informing the writer she has no boyfriend and, "oui, I don't believe in marriage." She clearly does not know what she wants to be when she grows up.
Neither does Tocqueville. -
Review from Grace C.
New York, NY
7/30/2010
took the restaurant week with my girlfriend for lunch today. I was very impressed with their food - perfectly seasonsed for every food
We did wine paring - which was great idea. 3oz of 3 different wines per course are perfectly matched.
My friend had 'chilled tomato soup' which was really refreshing and great - i give 5 stars
I had skate brandade with herb crape - was great!
I had monkfish - i give 5 stars. =)
Wine that I loved was "Verdicchio Superiore" white wine - it went very well with monkfish.
We really enjoyed the service, food, atmosphere. I will definately go back. -
Review from Sara S.
Manhattan, NY
1/19/2010
7.1.09
Some girls binge on ice cream and potato chips after a breakup. I binge on Tocqueville, with a side of tears.
The dining room is perfect in its formality.. grand high ceilings and French blues-y music concealed the sound of my sniffles.
Bread and appetizers were accompanied by the random seasoning of a falling tear, which the perfectly professional waiters tried to avoid catching with a dance of the plates.
The sauce on my entree was too heavy for the delicate sweetness of the generous portion of lobster, so I watered it down with some fat, rolling teardrops.. plop, plop, plop.. chew. Mmm.
With dessert came the waterworks. A shimmering cascade washed down every last bite of the luscious chocolate.
A somber bottle of very good Chablis Grand Cru lasted the length of the meal after a cocktail from the bar, though the sommelier was undoubtedly wondering whether I should really be drinking any alcohol.
(F you, J!) -
Review from Chris K.
New York, NY
2/9/2010
Preface:
1. I am not an expert in American inspired French cuisine.
2. We ordered from the Restaurant Week menu.
Wait! I have redemptive assets?
1. Functioning taste buds
2. Luminous retinas
3. Stellar olfactory trained for fight (fish market, July) or flight (ripe durian, locked car)
Credibility restored, onto the meal.
Upon seating, we were offered a trio of carbs: an oven fresh french roll, a flaky brioche, a fragrant rosemary cheese. But when the bread attendant approached a fourth time, I translated as warning: "Minute portions ahead!"
Noting its proximity to Union Square Greenmarket, I chose the seasonal butternut squash puree to start, poured tableside. Dining theatrics usually make me giggle like Jay Leno, but this did nothing but elevate expectations. The soup was incredibly bland, offset partially by the acidic diced cherries atop a sad cracker raft. My companion fared better with our server's suggestions. The cylindrical tower of goat cheese and beet was deemed "refreshing," and its wine pairing, "amazing."
For my entree, I ordered the salmon. It's boring, I know, but wild salmon when prepared well can be astoundingly flavorful, and at times, decadent. Case in point: Amsterdam. Fall 2009. Ignore the Red Light location because from this unassuming pub came the most delicious salmon I've ever tasted in life, surpassing pork belly, foie, and Paula Deen in supreme fattiness. I dream of it often. But perhaps the mawkish dummy should move on, because Toqueville's version was universally disappointing. The fish, though fatty, was barely seasoned. But more perplexing: the Jupiter sized ball of unsalted butter, simply drowning the plaintive wails of caviar. Yes, caviar, and it was a criminal waste.
My companion opted for an entree (important) of swiss chard ravioli. His assessment was brief. "There is one ravioli."
Redemption came at dessert in the form of a dark chocolate torte. Akin to a mini-muffin, it was cakey, rich and moist. Too bad the accompanying ice cream was flavorless, unless said flavor was tofu. I still finished it of course - waste not want not - but now, a caloric regret. Tight pants, not a fan.
Marie Antoinette once famously declared, "Nothing tastes." While her response was merely figurative, this sentimental fool left dreaming of her meal in Amsterdam and a salty Shack burger.
Note to Bloomberg's sodium squad: Toqueville is in compliance. -
Review from Daphne H.
8/29/2010
2 dishes:
SEA URCHIN AND ANGEL HAIR CABONARA
TRUFFLE PARMESAN GRITS WITH POACHED EGG
OMG - this was enough for me to go 5 stars! I completely bypassed the RW menu and went straight for those 2!
And i was completely satisfied! :D So good! So filling! So creamy! My tastebuds were rejoicing in utter jubilation. The sea urchin sauce for the cabonara was rich and decadent and an unexpected but wonderful combination for a pasta dish.
PS: The chocolate ganache dessert wasn't too shabby either :) -
Review from Joolie T.
1/9/2010 8 photos
Truffled Creamy Parmesan Grits and Sunny Side Up Country Egg.
that is all. i'm kidding.
everything about this place kind of rocked.
the coat check is nice.
the constant rotation of brioche/rolls/butter is nice.
the service from our waiter was nice.
the decor is nice. very hotelier-chic.
the plate presentation is nice.
but...
the food? some dishes were a little too salty or too bland. a seasoning mistake perhaps?
the Crudo and Tartare of Blue Fin Tuna was delightful. fresh and very buttery. i enjoyed every bite of it. the true winner of the night was the Truffled Creamy Parmesan Grits and Sunny Side Up Country Egg. i talk about this dish to many friends all the time. from the first bite of the creamy, buttery and decadent grits... the taste and consistency changes ever so slightly. breaking in the egg and introducing the thin slices of bacon... the dish only became more enjoyable to eat. the Cream-less Puree of Parsnip was pretty bland for me... but it was still tasty.
Apple Cider Glazed Arctic Char... sounded amazing- but my arctic char wasn't cooked to my liking. it felt like i was eating mush. a puree of fish- instead of a flaky/buttery char. nope. i was left extremely disappointed. the fuji apple confit was the best part of the dish... that's only because i love fuji so much. the Pumpkin Risotto was delicious... there is no complaint there. the Roasted Chicken with stuffing dish was extremely over salted. one bite of that sucker had me drinking gulps of water!
the Date Cake with Vanilla Bean Sorbet was the winner of the night. the Poached Pear with Dark Chocolate Syrup was nice, but with a nice winter-y meal... the dates are a perfect ending. -
Review from Ro N.
New York, NY
7/23/2007
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!
I have been wanting to come here for a very long time but never got the chance to until recently.
I went here during my lunch for Restaurant Week and I must say I absolutely adore this place!
Our waiter recommended a very good Chardonnay-Bourgogne Les Setilles. It's great for someone like me who's sensitive to alcohol.
The appetizer was either a Trout Salad, Heirloom Tomato, or another salad with Arugula.
I had the trout salad and the trout was smoked to PERFECTION!!!!
For entree there were soft shell crab, skate, or lamb chop. I was torn between these choices, but I decided to go with the Soft Shell Crab.
Good choice and now leaves me wondering how good the other choices would've been.
Dessert: Tri Star Strawberry Panna Cotta, Homemade Ice cream or Sorbet & Shortbread cookie, or a Banana Bon? (which is banana with caramel Chantilly and dark chocolate-it was quite lovely!)
Very good....I would definitely come back here again!
Carb: Try the french roll-delicious!
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