American chef known for his successful restaurants in both Paris (La Bourse et La Vie) and New York (Le Coucou).
Insights
FrenchLocal ModernSteakhouseSeafoodFine diningDinnerLunchFine DiningCocktail Bar
Last updated: 6/29/2026, 7:52:28 PM
Key Information
Le Coucou offers refined French cuisine in an elegant setting, a collaboration between Chef Daniel Rose and restaurateur Stephen Starr. It features an open kitchen concept, providing an intimate and intentional dining experience in Manhattan.
Customer Perception
Customers consistently praise Le Coucou for its delicious, outstanding, and elegantly prepared French dishes, often describing them as 'masterpieces' with bold flavors. Highlights include the foie gras, duck à l'orange, and crème brûlée. Service is frequently lauded as amazing, impeccable, and knowledgeable. While some find the seasoning on the heavier side, it's generally well-received, especially when paired with wine. The ambiance is described as beautiful and intimate, making it a popular choice for special occasions, though prices are on the higher side.
Additional Details
Le Coucou is a collaboration with renowned restaurateur Stephen Starr. The restaurant's interior is noted for its elegant, Roman-inspired design and an engaging open kitchen concept.
Without a doubt, this is my favourite restaurant in NYC.
What a wonderful experience from start to finish. This was the first time we’ve dined at a restaurant in NYC where we didn’t feel rushed. We were able to enjoy our conversation without constant interruptions, repeated check-ins, or any pressure to finish quickly. Every course was served at the perfect pace, and the staff never hurried to clear the table while we were still enjoying our meal.
Having spent time dining in France, this is exactly the kind of experience I always associate with great French restaurants—unhurried, relaxed, and centred around enjoying both the food and the company. It’s something I’ve been hoping to find in NYC, and this is the first restaurant that truly delivered that feeling.
The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the service was exceptional. I’m so happy I chose this restaurant to celebrate my birthday because everything was absolutely perfect.
A special thank you to Angelo, who was incredibly kind, warm, and attentive. He made us feel truly welcome, and his hospitality made an already wonderful evening even more memorable.
We visited Le Coucou for dinner. Getting a reservation was fairly easy — booking about a month ahead on the reservation platform was pretty relaxed, no real struggle.
The foie gras was very good — tender and springy, but not in a dense, creamy way. It had an almost pudding-like texture, which was unexpected and quite nice. The duck à l’orange was another highlight — a generous portion, and the orange paired really nicely with the duck. The beef was also well done, nicely tender. Service was fine, nothing to complain about. Prices are on the slightly expensive side.
The seasoning here is on the heavier side — some people find it too salty, but for us it was fine, and it actually paired really well with wine.
Overall a solid one-star French dinner. Worth a visit if you’re in the area.
5
Such a great restaurant for special occasions! We ordered prime steak and lamp chops, both were absolutely delicious! And omg, crème brûlée was 100/10!! Also, chef send us as a gift mini freshly baked Madeleine cookies, it was out the world! Our server was amazing, I forgot his name. The only thing we were ordered that was pretty ordinary is leeks with hazelnuts. Overall great experience!
5
The best birthday lunch a girl could ask for! The food was absolutely outstanding; fresh, unique, and delightful. The only thing that could possibly top it was the five star service by Ryan and his entire team — amazing recommendations for food and wine, impeccable service, and so many delightful surprises throughout to celebrate my birthday lunch to myself. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a one of a kind dining experimented in the city
1
Dear Le Coucou and future customers,
I’m writing to share my experience from today’s lunch, where my husband and I ordered the “A Very Coucou Lunch” ($150 per person) menu. Unfortunately, we left extremely disappointed — not only did the meal fall far short of expectations, but it was one of the most underwhelming dining experiences we’ve had at a restaurant of this caliber.
To begin with, I was genuinely shocked to find myself having to remove tendon from one of the dishes. At a Michelin-starred restaurant, this level of oversight is simply unacceptable and immediately set the tone for the rest of the meal.
Several courses were difficult to eat due to both texture and smell. On more than one occasion, the meat was so rubbery that I had to remove it from my mouth. I ultimately could not finish multiple dishes because they were unappetizing — something I have never experienced at a restaurant of this reputation.
The most disappointing dishes were:
- Beef tartare: While I typically enjoy caviar, what was served today had an unpleasant smell and tasted flat and off-putting.
- Canette à l’orange: The duckling was excessively rubbery to the point of being inedible. I could not finish it, and it significantly diminished the overall experience.
- “Crépinette” de volaille au foie gras: Again, I encountered tendon in the dish, and the texture was overly chewy. I left most of it uneaten.
- Filtered still water ($14): Even the water had an unpleasant odor, which was surprising and disappointing given the setting and price point for filtered still water.
While dessert was acceptable, it did little to make up for the rest of the meal. At this level, consistency and attention to detail should not fluctuate depending on the time of year.
(Michelin Star Season)
I would also like to explain why we did not raise these concerns during the meal. As each course arrived, we initially assumed the issues might be isolated and did not want to interrupt the flow of service or make premature judgments. However, as the problems continued across multiple dishes, the experience became increasingly disappointing. At that point, we felt uncomfortable repeatedly sending food back, especially in what is expected to be a refined dining environment. In hindsight, we regret not speaking up, but the cumulative nature of the issues made it difficult to address them in the moment without disrupting the entire experience.
Given the price point, this experience was deeply disappointing. There are many other restaurants in New York City that deliver far higher quality French cuisine with greater care and consistency.
Regrettably, I would not recommend Le Coucou based on this visit, and I do not plan to return.
Sincerely,
Hailey Kim
