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63rd St-Lexington Ave (F)
5th Ave-60th St (N, R, W)
68th St (6)
"You don't have to be a card-carrying member of the Social Register to dine here but if you are not you will most likely be in the minority.…" read more »
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If you haven't been here, make it before they close! This a historical restaurant with beautiful dark wood floor to ceiling and lovely french accents on the wall. Supposedly their moving and closing down this location. Not sure why their closing but we were told, their going month to month on their lease. I've walked past it numerous times on my way to another work office.
It looked too pretentious with snobby french people sitting at the outdoor tables. But once we perused the menu outside and walked inside it was another world. I'm glad they sat us inside with the other "business" people. Even so, we weren't treated any differently. The Maitre D and waiters were very pleasant to us.
We ordered the Asparagus crusted Salmon which was absolutely delicious. It was cooked to perfection and the sauce was delicious, not too rich. It was a carrot beurre blanc sauce. I had the poached Monkfish with bountiful spring vegetables. I was very pleased with my selection but the Salmon was my favorite. I was still thinking about it and the sauce the next day. I may have to go back before they close! Must find an excuse to go to the other office again and stop by for lunch.
Why did i wait so long to find La Goulue?
We wandered in here around 4:00 on a sunday looking for a nice brunch only to realize that we were the latest brunchers on the planet, so we were limited to the 'tween hours menu and probably didnt get to experience the full La Goulue experience, but we loved our peek into this bit of New York history.
The steak tartare was outrageous with delicious capers, meat so fresh it melted in your mouth, and perfect little toasts. The steak frite was fantastic with outstanding fries (totally 2009 this time for those of you following along) and the people watching, even at that odd hour was as promised, excellent.
The restaurant is beautiful from floor to ceiling, the staff is incredibly friendly, and its most definitely a new york moment to stop in. Hurry up and stop by, if you get a chance to go before they close their doors (if they havent already).
Well worth it.
I miss you La Goulue, you are truly missed
I love this place. It has the look and feel of being back in Paris; I never had anything less than a… Read more »
Boo hoo! La Goulue is closing! After 36 years, La Goulue is closing its doors on Madison Avenue in April. I had to enjoy one final meal at my favorite restaurant in NYC with my friend Angeli.
To begin, we each enjoyed the tuna tartare which is without a doubt the best I've ever had in any country. My entree was the steak au poivre (rare of course) and for dessert we split the raspberry rose lychee cream macaron.
Service was excellent. Angeli even managed to finagle a menu for me for posterity. It's my understanding that they will be re-opening some time in the future at an undisclosed location. Until then, there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth for the socialites, celebrities, and otherwise stylish folks who frequented this lovely bistro for so many years. I suggest going before they close as Madison Ave really is the perfect spot for dining and window shopping.
La Goulue is the cutest spot on Madison that brings me back to Paris. They take your coat at the door on a cold winter February day, pull out the table for you to sit and tuck your chair in.
Not only do the waiters speak french, but the patrons as well.
The French Onion Soup is amazing with gruyere cheese, as well as the tuna tartare and pomme frittes.
lunch was great and La Goulue's atmosphere made having cocktails during lunch acceptable because every other table had drinks with their meal.
You must try this place if you happen to be on the upper east side.
LOVED IT. First of all, the decor reminded me of an old fashioned train car with the dark wood paneling and the warm lighting.
I came here with Restaurant Week and the service was really friendly and the food!!!!!
My boyfriend had the beef cheeks which, true to the server's recommendation, was out of this world. I had the lamb which was also absolutely amazing. But the beef cheeks definitely stood out in my memory more.
I can't really remember dessert but remembered that mine was overly sweet (some kind of a hard cake with berries) but my boyfriend's creme brulee was great.
Again, the really nice service and the excellent food will really make me miss this place!!
I must admit right from the start that I spilled wine all over the table then managed to have pretty much every busboy, waiter and runner mopping up the mess. Did I mention that we were sitting in the corner booth at the entrance of the restaurant thus preventing an entire table of four from getting to their table? Yeah, didn't think so. Okay, now that my moment of embarrassment/shame/fear has passed...
The food was so good I didn't need to eat until noon the next day. In short - I ate EVERYTHING on my plate. We were there for a late lunch/early dinner (I like to call it lupper.)
Started with a glass of their Bordeaux (ridiculously overpriced and gave me a headache later in the day) and the bay scallop special - which was perfectly pan fried baby scallops with perfectly fried perfectly fresh parsley smothered in butter served with lemon and aioli.
For main course: the lemon sole with butternut squash puree which was swimming in a sumptuous "sauce" of clarified butter infused with lemon. (I'm not a big fan of things swimming in butter but this was totally worth ever gram of fat.) The puree was wonderful, if a bit heavy handed on the butter... (Again with the butter!) I had this with a glass of Pouilly (a much better quality of wine than their Bordeaux, which was my second glass because I managed to spill the entirety of the first glass all over the table and floor..)
My dining partner had the coq au vin which was amazing - but not nearly as good as my sole ;)
We followed up our enormous lunches with espresso, coffee, the apple tart (which was very good) and (what I had) the Mont Blanc - which was simply chestnut puree, strawberry puree/jam something, and marscapone cheese. I ate it all - it was awesome. My dining partner said that he could barely get a taste because I was gobbling it down so fast - no wonder I didn't have to eat until the next day! I could barely move for the rest of the day! Oh, but it was so worth it!
The bill was... steep. I am pretty sure that that was the most expensive lupper I've ever had, but you know, I got about 3 meals out of it ;) (Maybe I should have called this meal my lupperast?)
I'm sad that I've finally made it to La Goulue and they have lost their lease! I do hope that they manage to get a new place soon because I feel like I've stumbled on a gem and don't want to let it go!
La Goulue is a classic French bistro on the Upper East side with a traditional menu and somewhat erratic service. Dinner was a crab ravioli in curry sauce followed by a seared salmon over herb polenta with lobster sauce. Both were pretty good dishes, but lacked an oomph, or is it more appropriate to say je ne sais quoi? I don't know what.
You can say that again.
The waiter forgot our side of frites. Nothing worse than missing out on some french fries. At least the wine recommendation was good (and a big glass too).
The caramel flan? Pass. Actually bordered on bad.
A bit pricy, and I guess I can tell why I lost its Michelin star. You can do a bit better.
My boyfriend and I recently tried La Goulue during Restaurant Week. This is a pretty classic French bistro and the overall experience was very positive. When I booked the reservation on http://opentable.com, I mentioned that this was to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and asked for a good seat. They put us at the booth right next to the door, which I'm not too crazy about since there were people coming in and out frequently, but they did put a sparkling candle on our dessert to congratulate us. That was very nice of them.
The ambience was not bad, and the crowd wasn't too old or stuffy. The service at La Goulue was very good! Our waiter was warm and friendly, and he was very knowledgeable about the food and gave us good recommendations. The food was delicious too! We ordered a duck salad (very yummy!), venison ravioli, and oysters for appetizer, and beef cheeks and lamb steak with cous cous for entrees. Everything was delicious! We will definitely come back for more. :)
Pricey and Delicious Entrees. Extra attentive service (including the host taking your coat on and off for you). I even remember them having L'Occitane products in the bathroom. Very classy, rich-family vibe in there. I highly recommend the tuna tartar, diver scallops, and sirloin steak. My cabernet was average. Heard this place was closing soon so try it before it does! On a side note, Giorgio Armani ate here today.
I've been here many times and each time is just as good as the last if not better. I always get the tuna tartar and it is fabulous! While the restaurant is a bit packed and busy it has a cool happening vibe. One catch is that you can't come in and just order an appetizer, you must order a main course, so...
But other than that the food is always top quality and the wine is great too! They don't have a bar but they do serve full alcohol.
Very pretty, popular spot on the UES. My lunch today of baked red snapper and summer veggies in parchment was certainly excellent, as was the wine and the bread.
But what makes this place great is the extremely attentive wait staff. For example, while I was talking to my friend over lunch today, the waiter swooped down and whisked my glass of wine from the table, while leaving my friend's untouched. He pardoned himself and said there was a minor accident, but didn't say what it was. We were puzzled over the mystery, but the waiter returned shortly with another glass of wine for me. We had to press him to tell us what was the accident. He had noticed that, because the door was open, a fly flew in and landed in my wine glass. While I was so busy talking, I had not noticed, but would have taken another sip before too long. Horror swiftly avoided!
I LOVE La Goulue! I have been going there for lunch for years, even before my sister moved to New York a few years ago. Sure, its pricey and full of rich snobs, but the service is excellent and the food is wonderful! I usually end up going there with my Mom and sister when I'm in town and we are always given a great table because the adorable French hosts give "nice tables to pretty ladies". The waiters and hosts are just adorable, and dining there on your birthday is a plus because they will toast champagne with you! I wouldn't recommend running around in a bikini after lunching there, the food is pretty heavy for a midday meal, but it is so good! Go to La Goulue and don't forget to wear your fur coat hahaha.
Madison Avenue standby. Very solid. Food is always good. Everything else is always pretty good. No complaints about the wait staff from me.
The one thing that can be very irritating are the patrons. Lots of pretty young people from the area, but occasionally you'll be sitting near some dumbass young mother who can't control the two kids she's managed to squeeze out in the past couple years, while her equally stupid counterpart is too busy checking out the other girls at the restaurant to notice.
But that's really not the restaurant's fault. Just the area.
La Goulue is definitely good.
Very good French restaurant, you will see famous people, like the cast from Gossip Girl or rich business man, food is very good, price is ok for what it is. Nice French atmosphere. Oooo the French ! They don't want to go to war.. but they like to make you stomach say : "Mmmmm... i want more..."
Perfect ambiance......painter in the corner catching the moment , very french.
I don't know if all their severs are french, but ours was. Very attentive wait staff, knowledgeable about the menu and made some great recommendations. The pomme frite is excellent and a safe bet for non-explorative diners. Its also a fairly large steak. For a starter, the tuna tartare is amazing, but they have lots of other more traditional items. Everything here is top-notch
4.5 stars
I went here with a girlfriend for restaurant week. Upon the wise recommendation of the sommolier (grossly misspelled), we ordered the driest white of the house. It was so good, that in fact, I happen to be yelping in not my most abstemious state. It will be, however, the best hangover of my life. My gf and I chose different things so we could do the plate switcheroo deal. The asparagus with a sunny-side egg on top was good---if a little bland. Same with her crab ravioli with red pepper curry coulis. The canard, however, is what sold me. My God, the best canard I have had in my life. Even better than the one I had at Chez Papa in Paris (I remember this meal more than my first orgasm.) The salmon was dry/ kinda sucky, but the duck, honestly, is reason enough to go. Talk about lap dance for your taste buds. The desserts were not bad, but I was shocked over their choice of flan in lieu of brulee. But meh, I'm diabetic so I can't eat that ish anyways. Had a bite of my gf's mousse and it was pretty darn delicious.
If feeling prodigal, come here for the duck alone. Skip the appetizers and definitely ship the desserts. Just don't f*ck that duck.
Le Goulue is one of my most favorite French cuisine restaurants which lies in the heard of Manhattan. The venue is very elite but not too stuffy. The vibe is very warm and welcoming. The menu has a great selection and the waitstaff is prompt and wine savvy. I ordered the grilled green beans in truffle parmesan sauce for starters and lobster for my main entree. The meat was so sweet and succulent and the wine the waiter suggested went well perfectly. The dessert is fantastic as well; I had something chocolatey and delicious. Bring a fat wallet though. You'll easily spend over $200 for 2 people. Trust me, it's worth it and try it at least once in your life!
I would give this french bistro a 5 star if they would hv a pasta dish, or a rice dish. I'm not a big enthusiast of french food, but I come here b/c my darling enjoys the ambiance, professionalism & he likes the food. I only tolerate it b/c I love him, and I must admit the staff's hospitality and professionalism is most definitely 1st rate!!! everyone from the bus boy to the wine specialist, to the matri'd is so incredibly professionaly/friendly/hospitable! I remember even the previous matri'd, who was a young french lad in his late 20s or early 30s ... he was soo friendly and I was worried after he left that the new matri'd may not be as pleasurable to deal with and to my pleasant surprise, the new matri'd was just as fabulous, if not even more so! Even tho I don't like the food here, I come back here b/c I love my darling husb and b/c the staff is just sooo incredibly wonderful. However, I warn you -- the prices are not 'bistro' prices, even tho this is a french bistro. it's an Upscale french bistro on Madison Ave, prime real estate in Manhattan Uptown/East area, so if you have a low budget, then don't waste your time here. However, if your happiness is priceless, then definitely stop by for brunch or dinner!
Better than Provence.
Our late lunch here today was perfect! The steak and pomme frite were seasoned just right with a pepper crunch on the steak. Our other faves were the onion soup, spatzle and quiche. Not too much people watching since it was so late.
This one sails right to the top of my culinary To Do List, I'm simply dying to try La Goulue. Every time I pass it on a stroll down the couture museum that is Madison Ave, I'm magnetically drawn to it. It's always completely overflowing with people, which tells me that the reality of the cooking bears witness to its reputation in magazines like Time Out & New York. If the reality doesn't support the reputation, I'll be sure to amend my rating.
Are the $10 french fries amazing? No. Is the $40 (before tax and tip -- plus it's an extra $20 if you want Steak Frites) brunch the best in town? Absolutely not... This place isn't cheap, but that's the least of its problems... The waiters will correct your pronunciation -- for Leffe, I say "Leh-fuh" because I was taught to do so by actual Belgians (and it is afterall a Belgian beer), the waiter said and repeated and refused to budge (let alone bring me my drink) until I said it HIS way ("Leff"). And this wasn't done jokingly or warmly... Beyond this, I think the service is terrible... It's a bit of a scene, everyone stops and stares at you as you enter. Which is fine with me... Everyone's on boring dates, and to tell the truth I only come here when I'm on a boring date... I've had all the tartares (usually a personal favorite), the duck, the steak frites, the soups, the salads, and every version of lamb... I really can't explain why I've been here so many times... The food lacks personality and flare -- it's all rather bland, even the wasabi tuna tartare!... It's a nice space. It's in a nice part of town. I recommend eating lunch al fresco, but for me both dinner and brunch have never been anything special.
The quintessential Parisian bistro, La Goulue, immediately steals your heart with a simple air kiss from the maitre'd. With the spoiling care of owner Francois Latapie, you will feel like Manhattan royalty when dining with friends at my favorite spot on Madison Avenue. While I rarely go uptown, I am willing to throw all East Village cautions to the wind for bites of La Goulue's tasty tuna tartare and cheese souffle. Shower me with one of their many wines and seal the deal with ice cream profiteroles. I am in love.
The food is fine..... stuffy atmosphere and crap compared to Sardis. After a long grueling day of shopping the last place I want to have a cocktail and fillet.... But hey, it packs em in, just not a lot of returns.
This is a dandy little spot. I recommend the chicken club for lunch.
A bit of a scene, but good fare and great ambiance.
Nothing special here, but good for apres-shopping and people-watching.
I've dined here several times, usually before/after shopping, hair appointment, running errands in the area... I've never made La Goulue a destination per se, just somewhere I go when I happen to be in the area and "starving". It is a classic French bistro, and the service is hit or miss. I've had excellent waiters and others that seem so miserable you almost feel bad for them until they are so rude to you and act is if you are annoying them simply because you are there to eat! However, the food has always been consistently been delicious. The food is the main reason I choose to "chance" the good/bad service, as I'd rather go somewhere I know I most likely get a yummy meal rather than venture somewhere new since I'm not too familiar with the neighborhood (usually there to shop, get a blow-out, etc.) so I trust La Goulue to fulfill my hunger pangs well. In my opinion, their prices are fair (for NYC especially) yes it's about $20 for steak frites on the lunch menu but it is delicious, perfectly cooled and flavorful, and usually always a good size and cut. Not as overpriced with tiny portions and bland food at other bistros in NYC. Tip: if you happen to be going during the change of shifts between lunch/dinner- I advice not to! I made that mistake once and the staff where so rude to us- that was until the maitre'd recognized my friend I was with (whom happens to be a celebrity) we were given the VIP treatment! Otherwise, just enjoy the fairly priced, yummy dishes since it really just depends on your waiter and their mood is directly related to the service received for those like myself-all of us fellow Yelp-ers who are wonderful "non-celeb" NY-ers! oops, and NYC tourists too! :)
Terrible! The staff was rude, especially the management staff. The food was mediocre at best and the crown was old. Not a good choice!!!
I have not been to too many French restaurants in my life, hell I haven't even been to France yet! But I know when I'm experiencing an outstanding brunch menu when I see one. For a prefixed menu, the brunch selection will simply indulge all your taste buds. Everything is fresh, and quite frankly it is difficult to get such high quality European-style eats. From bread baskets, to brunch drinks, to entrees, and to decadent desserts--- you'll feel too guilty to eat anything else during the rest of the day after a rich brunch here. Note of advice: if you're just in the mood for fruit salad, this is not the place for you. I'd give it 5 stars if it wasn't for its somewhat snooty disposition of catering to American and European elites, a.k.a. white people. When you're the only brown-skinned person among a sea of gringos, it gives you a feeling of that old-school European conservative stuffiness. But I guess this is to be expected in the upper east side. If you can ignore that one social factor and get on with breaking bread, your budget is worth breaking a bit for this fabulous brunch. A bit expensive, but worth the treat once in a while.
We had an odd experience at La Goulue today. Our waiter, at the end of explaining today's specials said, "Each member of your party must order a minimum of one entree". I wanted to order a salad and soup, but I was told I could not do this. So I ordered the crab and avocado salad, which was on The Entree side of the menu. The table next to us was told the same ordering restriction. They were not happy with it. "Why does the customer have to order what the chef wants us to order?" we heard the customer say. When our meals finallly came, 40 minutes later, mine was a glorified appetizer. An enormous portion of a creamy avocado and crap dip. Definately not a salad and not an entree. I couldn't eat more than a few bites it was so rich. Primarily, I was not happy with being told what a minimum table charge should be. The management at La Goulue was getting flack for this apparently, because when I approached the Maitre d' to complain about this policy, he cut me off mid sentance and raised his voice to me. I tried to explain that even since I complied by ordering the entree, I was also not happy with meal. He wouldn't hear anything of it, he just raised his voice again and interrupted me. He was fundamentally rude. As I was leaving he said "come back soon". I felt totally patronized. Tensions seemed to be high there today, as when I went to the bathroom, the manager appeared to be yelling at one of the waiters. It was too bad. I suspect that something in the management has changed? I don't know, but previous visits to La Goulue have never been this difficult and unpleasant.
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