Brasserie Cognac East

Just ok. Not sure how much ingredient quality and how much execution, but none of our dishes (wide variety among us) were better than ok. Service got slow/overwhelmed when tables filled up.

This is my favorite neighborhood bistro to meet people for lunch. It is always reasonably quiet, and the service is excellent. Food is reliable and very good. Best onion soup and cheese souffle. Excellent salads, etc. Don't miss dessert!

We had a nice dinner at Brasserie Cognac with old friends. Very pleasant. Good food. One nice thing was that when I spilled my glass of wine due to the fact that they had pulled two tables together for us and the height was uneven, so that when I put it down on the table cloth where the two tables were joined it tipped over. Without being asked, they refilled the glass, which was the right thing to do, but many restaurants would not do so.
The noise level is OK, and it has the feel of a neighborhood restaurant. Not as interesting food as a real French brasserie, but good.

Consistently wonderful, Cognac never disappoints. Don't miss the gougeres, the mussels or the steak frites.

The food was GREAT. Salmon was cooked perfectly as well as the scallops. The service was on point. Very very good. Definitely would recommend to friends. I would like them to address a small problem with the fruit flies that were flying around. That’s my only small complaint. Otherwise top notch.

I've been here many times and have enjoyed all I've eaten and I will not hesitate to go many more times and recommend. The only thing I would say is that they were skimpy on the amount of scallops for this somewhat expensive and delicious entree. The dish was more like an appetizer than a main course and should be adjusted for the latter. Otherwise, our meal was superb..

Pleasant French bistro with okay food. Onion soup (gratinée) was quite good. Beef bourguignon was dried out in a tasteless sauce. Dessert (floating island) was okay but disappointed; custard not quite meeting the standard. Other main courses were satisfactory.

Good neighborhood restaurant, somewhat pricey for what it offers.

Good, attentive service. Food was tasty and portions size was just right. Came 30 minutes before reservation and was seated right away outside. Low key neighborhood keeper that I would patronize weekly if lived closer.

Great atmosphere and food.

I don't recommend to order the halibut, awful!

Brasserie Cognac East has incredible food and the service is impeccable. Loved the mussels so much that I had that as my main course. However, I've eaten here several times before and come back for all the right neighborhood reasons - it's delicious, great service and local for me and my friends.

Though the food was very good, the noise level was quite high and the service was a bit slow.

I’ve been to Cognac at least three or four times before and did not notice an undue amount of noise. But this time it seriously interfered with my enjoyment and all three of my dining companions agreed. Aside from the noise of patrons’ conversation there was a lot of crashing of dinnerware and we weren’t even sitting near the kitchen. I don’t think I would go back.

I always enjoy lunching at this reliably satisfying UES spot. The staff are welcoming, the French-inspired food consistently good, and it offers a nice atmosphere for conversation and savoring the simple pleasures of dining with friends or business associates.

We had a wonderful lunch outside on a gorgeous day.

The dining room at Brasserie Cognac was appealing, as was the menu -- but unfortunately these initial favorable impressions did not last long. Our server seemed unhappy (maybe having a bad day?) and the food was just not good. The poached eggs were not drained before being placed on the brioche toast, so the toast was flooded with water. The french toast was dry and flavorless. Both of these are simple dishes that many customers can make competently at home.

Small flies buzzing about the food.
Menu selection limited.

A lovely place and good food. We loved it and will definitely be back !

Always have a wonderful meal here. This is my favorite restaurant in this neighborhood!

Meeting a friend and running late due to the torrential downpour didn’t make our reservation any less lovely and holding our table is always appreciated!
Delicious fresh ahi tuna nicoise, wonderful fresh artichoke soup without creme and a great beet salad with shrimp and a basket of gougeres makes any meal here a success in introducing another person to Cognac!

Excellent choice especially if you are in the area oh hospitals

Four of us, family, went there during Restaurant Week for lunch. The restaurant was mostly empty and therefore very quiet. We had a pleasant lunch but I found my and my husband's entree too salty. Escsargot was one of the choices for an appetizer and was very good. No dessert was offered with lunch, which was a disappointment.
Cognac's normal prices were quite high but it is on the Upper East Side.

great restaurant week experience great food and service

Very good food, nice ambiance and not too noisy. The service was a bit slow but we were not in a rush. The waiters were very friendly.

Not as good servers as usual but maybe because it was a Sunday night

Good food and great service!

Always a pleasure

As always there is a great variety of menu items and excellent service

This has to be one of NYC's finest French restaurants. I love the varied menu with dishes like Cheese Fondue and Cheese Souffle that are hard to find elsewhere. I will be a repeat customer as long as they continue to employ excellent chefs and top-flight waiters. It's hard not to drool just thinking of my last meal there just two days ago.... cheese fondue! the best ever French onion soup! and a dessert made in heaven: Strawberry & vanilla vacherin with raspberry & passion fruit coulisse topped with a strawberry meringue.. Oh My! When I return this Sunday, I know it will be hard to choose from their menu because each dish has its own sumptuous appeal. The restaurant is elegant but cozy and is set in a beautiful neighborhood of charming townhouses with glowing lanterns to light your way at night.

Food is always very good, s rvice is good and friendly,
noise level is too high

Service and food was excellent! Great wait staff! Thanks!

We were attending a function at Hunter College at 7:30 and needed a nice restaurant nearby. We love French restaurants so we gave Brasserie Cognac a try. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was excellent and the service was first rate. Some of the staff even spoke French. It was an early dinner yet there were quite a few diners which gave the place a nice tone. Definitely worth a visit if you are on the Upper East Side.

This is a comfortable and casual restaurant that should appeal to all ages. The service was excellent except for the bus boy clearing the appetizer plates while one was still eating. The food was very good. The pork chop was a good size and tasty. Bouillabaisse was very good although they need to add a few more mussels to the order. The beef was tender. There is a nice selection of wines by the bottle starting in the mid $50 range. Excellent creme brûlée.
The bartender made good cocktails albeit that his knowledge of certain spirits wasn’t up to par.
I recommend this restaurant. Nice place to go relax and enjoy good food with attentive service.

This was my first time at the restaurant and was my friend’s choice. I had the chicken salad which was tasty although not more cabbages and she’ll than chicken. The creme brûlée was lovely. Always a winner.

always pleasant for an evening out with friends

A breezy summer evening, city rather empty this past weekend, and so we sat aside. Staff was super attentive, cheery and the food was bistro perfect. Well he back! We usually dine at their west side location but this petite sister spot was especially charming.

Excellent, friendly service- outstanding food!

My experience was horrible and I will not return. My friend returned her salmon burger after each taste hoping fir improvement. The manager offered dessert "OR" coffee and refused to include both. We were informed ONE OR THE OTHER and then the manager proceeded to send out a highlighted print out of the "policy". I've been going to Cognac East since the doors opened but will NOT RETURN. In addition, I ordered salad nicoise. Wouldn't one assume that the salmon was included. When the waited asked if I want salmon of course I said yes. It seemed a confusing question. When I got the bill I was up charged 9.00. The waiter could and should have told me there'd be an additional price. The entire experience was ridiculous. Not a way to treat customers. I would tell you there are several other wonderful restaurants on the same Street. SKIP COGNAC EAST!

Brasserie Cognac East has some physical charm. It's located in an Upper East Side townhouse, circa late 19th Century, and that gives it a special ambience. (It also has outdoor dining when weather permits.) The stuff coming out of the kitchen (mostly French, but with some American comfort food twists like the hamburger I ordered) is first rate. The service was a bit imperfect when we first came in, but improve as the dinner progressed. The crowd appeared to be mostly local. Worth experiencing.