Address: 45 Rockefeller Plaza West 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue
Telephone/Fax: 212-974-2020 212-974-2020 / 212-974-3331 212-974-3331
Website: www.brasserieruhlmann.com
Date Established: January 2006
Executive Chef: Laurent Tourondel
Cuisine: French Brasserie
Managing Partner: Bernard Collin
Brasserie Ruhlmann Is Open Seven Days a week:
Hours: Monday – Friday
Lunch: 11:30am – 3pm
Café: 3pm – 5:30pm
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10pm
Saturday
Lunch: 11:30am – 3pm
Café: 3pm – 5:30pm
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10pm
Sunday
Brunch: 11:30am – 3pm
Click Here For Reservations
Average Prices: Appetizers: $-11$16, Entrees: $22-$48, Dessert: $10-$12
Wine List: 18 Wines By The Glass:$10-$20 1/2. Bottle Range: $24-$80. Mostly French & American. Sensibly Short list by the bottle..
The Space: Designed by Jean Denoyer as an homage to Art Deco artist and craftsman Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann.
Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel Makes Brasserie Ruhlmann Shine
By Nancy Walman
Jean Denoyer opened this stylish 1920’s Parisian-style brasserie in Rockefeller Center as an artful homage to the Art Deco designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. At Brasserie Ruhlmann, an Art Deco stone relief embellished with hand-laid gold and silver leafing frames the entrance. Throughout the restaurant, meticulous reproductions of Ruhlmann’s work can be seen in every detail. Walls are lined with the rich chocolate hues of faux Macassar ebony, as is the custom-designed side-station in which glittering Christophle flatware is contained.
In true Ruhlmann style, Drouant side chairs with red velvet upholstery and slim cherry-colored tapered legs appear to dance above the intricate mosaic floors. Slender nickel-plated sconces crowned with eggshell-colored lampshades with crimson fringes replicate those found in the artist’s acclaimed 1925 Paris Exposition. Twenty signature octagonal mirrors fill the room, and four octagonal light fixtures of translucent alabaster hang from the ceiling by golden passementerie (ropes and tassels). There is also a huge and inviting outdoor café to enjoy on seductive summer nights.
Chef Tourondel’s menu, includes Goat Cheese Salad, outstanding Steak (or Big Eye Tuna) Tartare, Salad "with Blue Crab and Mache and a memorable Chicken and Duck Liver Pate (all appetizers),
Entrees are carefully prepared and copious. Whole 
Roasted Roasted Chicken may be the best in town. (It certainly is an outstanding value at $25.) We chose Beef Shortrib "Bourguignonne" which melted in our mouths and displayed intense flavor and Hanger Steak, a much abused standard that is perfection at Ruhlmann. Seafood lovers will adore Crispy Skate Wing Grenobloise with lemon and capers. Sides, such as hand cut fries (order them “well done”) are standouts. The dessert menu is beautifully executed.The menu includes treats you might find scrawled on the chalkboard menus propped outside Parisian street cafés; the sinful Chocolate Hazelnut millefeuilles, a terrific Paris Brest, crunchy with nuts and bursting with cream, House made cookies and macarons, or a first rate Floating Island, to name a few. All were delicious.
Tourondel’s status as one of the city’s most notable chefs has grown in tandem with his celebrated BLT outposts (BLT Steak, BLT Fish, and BLT Prime.) Brasserie Ruhlmann provides the perfect midpoint location for uptown and downtown.
Operating partner Bernard Collin has brought his wine expertise to a beautifully selected list of French and American wines. There is a fine selection of wines by the glass and ½ bottles. We enjoyed a lovely glass of Gewürtztraminer and a half bottle of Volnay, 2002, from Frederick Wildman.
Service and reception at the door were impeccable. Brasserie Ruhlmann is one of the best dining options if you are shopping or going to the theater, but it is also one of Manhattan’s most consistent Brasseries and an absolute must go!
Side Dish
Laurent Tourondel
Executive Chef Bio
Tourondel spent his childhood on the coast of France fishing with his grandfather and baking by his grandmother’s side. The mesmerizing smells and tastes of his home led him to the Saint Vincent Ecole de Cuisine in Montluçon, France, where upon graduation he embarked on a career that would take him through some of the most esteemed kitchens in the world.
Laurent worked under Jacques Maximin at Restaurant Ledoyen and had a two-year stint at The Michelin 3-star Relais & Chateau Troigros. Tourondel was then tapped by Troigros to become Executive Chef of C.T. (Claude Troisgros), his debut restaurant in New York City, where he received three stars from The New York Times. Tourondel eventually landed in Las Vegas where he was chosen to commandeer the kitchen of the Palace Court Restaurant at the World Famous Caesar’s Palace Hotel & Casino. In 1998 he was honored as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Ten Best New Chefs. Next, Tourondel took charge at a new fine dining restaurant in New York City. In 1999, Cello received three stars from The New York Times. Shortly thereafter he began work on his first cookbook, Since its’ release in October 2004 “Go Fish: Modern Seafood Cooking for the Home” (Wiley),” has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Life Magazine and more.
In 2004 Chef Tourondel conceived BLT Steak, and the accolades arrived – two stars in The New York Times, 3 stars in Crain’s, and Esquire awarded BLT Steak as one of the “Best New Restaurants of 2004.” The BLT concept then took flight, spawning the New York Times three-star BLT Fish and BLT Prime, the celebrated sister concept to BLT Steak.
Today, Chef Tourondel is thrilled to also be at the helm of Brasserie Ruhlmann, a true French brasserie. He can be found executing his dream menu as he serves nostalgic dishes that reminisce of his homeland. The restaurant evokes a uniquely French sentiment, adhering to traditional standards of simplicity, detail, and elegance that are universally and enduringly valid. Named for the great Art Deco designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, the brasserie is located in one of the city’s most deliberate examples of Art Deco architecture, Rockefeller Center.
Laurent Tourondel has appeared in multiple national media outlets including Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Esquire, GQ, etc. as well as on The Today Show, CBS Early Show and Fox & Friends
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Brasserie Ruhlmann
Location: 45 Rockefeller Plaza (West 50th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
New York, NY 10111
Phone/Fax: 212-974-2020/212-974-3331
Web site: http://www.brasserieruhlmann.com/
Cuisine: French Brasserie
Owners: Jean Denoyer, Regis Marinier, Rick Wahlstedt, Miae Lim
General Manager/Partner: Bernard Collin
Interior Design: Designed by Jean Denoyer as an homage to Art Deco artist and craftsman Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Seating Capacity: Bar: 12 people, Dining Room: 120 people, Outside Terrace: 165 people
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday
Breakfast: 7:30am – 10:30am, Lunch: 11am – 3pm, Café: 3pm – 5pm, Dinner: 5pm – 11pm
Saturday – Sunday
Brunch: 11:30am – 3pm, Café: 3pm – 5pm, Dinner: 5pm – 11pm
Signature Dishes: Breakfast/Brunch: Creamy Scrambled Egg Duo with servuga caviar and salmon roe ($18), Eggs Florentine with creamy spinach and brioche toast ($14), Le Parisien with baker’s basket (grilled, buttered tartine available) ($13), Fried Eggs And Winter Black Truffle with soft polenta ($24).
Lunch: Grilled Leeks with black truffle vinaigrette ($10), Petite Friture of Shrimp, Smelts, Calamari and Sole ($16), Grilled Boudin Noir with “apples in the air” and pomme purée ($18), Mallard Duck Confit with crispy fingerling potatoes and petite salade ($22).
Café: Beignets of Cod Brandade with rémoulade sauce ($10), Steak Tartare with waffle-cut potato crisps and salade ($8/$18).
Dinner: Diver Scallop Carpaccio with caviar citronette ($14), Rack of Baby Lamb Provençale with pommes souflées ($32), Dover Sole Meunière or Grilled, fondant potato ($38), Seared Duck Breast with sour cherries and caramelized endive ($26),
Desserts: Coffee and Chocolate Liégeois Trifle with coffee ice cream topped with crisped rice ($8), Ruhlmann “Cheesecake” and cassis ($8),
Signature Cocktails: Jacques Emile (Chambord, peach liqueur and fresh berries topped with champagne) ($12), French Connection (Hine cognac and Amaretto) ($12), Jack Rose (Boulard Calvados, grenadine, lime juice and simple syrup) ($12).
Average Price: Appetizers: $12, Entrees: $25, Desserts; $8
Alcohol: Full bar with premium well drinks, signature martinis, extensive wine list (120 wines, 12 of which are available by the glass)
Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner’s Club
Reservations: Recommended. Reservations are also accepted through http://www.opentable.com/.
Jean Denoyer opened this stylish 1920’s Parisian-style brasserie in Rockefeller Center as an artful homage to the Art Deco designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. At Brasserie Ruhlmann, an Art Deco stone relief embellished with hand-laid gold and silver leafing frames the entrance. Throughout the restaurant, meticulous reproductions of Ruhlmann’s work can be seen in every detail. Walls are lined with the rich chocolate hues of faux Macassar ebony, as is the custom-designed side-station in which glittering Christophle flatware is contained.
In true Ruhlmann style, Drouant side chairs with red velvet upholstery and slim cherry-colored tapered legs appear to dance above the intricate mosaic floors. Slender nickel-plated sconces crowned with eggshell-colored lampshades with crimson fringes replicate those found in the artist’s acclaimed 1925 Paris Exposition. Twenty signature octagonal mirrors fill the room, and four octagonal light fixtures of translucent alabaster hang from the ceiling by golden passementerie (ropes and tassels).
Brasserie Ruhlmann is indeed the epitome of timeless elegance and the cuisine holds its head as high as a classic soufflé. Historically, brasseries were a place where both the downtown bohemians and uptown chic could meet in comfort and convenience. Now, citizens of the world will be able to do the same, in Rockefeller Center.
Begin dinner with superbly briny oysters and a flute of Champagne. Proceed to an earthy-yet-light Grilled Boudin Noir with “apples in the air” and pomme purée, delicate and flavorful Grilled Leeks with black truffle vinaigrette or an elegant excess of eggs: The Ruhlmann Trio, consisting of Creamy Egg Caviar, Sea Urchin Custard and a Soft Boiled Egg a La Croque. Other options include Diver Scallop Carpaccio with caviar citronette.
Main courses will delight the world traveler who has dined in Parisian Brasseries with offerings like a Classic Pot-au-Feu served in it’s own Le Creuset pot with a luscious marrow bone and winter vegetables and the finest Grilled Dover Sole with Lemon Preserve, Wilted Spinach and Fondant Potatoes we’ve sampled this side of the Atlantic. Other brasserie specialties, which have crossed the Atlantic in style, include Crispy Skate Wing Grenobloise with lemon and capers.
End the meal as perfectly as it began with tantalizing desserts like Coffee and Chocolate Liégeois Trifle with coffee ice cream topped with crisped rice, ethereal Ruhlmann”Cheesecake” or an amazing housemade cookie platter and marvelous truffles.
Operating partner Bernard Collin has brought his wine expertise to a beautifully selected list of all French and American wines, except for one superb Austrian Riesling, which is a delight at just $37, but go quickly. There are just three cases left.
Signature cocktails such as the Ruhlmann (Chambord, peach liqueur and fresh raspberries topped with champagne), Americano (Campari and Cinzano Rosso vermouth topped with soda), Jack Rose (Boulard Calvados, grenadine and lime juice with a dash of simple syrup) and French Connection (Hine cognac and Amaretto) are marvelous ways to complement the decadent fare. Service and reception at door are impeccable and with its $36 Prix Fixe dinner, Brasserie Ruhlmann may offer our town’s best value in luxury dining. Brasserie Ruhlmann —— an absolute must go
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Brasserie Ruhlmann, located at 45 Rockefeller Plaza, is a meticulously-crafted restaurant that pays homage to the great Art Deco designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. Conceptualized and designed by Jean Denoyer, the Restaurant evokes a uniquely French sentiment, adhering to traditional standards of simplicity, detail, and elegance that are universally and enduringly valid.
Throughout the restaurant, selected reproductions of Ruhlmann’s work can be seen in every detail. Walls are lined with the rich chocolate hues of faux Macassar ebony, as is the custom-designed side-station in which glittering Christofle flatware is contained. It is this dedication to detail that makes Brasserie Ruhlmann grand. Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel lends his signature touch and eminent reputation to Brasserie Ruhlmann, producing a modern take on French brasserie fare in an appropriately beautiful setting.
Laurent Tourondel, Executive Chef
Tourondel spent his childhood on the coast of France fishing with his grandfather and baking by his grandmother’s side. The mesmerizing smells and tastes of his home led him to the Saint Vincent Ecole de Cuisine in Montluçon, France, where upon graduation he embarked on a career that would take him through some of the most esteemed kitchens in the world.
Laurent worked under Jacques Maximin at Restaurant Ledoyen and had a two-year stint at The Michelin 3-star Relais & Chateau Troigros. Tourondel was then tapped by Troigros to become executive chef of C.T. (Claude Troisgros), his debut restaurant in New York City, where he received three stars from The New York Times. Tourondel eventually landed in Las Vegas where he was chosen to commandeer the kitchen of the Palace Court Restaurant at the World Famous Caesar’s Palace Hotel & Casino. In 1998, he was honored as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Ten Best New Chefs. Next, Tourondel took charge at a new fine dining restaurant in New York City. In 1999, Cello received three stars from The New York Times. Shortly thereafter, he began work on his first cookbook. Since its’ release in October 2004, “Go Fish: Modern Seafood Cooking for the Home” (Wiley),” has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Life Magazine and more.
In 2004 Chef Tourondel conceived BLT Steak, and the accolades arrived – two stars in The New York Times, 3 stars in Crain’s, and Esquire awarded BLT Steak as one of the “Best New Restaurants of 2004.” The BLT concept then took flight, spawning the New York Times three-star BLT Fish and BLT Prime, the celebrated sister concept to BLT Steak. Today, Chef Tourondel is thrilled to also be at the helm of Brasserie Ruhlmann, a true French brasserie. He can be found executing his dream menu as he serves a modern version of dishes that reminisce of his homeland.
Laurent Tourondel has appeared in multiple national media outlets including Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Esquire, GQ, etc. as well as on The Today Show, CBS Early Show and Fox & Friends.
Private Parties
Brasserie Ruhlmann provides the perfect midpoint location for uptown and downtown New Yorkers to mingle over savory meals, just as Parisians did at the brasseries of old. They offer a full service bar, featuring an extensive wine list showcasing over 120 wines, 20 of which are offered by the glass.
The Private Dining Room accommodates 10 to 40 guests for a seated dinner or 75 guests for a cocktail reception. The Large Semi-Private Dining Room comfortably accommodates 75 guests for a seated dinner or 120 guests for a cocktail reception. The Main Dining Room can accommodate 180 people for a seated reception and 300 people for cocktails.
For more information, contact: 
Amanda Weidman
amanda@brasserieruhlmann.com
tel: 212.974.3332
Dinner Menu (Some Dishes Had Changed on Our Visit)
Copyright 2009 By Punch In International. All Rights Reserved.
