Daniel Boulud's New French Comfort Food Restaurant Debuts At The Beekman

The glamorous restaurant space which formerly housed Keith McNally's Augustine is back in full swing at The Beekman Hotel with a new name, new owner, and new French-focused menu.

Thankfully, the resplendent Art Nouveau interiors have remained mostly the same. 

Le Gratin, as it's now called, is the latest venture from Chef Daniel Boulud, inspired by the bouchons and bistros of his hometown of Lyon, France. Bursting with Lyonnaise dishes, the menu too is an homage to his past, with rustic comfort food classics stemming from his childhood and, as its name nods to, his mother's homemade gratin recipes.

"From the time I could hold a spoon, I remember savoring my favorite potato dish at home – Le Gratin Dauphinois," Boulud's statement reads on the restaurant's website. "All along my life, to this day, we make this specialty on many occasions in my restaurants and at home. No dish remains more classic than this one."

As one would guess, there are plenty of versions of potato on the menu, from mamma Boulud's creamy and cheesy gratin to, of course, pommes frites. The indulgent selection also includes rich plates of côte de boeuf, steak frites, and two different servings of foie gras, one with rillettes de canard and one with pork pâté. Fancy.

To update the space a bit, the team tapped Brooklyn-based artist Marc Dennis to create stunning, hyper-realistic floral paintings to display throughout the dining room, where they add even more charm to the decorative tiles, wooden chairs, and plush banquettes.

Whether for a power lunch or a date night dinner, Boulud says, "I want Le Gratin to feel like the perfect place to gather with good friends and to make it a downtown hangout where everyone comes to relax or to celebrate all of life’s moments."

Click through for a look inside!

[Photos by Bill Milne courtesy Le Gratin]