Daniel

Daniel has had a very high rating on The Infatuation for a very long time. It was one of the first true “fine dining” restaurants we went to as people with an opinion that anyone cared about, and to be fair, “anyone” was pretty much our parents and a handful of people in the East Village at the time.

It’s also important to know that our first visit was sometime in 2010, right in the heat of social media impacting the dining scene, and the restaurants people were talking about tended to be causal, communal, and adventurous. Many of them were even popping up a new part of town called “Brooklyn.” So we initially went in to Daniel somewhat expecting to be disappointed by a restaurant that was too expensive, too French, and likely past its prime.

We were wrong.

photo credit: Noah Devereaux

It turns out that our meal at Daniel was absolutely incredible. It lived up to all expectations and even exceeded some. To start, the service was perfect. Never once did we get the French guy stink eye - only friendly and attentive stewardship from people who know what you want better than you do. The food is classic, with little deviation from standard French practice, but it’s also inventive and insanely satisfying. We ate a lot, and not one thing let us down. What surprised us though, was how lively the restaurant was on a Saturday evening. Considering that this place is situated in the epicenter of old money New York City, we expected to see nothing but cranky old ladies wearing fur and treating the bus boys like personal property. Instead, we found lots of young couples and people from out of town who were crossing this place off their bucket list. It’s a nice environment, especially if you eat in the salon area that’s a bit more informal and upbeat.

Ultimately, Daniel is one of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had, and we’re glad to be saying that. And while this definitely doesn’t change the way we feel about the other places of his that we’re less fond of, it does add a little bit of context, and help us understand why people are still giving this guy money. If someone hit me up right after this meal to invest in a “downtown gastropub modeled after CBGB’s” I probably would have done it.

Good thing I’ve got all my money tied up in this little gold mine of a website instead. Who wants to buy some banner ads?

The menu at Daniel changes regularly, but take a look at the photos in the Food Rundown to get a sense of what’s on offer.

Food Rundown