Brasserie 8 1/2 is one of my favorite upscale French restaurant in New York. The location is weird: the restaurant is located underground! If you do not know it is there, you cannot guess! To go to the main room, you will walk down an impressive staircase that will bring you to the mezzanine area where the bar is located. The decor is amazing and is featuring some artwork from Matisse and a glass sculpture from Fernand Leger.
So we went back one Saturday night with our friends Jen and Gary. The restaurant was not that crowded that night. The service was efficient and courteous, and the atmosphere was not too stuffy.
The food served at Brasserie 8 1/2 is pretty diverse and they have great seafood. These days, they are still offering a three courses menu for $35.
So, here is what we ate!
First, after ordering, they offered is an amuse bouche. It was a salmon tartare with a refined taste.
Then, I decided to go with several appetizers instead of an entree, to try different dishes. I started with the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes served with artichoke, sea beans, pommery mustard sauce. It was good but definitely not the best crab cakes I ever tried (Ruth's Chris or Del Fresco!).
I think that when you read Jumbo Lump, you will imagine a strong crab flavor. It was not the case!
The third appetizer was a risotto made with crab and bone marrow. This was great! First, the presentation on a stone board was very nice. The risotto was perfectly cooked and creamy and the crab and bone marrow added nice flavors.
I also had a taste of the Filet Mignon served with a sauce au poivre (we always ask for the sauce to be separated in case it is not good)! Although we were not in a steakhouse, the steak was very good!
For dessert, we had a white chocolate mousse with meringue. This was delicious! Light and not too sweet. Perfect to end this great dinner!
We had a good time at Brasserie 8 1/2 and the food was amazing as usual! Brasserie 8 1/2 is definitely a great restaurant Midtown New York!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I just want to eat!
