the bee

The tasting menu at the bar was an excellent experience. Every dish felt familiar yet packed with twists and a beautiful presentation. The way the chef plays with textures and flavors kept every bite interesting. The eggplant dish was fun to eat, with many ways to combine the individual parts. I won't spoil the fun of discovering it. The only disappointment was the eel, which I actually ordered on the side since I'm a big fan, but it felt flatter compared to everything else. The service was good and the space was very airy. I went early so there were very few people at the tables.

I had a wonderful birthday dinner last Friday evening. The presentation of the dishes was exquisite, and the majority of the food was fresh and flavorful. The only slight drawback was the 90-minute time limit, which I was unaware of beforehand. We were just savoring the last bite of our dessert when we were informed of the time constraint. Additionally, a few of the dishes were a bit too salty for our taste, so we were unable to finish them. Despite these minor issues, the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive.

Exceptional food, the best black cod and duck ever and a fascinating cold eggplant dish. The incredibly good French bread with Normandy butter was a special treat. Special shout out to the service which was so perfect, it was the best service I may have ever received at a restaurant. I won’t go into the added touches but having eaten at hundreds of high end restaurants it’s difficult but a new highest standard was accomplished here, including service touches I’d never seen before. I was at the bar which was nice, the tables below seemed a little cramped but come here for the food.

Very enjoyable meal, interesting combination of Japanese and French cooking - service gets a particularly strong shout out here as it’s very attentive and friendly from reception to waiter. Got the wine pairing (nice variety, interesting selections and a knowledgeable somm) and ordered the optional courses - all very delicious - the cooking was very strong throughout but I’m not sure I can identify a true standout moment that’s been emblematic of all my best dining experiences. The lingering memory from this one may be the bill - it ran over $1,600 for two. The ‘optional courses’ (and a glass of champagne each) are entirely to blame here, the menu + pairing is $225 + $165 per person. The rest is optional courses… which (perhaps the wines fault) was difficult to math, even now I’ve sobered up a week later. At that price it puts it in a bracket where it’s competing with the very best meals of my life in true destination restaurants - places where the very air is infused with anticipation and excellence - don’t get me wrong the cooking’s extremely good, I enjoyed the meal, it absolutely deserves a Michelin star, perhaps two. I initially wanted to give l’abeille 4*s because of the silly bill - but it feels unfair to punish an extremely capable restaurant & it’s excellent team for simply existing in the nonsensically priced world of fine dining in 2023 NYC. 5*s from me.

Went to l’abeille for a celebration and it’s a very romantic place to celebrate something special with your significant other. We chose the a la carte instead of the tasting, which makes us have to sit by the bar. My only complaint is that a la carte has to be at the bar with high chair. It was a bit uncomfortable, especially if you are wearing a skirt it can be quite a hassle. We ordered 3 places plus a dessert for 2 people and honestly it got better as we ate. I would personally consider the restaurant more of a French/Japanese. It was much more french than Japanese. The first dish, Langoustine, was not my favorite. I found it too sweet with the strawberry sauce, which took the langoustine’s taste away. Also the strawberry taste to it came off a bit artificial strawberry and not very natural. Then we had the Mackerel which was quite good with all the flavors especially with the caramelized sweet onion, delicious. I would only suggest the skin to be crispier. And then the duck. It was just absolutely stunning. It was so tasty and flavorful, I loved it to a whole new level. Nothing to change, it was that good. Then as for dessert we order the Truffle ice cream, and as it is written is basically just Ice cream with Truffle. Good but nothing special. The staff were super nice but not very interactive but I personally prefer that. Overall, it was a great one time fancy meal, especially because I wanted to add another michelin star restaurant to my list. I would only go back if they suddenly have a drastic change or something super special.

My wife and have been to several M star restaurants in different parts of the world including several Roubochon restaurants and Ducasse and I was truly disappointed at the tasting menu. We had much better Pigeons at a fraction of the cost. The Tuna tartar with tasting caviar was good I may say yet the tuna was something that one can get at any Japanese spot. The highest standard was a plate of Tagliagili that can be made at home and truthfully if you place white Truffles over anything it taste exquisitely delicious yet for an excessive $95.00 once again exhuberant NY prices that demonstrates once again that this City is well overpriced vs. Quality reward. It is not a surprise that nowadays you have several reservations spots opened. Never again L' Abeille...