Gabriel Kreuther is a two-Michelin-star restaurant at W. R. Grace Building at 41 West 42nd Street across from Bryant Park named after its chef and owner Gabriel Kreuther. It was originally a one-star Michelin restaurant in its opening years and was subsequently awarded two stars in 2019. The restaurant specializes in modern Alsatian food with other French, German, and American influences. Their most famous dish is a sturgeon & sauerkraut tart with a caviar mousseline smoked in applewood. The restaurant also serves multiple house breads including a savory kugelhopf with scallions and chive fromage blanc. Relais & Châteaux as well as entities such as Wine Enthusiast Magazine and Wine Spectator praised their varied wine list primarily featuring wines from all over France/Germany along with other countries. Along with wine, their drinks include a variety of modern cocktails and traditional drinks from the chef's home region including schnapps. Their wine director is Philippe Sauriat. Their main dinner menu has a choice between two different tasting menus with a table located in their kitchen. There is also a less expensive pre-theater menu, a lunch menu with prix fixe options, and a large bar. Their bar along with a mix of both modern and old cocktails has modern takes on comfort food from Alsace including flammekueche; a type of open tart; and sausages as well as à la carte dishes from their main menu. They were rated by Grub Street as having the best bar food in the city. While the food is considered to be Haute Cuisine, the restaurant is notably business casual with Kreuther noting that this allows a more "comfortable environment" without the hassle of needing a suit or jacket.
The chef
The owner originally worked in restaurants across France, Switzerland, and Germany before moving to the United States. Restaurants he worked at in the US including at La Caravelle, a classic French restaurant and as Chef De Cuisine at Atelier, a Mediterranean restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton. At his prior restaurant The Modern a Danny Meyer restaurant located inside the Museum of Modern Art where he worked as executive chef, Gabriel gained the prestigious James Beard Award along with his first Michelin star and first worked with Marc Aumont, his current pastry chef. He was also named one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs in 2003.
Chocolate store
Marc Aumont, his pastry chef, opened Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate, next door to the restaurant. This place specializes in a variety of different flavored truffles/bonbons as well as "cheesecake" macarons, a chocolate tasting menu, and a variety of pastries and drinks. Their bourbon chocolate bar won silver at The International Chocolate Awards. Multiple of their other truffles such as their pumpkin sesame mole and forbidden rice have won awards from there as well. More locally, their Middle Eastern Crunch, a halvah and pistachio bar was noted by New York Magazine and their iced hot chocolate is noted as one of the best in the city by the New York Post. Eater awarded it one of the top chocolate shops in America as well.
Awards
The New York Times awarded the restaurant three stars in 2015. New York Magazine awarded it an 86/100. They have been a member of Relais & Châteaux since 2017. In 2017, they were added as a top 100 restaurant by Wine Enthusiast as well as a Best Award of Excellence. Wine Spectator also praised their wine list. In 2019, they gained a second star by Michelin.
