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.
"One of the best restaurants in NYC, this 1937 French bistro—revived by the Frenchette team—has a private dining room upstairs. Options start at $225 per guest for a family style meal, and $275 for plated dinners (with an additional $1,500 staffing fee). You’re pretty much guaranteed the hits, like pommes souffleés with caviar, duck magret with cherries, and the île flottante. 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." - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine, will hartman
"A revitalized French bistro in the Upper East Side, reintroducing lunch with a $85 prix fixe menu featuring dishes like tartare, duck confit, and roast chicken. A la carte options include salad, fries, and desserts like cheese and chocolate mousse, along with morning cocktails." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr had their eye on this French icon, open since 1937, even before they opened Frenchette in 2018. Twelve years after first contacting the original owner, the restaurant has reopened with the duo at the helm, mostly intact, with subtle changes. The prix fixe menu holds at $125 per person, with classic French dishes, an enthralling retro dining room, and terrific people watching. The bar is also open for dining." - Melissa McCart
"Opened in 1937; closed in 2019 for five years NYC has had enough iconic restaurant returns to warrant a city-specific version of this guide. But Le Veau D’Or is the one we're most excited about. After closing down in 2019, the classic French bistro that hosted Audrey Hepburn is once again home to New York’s hottest table. The team from Frenchette and Le Rock may have updated the teeny Upper East Side room a bit, but the stock- and butter-drenched food and prix-fixe format have stayed largely the same. It’s a pain in the butt to get a table, but, in a city where exclusivity is oversold, Le Veau D’Or’s is genuinely earned." - anne cruz
"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
