Le Bernardin vs. L20

I wish I was posting a side by side comparison of the two restaurants but unfortunately I have yet to go to either. I am a huge seafood fan and was just curious to get some feedback from those who have been to both how they compare- food, value, price, overall experience, etc.

Superficially, there is a lot in common with both. For both, the rooms are modern in style and a bit minimalist. I think the room at L20 looks a bit more inviting than the room at Le Bernardin, but not by a lot.

Service is excellent at both, but fewer missteps at Le Bernardin.

In the food department, there's simply no comparison. Le Bernardin is worthy of its three Michelin stars, and NYT four stars. For L20, I've been 3 times now, and have always left with an uneven experience. I don't think you'll find that with Le Bernardin.

Though Laurent Gras is talented, he's nowhere in the same league as Eric Ripert.

Maybe we didn't order right, but we were not blown away by the food at Bernardin. The seafood was very fresh and high quality, but on some level the preparation was so simple, that we just didn't understand what all the fuss was about. We left feeling like it just wasn't a very memorable meal, and at that price point, that's just not good enough. Headed to L20 in December, so we can compare better then.

Eric Ripert thinks L2O deserves 3 Michelin stars.

Add me to the list of un-wowed by Le Bernardin. It was a very good meal but not to the point of making me want a return visit. On the other hand, I've been to 10 Arts in Philadelphia a couple of times and really enjoyed it. Maybe I'm just not a Michelin man.

Louisa Chu wrote:Eric Ripert thinks L2O deserves 3 Michelin stars.

Wow! Was this something you heard through the grapevine (or directly), or was this in an interview somewhere? I'd love to see the interview if it was a published piece.

Dmnkly wrote:

Louisa Chu wrote:Eric Ripert thinks L2O deserves 3 Michelin stars.

Wow! Was this something you heard through the grapevine (or directly), or was this in an interview somewhere? I'd love to see the interview if it was a published piece.

I thought he said it on the Chicago episode of No Reservations when they ate at L2O. Bourdain said the same thing when we saw him at Burt's that weekend.

Dmnkly wrote:

Louisa Chu wrote:Eric Ripert thinks L2O deserves 3 Michelin stars.

Wow! Was this something you heard through the grapevine (or directly), or was this in an interview somewhere? I'd love to see the interview if it was a published piece.

On the Chicago episode of No Reservations Louisa, Tony Bourdain, and Eric Ripert dined at L2O. I'm guessing that's where she heard it

I've been to both within the past couple of years. I thought Le Bernardin was superb in every way, from the spectacular food to the flawless service, easily one of the best meals I had all year. I was unimpressed with L2O; the food was decent but not amazing the way you would expect from a high-bucks restaurant, and the service (particularly the wine service) was not highly polished.

I haven't been to Le Bernardin in several years but I've been to L2O a few times since they opened. I like them both (and haven't had service issues at either one), but they are pretty different when you get down to the details and styles. Most fundamentally, IIRC, Le Bernardin is heavily French influenced while L2O is a bit more "molecular" and shows off more Asian influences.

I like the room at L2O better. I can't remember who it was, but someone once compared the room at Le Bernardin to an international lounge at an airport and I can't say that I disagree (not that the room took away from my enjoyment at all).

In terms of price, I can't recall how much Le Bernardin is but at L2O you can figure on about $200 per person (all in) if you do the 4 course and are drinking wine.

Question to the OP: Why are you looking for a comparison? Are you trying to decide which one to fly to for dinner?

Question to the OP: Why are you looking for a comparison? Are you trying to decide which one to fly to for dinner? [/quote]


I'm just curious because I am planning to go to L20 sometime in the next couple months and have a trip to NY planned in January so was curious if I had to chose (maybe i'll be able to do both) which one would be the better choice. Thanks
Also, i'm sure I could find the information but what are the price comparisons if anyone knows off hand. Roughly $200/per for L20 but what is Le Bernardin and what options are you give?

http://www.le-bernardin.com/

They have menus with prices and everything.

jesteinf wrote:I like the room at L2O better. I can't remember who it was, but someone once compared the room at Le Bernardin to an international lounge at an airport and I can't say that I disagree (not that the room took away from my enjoyment at all).

The decor at Le Bernardin is contemporary, in a way that is understated or "classic" (if that word can be used to refer to something contemporary). You will never notice much about the decor; it's pleasant, and elegant, but doesn't hit you over the head, aside from the fact that you're walking in from a very busy street/sidewalk just outside to the serenity of the restaurant, with the sidewalk still visible behind the sheer curtains, IIRC.

L2O is much more trendy and striking, where the interior designer(s) went to town with eye-catching dividers and partitions and wall coverings and, well, everything. When you walk into L2O for the first time, your immediate reaction is "Wow!". There's no wow factor at Le Bernardin, until the food starts showing up. At L2O, I wish the food had more wow to it, and would have gladly traded some of the wow from the decor.

I have been to Le Bernardin twice. The first time (early in Chef Ripert's tenure), the food and the experience was just divine. One of the best meals of my life. I returned in 2005 (at a time when Ripert was opening a new and eventually unsuccessful restaurant and an evening when he was not in the kitchen) and the meal was a train wreck. This is not to say that their were not great dishes, there were several magnificent creations (I have posted on that meal), but it was the only time that I have ever returned two things to the kitchen (a fish dish and the bread) - I almost never do this, and never at a four-star restaurant. The bread was served cold and stale; it was returned quickly to the table warm and stale. When I posted on my experience, a number of people wrote commenting on the inconsistency of Le Bernardin. I still attribute the meal to the fact that Ripert was too busy thinking about other projects, but the kitchen should have served him better.

Still, if I was choosing, I would select Le Bernardin and roll the dice.