I noticed Le Jardinier, a restaurant located Midtown East, when it got a Michelin Star in the 2020 New York Michelin Guide. Meaning The Gardener in French, Le Jardinier translates perfectly the concept from Chef Alain Verzeroli with a menu centered on vegetables complemented by sustainable fish and meat. And what a decor! Design by renowned French architect Joseph Dirand, it is as if you were dining in an elegant greenhouse.

Here is what we had:

To start, we got their house made lemonade that was fizzy and refreshing.

House made lemonade at Le Jardinier in NYC, NY

They then brought their gluten free bread basket. I was surprised how good it was: I love bread and you would have told me it was gluten free, I would not have believed you.

Gluten free bread basket at Le Jardinier in NYC, NY

For her appetizer, Jodi ordered their mushroom veloute with crispy polenta. This was an elevated version of a mushroom soup that was succulent and I loved the fact that they used crispy polenta to replace classic croutons.

Mushroom veloute at Le Jardinier in NYC, NY

On my side, I settled for the grilled yellowfin tuna: the dish looked beautiful with all the color, from the red of the fish to the green of the mache. The fish was delicious, slightly seared, and I noticed some crispy black rice that gave a nice crunch to the dish.

Then came the entrees. Pearled barley risotto for Jodi and duck confit for me. The risotto was pretty good, made with winter squash and mushrooms, and the color came from the use of mimolette cheese. Between this and the use of barley instead of rice, I thought it was a great interpretation of a classic Italian dish. The only negative is that it could have had more squash and mushroom in it.

The confit however was perfect: the meat, falling off the bone, was not too salty and the skin was delightfully fatty and crispy. The duck sat on top of black lentils that had a nice bite and there were few pieces of kumquat that gave a bit of acidity.

Last was dessert. After a slight hesitation between the Forêt Noire (black Forrest cake) and their fruit tart made with yuzu and topped with a meringue, we opened for the former that was decadent and not light, with delicious brandy cherries.

Overall it was a superb meal in a relaxed atmosphere not stuffy at all, with a very courteous and dilligent service. No wonder they got that star that is well deserved after few months operating, the restaurant having opened in May 2019.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Le Jardinier -610 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

Le Jardinier, Midtown East

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