Restaurant Review: Raoul’s NYC

Ahhh, the city that never sleeps…we ate our way through the Big Apple and thoroughly enjoyed it. JT  booked us into all new restaurant experiences (not that we don’t like tried and true, but we’ve been there and done that, so we wanted something new!).

Saturday night we went to Raoul’s just a short cab ride from our hotel (could have been a short walk had I not worn my 2 block shoes)!

This is the postcard they gave us

It’s a very quaint restaurant with seating in the front and in the back behind the kitchen, in fact, we had to walk through the kitchen to get to our table. We sat facing the back in a lovely little circular booth, so romantic. The front of the restaurant was much more lively than the back, which I suspect was reserved for the more romantic guests! The back was also not nearly as crowded as only every second or third table was filled. I know a lot of people prefer a lively place, but I actually like to have a conversation with my date and not have to yell at the top of my lungs!

It was very dark so I was unable to take any photos of the food, but let me tell you about it, it was very good. I know I’m on a raw kick, but I can’t help it, I do enjoy it very much. I started with Bigeye Tuna Tartare with Grilled Squid Salad, Mango and Avocado ($16) it was delicious. The tuna was delicately seasoned and the grilled squid was perfectly cooked, not chewy or rubbery at all. And you all know how I love the sweet and salty contrasts so the Mango and avocado went so perfectly with this dish. I’d go back for it! JT had Farm Beet Salad with Watercress, Shaved Fennel, Chevrettine and Aleppo Dressing ($13) he said it was tasty but the beets were too few to make any kind of impression.

For my main course, well I just couldn’t help myself and had to have the Steak Tartare with Quail Egg and Cornichon Salad ($16 appetizer portion). It was very tasty, not the best I’ve ever had but very good. The tartare was roughly chopped in larger pieces, which I normally don’t love, but I must say it was a fantastic cut of beef so it lent itself to the chop well. The Cornichon (pickle) salad was a nice contrast of textures to the steak, and it worked well softening the richness of the meat with the acidity. JT had Grilled Colorado Rack of Lamb with Roasted Asparagus and Ramps ($49), the lamb was done well but could have used a few more asparagus.

Our waiter was attentive but not in your face, which is always very nice. He has worked in this particular restaurant for several years, and that is a good sign that it’s a good place to work.

Overall rating of Raoul’s (in my opinion): Decor 4/5, service 4:5, food 4/5, Value 4/5, Noise: 4/5 (1 being very noisy, and 5 being very quiet). We paid for our meal in full.