When one of the descendants of writer Victor Hugo (« Les Misérables ») joins forces with the Serafina group, you get one of my favorite French restaurants in the city: Brasserie Cognac. It is in 2008 that Chef Florian Hugo started this adventure that continues years later with the same quality and superb French flare. Brunch or dinner are equally delicious, with dishes like the soufflé that are perfect any time of the day. Their cheese soufflé ($34) is definitely recommended: fluffy and cheesy, with a delicious golden crust. It is a rare dish to see on a menu, besides of course, the classic chocolate soufflé, and they execute it perfectly, reminding me a bit my childhood in France when my mom was making it for dinner, being less successful when it comes to the way the soufflé rises. For a smaller size appetizer, the gougères ($12 for 8), that are cheese puffs are quite addictive. A more common dish is the escargots ($21) that I always love, especially with bread that I dip eagerly into the delicious butter, garlic and parsley sauce. Or the mussels ($27): the mussels are prepared in a creamy white wine sauce where I dipped not bread, but the skinny fries that came with it (these are the kind I love: skinny, crispy on the outside and cooked all the way through). They have a few other vegetarian options besides the soufflé and gougères, like the goat cheese and tomato tart ($19) that is made with puff pastry, roasted tomatoes, thyme and goat cheese. A very provençal dish that was delicious.

For drinks, they have a full bar and good cocktails, but I only tried their Manhattan ($18) and a freshly squeezed orange juice for brunch.

Dessert is not to be missed. Their île flottante ($14) or floating island is good, but although I would ditch the almonds, and their tart tatin ($16) superb, not too sweet, that is often the issue with this dessert.

So, after all these years, Cognac continues to serve a delicious French fare in a relaxed atmosphere. I definitely recommend it.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brasserie Cognac, Midtown East, NYC

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