L’Orangerie Restaurant

Exquisite meal. The Royal Menu for two took us slightly under three hours. Composed of: Amuse Bouche; Egg in the Shell with Tsar Nicoulai California Estate Osetra; Zucchini Flower with Basil, Tomatoes and Olive Oil with Lemon; Vegetables ‘Risotto’-Style with Black Truffle; Rock Lobster A La Plancha, Orange Chutney, Ginger and Lime Sauce; Wild John Dory Fillets in a Vegetable Emulsion Served with a Medley of Swiss Chard, Tomato and Lemon; Beaumes De Venise Sorbet; Grilled Loin of Prime Beef, Olive Oil Barnaise, Mushrooms and Potatoes; Assorted Cheeses from France; Pear and Caramel Delice; Raspberry Souffl with Sorbet; and Petits Fours. It was reasonable priced at $ 160.00 Per Person. The wine list was superb, but drinks by the glass were few and far between.
Highly recommended, sad to see go. My boyfriend and I loved this place. We call it our «gateway drug» to world of five diamond dining.

After reading others’ reviews, I’m quite saddened that I didn’t try their chocolate soufflé… and never will get to try it… =(
But regret is the only negative feeling I have (not trying soufflé + never being able to experience L’Orangerie again! EVER!)
It’s been 3 or 4 years since my visit (and devastated that they closed) but I can’t forget their foie gras. While I can’t remember what else I ate that night, I remember their service and presentation was impeccable. Servuce: Plates were quickly changed if they saw that we had shared some food and risked mixing flavors. Drinks filled before we knew it. Presentation: Simple, and elegant. Their gorgeous live flower arrangement that stands to the ceiling completes the atmosphere.
Though it’s on the pricy-​er end, I totally felt like every dollar was worth the experience. Everything is done just right. Or would’ve been done, if they were still open.

Came here once on a Valentines Day. I think my date wanted to impress me and ordered the full course meal. OMG, I was soooooo full. French food itself is very delicate. I was never so much into french food before I came here. Everything was so flavorful. I have to admit their chocolate soufflé was the best. Some other dessert was included in our meal so he had to upgrade, I guess. It’s the best soufflé ever! This is definetely the place to get proposed! So romantic!

OMG… the foie gras ravioli in a truffle broth… that dish is orgasmic! Roasted veal chop, grilled asparagus and artichokes, mushroom barbajian, rosemary jus… superb. Grilled prime beef tenderloin with potato macaire and green cabbage, wild mushrooms with parsley, bearnaise sauce… yumyummy! As you can tell, I got the names off the website — couldn’t possibly memorize them all. Hehe.
The place is über romantic and you can dine while being serenaded by the piano. Get a corner seat in the middle room… it feels more private.

quite possilbly the only restaurant i would dress up for.
everything was perfect. the only thing that was annoying is that they were too attentive. definitely not a bad negative.
highlight of the year: the chocolate soufflé at L’Orangerie.
i would go every night if i could just have that chocolate soufflé. it was an orgasm in my mouth and i would pay 25 dollars in a heartbeat just to experience it again.

Had a friend in from out of town, heard L’Orangerie was closing at the end of December, and figuring this would be the only opportunity to bring my friend, decided to go.
Okay, the room is beautiful, almost palatial, with the largest and most fragant floral arrangements I’ve ever seen.
The food is good, but certainly not the best I’ve ever had, and the prices are outrageous (minimum entrée price $ 42).
But what was totally unacceptable was the abysmal service. The pacing was like being in a fast food restaurant — it felt like we were eating at Denny’s. Were they hoping to turn that table again? We certainly felt like they were trying to hustle us out the door.
Then there was the cheese course. No trolley. No choice of cheeses. No little nuts or dried fruit. And no indication of what cheese we were about to eat. We asked the waiter to tell us what the cheeses were. He had no idea (could this have been his first day on the job?). He eventually came back with a list from the chef, and proceeded to laughably stumble his way through the French pronunciations.
And then there was the café miniardise — we were full and didn’t want to eat all of the complimentary little desserts. I asked to have them wrapped up to take them home. Normally I wouldn’t even have to ask, that would have been done as a matter of course. Normally they would have been put in a nice little box. What we got was a metal container, such as a chinese take out place would use. When we got home, all the little cakes had collided with each other, so it was all a mess and only fit for the garbage.
Add pretentious attitude and you get an evening that no one would want to remember. Certainly not sad they’re closing…

The service is remarkable and the décor is beautiful. The sommelier was very informed and very considerate when recommending wines of different price ranges. The food was extraordinary, but a bit rich for my pallet, the foie gras crème brûlée in particular. However, I ordered the tasting menu, and everything else on it was amazing.

The interior of this restaurant is gorgeous. My only gripe is that the tables are ridiculously close to each other. The seating is pretty awkward because the tables are packed so tight along a shared bench seat that the wait staff has to move them out for you to sit down. Actually, I have another gripe, which is that the restaurant isn’t open for lunch; it would be a lovely place in the daylight thanks to its ‘l’orangerie’ décor, perhaps even nicer than in the dark of dinner.
The food was quite good, don’t get me wrong. What kind of weirded me out though were the huge portions. I guess that seems like an odd thing to complain about, but American-​sized portions of very rich French food can be a bit overwhelming. The apple tart I had for dessert was at least six inches in diameter and came with a good pint of whipped cream. I had a foie gras duo to start with, since I wanted to try the crème brûlée style but also wanted the regular kind to keep it real. Both were delicious, but again, a bit too much for me. I was not particularly impressed by the turbot, however. The waiter claimed it was the most popular fish dish, but I found it to be rather unremarkable; it was just a lot of fish and sauce. Perhaps the large portion threw me off again. The wine was also extremely expensive, but hey, that’s a given in the world of fine dining.

With its French chateaux mural, luxurious banquettes and extravagant flower displays, L’Orangerie is one of few places in the city for a classic, romantic meal. Under the tutelage of owners Gerard and Virginie Ferry, reserved servers know how to pamper.
The haute cuisine menu offers traditional favorites and more modern selections. Among the best starters are the frothy egg in its shell crowned with sevruga caviar, and crispy rock lobster with basil and filo. Smoky bacon and parsely coulis add a delightful earthiness to wild turbot; authentic bouillabaisse powered by rich fish stock excels. Loved the dining experience there, A++! What a sense of romanticism and elegance!