Essential by Christophe

"Excellent food, good service, average price for the type of cuisine (high), excellent plating. Would come again. Had a four course, with one glass of wine (not the pairing). As typical of French cuisine, also came with amuse bouche and petit fours. Liked the texture and taste of the amuse bouche. Quail tasted great, as did the foie gras. Sauce for the prawns was tasty. Venison had great texture and strong flavour. Dessert looked fantastic."

"Enjoyed this experience very much. The menu is prix fixe (you have a choice within each course), and the staff is quite willing to offer substitutions and dietary preferences. I was delighted with each dish and could see the thoughtfulness that's put into everything. It's definitely one of the pricier meals you can have, but top-notch all around."

"Went a bit before they received their star. Definitely obviously they were working very hard to receive a star. Extremely wonderful people, warm environment, and delicious food. They knew exactly what they were doing to attract customers and the inspectors. I personally really enjoyed the flavors of Comté Cheese Soufflé- it was strong yet smooth and delivate. Overall, I believe they deserved the star. It’s definitely worth it for now."

"What a special restaurant located on the Upper West Side. We have lived up here for more than 20 years and can say that this place is one of the finest restaurants ever in existence within the surrounding area. You get that same fancy experience that you'd get at some of the best restaurants in Midtown. We dined at the bar area and were blown away by both the food and service. I couldn't recommend Essential by Christophe highly enough. It's a must visit restaurant on the UWS."

"There are not enough words to describe the incredible meal and service received here! All of the dishes were just as tasty as they seem on looks alone. Michael, our server, deserves recognition on his passion for the menu by leaving me with no regrets from his impeccable dish recommendations. He came to our table at all the perfect times and was super friendly. Sofia was warm and inviting upon our arrival, sat our table, and made sure we were well taken care of. She was very attentive and reached out personally to ask about potential allergies even prior to our reservation. Michelle greeted us very kindly during our meal and Christophe introduced himself to us as well. The staff is extremely warm and inviting, which only enhanced our experience. It's great to see how much the establishment values maintaining relationships with customers and what lengths they will go to in order to offer the most quality meal all around."