AureoleA winner in Times SquareNo doubt best restaurant in the area. Hint, go after the pre-theater crowd has left and it's a more relaxed, ejoyable dining experience.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMspecial occasionThe dinner was for a birthday surprise party for a family of 5. The service was excellent and very patient since we were the last people to finish dinner. We never felt rushed. The food was excellent however some dishes were noticeably salty. The restaurant was expensive and the portions small but definitely worth it for a special occasion.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best in New York!One of the best New York dining experiences! Great service, outstanding food & presentation... NOT to be missed!6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMEach bite of food was a delight.Each bite of food was a delight. The service was most outstanding.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecialFood: outstanding and unique; service: very attentive without hovering. The only downside was a boisterous group at the bar, which raised the noise level in the dining room. That's not really something the restaurant can control, and likely would not be a problem on another evening. The entire meal felt special, carefully crafted, and impeccably served.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMDazzling Dining ExperienceAn extraordinary dining experience. We went there for my birthday dinner with another couple where we were engaged in an amazing odyssey of wine, food, and world class staff service from start to finish. Leave your food inhibitions at the door and place yourself in the capable, guiding and nurturing hands of the chefs.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMI think this is the best dinnerI think this is the best dinner we will remember. Each bite had such special taste. Amazing!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreatness pre-theatre diningAll the servers were aware that we had to be finished in time to get to our 8:00 show, but the meal was nuanced and we luxuriated in the confidence that we could enjoy our delicious food. I had the rack of lamb , which was amazing.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a pleasureMy first visit to Aureole for dinner. Simply superb. Food, service and wine were excellent, as always. What else would you expect from a James Beard-award winner. I've been before and will go again. Recommended.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMMy husband and I went hereMy husband and I went here for our wedding anniversary and were running really late cause we got caught in traffic because of the rain as well as trying to find a parking garage. We got there 1 hour later than our reservation and the waiter was so attentive and professional. We had theatre tickets and they made sure to get us out in enough time to see our show. Even though we had minimal time we never felt rushed and our pre theatre meal selection from the menu was great!! We will definetly be going back.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMA perfect choiceExtremely accommodating, excellent service. Aware that many patrons are dining before the theater and they keep a rigorous but pleasant schedule in order to get you out on time. The food presentation was gorgeous and the appetizer, entree and dessert were all delicious.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMLess, but still wonderfulAureole has wonderful, delicious food and beautiful service, and it's always a pleasure to dine there. I do notice that they're cutting back on what they give you, in lieu of raising prices, I suppose. This time there was no amuse-bouche offered, no palate cleansing between courses and no baggie of cookies to take home. I'll still keep going back, but I miss the wow factor that used to impress my out-of-town guests.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMA PleasureBeautifully served food and plates
Each course was absolutely perfect from beginning to end
Friendly and welcoming hostess / greeting5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ServiceThis restaurant has the most amazing service! We were blown away by the attentiveness, courteousness and professionalism of the staff. There are 2 dining areas (one is more elegant & perfect for a romantic dinner - the other is also nice but more appropriate for larger groups and families). The presentation was amazing (very creative - especially the desserts), the menu offers the perfect selection of items and the food was pretty good (not excellent only because some of the items were slightly salty such as the pork). I had the rabbit and gnudi appetizer which I wish was an entree - it was absolutely incredible! The wine list was wonderful. Overall - it's a very nice restaurant and I would recommend it. Great place for out of town guests.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMWe returned to this restaurantWe returned to this restaurant after 13 years and still the epitome of fine dining. The quality of the food was excellent and the service was superb. Highly recommend for those who enjoy fine dining before going to a show. Keep up the great work.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways excellentAureole continues to be a restaurant that never disappoints. You know that you are going to have innovative dishes with top quality ingredients, Delicious food in a beautiful setting. Topnotch service completes the picture.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMBeautiful choiceThis will be a regular stop on our visits to New York. The menu is delicious and interesting. Food was excellent.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Restaurant Ever. Period.The food was outstanding. The service was flawless. It is sincerely one of the most enjoyable dinner I have had in my life.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderfulWe were running early, so we called ahead of our 5:45pm reservation and they told us they had already reserved our table so we were welcome to show anytime. The food was wonderful, the waitstaff was very attentive, and the ambience was great -- it's truly a beautiful place. Also, by the time we left, the dining room had filled up, and it was still very quiet -- totally different from the bar section. All in all, I loved it and I would recommend it to anyone.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentThis is the first time we have dined here since the location was moved. Have friends that dine here on a regular basis as they did with the other location. We had theater tickets that the staff was aware of and took into account accordingly. We would definitely return either again for dinner or possibly for a business lunch.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMGood but expensive for portion sizeI very much enjoyed dining here. My one quibble was the size of main course. I ordered the grass fed ribeye. Wonderful pieces of meat. But it was about 1/2 the size I was expecting. Looked completely lost on the plate. Also, the cut was not at all what I was expecting. Google a ribeye and you will see a thick slice cut off a raw standing rib roast and grilled like a steak). This looked more like a small 3-4 inch diameter filet mignon sliced into two medallions. Maybe this is a true ribeye cut, but not what the average diner thinks they are ordering. Other entree's were more normal sized. Everyone enjoyed the food.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMCan't find betterYou won't find better food anywhere in the world. The tastes blend and everything melts in your mouth. If I have one complaint it would be being charged $8 per person for one glass of sparkling water after ordering a bottle. I don't mind spending over $800 for 3 of us to have dinner but I resent being taken advantage of.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderfulIt is truly wonderful to have this beautiful, elegant restaurant in the theater district. The food is excellent and the ambiance is perfect.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat for birthdaysit can be expensive, but you live once, might as well live it up!
the aureole cocktail was so delicious, get it!
and I requested a candle in the dessert and they brought out a lovely plate with a candle and written in chocolate "Happy Birthday" it was so cute!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMDelightful dining experience!!!Everything was incredible. It was one of our very best dining experiences ever. We had the 7 course chef's menu and could not find anything negative to say about any of the dishes. Service was impeccable. This was our second visit to Aureole and we are already looking forward to the next one.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMIf you like good deconstructedIf you like good deconstructed cuisine at high prices near the theater, this is the place for you,5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMCod was amazingI would highly recommend this restaurant. All the dishes were artfully plated and tasted as good as they looked! The decor is very tastefully done inside. The cod was amazing and the toffee dessert was delicious too. I liked this better than LeBernadin for atmoshpere and food.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Pre Theater restaurantWe dined at Aureole before our Broadway show in New York last week. The location next to the lovely Bryant Park on 42nd street is perfect, as you can just walk the few blocks to most of the theaters after diner.
But the true gem here is the food. we choose 3 courses from their pre-theater menu ($55), and I must admit that they where all outstanding. I had the best Pasta dish I have had for years, and their chokolade dessert was outstanding.
In between the steak dish was also very good, with especially the smoked potato on the side which really impressed and gave the dish another level from the normal steak dinner.
First class all the way. Highly recommend dining here before your theater show.
Regards
Visitors from Denmark.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMService was sub-parWe went for a pre-theatre dinner and were asked in the beginning when our show started. Even though we had ample time (>2.5 hours), we were rushed through the entrees. This culminated in our waiter asking us if we wanted our entrees, while my wife was still eating her appetizer. In the end we had to wait 25 minutes for our check - so why all the rush to begin with? Food and ambience however were excellent.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMNot your childhood OreoBrilliant adult restaurant. Food and Service outstanding. Ambience great but somehow I still miss the old location with its old world elegance.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat lunch and a very capable,Great lunch and a very capable, low key waiter. The dishes were served attractively with sensible portions.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went for the Sunday RoastWe went for the Sunday Roast Beef dinner, Big Mag Boeuf Sundays, in the bar. The meal was very good and an excellent value - three courses with wine was $49 before tax and tip. There were no options on this menu but that wasn't an issue for any of our group since the dishes were perfect for a roast beef dinner. The dessert, Baba Bouchon, was outstanding. Also, one of us doesn't drink red wine so they offered a white instead. This gets our highest rating - it is a Do-Over.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperb service, exquisiteSuperb service, exquisite food and wonderful presentation. I will definitely be back!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMA true culinary experience!Five Course Dinner served with perfection! Timing, discretion and professionalism of service team was outstanding - every dish was visually appealing and every bite was a true culinary experience. We enjoyed tasting every fresh ingredient - it was divine!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was really good......butThe food was really good......but the portions were tiny and the price was outrageous. The food was not worth what we paid for it.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was surprisingly good.Food was surprisingly good. Indeed it was very good: tasty, beautifully presented, balanced. Service was good: the mâitre was a bit too electric for my taste. As it is usual in NYC, sparkling wine was served a tad less chilled than it should have been and a glass of red Burgundy was served at room temperature - a mistake so widespread that I gave up complaining. The setting was nice if a bit stifling. The internal room is secluded but small and the ceiling is on the lower side. Apart from that, a restaurant to return due to the quality of the food.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMFood is amazing. The staffFood is amazing. The staff isn't really to aware of what's going on4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMI've eaten here before, thisI've eaten here before, this time I opted for the 5 dourse tasting menu. Everything I ate was delicious. Service was unobrusive, but prompt. Overall a wonderful meal.
Can't wait to return.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMOur third time here in lastOur third time here in last 3 visits to NYC. A little bit of a weight for our table in dining room this time. Bar area quite lively and noise level high. Dining room was very pleasant in contrast. Mark, our maitre de table and his team was very good. He easily handled our request for vegan dishes and the chef created very good entree dishes for us. Very convenient location for us when we come to town. Also proximate to a number theaters you can walk to.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMPower Lunch for Conde Nast SetYou can literally feel the power of important lunches happening around you. The food is solid, not outstanding. I appreciate the portion sizes for the pre fixe are perfect. Just wish the food was prepared a bit quicker...good thing we weren't in a rush.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst time in their new location,First time in their new location, and they have managed to attract both the dinner crowd as well as a more sophisticated bar crowd with an a la carte menu at the bar.
Portions are small by NY standards but prepared with care and delicious.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWe ate in the back diningWe ate in the back dining room, which has a different menu than the front dining room. It was a fabulous experience. The seared fois gras is out of this world delicious4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMwe had made reservations forwe had made reservations for the dining room (because of the "romantic rep") and were steered into the bar area dining upon arrival (which is neither intimate or romantic). Food similar in both areas (and was awesomely tasty) but patrons should be clear ahead of time what area of the restaurant they want.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMSerendipitous delight!Went for pre-theater dining. Wished we had more time! Not rushed by staff, just would liked to have lingered longer. Rabbit incredible, foie gras divine, and free-range chicken succulent...presentations tastefully elegant. Highly recommend and we will return. If it is pre-theater, we will add at least 30 minutes to our reservation...4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMThe five course dinner menuThe five course dinner menu was great! The Hudson Valley foie was spectacular. The evening I went there was a private function at the bar and the room was noisy. Other than that the experience was very good and will repeat.
The move from their previous location is a definite plus.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had read really good reviewsWe had read really good reviews online and so maybe our expectations were a bit high. Everything tasted good, but service was a bit slow. We came in as the pre-theater crowd was heading out and so we were essentially ignored for 20 minutes. They didn't seem to have the rhythm of service quite right. Overall a nice meal, but wished we gone back to Daniel instead.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMPas de deuxAlways enjoyable, standards still surprise. The beef carpaccio elegant and light with a silky marbled sheet of beef; the salmon gravlax constructed like a small planter ringed by a crispy dough, with herb sprigs, green sprouts and shoots delicately tucked in to tease the palate, stacked with funnels of cucumber slices holding caviar, radish rounds cut like flowers it was as beautiful as it was delicious. The butter poached lobster was succulent, just cooked flesh infused with the decadence, the rib eye was the heart of the cut perfectly done as a round of savory, crusty meat sliced through the rare middle. Wine list is extensive, by the glass perfectly adequate. With spouse tucked into the banquette, I felt like proposing - again!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect!The Aureole staff was exceptional, which added to the amazing food. The fish was fresh and cooked to perfection. The beef dish was flavorful and cooked perfectly. Every dish left us proclaiming the quality of the chef. The staff served the pre-theatre crowd with precision and a smile, something difficult to do in such a small space!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMRead some of the negativeRead some of the negative reviews and I was skeptic, specially because the "new" location is kind of not the crowd that they use to have at UES, but I was very impressed and happy with the food, service, ambiance, etc. I loved it and food was as fantastic as always.
Definitely the best experience pre-theater around there.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMService was excellent. MostService was excellent. Most of the dinner crowd is pre-theatre since Broadway is located a block away. We were not pre-theatre and advised them of that, and they did not attempt to rush us at all through the meal. Prix-fixe is reasonable for restaurants of this calibre and overall a good experience.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AM