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| - Let me preface by saying that I know I will catch a lot of criticism for going against the grain here because from what I've seen on Yelp, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is universally adored. So why three stars? Two things, the service was abysmal and the menu was underwhelming for what you pay for.
Service (Grade: F)
Our dinner at L'Atelier was a testament to the importance of good, prompt service and conversely how poor service can destroy a generally well-executed meal in terms of cooking.
They started out well by being very attentive but this was easy enough as we were the absolute first and only party for dinner. However, service got progressively worse as they siphoned off the wait staff to attend to later arriving parties. At a restaurant with the reputation that comes along with being associated with Joel Robuchon, I found it unacceptable that we had to wait hours and hours for our mains, dessert, etc. The coup de grace was that they had to be reminded that our dinner was to celebrate a birthday even though this was expressed in the reservation and had been told to two separate waiters.
You just can't forget about a birthday dinner party, especially when the restaurant was not particularly swamped that night, just so you can favor other parties. That kind of chosen neglect was inexplicably rude.
Food (Grade: B)
L'Atelier's prix fixe menus are renowned because they give you several options. Some come with supplemental charges of $10 or more but those are generally the options that are better.
The amuse bouche of foie gras parfait with a port wine reduction and a Parmesan foam was hit or miss. Half of us liked it the other half didn't finish the tiny shot.
The Les Pates (supp. charge): lobster chunks over orecchiette was probably one of the better mains. On the other hand, the supplemental charge on the Le Veau (veal ravioli) was not worth it as the dish was bland.
The La Dorade: snapper carpaccio with lemon glaze was probably the best of the appetizers. However, the La Tomate (chilled tomato gazpacho with burratta) was too salty and felt like drinking marinara sauce straight.
If you're opting for the pre-theater prix fixe menu, the roast of the day (8/9/14) was the free range chicken and it was just okay.
The desserts were of course beautiful to look at but were not especially noteworthy in terms of flavor.
Overall, I was expecting something on par with a restaurant like Providence which also has comparably priced prix fixe menus. However, L'Atelier was underwhelming throughout. There are some good dishes but many were weighed down by bad service. Even without considering the service, the food itself did not meet the high expectations and I don't think that was for lack of choosing the "right" dishes. We asked our waiter for suggestions and with four in our party we were able to try a broad swath of dishes. Nevertheless, I wouldn't be able to in good faith give a good review because like one in our party said: "you don't pay a lot to get ignored."
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