NYC: Bar Breton

It was a Thursday night when we went to Bar Breton.  The chef, Cyril Renaud, previously opened a restaurant called Fleur de Sel which received a star from Michelin three years in a row.  When he closed Fleur de Sel in 2008/2009, he opened up Bar Breton, a brasserie style restaurant.  With such a stellar resume and reviews, why was I so disappointed?  Maybe the word disappointed is a bit too strong.  I had pretty high hopes, and it's not that the food was bad, it just wasn't amazing.

I ordered the Cauliflower Gratin to start - good, but nothing really special.  In fact, it didn't have much flavor.  For my entree, I had my eye on the Salmon with Lentils, but once I heard the special, I ordered the Black Sea Bass.

Ethan ordered the House Smoked Salmon with horseradish creme, shallots, chives, and radish.  It was quite good and the flavors really complimented each other.  The only downside was the portion--more along the lines of an appetizer rather than an entree...I noticed Ethan eating slower than he normally does just to keep pace with the rest of us.

For dessert, we shared the Nutella Galette.  It was good, but the Chocolate Mousse ordered by our friends is better if you are in the mood for something more rich and chocolaty.  Since I didn't order a savory galette (they're known for their galettes), I thought we should get one for dessert.

Nutella Galette

One thing I was quite impressed with was the selection of gluten free dishes which was a majority of the items on the menu.  I think I would like to try the brunch menu sometime.

Bar Breton
254 5th Avenue (map)
New York, NY 10001-6406
(212) 213-4999