Dinner at Benoit is like a Graduate Course on Classical French Cusine
At Alain Ducasse's Benoit, a century of Parisian tradition lives on in Midtown Manhattan.
Classical French cuisine is the culinary equivalent of the Western canon: an ancient and ever-fertile tradition that shaped—and continues to shape—everything that came later. Just as old books provide a deeper understanding of modern civilization, old-guard French restaurants deepen one's understanding of modern gastronomy.
Benoit, a bistro in Midtown Manhattan, is like a graduate seminar on the history of French cooking. The original Benoit has been a Parisian landmark since 1912, one of the French capital's most venerated bistros de tradition. After stewarding the restaurant for generations, the Petit family entrusted it to chef Alain Ducasse in 2005. Since then, Ducasse has opened sister restaurants in Tokyo, New York, and Kyoto.