The story of Le Coq Rico (The Bistro of Beautiful Birds) didn't begin in NYC, but Paris's Montmartre where chef Antoine Westermann began his love for whole-bird creations. Westermann's first restaurant in the United States, the Flatiron space evokes a modern midtown flair within a 1915 building reequipped with open kitchen, counter bar and spare dining room that sometimes suffers under all-too-bright lighting. Lighting aside, it's the best chicken you'll eat in New York.
The Food
Antoine Westermann is no newcomer to cooking, headlining his Paris bistro in addition to garnering a 3-star Michelin award for his original Strasbourg gourmand. Today, Le Coq Rico is about all-things poultry with a daily lunch and dinner menu that serves up appetizers of slow-cooked eggs with chanterelles, deviled eggs and salad of chicken livers ever so delicately presented as with the terrines and foie gras. Main course includes selections of rotisserie chicken, farm-sourced duck and pan-seared scallops - but what you’ll really want is the whole bird that’s big enough for four guests and so delicious that some order it alone.
Last Word
3-star Michelin chef debuts most delicious chicken NYC has ever tasted, in trendy Flatiron bistro and bar space.