A little Parisian haven resides on Manhattan’s West 55th Street, the center of the city’s beating heart. Benoit New York is the city’s French-accented pulse in proximity to shopping, museums, and theater. The original Benoit on Paris’ Rue Saint-Martin has been captivating palates for over a century with classic Parisian bistro fare. Alain Ducasse referred to it as “…a beautiful house where conviviality and gluttony reign” and incorporated it in 2003 into the vast Maison Ducasse empire. Ducasse then recreated a New York version in 2008, taking up the long-vacant, former home of La Cote Basque on 60 West 55th Street, once a haven of writers and Manhattan elites.
Upon entering Benoit New York, one is struck by the far view of the dining room’s vast horizon: deep red banquettes, tables, brass fittings with frosted white globes, and the mirrors which multiply any movement.
But to the immediate left of the entry, the wine bar area is visually more serene and beckoning with its colorful ceiling and mosaic-tiled floor, iron and marble tables, rattan chairs, and newspapers draped from old wooden hangers. To the immediate right, a fireplace banked by armchairs à deux, creates another restful place to raise a glass (and there is quite the wine list here). Having worked in Saarinen’s Black Rock building on 52nd Street, Benoit was always convenient for lunches, after-work drinks, and dinners. It was interesting to see it in a less frenetic light.
But the day was sunny, the weather brisk but pleasant and soon, all that changed. Benoit became buzzy, celebrations convened beside discreet distances from business luncheons, and old and new friends re-acquainted, along with shoppers and locals. The lunchtime ambience is both very smart and a bit casual. Wait staff were on-point, engaged, friendly, and exceptionally eager to help.
The menu tempted with a bevy of French standards, with starters like onion soup, a tarte flambée, escargots, pâté en croûte (adhering to a Parisian-pleasing 1892 recipe), followed by traditional options like cassoulet, chicken roti, beef pot au feu, and a half-dozen other delights, accompanied by sides such as Benoit’s incomparable pomme frites. We started with the tarte flambée which, according to multiple very approving waiters, was the perfect choice. This Alsatian version of pizza was an exquisite gustatory romp. Even though compelled to share with my dining companion, it was substantial, leaving little room for forthcoming romps. We were surrounded by others savoring their onion soup gratinée with the reverence usually devoted to a religious sacrament. A savory amuse bouche followed, personally presented by the ebullient executive chef, Alberto Marcolongo. The colossal cannelloni-style pasta richly dressed in the nuanced flavor of a aglio, olio and pepperoncino base made for an unexpected delight. Admittedly, I fan-girled, but Chef Alberto was charmingly gracious and appreciative.
The entrées appeared, roasted duck with roasted carrots looking like a renaissance painting for the gentleman, while my quenelles brochet (pike) with Nantua sauce produced a heavenly cloud of aroma. This Lyonnaise dish was redolent of white wine, cream, and shrimp and delivered with abundant quantities of quenelles. And it was at this time that Benoit Paris transported itself to New York, with a full dining room, waves of conversation, occasional applause, accompanied by choreographed wait staff and a fair amount of gluttony.
After the luncheon crowd thinned, pots of fresh mint tea espresso and a sweet dessert on the table, we had the opportunity to chat with Chef Marcolongo, who is a decade-long veteran of Maison Ducasse, both in London and in Paris, after building a resumé at respected restaurants in Lombardy and Singapore. The exuberant, yet thoughtful Marcolongo had worked at Benoit New York as Number Two in 2018 before returning in February 2022. We asked him, given his diverse experiences around the globe, how different a market New York was.
“It is very, very different in each city. It even depends on the comp set the restaurant is in. In London (for Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester) we have 3 Michelin stars; here we are bistro, so what the kitchen serves is very different. And each product is different, what is on the menu here is different than in Paris… As chefs say all the time, it’s the guidelines we need to follow, so I know what he (Ducasse) wants, what he doesn’t want, but it’s up to me and my team to combine the New York style with the Ducasse style.”
“Being Italian, I cut a lot of butter with olive oil, there are a few things I agreed to keep butter in, like in the risotto, I will use butter. Even for the steak, ‘old school’ is 100 gr of butter you finish with that, but I’m not that kind of chef… In the south of France, it’s very similar, they also prefer the olive oil very much.” He quickly reassured us that “the DNA of this restaurant, like onion soup and the flambée, things like that are never going to change.”
Benoit New York’s superbly delicious food that blends beloved classics with a modern touch, paired with spot-on wait staff is a delight to experience. For luncheon or dinner, or just to nurse a drink and a few appetizers, accompanied by friends, colleagues, or solo, it’s apparent why Benoit New York is such a treasured fixture.
Photos: Alain Ducasse Media | Words: Janine Devine.
