Danube

R.I.P. Danube.
Having eaten at Bouley establishments on several occasions, I knew I was going in for some quality European fare in Danube. Being that it was reasonably close to my office downtown, this had become a nice alternative spot to the Italian/​French/​German restaurants all over the city with its unique specializations in Hungarian, Austrian cuisine.
The food presentation was always fantastic. They weren’t Le Bernadin prices, but it was still in the realm of haute cuisine. This also means the portions were relatively small, but good for those who value taste over their hungry inhibitions. I’m also not referring to their tasting menu, but rather their regular entrees. I am still dreaming of their Diver Sea Scallops over a bed of Crab Meat. So good.
I’ve always had a stellar experience here nonetheless and can only hope the new restaurant (Secession) will be as good. However, it’ll be part of the growing legions of Italian and French restaurant landscape, so I suppose the search continues for a good Austrian /​Hungarian restaurant.

We went to this restaurant looking for a Hungarian restaurant as advertised in the Yellow pages in our hotel back in ’07. We had a really good experience here. The people were not stuffy as some restaurants can be. They kept offering us things «on the house». I recall that the food was good and very filling since we had something like a 6-​course prix fixe (yes, we’re fans of prix fixe). It’s sad to hear that they are closing.

CLOSED. Reopening here as Secession (French & Italian).
You’re welcome bitches!

Today’s Bouley Newsletter reads:
Dear friends,
Danube Restaurant is closing.
Our last dinner service is this Saturday August 2^nd, 2008.
I would like to thank you for your loyalty and constant support for the past 9 years.
We will open «Secession» in mid-​September offering a diverse menu with a focus on fresh ingredients.
The recipes are inspired from France, Northern Italy and the Mediterranean.
If you would like to make reservations for Danube’s final week please call us at 212.791.3771
Regards
David Bouley

I’m a great fan of Bouley, Danube’s sister restaurant but on my recent visit to New York, decided to give Danube a whirl. Compared to the mountaintop which is Bouley, I have to award Danube 4.5 stars but that’s not possible on here but overall, the cooking is of the highest standard, so 5 stars it is then.
The 2 restaurants share the same slick efficiency and a high staff to customer ratio. However, the lavish high ceilings of Danube with the large picture windows looking out onto the street gives it a very different feel to the coziness of Bouley. The night that I was dining, a large group of celebrating eastern European diners was adding to the general buzz of the dining room.
I elected to have the tasting menu to compare it against the tasting menu from Bouley. The influence for the food was Austrian as opposed to the French Bouley fare.
I started with the trio of seafood appetizers. The oyster shooters had vibrant accompaniments to the briney fresh oysters. I also enjoyed the crayfish croquette with avocado and tomato where the sweet crayfish was allowed to come through. However, I found the smoked salmon and Portugese sardine a little too salty for my palate.
My next course of lobster was my favourite with generous portions of sweet, juicy, perfectly cooked lobster meat accompanied with 2 subtle sauces and some mushrooms with just enough bite to contrast against the softer lobster.
As I was having Austrian food, I had to have the Wiener Schnitzel, which I was slightly worried about as I’ve had some poor versions in other restaurants in the past. I needn’t have worried — it was perfectly cooked and not greasy at all. The lingonberry sauce was a good foil and I especially liked the cucumber salad with it.
Having been born in the tropics, the guava syrup accompanying the palate-​cleansing elderflower sorbet brought a smile to me face.
In keeping with the Austrian theme, for dessert, I opted for the pear strudel. The filo was the lightest and crunchiest and the proportion of pear and ice cream to accompany the pastry was perfect.
The cooking was all technically very good with perhaps little adjustments required in seasoning but nothing major. However, Bouley’s food still has that little extra star quality, that clean-​ness of tastes and clarity of flavours. I had a nice chat to the local couple sitting on the table next to me (hello to Cathy & Lorenzo) and we all agreed that Bouley just has something extra and you feel wonderfully cosseted at Bouley.

I can’t believe this was my first time hearing about this place! The décor here is breathtaking, I think the artwork is Klimt inspired, and the interesting shape of the main dining room only adds to the aura of entering another place altogether. Most of the tables are against the wall with very comfy seats, although I think sitting in the middle of the room might feel a bit un-​cozy in comparison (only a few of those tables). We ordered the tasting menu, which was very very interesting in it’s variety.
Some highlights:
–Sampler consisting of several different seafood items (salmon with wasabi tobiko, portugese sardine intertwined in a potato slice and fried, a sort of shrimp spring roll, and oyster with apple and bloody mary). My favorites were the salmon, and the shrimp spring roll which was light and crunchy, flavorful, and sitting atop an avocado mousse with what I think were tiny cubes of salmon, amazing!
–Lobster with a hint of thai curry, and I wish I remembered more about the ingredients of the dish so that I could rave about it more. The curry provided such a rich flavor without overpowering the delicate taste of the lobster, which was cooked absolutely perfectly. Such a delicious dish, I would go back just for that alone.
For an entrée course I had the weiner schnitzel, which I was not very familiar with so I can’t compare with what it is supposed to taste like, but it was tasty (although a surprisingly large portion). I think it clashed a bit with the first two courses which was kind of confusing, but I can’t say it was bad. The sides included a cucumber dill salad which was crunchy and delicious, and a very flavorful potato salad.
The chocolate soufflé was tasty, but I was surprised it was not more intricate after the depth of the other courses.
Cool random thing, the door to the kitchen opens and closes automatically but totally blends into the décor.
The staff was extremely attentive and friendly without the attitude of some places of this caliber, and I felt very comfortable. We asked questions about wine pairings and were very satisfied with the suggestions.
I would definitely come back here, although the prices are a bit high for frequent visits. I am certainly not saying it is overpriced, just a bit high for my budget but okay for a splurge.
This place is wonderful for a romantic date or a quiet evening, and the amazing décor is something you will remember.

As if you are making a grand entrance to dine with high society (in the Gatsby era), Danube is a wonderful establishment. The service is impeccable. Don’t miss the incredible appetizers & desserts.

Best schnitzel ever!
I had the tasting menu here with wine pairings and it was pretty awesome. I thought the food was excellent but I the some of the wine’s were just so so.
I would suggest getting the schnitzel to anyone.

Ugh. This place is so hyped up however it is paces behind other fine dining establishments. The service was fine, immpeccable? No! The lay-​out of the restaurant is weird, and I feel sorry for those sitting in the center of the restaurant. I had fish and it wasn’t that good. My friend had fish as well and it was drowning in so many mushrooms you could barely find the fish, let alone taste it. The beef tartare looked like you had just opened a can of dog food. Spent $ 250 dollars for two people and could have eaten some where so much cheaper with better food. I expected more from this place.

This place manages to be fantastic and laid back at the same time. You can really relax in the sumptuous atmosphere with excellent food. The service sets the tone — informed, friendly and sophisticated, they make you feel like you deserve to be there. And there is a nice place — a very romantic and intimate décor where you are seated just far enough from your neighbor to have an intimate conversation. It looks like the inside of an Austrian castle (or what I imagine that would be), with dark wood, rich colors and murals. And I almost forgot the food. It starts with well thought out bread choices, like homemade pretzels and such (tasty!). The foie gras was seared to perfection, and the venison was tender and succulent. I ordered crème brûlée for dessert, and I’m usually not a big fan but the waiter assured me it wasn’t too sweet. It wasn’t, but it was tasty. I licked the bowl clean. The wine choices are unusual — only because I don’t know Austrian wines at all. But the waiter helped us figure out what was what and we found a good wine to go with our meal. Just a great experience, luxurious and laid back all at once.

I loved this place. The Klimt inspired décor was gorgeous (I love Klimt and Impressionism in general, so this place won me over on décor alone).
We came en masse for a special celebration and the service was impeccable from the start. Our head waiter was a very pleasant man who, once finding out that my father was on mission in Africa, warmed up considerably.
The food was innovative, but not scary, and the portions were perfect. I did not feel hurried or ill at ease at all. I think the icing on the cake was the lemon pound cake from Bouley that the ladies left with after the meal
A gorgeous place with gorgeous food, service and atmosphere.

die schone blaue donau…
One of the most amazing places in Lower Manhattan.
Two of my colleagues and I went to dinner last night and it was a welcome respite from the madness that the Concierge world is going through right now (it’s high season). The bar, with its deep red ceiling, dark wood, over-​stuffed sofas and chairs, and muted hanging lights, immediately lifted a weight from our shoulders. We stopped being the whistle-​blowing, traffic-​directing ring-​masters at the frantic circus known as our Hotel and became purring, stretching tigers ready to jump through the hoops of our Austrian masters.
We were ensconced in our deep sofa relaxing when the maitre d’ announced that our table was ready, and we moved into the Dining Room.
If you haven’t been anywhere that the Austro-​Hungarian Empire left its mark, you’d be able to see a pretty perfect rendition here. High ceilings, dark wood, intricate mosaics that bring Klee and Klimt to mind; all that’s missing is a string quartet playing and some Hussars in full uniform to fully transport you back to the gut alte tagen of the sprawling Hapsburg empire.
First course: Schlutzkrapfen (ravioli-​esque), Diver Sea Scallops, and Roasted Beets. Now, you can chase me around the house with beets (I’d rather chew off my own legs than eat beets), but they *looked* fantastic — and my colleague confirmed that the taste matched the looks (she likes beets). The Schlutzkrapfen were excellent;, light, tasty, with little slices of baby corn and mushrooms. The Sea Scallop was sprinkled with a delicious lemon & thyme sauce.
Main course: Wiener Schnitzel, Hungarian Goulash, and Seared Duck Breast. The Wiener Schnitzel is the second best I have ever tasted outside of Vienna itself (first place still goes to Wallse). The Hungarian Goulash was perfectly braised, in a delicious paprikash sauce; so tender that it flaked away at the brush of a fork. The duck was excellent as well.
Desserts; Chocolate Soufflé, Caramel Strudel, Liwanzen, Topfenpalatschinken… oy. It was amazing that we could somehow bravely shovel these delights in after the first courses; but, urged on by me (thinking of this review), my colleagues and I laid waste the futile efforts of these desserts to protect themselves from our yawning maws.
Each course was matched with a different Austrian wine; each complimented the food delightfully and added just that extra ooomph that carries you from a «great» meal into the land of the «exquisite». The couple next to us were celebrating a birthday; at the table behind us a young man was singing very softly (and quite beautifully) to the young lady to whom he had just proposed; at the corner table a group of Europeans were (loudly) plotting their secret strategy to taking over the American economy (Max, just a hint — we don’t *all* wear sneakers all the time).
Go. Enjoy. Drink a little and let yourself slip back to a time when military uniforms actually *did* look like that, all the crowned heads of Europe were related to each other, and the sound of horse-​drawn carriages rang through the streets.

I wanted to find a place for my special lady’s birthday that was worthy of her. Danube proved up to the task. Some highlights:
— The room is awesome. It feels classic and sophisticated without being stuffy at all.
— We had the perfect start to our meal with a champagne and elder flower cocktail.
— The service was great — from the maitre’d to the bread guy to the bus boys and our super waiter.
— The little tray of desserts they provide at the end was a great cap to the dinner (and inspired us to go around the corner to the Bouley Bakery to grab some more).

2 well deserved Michelin stars. If we didn’t have a prick of a waiter or had to wait 10 min for our reservation I wouldn’t have had a problem offering it a 3^rd. The interior is the best in the city. We did the tasting menu which was great as it wasn’t set in stone for the 2 of us and we each got to order a bit different. The venison was outstanding (this is coming from someone who has killed and cooked his own buck before), I loathe grapefruit and yet managed to like the gelee with ice cream as part of the desert.
The smallest detail which I absolutely loved was that instead of a small candle in a votive each table had a silver candle stick, something you hardly ever see.

This was the choice of one member of my dinner club. Pretty fantastic place. The atmosphere of the restaurant is excellent, with Klimt reproductions on the walls up high and a sumptuous atmosphere in general.
The dining room verges on triangular in shape, with lush banquettes lining the walls. The four of us sat at a table in the middle and service was flawless from start to finish, save one or two things:
As this group has found to be the case (we dine together once a month at a different restaurant each time), the wines were stored at far too cold a temperature. The wine list at Danube is well-​chosen, and although not extensive, is somewhat pricey. We ordered two bottles at the lower end of the list price-​wise, one a Château Pichon Longueville 1998 ($ 125) and Abeja 2003 ($ 110), a Columbia Valley cabernet. Both were immediately decanted and the Château Pichon was served first, as per the recommendation of waiter. It was almost ice cold, which frankly, for such a tasty bottle was a travesty. By the time it was getting close to the right temperature it had opened up and flattened out. The second bottle was better, but again, it had been decanted right at the start, and had enough fruit and tannins in it to make it stand up for awhile.
The «amuse bouche» they served was a duck broth «cappucino» which was quite tasty. At our table for appetizers we had the foie gra (a different preparation than the one listed on the zagat site) which was spiritual and tasted of sweetness and raw egg yolk, and the beet ravioli, which were also quite delicious. For main courses we had rack of lamb, rack of veal and duck breast (the preparations escape me, but were all quite good).
We ordered four desserts and they actually brought six, and a bunch of petit fours/​small confections at the very end. We were stuffed and satisfied. The bill for the four of us came to $ 712, including wine and the 2 rounds of Knob Creek we each had at the very beginning.
I’m knocking one star off for the wine temperature, but otherwise it was a flawless experience. Order your wine early and possibly even make them let it stand before decanting. The wine tasted like it was at 60-​ish, far too cold for consumption.
One amusing anecdote:
While I was waiting at the bar for the rest of my party to arrive, an older gentleman (I’d say mid-70’s) sitting in the bar with a much younger, very attractive woman (I’d say mid-30’s), ordered a stiff drink for her with the comment, «Anything I can do to advance the evening.» You go grandpa. More power to that guy, but I digress…

Good food, no question. I had lobster with a beet pasta, which was very fun, however the pork appetizer I had was a little oily, which surprised me a lot. The service was horrific. And given the price of the food, I can’t help docking a star for that. There was certainly no lack of people working in the dining room, but for some reason we didn’t get a wine list until we asked three times, the servers were confused by which person (there were 4) ordered which dish, and at the end of the evening they took literally about 20 minutes to get us the check. To top it off, as I was waiting to get my credit card back, the waiter/​sommelier chided me for not ordering dessert even though it was evident we needed to leave! Jeez. I understand that the Michelin ratings for this year came out and Danube went from 2 stars to 1. Honestly, if my dinner was any indication of the direction the restaurant is going, I would try somewhere else.

WOW
I went for a tasting menu and I love the place. The atmosphere is so classy and the servers were attentive and helpful.
The food itself was so delicious, definitely one of the best meals I have ever tried!
WORTH EVERY PENNY HERE !!

This is probably the fanciest restaurant I’d ever been to. The service was so extraordinary it made me nervous. The portions are not large, but that is perfect for me. The sashimi quality bluefin was divine, it literally melted in my mouth. Since I’m not used to places this fancy, I don’t think I’ll be going back, but I definitely recommend it to someone who would like to indulge.

A beautiful dining experience that’s like stepping into a Klimt painting. The Austrian cuisine is exquisite. Try the Tasting Menu with the wine pairing and you’ll be in good hands. My favorite dishes include the Rabbit salad with foie gras, the butternut squash soup and the baby lamb chops. Opulence without being overdone.