I have a habit of procrastinating the “big” dinner reservations like birthday parties, anniversary dinners, holiday friend get-togethers. So when I got a last-minute reservation at Le Coucou for my birthday, I didn’t have crazy high expectations. Yes, it had a Michelin star, but it wasn’t one that I heard people talking about too often.
Walking in, I was honestly surprised by how cozy yet romantic the interior felt. Warm off-white brick walls, the highest ceilings I’ve seen in a New York City restaurant in a while, and chandeliers that gave a very One if by Land, Two if by Sea (NYC) or even Osteria (PA) vibes. The bar area felt a little cramped compared to what I expected from the photos; worth noting if you were looking to sit at the bar.
The service was so nice and attentive. I had noted that it was my birthday in the reservation, and I was very impressed by how seamlessly that detail got passed between the sommelier and multiple waiters throughout the night. Every handoff came with a birthday acknowledgement. Definitely made it a special night!
We got A Very Coucou Dinner, which is their $220 tasting menu. Some dishes were truly extraordinary. Others left me mildly confused. So here’s my honest take on each (menu $s are as of 2025).
1. Bread (complimentary)
I love a free bread basket. No major callouts.
2. Amuse Bouche (off-menu)
I’m assuming this comes standard with the tasting menu, but not too sure about a la carte.
Caviar Bites: I only have a horribly blurry picture of it (which I’ll include for the sake of transparency). It did its job of opening up the palate, although it was a bit greasier than the typical amuse bouche I’ve gotten.
Oysters: Nothing crazy outstanding. Very creamy and fresh oysters.
Dumpling / Ravioli: The broth was great!
3. Poireaux Vinaigrette ($20)
The first hors d’oeuvres and also the first confusing bite of the night. For context: I cook pretty blandly at home because I am generally conscious of my sodium intake (when I’m eating out, I have no restraints). That being said, I still found the leeks incredibly underseasoned. I think it was meant to complement the surrounding flavors and be a very neutral side dish, but as someone who enjoys leeks on their own, I found this disappointing.
4. Tartare de boeuf ($98)
A very nicely executed beef tartare. But at the same time, it was just beef tartare. I think I got a smaller portion because it was part of the tasting menu (I hope). I wouldn’t pay $98 for it a la carte, but I’m also not a huge caviar spender.
5. Thon à l’espelette ($28)
I liked this! The tuna was very fresh with a slight bounce to the bite, which I like (vs some of the very fatty otoro cuts). The espelette oil with what I think were shallots or onions on top made for a well-paired bite.
6. Quenelle de brochet, sauce américaine ($35)
I have to preface this by saying that I studied abroad twice in France and I am a HUGE fan of quenelle. I hadn’t had one in about 8 years, so this was such a nostalgic bite.
For those who are less familiar, a quenelle is a classic French dish that is essentially a poached lump of creamed fish (sometimes meat). The lobster sauce was so great I wanted to take a little container of the sauce home. This was by far my favorite dish of the night. Note: if you are a bit weary of seafood, this is probably not a dish for you.
7. Canette à l’orange ($68)
When I was watching other people get this dish, I was wondering if I would be getting a magret de canard or a confit. I was pleasantly surprised that we got both! I generally lean toward magret de canard and this one was done incredibly well: the crispy skin and fat with the slightly sweet sauce and fig was the perfect bite. The duck leg was solid but generally less satisfying than the breast for me. I loved the little foie gras bites hidden throughout the pan too!
8. Dessert
I am doing one catch-all “dessert” section because we were truly thrown all sorts of dessert at us (in the most positive way possible). We started off with a quick refreshing sorbet, then chocolate cake, then a birthday ice cream with tiny strawberries (with a candle and writing). Then, as we thought we were done, they came by with a whole pan of mini madeleines and dumped them on the table with powdered sugar. This was such a fun surprise; we had every single one of them even though we were so full. The perk of tiny madeleines is that there’s more of the crunchy crust. Amazing bite! They rounded out the night with petit fours: mini macarons, some sort of jelly, and chocolate.
My go-to recommendations here would be the duck and the quenelle, with a big caveat that the quenelle might not be for some people!
Side note: the bathroom was slightly disappointing, but I do hold my bathrooms to a high standard. Multiple stalls with full-length doors, sink outside. Bonus points for real Aesop soap though (not the refilled bottle situation I have at home).
Overall, Le Coucou was a very pleasant surprise! I typically don’t repeat higher-end restaurants in NYC, just because we have so many of them, but I am interested in going back to try the a la carte menu. I really loved the staff and the special attention we got for my birthday as well. My one-line Beli review is: fantastic, but you just have to choose the dishes well.