Le Veau d’Or, the city's oldest French bistro since 1937, has been revitalized by chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, blending classic charm with timeless dishes.
"Leave it to Frenchette to make one of uptown’s most storied bistros hot again. The $125 prix fixe includes generous portions of an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, plus a salad. Standouts from the first course selections include frog legs persillade, mackerel au vin blanc, tete de veau ravigote, pommes souffles caviar rouges a la creme, and tripes a la mode. Main courses offer dishes like les delices “Veau d’Or” (a trio of offal); hanger steak béarnaise or au poivre; and duck magret with cherry sauce. There’s a salad for the table. Cheese comes before dessert. Pastries from the group’s pastry chef Michelle Palazzo include iles flottantes or strawberries with sabayon. The French icon, open since 1937, feels anything but stuffy, in a room with red gingham tablecloths and comingling between uptown lifers and a younger set eager to try it out." - Melissa McCart
"Le Veau d’Or is the revival of an old-guard restaurant from the Frenchette team, Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson. The dining room is cozy and full of character. And the menu is the same as it has always been — 10 appetizers, 10 entrees, and five desserts. They include dishes like a herby presentation of frog legs, mackerel in a white wine sauce, the namesake calf’s head in a ravigote sauce, and the trio of offal. There’s a salad for the table. Cheese comes before dessert, which might be ile flottante, the famous meringue-based floating island dessert, or strawberries with sabayon." - Melissa McCart
"Leave it to Frenchette to make one of uptown’s most storied bistros hot again. The $125 prix fixe includes generous portions of an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, plus a salad. The French icon, open since 1937, feels anything but stuffy, in a room with red gingham tablecloths and comingling between uptown lifers and a younger set eager to try it out." - Emma Orlow, Eater Staff
"Le Veau d'Or releases reservations online at 9am, two weeks in advance. According to the restaurant, walk-ins are only accepted on the "super rare occasion" of a no-show or last-minute cancellation. Up front, there's a five-seat bar, where they've recently started offering a la carte dishes. The bar can usually only accommodate walk-ins on the earlier side, before it's filled with parties waiting on their tables. It's easier to get a reservation for more than two people, and we've had good luck using notifications." - Will Hartman
"A revived classic restaurant known for its French cuisine." - Emma Orlow
