The space has a remarkable history: Restaurateur Drew Nieporent opened Montrachet there back when Tribeca was a wasteland, and it was followed by the esteemed Corton. The pedigree of those involved with the current iteration demands attention, too: partner John Winterman, who had been at Daniel, and chef Markus Glocker, most recently of Gordon Ramsay at the London. This is fine dining with European cuisine; what edge there is comes from the lack of tablecloths and amuse-bouches, the black crockery, the retrograde Jim Beam rye and conventional maraschino cherry in the signature Old Dirty Bâtard cocktail. The restaurant succeeds as comfortable upscale dining par excellence. You’re taken care of marvelously but not stiffly, and the room is the same windowless cocoon it has always been, even if that felt like more of a relief in the 1990s, when these streets could still qualify as mean. (The decor is the weak link, trading Corton’s subtlety for the atmosphere of a Tribeca screening room.) The menu is offered in two, three, or four courses, and refreshingly, you may choose two appetizers instead of dessert. The ingredients overall are straightforward, and the food is delicious—less complex and tweezer-y than at Corton, but also less uptight and easier to relax and enjoy. And the milk bread, crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, is astounding.

 

Recent mentions on Tribeca Citizen

10/16/23  Sneak Peek 2: Eulalie
9/01/23  Sneak Peek: Eulalie
8/14/23  Eulalie is getting closer to opening
5/20/23  Drew Nieporent serves his last meal at 239 West Broadway
5/09/23  In the News: Bâtard will close May 20