Best Restaurants for Creative Cuisine in Jackson Heights

The chef and entire team were flawless. We came to celebrate my mother’s retirement. I’m a long time NYer (23 years!) and my mom lives in Miami and is an avid world traveler/diner. Our cocktails were very inventive and delicious. I wanted a seasonal pumpkin coconut cocktail and it was a great way to start the night. Our server surprised us with an amuse bûche and extra dessert to celebrate her retirement. Another complement to our wonderful server is that he was insightful enough the ask about if I ate gelatin before surprising us with the amusement bûche after I told him about my dietary restriction. The ‘sole for two’ and tagliatelle with shaved truffles was to die for. The atmosphere itself with all the botanical elements is a pure joy, it reminded me a lot of the contemporary art gardens I’ve visited in Brazil designed by Burle Marx. My mom and I were so enamored with the sole she asked if we could come and try the lunch tasting menu before her short NYC trip ended. I know Le Jardinier has a Michelin star but I feel like people are sleeping on how excellent this restaurant is. We’re also going to Carbone and Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi while she’s in town and honestly Le Jardinier deserves just as much fanfare.

This place is a gem! The food is always delicious and well-prepared, and the welcome is always a warm one.

When we walked in we were greeted like welcome guests. We specifically came to NYC to eat at great restaurant and DaRaffaele lived up to our expectations. We have eaten there many times before and we’ve never been disappointed. My friend and I had the pappardelle which was firm but not stiff and the sauce was magical. Another friend had the scallops capesante and she loved them. I was so full that I couldn’t finish my pistachio dessert but my friend finished mine and had her own chocolate mousse. We had amaretto sours as our cocktail and I don’t know how they do it but the cherry flavor in it is delicious. We had sambuccas for our after dinner drinks and they were so smooth and warm that it almost made me forget the winter weather. The waiter was attentive but not overbearing. I wish all restaurants were like DaRaffaele.

This was our first time at the new location, and it was stunning! The food was as delicious as always, and our server was fantastic. But unfortunately, she had to leave as we were finishing dinner. We would have loved to meet the server who would be taking over since we were done with our dessert and waiting for someone to come over. Romina helped us with our coats as we left, and I took a moment to ask about the space upstairs. She was so kind and gave us a quick tour. Even though we had a great time, Armani will still be one of my favorite restaurants in NYC.

Love the food here! We always enjoy our meals here and the drinks as well. Can be just a tad too loud in the back of the restaurant.