Le Jardinier
Restaurant · Design District ·
Michelin-starred French spot for vegetable-focused dishes
Michelin-starred French spot for vegetable-focused dishes
"This French spot in the Design District has a shiny space that’s fitting for the sort of fussy dishes you’ll eat here. Those dishes, like shrimp in parmesan polenta and sunchoke velouté, are expensive and photogenic—but also delicious. There are a lot of phenomenal vegetable-focused things on the seasonal menu, but you'll also find impressive proteins, like a wagyu bavette that looks so perfect it could be a movie prop." - Team Infatuation
"If L’Atelier sounds interesting, but maybe not quite interesting enough to spend hundreds of dollars on one of their tasting menus, then try its sister restaurant first. Le Jardinier is located directly underneath L’Atelier. It has a shiny space that’s fitting for the sort of fussy dishes you’ll eat here. The menu is seasonal, but we’ve thoroughly enjoyed pretty much everything we’ve had here—dishes like shrimp in parmesan polenta, sunchoke velouté, and wagyu bavette (the cocktails are exceptional too). We actually like this place better for lunch than dinner, because they offer a prix fixe menu for $58 per person that’s worth making up an excuse to blow off work this Friday." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"If the USS Enterprise from Star Trek had an exclusive, upscale restaurant onboard, it’d look a lot like Le Jardinier. This French spot directly underneath L’Atelier has a shiny space that’s fitting for the sort of fussy dishes you’ll eat here. Those dishes, like shrimp in parmesan polenta and sunchoke velouté, are expensive and photogenic—but also delicious. There are a lot of phenomenal vegetable-focused things on the seasonal menu, but you'll also find impressive proteins, like a wagyu bavette that looks so perfect that it could be a movie prop. This place is also an ideal day-off lunch spot thanks to their $60 prix fixe power lunch." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"Le Jardineir has a prix fixe lunch menu that we actually enjoy more than the restaurant's pricier dinner. You can order a la carte, but the $55 three-course option is a fitting power lunch. It won't leave you stuffed, but it's satisfying and a solid deal for the kind of meticulous trust fund dishes you'll encounter. Options change seasonally, but you can stuff like a beautiful crudo, gazpacho, and we've never been disappointed by a steak here. They also have a tremendous cocktail menu, with drinks that somehow deliver on an ingredients list the size of an amicus brief." - mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"When it comes to running serious, highly accomplished restaurants in multiple cities, Chef Alain Verzeroli learned from the best. After two decades under the late Chef Joël Robuchon, Verzeroli has stepped out with his own brand of culinary excellence. Stylish from head to toe and with locations in both Houston and New York City, this dining room is a celebration of the seasons. With neighbors like Gucci and Christian Louboutin, this gorgeous Design District lair feels right at home. The menu is a study of vibrant tastes and smart compositions that pack big flavor minus the heaviness. Highlights include a wonderfully smooth summer gazpacho with avocado; butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter emulsion; as well as seared Hudson Valley foie gras with cherry. Plant-based ice creams and sorbets are impossibly creamy." - Michelin Inspector