Racines
“And the swiss chard, little bit crunchy, provides great contrast to the meaty, soft squid muscle.”
“That is unfortunately a short list, includes a highly raved French restaurant in Philly, and one three Michelin-star French restaurant in NYC.”
“Chef Fréderic Duca "Racines'' in Tribeca *(^_^)/*
Racines opened last month on Chambers Street in Tribeca.”
Racines
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This spot is a good respite to the Fulton st area. I came for a light dinner.
Grab a seat by the counter if you can, though there didn't seem to be much traffic coming in. Ah summer eating ftw
Had the veal tartare and a ceviche. I wasn't as much of a fan of the veal. Ceviche was gorgeously plated (are flowers a thing?) and tasty
We really enjoyed the wine though. Ordered a glass of red. Prices are a bit higher than I think is worth for what could be a chill neighborhood spot, which is my only negative.
I recently had a very good experience at Racines. I first heard about them through Chambers St Wines, due to their notable and impressive list of natural wines and the partnership they have with the store. Their Michelin-starred chef, Frédéric Duca, is no slouch, either. My friend and I came for the wine, but stayed for a meal, and I'm glad we did.
The space is somewhat minimalist and modern, but warm and comfortable. We were seated at a table right near the kitchen, which is open. It was nice to be able to watch the chefs at work and see all the beautiful plates being prepared. If you are an oenophile, you should really come here for a glass or two, if not a bottle. The list is fantastic, mostly French, and there are some serious chestnuts available. We scored the last bottle of 1993 Raffault Chenin Blanc from Chinon that they had, and it was in incredible condition. You can be sure that the provenance of the wines here are about as good as you're going to get anywhere, short of consuming them directly at the chateau.
The wine paired beautifully with the following dishes, which we shared:
— Chicken liver pate with toast points. HUGE portion and absolutely decadent.
— Squid with gnocchi in bouillabaisse. Delicate and tender, savory and briny.
— Fluke crudo with hearts of palm, watermelon radish and avocado. Interesting combinations, nice textural contrast and beautiful presentation.
— Red snapper with fennel and clams. Wonderful flavor and excellent balance.
— Sweetbreads with fingerlings and morels. The best rendition I've ever had, this dish was ridiculously good.
Overall, I really liked Racines. The service was helpful and present, but not intrusive. Everyone we interacted with, from the bartender and sommelier to our server, was professional and welcoming. I am not sure how other diners could have had such polar opposite experiences, but I guess everyone has an off night. We were fortunate to visit when they were firing on all cylinders. If you are a wine geek or just enjoy elevated Parisian bistro fare, I highly recommend a visit here.
This place was disappointing on a number of levels.
1. The food was bland. The hanger steak and squid were almost flavorless.
2. The portions were tiny. The hanger steak entree came with two tiny little pieces of meat with very little on the side
. . . and hanger steak is not even an expensive cut of meat.
3. The service was a bit pushy. We sat down at around 9:30 and the waiter and host both tried to rush us into ordering even though the place wasn't full at that point and about a half an hour later it was mostly empty.
Cute decor, low-key ambiance… but unfortunately I think their pâté made my colleague and I sick. Had stomach pains that night and my colleague didn't show up to work for two days. It's 3 days later and I'm still recovering. Not sure what else to say
On my first night visiting my NYC-based daughter, we came here for dinner. We so enjoyed ourselves! We ordered a couple of appetizers and a nice bottle of wine. The Sommelier came to our table and chatted with us about the wine my daughter wanted to order. Friendly staff and delightful evening.
I love this place because it introduced me to the delight that is sweetbreads. (It's the thymus gland of a cow. Or all you need to know is, it's extremely tasty.)
Sweetbreads here were so good that ever since, I decided to order it whenever I come across it on the menu, anywhere. That is unfortunately a short list, includes a highly raved French restaurant in Philly, and one three Michelin-star French restaurant in NYC. But at these places, it's only been a disappointment, because of how amazing the dish was at Racines.
Don't quite remember the rest of the meal, other than that everything was pretty good quality across the board. Apparently the owner also runs a Michelin star restaurant in France. Here's to hoping this place gets noticed too.
Do not be misled by the reviews and ratings as I did. Racines is an intimate downtown bar, designed with the wine lover in mind, and not the foodie. With that being said, this is first and foremost, a wine bar. Unless you plan on following the formal french tradition and ordering several courses from their very limited menu, you will leave disappointed and hungry. And by several entrees, I mean at least four per person. Other than being served specks of food on a large plate and being charged an average of $35+ per dish, the food was just ok. I would come here for a glass of wine, but not to eat. A slice of pizza across the street is more filling than the amount of food you get for spending a $100 bucks here.
This review is for drinks only but whoa – great place! Love the atmosphere/décor, great bartenders, and fantastic wine.
Looking forward to going back and trying the food!