Brasserie Cognac Midtown East

Bitter experience. Came here for the $25 weekend brunch pre fixe. Comes with a choice of coffee, juice or tea, pastry or fruit cup, one main dish. Pastry and fruit cup were par but coffee was bitter with no aroma. The main dish was very disappointing- as you can see from the picture the side potatoes and greens looked like it was non existent. Very sad presentation. Very hard to cut through the English muffin (needed a steak knife!) and the eggs were hard boiled at best… on top of that they added automatic 20% gratuity when we were jut a party of 2. Won’t be coming back

I’ve honestly never had chicken and waffles this bad. They served a chicken thigh and drumstick on top of the waffle, and the chicken was extremely dry, and had an unpleasant smell. I was genuinely surprised at how poorly it was prepared, especially for a place at this price point. I’d passed by this restaurant many times and always thought it looked vibey and promising, but unfortunately this was a big disappointment and will be my first and last visit. The salmon eggs Benedict was also underwhelming.

Went for a quick breakfast and enjoyed it. The bagel and lox were great and my friend got the omelette which was good as well. Atmosphere is as expected. $50ish for 2 people (no drinks).

Amazing every time! Dinner, drinks, dessert, everything is phenomenal. I'm here once a year with visiting family and it's our favorite spot to catch up and dig in to some great eats. The pizzas are very creative and the meat/seafood options are all cooked to perfection. There are vegetarian options and fantastic dessert choices. See you next year, Brasserie Cognac!

We had an unforgettable dining experience, thanks in large part to the exceptional care of Edgar, our delightful and attentive server. From the moment we sat down, he guided us with enthusiasm and genuine passion for the menu. When I asked about his personal favorite, Edgar lit up and recommended the Miso-glazed cod over farro—and what a recommendation it was. The cod was melt-in-your-mouth perfection, while the nutty farro provided the ideal textural balance. Every bite was a pure harmony of flavor and finesse. But it wasn’t just the food—it was Edgar himself who elevated the evening. His thoughtfulness, charm, and impeccable taste transformed the meal into a true experience. I was so impressed, I returned three times in a single week—something I almost never do, even as a New Yorker spoiled for choice in restaurants. Thank you, Edgar, for making every visit a palate sensation. You’ve set the bar impossibly high.

Great onion soup! Stopped for a quiick snack while enjoying the xmas sights. The 3 of us had the soup and shared an order of fries. Was a comfortable environment

A great dinner find in Midtown East. The Cognac Brasserie on East 48th St has a definite French vibe. And the food was great. We enjoyed the two fish dishes, Miso Glazed Cod and Halibut. Their sides (cod was paired with organic black rice and the halibut with mushroom risotto) made the fish dishes nicely substantial. And the pork chop with apples and potatoes was also delicious. We shared the house specialty, a chocolate cake with chocolate and raspberry mouse and almond jaconde sponge. The cake was light and made for the perfect finish to our meal. The staff was friendly and attentive. We look forward to visiting their other two locations on Central Park South and Upper East Side.

The restaurant has a lovely aesthetic as did the food so I was very excited to 'dig in'...until I wasn't. I ordered the "FRENCH DIP SANDWICH: Roast beef, horseradish sour cream, onion confit & chopped arugula, served on sourdough bread and a side of Bordelaise sauce". Again, the presentation was quite lovely but the taste...bland. Horseradish sour cream? If you say so. None of that horsey kick that you would expect. My favourite bread, sourdough, was extremely oily except for the bottom piece which was soggy and falling apart due to presentation (stacking the halves caused sweating on the bottom layer). The roast beef had no flavour and was loaded on one side and falling out with the arugula all bunched together. The Bordelaise had the consistency of a thick gravy but had no real flavour other than salty. The shoestring fries were okay although 85% of the fries were no longer than 2 cms; not great for dipping into ketchup or mayo. My partner had the same issue with his fries and was equally disappointed with his "CLUB SANDWICH: Smoked turkey, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato & cocktail mayo". His biggest issue was the quality of the meat on his sandwich. He equated the smoked turkey to lunch meat that you buy in a grocery store which was unacceptable to him at a price of $24. He did not taste any bacon either because there was none or the avocado overpowered it. As world travellers that love exploring various cuisines at all price points this experience is not one will we be repeating.

The restaurant itself was nice. Service was okay tho. The waiters were constantly staring down over our shoulders during the entire time, like they were trying to rush us. It was very passive aggressive and we did not appreciate that. And the restaurant was fairly empty too considering it was a Monday at like 5pm. They had no need to make us feel rushed and like we needed to get out. My party and I were catching up and talking a lot and taking our time with eating, but literally ALL the waiters kept lurking around our table and then even began standing next to our stable just STARING at us too! It was like they were telling us to hurry tf up. It was very rude and unpleasant. We don't need no peeping Tom's. Please give us some personal space. Food was all fine. Favorites were definitely the escargots and the goat cheese & tomato tart! Everything else was pretty standard food - nothing special or crazy good/bad.

Quick stop for breakfast- they were open fairly early. French breakfast options. However, I had avocado toast! It was really good- had jalapeño cream cheese! Lots of coffee options- and fresh squeezed juices. Clean and trendy inside. Bathrooms are in attached hotel.

Stopped in here for lunch, the Cognac Waygu burger was so-so. Taking fine meat and making into a ground burger is just a fatty burger... pass. Overcooked at medium well. Calamari and flatbread with goat cheese were ok. Service was limited, busy at lunch. Tables were tight and small, but the restaurant was busy.

I came in here to have a quick business meeting early evening. We sat by the bar and we just had two drinks. The place inside is nice and reminded me of the old good NY bars. We met Dino at the bar who was great! Very attentive, knowledgeable and social. We didn't try the food so I cannot express my opinion about this. Also hostesses need to be a little more smiley.

Cognac Brasserie in Midtown is a fantastic spot for breakfast, and our experience there was nothing short of delightful. From the moment we walked in, the hostess greeted us warmly and seated us immediately. The waitstaff were incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed. Starting our morning with their excellent coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice was a great choice. We would highly recommend the Eggs Benedict and Croque Madame! Both dishes were prepared to perfection, with just the right balance of flavors. A very cozy atmosphere for breakfast!

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. Service is ver attentive, everyone was nice, and there was a bread basket. There is a full bar with bar seating, but I opted for a window table. Food is delicious. I ordered the pork chops, asked for mashed potatoes instead of regular potatoes. Also came with cooked apples. Would definitely order this again. Also got Brussels sprouts. They were okay. This place gives a nice neighborhood vibe. A small group was nearby celebrating a birthday and the waiters and staff went over and sang happy birthday when the dessert was brought out. Definitely recommend. Especially if you're staying at the hotel attached.

04/07/23 : Dropped in last minute for a quick drink after dinner. Cute atmosphere and decor. Staff attentive and friendly. Drinks definitely spirit forward. Nice place for a quick drink.

I'm sad this place took over Lexington Brass. It used to be so much better. I came here for a business breakfast. Place was dead for a Thursday morning (usually was pretty packed at all times). The decor was pretty much the same as it used to be at Lexington Brass with a little more French flair. Wait staff was quiet and assumed everyone knew what they wanted to order the moment we sat down. Everything was pretty bad to mediocre. Wouldn't come back here (I inevitably will though given its proximity to a lot of things). Ordered the following: Fresh OJ - pretty good, but the orange seeds were in the glass Espresso - solid Iced coffee - bad Iced latte - bad Hangover sandwich - ok at best. Fries on the side were decent Avocado toast - pretty good. Fresh. Can add an egg for $3 Herb Omelette - roasted potatoes were good as were the greens. Eggs were a little dry and there were no herbs in/on it. It was just filled with Swiss cheese Pastry basket - grocery store croissants that were pretty dry

Exceptional service and delicious food at this lovely restaurant. Locals and tourists a like.

The food was not as good as I was expecting it to be. The menu does not match the cuisine. It is supposed to be French, yet my burger had guacamole. My burger also tasted similar to something from Chili's. The service was also weird. It felt a little like our servers were focusing too much on the table. I would not recommend coming here for dinner. There are much better restaurants.

It's just ok. Overpriced for the ambiance and food quality. Service is fine but nothing stood out. We came here twice during a weeklong visit to NYC staying in the attached hotel (48LEX). Both times we were seated at wobbly tables nearly spilling our drinks a couple times. The first visit I got the steak frites. It was cooked to temp but overpriced. Nothing noteworthy on the flavor, sear, etc. second visit I got the fried chicken sandwich. Also just ok and overpriced even for NYC. I would not make a special trip here. Don't think I'd return even if I was staying again at the hotel. There's just too many other much better choices a short walk away.

Milco and Miriam were amazing!! Would definitely be back, they made the experience amazing. Experts on the menu & the city, they had some great recommendations. Super detail oriented and thorough!! I came three days in a row just for the cocktails. Best strawberry basil martinis ever

I was hopeful this would be a great experience but was disappointed. When the food arrived, parts of it were cold. The bread was average which was surprising for NYC. The best thing I can say is that the decor is attractive and cozy and the wine list is the reason to go.

this restaurant seriously needs to fire their general manager because you have an employee that doesn't know how to run a restaurant. Not only did the restaurant mess up on my order, they also blamed me for their wrongdoings and let me explain how. I came in today on 12/31/23 to get my complimentary breakfast cos I'm staying at 48lex (to go order). I ordered a waffle for myself and an omelette for my bf...shouldn't be hard right....WRONG when I got back to my room I realized my waffle didn't come with potatoes like the menu said it did. I also looked at the omelette and was like "wow that's a tiny ass portion for my 6'1 bf. Good thing I got the waffle" my bf was still sleeping so I started eating my waffles first. When I finished my waffles, I went to take a look at the omelette and was genuinely confused because I remembered asking for avocado. I took a bite of the omelette.... "huh where are the stuffing" I WAS SO CONFUSED so ofc I attempted to take another bite, nothing. BRUH I GOT SCRAMBLED EGGS YALL??!!! so I called front desk and told the receptionist my situation. She did ask if I ate the food and I told her yes I took a few bites of my so called omelette because I'm not sure if I got an omelette or scrambled eggs and technically the only way I can tell is by trying it out. Anyways she called back and told me to bring the food back down for an exchange and holy fuck here comes the crazy part. I explained to the general manager what happened and that l realized it wasn't an omelette but a scrambled egg since there's no filling in the eggs. GUESS WHAT THIS MF SAID TO ME. HE SAID "it's already partially eaten, why didn't you bring it down when you realized the order was wrong" and I'm like ????????? Because a normal persons reaction would be to assume they got the order they asked for so naturally they would taste test it and that is how I found out it's not an omelette???! And he continued to tell me that I ate SOOOO much of the food already. Aka he can't remake my original order. first of all sir, the portion was really small to begin with. I took like 2 bites at most 3 before I realized thay my order was wrong. I honestly wasn't even gonna say anything if it's just the avocado that was missing since I didn't want to create a hassle. But honestly so many things went wrong with my order that I had every right to say something. The general manager just kept arguing with me by saying he works here so he knows what a normal portion looks like and that I definitely ate enough for them to not replace my order. Like bruh I just finished a whole ass waffle you think I care about getting a free meal? No im full af and annoyed why i even need to defend myself on this. It's honestly such a waste of my time arguing with him because he made 0 sense. OKAY so by now they fucked up my order, gave me scrambled eggs instead of the avocado omelette that I asked for, ACCUSED me of eating most of the food, basically ACCUSING me that I want a free meal. I'm extremely frustrated at this general manager by this point and I will admit my tone was definitely not very nice. But holy this manager purposely got me upset then USED It against me by saying he can't help me cos of my attitude? Sir, you NEVER even wanted to help me. How dare you to say anything about my attitude when your intention from the start was to push off blame. I don't expect a free meal. What I did expect was an apology that you guys messed up and then to just remake the meal that I originally asked for. However, I did not experience even the bare minimum at this restaurant, instead I felt accused, wronged, degraded, and humiliated by the general manager.

Came for solo dinner on spur of the moment after a nearby doctor appointment. Was able to get a table with no wait. Got the steak frites (medium rare), my fave at this restaurant. Also got the soup special of the day: asparagus, broccoli and feta. It was so tasty! Service was good and staff were very attentive but didn't make me feel rushed to free up the table. Had a glass of merlot and a glass of cabernet sauvignon. Liked the cab better.

This recently (post COVID) was changed to Brasserie Cognac from Lexington Brass (which I really enjoyed). I had relatively high expectations since the layout was the same as Lexington Brass and the concept seemed similar - but I ended up being disappointed. **Note I came for Lunch ** Atmosphere (4/5) - The layout of the restaurant is nice, with a nice bar and a quaint feel. I came for lunch mid-week and it was a little empty when we first arrived, but it filled up nicely as our meal progressed. It wasn't too loud and I enjoyed the ambiance. Service (4.5/5) - Service was very good. The waitress was helpful and the total meal took about an 1.25 hours, which was what I was hoping for as it was a business lunch. Food: Cheese Puffs (3/5) - I was excited about these but they were not as warm as I hoped. Overall they were fine but not anything special. Burger (3/5) - maybe I shouldn't have order a burger at a bistro. The burger was not bad, it just wasn't memorable. The quality was fine, and the taste was fine but it didn't stand out as exceptional. Salmon Burger (3/5) - One of my colleagues ordered this and the review was pretty much the exact same as my burger, fine but not memorable. I will probably try one more time as I enjoy the atmosphere and I really enjoyed the previous iteration of the restaurant (plus the location is very convenient for me). Hopefully it improves.

This is my 4th time coming to this location. Twice for brunch and twice for dinner. I obsess over their croque Madame!!! It has a hint of truffle and it's unbelievable. We've tried the tartars, oysters, goat cheese tart, cheese soufflé for apps and have had the tuna salad, burger and beef bouillon for dinner. I tried a chocolate soufflé for the first time here! It came with a side of condensed milk to pour into the soufflé and I was sold!! I'm always craving this place. Highly recommend! I want to come back and try their bar menu after work soon!

Burger was well done and burnt to a crisp when it was served. The alcohol was inconsistent as they changed bartenders during the 5 hour brunch party we attended. Service was good but the food is terrible ! I would not recommend this spot at all. What a shame and they're inside a hotel.

Fantastic food, highly recommend chateaubriant steak, chef puffs and cheese fondue, scallops are very nice

The food was too mediocre. The prices are disproportionate to the expectations from the menu. Some guests looked disappointed.

Loved this place! We stayed at the intercontinental hotel down the street and loved the location and the food and the service. The cheese puffs were awesome. The steak tartar was beautiful. We went for dessert one night and it was divine!

The host is very disrespectful when she answered the phone by picking up the phone and having a personal conversation and also basically saying I'm so tired of fucking repeating myself these N-word need to fucking listen when I had told the hostess on my second call that the phone call hung up. She said she put me on hold. That was not the case the phone completely died the line. I also told her that I overheard her conversation in the previous call before that call and she got very angry and loud and started basically telling us that she was not going to serve us, when I went down to the hotel hostess downstairs at the hotel that I'm staying over the top of your restaurant, she told the hostess of the front desk hotel manager that she was not going to serve us and she had every right to not service because she was in the wrong I find this very disrespectful, and that is not a way to speak over the phone when you representing a business and giving it a bad reputation. It is not the business is fault that she acted this way, but it is their fault that they put a woman on the phone that speaks in that nasty language and has the audacity to blame others because she spoke like that and refused refused them service to eat, and not giving us a managers name or any information to contact the manager

Good food and excellent hospitality. I made a mistake and ordered food from their uptown location (intending to order to the 48th street location). The staff took care of it and prepared my order quickly at 48th. This type of attentiveness makes a difference.

Service and waitress were great. Hostess not so. Was asked to vacate the table exactly after an hour and half because they needed the table for another reservation--pretty ridiculous and won't be going back.

One of the best French restaurants in NYC, my favorite spot for mussels, tuna tartar , make sure you order the tuna pizza (might be not the exact name, forgot how they called it on the menu)

Food was delicious!!! Nice atmosphere, but service sucked!! Put in back room & totally ignored.