Le Veau d'Or
French restaurant · Upper East Side ·
Classic French bistro serving tripe, frog's legs & duck
Classic French bistro serving tripe, frog's legs & duck
"Open since 1937 on the Upper East Side and revived after a five-year hiatus, this is NYC’s oldest French bistro; chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson honor its history with touches like a framed old menu while keeping the vibe lively and anything but stuffy. Unless I’m at the bar, I’m choosing from a prix fixe—$85 for a two-course lunch or $135 for a three-course dinner—with plenty of options. For starters, I go for the pâté en croûte, a fatty pork pâté encased in delicate pastry with very punchy mustard, and the frog’s legs (cuisses de grenouille), like succulent chicken wings sizzling in garlicky, herby butter—order them. The duck magret aux cerises belongs on the table: a pink duck breast with crispy, peppery skin, cherry sauce, and radishes; as a waiter told me, it’s “their version of a burger.” For dessert, the île flottante—delicate, soft meringue in crème anglaise—tastes like the most luscious melted vanilla ice cream. The martini can be made “our way” or “your way,” but the dry gin “our way” with a salty vermouth sidecar makes it the best martini in the city. If I can’t snag a reservation, I walk in around 5 p.m. for one of the five bar seats, where I can order à la carte." - Zoe Becker
"Sitting in the retro scarlet bistro, I found the house martini—a classic, dive-bar–inspired drink created by former bar manager Sarah Morrissey—served with “dirty” ice and vermouth on the side for an interactive touch; built with gin, white vermouth and finished with a bright lemon twist, it remains the bar’s centerpiece and most-ordered cocktail." - Kat Odell
"Being from the South, I’m very particular about tomatoes, so I was skeptical about ordering a tomato salad at the end of September here, but the bartender from New Orleans assured me that the dish was worth trying. The appetizer, part of the bistro’s prix fixe lunch, was a work of art: a thick slice of yellow heirloom tomato sat atop a bouncy bearnaise sauce; petite tomatoes, slicked with an olive oil dressing, nestled into the crevices of the base tomato, along with crunchy, craggly croutons and a mess of herbs, from basil to chervil to celery leaves. Every element was in balance — the sweetness from the vegetables, the zip from the acid in the sauce, and the brightness from the greens — and the tomatoes were indeed at their prime." - Nadia Chaudhury
"If you’re headed here, skip the idea of a light meal—this nostalgic Upper East Side revival leans celebratory, with a mandatory $135 prix-fixe and luxurious add-ons—and the tête de veau ravigote is a standout: jelly-like cubes of veal head are fried, dressed in a zingy ravigote sauce, and topped with segmented hard-boiled eggs and greens to cut through the richness amid other indulgences like pâté en croûte and pommes soufflées with caviar." - ByThe Bon Appétit Staff
"Cited as one of the New York restaurants that cracked the top 10, Le Veau d’Or was mentioned as part of the city’s strong showing on the new regional ranking." - Matthew Kang