Gabriel Kreuther New York

Visited in February 2025
Dinner
Rating: Two Michelin Macarons

Restaurant Gabriel Kreuther is one of the few high-profile restaurants in New York that doesn’t yet operate a chargeable tock or other reservation system where you have to pay the full menu price at the time of booking. What’s more, it’s open on Mondays and also allows reservations for individuals.
I originally wanted to go to Atera, but there was nothing available when the reservation window opened, so I could only put my name on a waiting list. Less than 24 hours before this dinner, a seat actually became available. Of course, it was too late to cancel the reservation at Gabriel Kreuther.
The restaurant was within easy walking distance of my hotel. I had a seat in the left-hand section of the restaurant, from where I could see the kitchen behind a large pane of glass. They offer a 3- or 4-course multiple-choice dinner menu and a longer chef’s tasting option. Three courses would have been enough for me tonight.
I had studied the long wine list in advance and opted for half a bottle of Chardonnay 2022 JJ Vincent “Marie Antoinette” Pouille-Fuissé.
Gabriel Kreuther, a native of Alsace who was not present that evening, has a long culinary history in New York, having previously worked at Jean-Georges and then at The Modern before opening his own restaurant in Bryant Park. He has also already published a beautiful, heavyweight cookbook.

It started with a warm, very fragrant Gugelhupf, which included miso and chives. It was served with a kind of quark cream, which I didn’t find very suitable with its acidity. The bread could also be enjoyed without a spread.

Five small snacks were served beforehand. I started with the glass, continuing counter- clockwise.
The glass contained a cold maple miso Combucha. This was fruity and tart, refreshing and therefore an ideal start.
A mushroom mole hushpuppy with pine nuts and meringue, flamed at the table, was quite sweet and dry.
Then I had the impeccable fresh oyster, which was quite bitter with its watercress and Mimolette condiments.
Between two Herbes de Provence crackers was classically seasoned beef tartare with dried egg yolk on top – very good.
Finally, there was a mint mochito praliné with white chocolate, which played with the contrast of acidity and fruit on the inside and sweetness on the outside.
The snacks were therefore quite ambivalent. I generally don’t like sweetness to start with.

The first course I chose was a signature dish from Gabriel Kreuther. The ingredient sauerkraut is certainly due to his Alsatian origins. The dish came to the table with a glass cloche, which released applewood smoke as soon as it was lifted. A three-layered larger crispy tart had the sturgeon in the middle, surrounded by mild sauerkraut and covered with a sabayon. On top, there was Imperial caviar and chives. The smoke was just an effect at the beginning, smoke flavors were not present in the dish. The textures were entertaining and the temperatures were just right. It tasted very, very good and I would want to eat it again.

The main course was supposed to follow, but the kitchen sent another intermediate course as a compliment, namely scallops. A bigger scallop had been grilled and then sliced and rested on a bed of beets. It was surrounded by a shellfish horseradish foam. A sauce with salmon roe and chives was served at the table. This worked well in combination. The scallop itself and especially the end pieces were quite firm, but not unpleasantly so.

The main course was served with a different type of bread, namely sourdough bread with good butter. The duck breast had been dry-aged for two weeks, roasted and smoked with hay. The quality of the breast was perfect and the preparation, which resulted in crispy skin and tender meat, was also faultless. A breaded praline was prepared from the confit leg meat. The main garnish was a stick of salsify alongside chicory and physalis slices. Celery and aji pepper puree and a hazelnut duck jus added to the enjoyment. I really liked this main course.

The dessert looked quite spectacular. Keen readers of my blog already know that I love this kind of thing. Here, a blown sugar sphere was enthroned on a granité of the same color. The base of the sphere was a milk chocolate brownie with pieces of banana in the sphere surrounded by a slightly spicy passion fruit cream. It tasted very good.

Clockwise from bottom right:
Cream cheese bergamot kumquat confit tart was quite acidic.
Tiramisu and chocolate ganache pralinés – good
Cheesecake and cheesecake/coffee macarons. The last one more exciting in taste. Both could have been a little crispier. Again, they had obviously not been stored optimally.

Conclusion
Classic French cuisine with a few modern twists is served here. It reminds me a little of the cooking style at Daniel. The products are perfect, the preparations are sometimes elaborate but always impeccable, and the combinations are perfect. The influence of the chef’s origins is palpable. The important thing: the plates didn’t just look good. With a few exceptions, everything tasted good. The service was attentive and professional, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very pleasant.

Website of the restaurant: Gabriel Kreuther Restaurant