Le Bernardin: Eric Ripert's Globally-Inspired Oceanic Masterpiece in Midtown Manhattan

Le Bernardin, one of the finest culinary experiences anywhere is an ode to the freshest and best seafood in the world, masterfully prepared by legendary Chef/Co-Owner Eric Ripert, and is a Fred Bollaci Enterprises Preferred Destination.

Pictured above: Fred Bollaci, CEO/President of New York City and Palm Beach-based Fred Bollaci Enterprises, THE definitive international healthy, gourmet lifestyle, food, wine, and travel brand and expert with renowned Chef/Co-Owner of Le Bernardin, Eric Ripert.

Long considered the number one restaurant in New York, the internationally acclaimed four star seafood restaurant, Le Bernardin was born in Paris in 1972 by sibling duo Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze. Gilbert Le Coze, the self-taught legendary seafood chef extraordinaire, Le Bernardin only served fish: Fresh, simple and prepared with respect for the ingredients. The “art” of exquisite seafood. Le Bernardin was named for an order of monks who liked to eat and drink and a song about the monks that Gabriel Le Coze, Maguy’s and Gilbert’s father would sing.

The magical combination of Gilbert’s new cooking techniques—unheard of in the Haute Cuisine-obsessed salons of Paris’ better restaurants in the early seventies and Maguy’s energy and drive in the dining room earned Le Bernardin one Michelin star in 1976. Le Bernardin, having been opened on a shoestring budget with Maguy’s and Gilbert’s parents helping out in the kitchen as the only employees on opening night, the Michelin star was an incredible accomplishment and a sign of things to come.

In 1980 the restaurant moved to a larger location and earned its second coveted Michelin star. This was the highest acclaim for a seafood-only restaurant since the powerful Michelin organization reserves the right to bestow three stars only to restaurants with menus that also offer meat, game, poultry and fish to its diners. Le Bernardin’s owners insisted on only serving the best fish, carving out a niche in the competitive restaurant world of Paris and establishing an international reputation.

Inspired by the triumph of Le Bernardin in Paris and its many American clients, the family sought to open a Le Bernardin in New York in 1986. In no time, Le Bernardin became a four star restaurant which set the highest standards in the cooking of seafood in America. After the unexpected death of her brother Gilbert in 1994, Maguy Le Coze began working closely with Chef Eric Ripert, a disciple and close friend of Gilbert, who took over the kitchen, and along with Le Coze continued to uphold Le Bernardin’s position as one of the world’s premier restaurants.

In September 2011, Le Coze and Ripert employed Bentel & Bentel to redesign the world-renowned restaurant. The new look features a lounge, where a separate menu is available.

Le Bernardin holds several records in New York’s very competitive dining world: it received its four star review from The New York Times only three months after opening and is the only New York four star restaurant that has maintained its status of excellence for more than 20 years. Le Bernardin has received more James Beard Awards than any other restaurant in New York City. In 1998, Maguy Le Coze won the coveted James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurant” in America, and in May 2003 Eric Ripert was named “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation. In 2009, Le Bernardin was honored with the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service,” and most recently, in 2012, it received the award for “Best Restaurant Design.” The Michelin Guide, which made its New York debut in 2005, honored Chef Ripert and Le Bernardin with its highest rating of three stars in 2005 and each year thereafter, and the restaurant ranks 19 on the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The New York Zagat Guide has recognized Le Bernardin as top rated in the category of “Best Food” for the last eight consecutive years and the 2011, 2012 and 2013 editions awarded Le Bernardin a 29 food rating: the highest in New York City.

1998 saw the publication of Le Bernardin’s first cookbook, called Le Bernardin—Four Star Simplicity. Most recently, Eric Ripert published A Return to Cooking, in November 2002 and On the Line (2008) and Avec Eric (2010).

Dining at Le Bernardin is like attending the highest level of theatrical production in the world: a seamless and flawless operation, more precise than clockwork, with accommodating, knowledgeable staff, a dazzling menu, gorgeous presentations of exquisitely fresh, globally-inspired seafood centric features that taste even better than they look; beyond “dance in your seat good,” Le Bernardin offers both A La Carte and Prix Fixe tasting menus (the fantastic three course lunch includes a starter, entree, and dessert and is considered one of the best deals in New York given the extraordinary quality of the food and overall experience), I can tell you it is fortunate the portions are just right: enough to savor while leaving you anticipating the next delicious course. This is a level of dining where food equals art equals total engagement and enjoyment of all the senses. Le Bernardin is your opportunity to enjoy one of the finest dining experiences of your life, complete with a world-class wine list, comfortable, elegant, and serenely gorgeous surroundings.

For Chef Eric Ripert, “Food is about memories, feelings, emotions, and so is Le Bernardin, and that’s why it’s not just a restaurant.” Eric is grateful for his early exposure to two cuisines—that of Antibes, France, where he was born, and to Andorra, a small country just over the Spanish border where he moved to as a young child. His family instilled their own passion for food in the young Ripert, and at the age of 15 he left home to attend culinary school in Perpignan, France. At 17, he moved to Paris and cooked at the legendary La Tour D’Argent before taking a position at the Michelin three-starred Jamin. After fulfilling his military service, Ripert returned to Jamin under Joel Robuchon to serve as chef poissonier.
In 1989, Ripert seized the opportunity to work under Jean-Louis Palladin as sous-chef at Jean Louis at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., and moved to New York in 1991, working briefly as David Bouley’s sous-chef before Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze recruited him as chef for Le Bernardin. Ripert has since firmly established himself as one of the greatest chefs in New York City and the entire world.

In addition, Ripert has partnered with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to open restaurants at various destinations including Blue in Grand Cayman, Westend Bistro in Washington D.C. and 10 Arts Bistro in Philadelphia. Ripert is also the host of RESERVE CHANNEL’s show “On the Table” on YouTube, which debuted in July 2012, and has served as guest judge (and “fan favorite”) on Bravo’s Top Chef for four seasons. He has also appeared on numerous daytime, primetime, and late night shows, showcasing his cuisine.