Upper East Side | Vaucluse – French Restaurant

NYC is known for its diverse cuisines, so it's a no brainer to have restaurant week semiannually – once in winter and the once in the summer (though I wished they had one each season 😛). What's great about it is that you can try five star restaurants at an affordable price. This year, it's $29 for lunch and $42 for dinner. It's held in 41 different neighborhoods throughout the city for two weeks.

Since my best friend and I planned to visit the MET for it's Unpacking Fashion exhibit (post coming soon, I promise!) we decided to pick something uptown. We both love French food, so we went with the stylish Vaucluse. It's elegant and white-toned, with simple but lovely decors. Ok ok, we also made sure the food looked appealing as well.

 
They started the meal with some fresh bread and butter. We both ordered the calamars farcis for the appetizer. It was composed of squid filled with lobster and rice over tomato concasse mixed with thyme oil, topped with a fried basil leaf, one of my favorite spices. The tomato concasse tasted so fresh! The squid was chewy and flavourful thanks to the combination of lobster in rice coated in thyme oil.

For the entree, I chose the beef cutlet over fingerling salad, paired with grain mustard and lemon. The tender meat was marinated in the same sauce as the fingerling salad – which I don't normally enjoy, but theirs was delicious – so that it was saturated in flavor. Each bite was savory and delectable. The grain mustard and lemon reminded me of mashed potatoes and was appetizing.

 
My friend picked the medallions of monkfish, riz pilaf topped with tarragon lobster créme. It looked equally scrumptious. However, I think I made the right choice because I'm still thinking about it.

As for dessert, you have a choice between petit gatealux which is pistachio atop citrus sorbet, or the chocolate tart. I am a huge chocolate lover so I chose the latter, consisting of illanka mousse with chocolate sable and caramel ice cream on top. I love chocolate sable cookies as well as mousse, so this was an amazing dessert option for me! The sable added a crunchy texture to the smooth mousse and ice cream.

Vaucluse interior was a very clean and had an elevated look. The dining area we were seated at had beige sofas and cushioned chairs, mirroring the light wooden walls and striped wooden floors. The other side of the restaurant also had a neutral color theme, but with dark cushioned chairs and gold detailing, making it look really expensive. With plenty of lights and large windows, it made the space appear even bigger. A really lovely atmosphere to enjoy the food or even a cup of coffee at. The service was great, they were really attentive and nice.