Parisian Details Fill Ducasse's Latest

Alain Ducasse has been trying to figure out the right formula for New York foodies since he opened his ill-fated showcase of haute gastronomy, Ducasse. He may have found it with Benoit, a traditional French bistro in the former La Côte Basque space, which opened on April 21.  (We just got shots of the private rooms, which are now open.) Following the same formula as he has at Benoit Paris and Tokyo, he and chef Sebastien Rondier are serving a traditional French bistro menu with classics like roasted chicken with French fries mon ami Louis-style, steak au poivre with pommes soufflés, tarte tatin, and vanilla profiteroles with warm chocolate sauce.The restaurant, designed by Pierre Yves Rochon with antiques from Ducasse himself, offers three private dining salons with floor-to-ceiling French oak molded by master artisans, and lots of natural light; the Saint Martin seats 18, the Hôtel de Ville seats 24, and the Rivoli seats 18. Each of the rooms is named after a street that leads to the original Benoit in Paris, and they can also be combined for a dinner for as many as 60 people.

Aside from the salons, there’s the Officine, an incredibly intimate and luxurious 12-seat room set in an antique 19th-century apothecary from Bordeaux, which was part of Ducasse’s personal antiques collection. Dinner in the Officine entitles guests to a special menu and wine from Ducasse’s personal wine cellar.