Le Bernardin

The Fish Gets the Last Word

4.5 of 5

Fish is the whole argument at 155 West 51st Street, and it has been since Eric Ripert took over the kitchen in 1994. The menu sorts itself by how much the cook touches the animal: Almost raw, Barely touched, Lightly cooked. That is not a gimmick. It is a philosophy of restraint, and restraint is the hardest thing there is to cook. Anyone can add butter. It takes nerve to stop.

Michelin gave it three stars in 2005, the first year the guide covered New York, and the stars never left. The room belongs to Maguy Le Coze as much as to Ripert, who became co-owner in 1996, and you can feel two people who have run one dining room for decades. Order the pounded tuna with foie gras if you want the signature. The four-course prix fixe was $210 at last look and walks you down the page from raw to barely cooked without a wasted bite.

Plenty of famous Manhattan restaurants coast on their name once the critics move on. This one did not. Weekday lunch runs $130 and is the smart way in, and the lounge offers a shorter menu with a donation to City Harvest folded in. It is closed Sundays. Dress like you respect the fish, because the people in the kitchen certainly do.

Order this: The pounded tuna with foie gras, Anything from the Almost raw section, Anything from Barely touched, The four-course prix fixe if you want the full argument
The damage: $$$$
Go: A weekday lunch if you want the sane price, or a dinner worth planning around
Find it: 155 West 51st Street, New York, NY 10019