I had never heard of Bernardin's, so did not know what to expect.
We Ubered over so I cannot comment on parking.
We were dining rather early (7pm) and there were very few people when we arrived. By the time we left around 9 though, it was quite lively. Def, go a little later if you like that kind of energy.
We started with gin martini and both remarked that it did not seem very cold. Many places shake martinis so much they have shards of ice in them that water the drink down. I guess I'd rather have it a little less cold than watery, but I think a good bartender can do both.
Everything else was pretty spot on.
I had the Foie Gras starter. It was rich, creamy, and decadent- the peach compote complemented the liver in texture and taste. It was also a good sized portion, so I was glad I had only ordered a salad for my entree.
My dinner partner had the TunaTuna starter and he said it was very good (not much elaboration).
Next, I had the fried gulf oyster salad. The oysters were a little on the smaller side. I don't say that as a complaint; sometimes fried oysters are quite big and for those who aren't full-fledged oyster lovers, can be off-putting. They were a tad heavily breaded, but still were not too heavy to taste the actual oyster. The warm pine nut vinaigrette on the side was interesting. I lived the spicy arugula, and the tomatoes left me wishing for a little bit more of them. I thought the salad was just divine.
My partner got the Grouper special. I did taste this. It was absolutely delicious. Two generous pieces of fish lightly treated, but so flavorful. Like the Foie Gras dish, the flavor and texture combinations on the plate were spot on perfect. (Yes, I used the word perfect)
We had coffee (not very hot) and cobbler for dessert. Again, another very seasonal usage of peaches with berries topped with a scoop of ice cream.
Our server was cute and personable. We did feel a little rushed a couple times although upon sitting I explained we planned on hanging out for awhile.
I would definitely come back here. The menu is exciting, the Chef obviously understands food on a higher level, and there are way too many things I saw that I'd like to try.