L’Ecole
462 Broadway
Manhattan, NY 10013
212-219-3300

Review
Many native New Yorkers consider this Soho hotspot to be the best deal in town. L’Ecole is the restaurant arm of The French Culinary Institute, the heralded American cooking school. Since these top chefs are essentially students, prices remain astonishingly low despite the restaurant’s fancy neighborhood digs, haute cuisine, white tablecloths, and top-level service.

A lunch date for two — featuring a three-course pre-fixe that could include “Country Pate with Foie Gras and Truffles,” “Sauteed Breast and Braised Leg of Duck in a Spiced Broth,” and “Chocolate Brioche Pudding” for dessert — will run you only $56 before tax and tip. Four- and five-course pre-fixe dinners are only $42 per person!

Be forewarned, L’Ecole is NOT some hidden gem — reservations are required and must be booked well in-advance. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday for dinner and there are two seating times. Lunch is only available during the week.

So, with all this in mind, treat L’Ecole as the first-class establishment that it is. Save it for a special date like an anniversary or birthday. As for you making out like a bandit in terms of the bill…well, that’ll just be our little secret.

Do we hook you up or what?

Date-ability Breakdown
Original? Yes
Low-Key? Yes
Collaborative? No
Good for Conversation? Yes
Romantic? Yes