Iconic location with great food
We recently got to attend a dinner at the fabulous Leopards at Des Artistes. Our first impression when walking in is that this restaurant is luxurious. With a location right by Central Park and extravagant murals painted on their walls, this restaurant is a place you would go if you’re looking for a fancy night out. We were greeted immediately by warm smiles and pleasant hellos. While your table is being prepared, the hostess will take your belongings as a complimentary coat check and will remember what belongings you had when you leave (no tag necessary). As we were getting comfortable at our table, we were greeted by a very friendly staff including our great waiter and the manager of the restaurant, both being extremely warm and hospitable. We decided to let the chef customize our entire meal alongside wine pairing which was a very special treat.
The night started off with an amuse-bouche of the arancini which was delicious. The fried rice ball was crispy and savory but at the same time light and airy. It was a very standard arancini which isn’t a bad thing because it helped prepare us for the upcoming meal. Our first course was a grilled octopus salad with burrata and caprese styled tomatoes. The octopus was cooked well and had a nice char on it which added some texture. It had a slight acidity to it which paired well with the olives added in the salad. And paired with the creaminess of the burrata and the sweetness from the tomato helped break up the savoriness of the octopus. Overall, this first dish was a nice start. It wasn’t too filling but packed a good amount of flavor. There was a good balance between the three components which was much appreciated because if there wasn’t that diversity in flavor this dish would likely become a little boring.
The next course was a butternut squash and ricotta ravioli in a walnut and mascarpone sauce. The ravioli itself was tender and the filling was both savory and a little sweet. You could place the butternut squash flavor in the filling, but the sweetness of that was cut by the cheese which helped the filling not be one note. The walnuts in the sauce gave the dish a little texture in the crunch and the nuttiness in the sauce accentuated the filling even more. This dish was paired with a pinot grigio. However, our waiter said that this pinot grigio isn’t like others because it was a little on the heavier side. It really did pair nice because that crispness from the wine helped balance out the sweetness of the ravioli. Following this course was another pasta dish being a pappardelle pasta with a braised pork rib, onion, pecorino, and white wine sauce. The pasta was nicely cooked and the sauce itself wasn’t too overpowering. You could taste each individual ingredient which was really nice. The pork flavor wasn’t too emphasized which I personally appreciated seeing as I’m not a big pork person. The onion flavor also came through but wasn’t too powerful because the cheese helped tone it down. This pasta dish was definitely a favorite solely on the balance of flavors in the sauce. Nothing was too overpowering and you could really taste as well as place each individual ingredient. And paired with this wine was a lovely pinot noir. Red wine goes well with meat like pork so it wasn’t a surprise that this wine was paired with this dish.
Our main course was a specialty at Leopards. It was a lovely Dover sole boiled in olive oil and prepared with an assortment of herbs. What was really great about this dish is that the manager came out and cooked the fish in front of us. And he did that using a spoon. Apparently this fish is one of the easier ones to filet but it impressed us nonetheless. The fish itself was flakey and full of flavor. This dish was also paired with a pecorino wine which was a great pairing.
For dessert we decided to go with a nice zabaione with mixed berries which was made table side and a mascarpone tiramisu. Both were nice desserts. The zabaione was tasty but still had a little bit of kick to it. The berries added a freshness and a sweetness which was nice. The tiramisu was nice as well. It tasted like a traditional tiramisu except a little heavier from the mascarpone.
Our final thoughts on Leopards at Des Artistes is that this is a place for a classy night out. The staff is super friendly and helpful and the energy from the restaurant itself is nice. The food was tasty and there wasn’t a bad dish. The food has such a range of flavor that nothing tasted similar which we appreciated a lot. Also, the wine was excellent and they clearly know good wine pairings.