East Village
Get directions | 112 E 11th St , New York, New York 10003
Hours | Tuesday – Saturday 5PM-12AM
We like Tao. Sorry, that came out wrong. We understand Tao, and appreciate it for what it is: a cavernous party restaurant for people who want to do sake bombs, shout things, eat handfuls of popcorn shrimp, and temporarily drop any pretense that they’re adult human beings. Depending on your mindset, you can have a great time there. And when we went to Cathedrale, the latest spot from the people behind Tao, we anticipated something similar. Unfortunately, this place takes the worst parts of the Tao experience and leaves most of the fun behind.
Cathedrale is a massive spot in the bottom of an East Village hotel specializing in vaguely French food. It’s a pricey, elaborately designed restaurant where Heidi Klum hosted a Halloween party featuring the likes of Ice-T and Dylan Sprouse, and the food here is occasionally pretty good. But, with its soups du jour, stiff service, and dad rock soundtrack, it also feels like a club restaurant undergoing a midlife crisis. Without the ridiculousness the Tao Group has become known for, there isn’t much of a point in coming here.
To get to Cathedrale, find the Moxy Hotel on 11th street, walk down several flights of stairs, and enter a space that looks like a fancy mall bistro inside a dystopian place of worship. It has some big booths, a bar that could seat every person you’ve dated up to the present, and a table covered in apples, breadsticks, and champagne on ice (all of which appear to be purely decorative). And just past this luxurious-looking spread, there’s a dining room with ceilings high enough to inspire awe, rumination, and slight nausea. It’s an impressive-looking spot, but a few minutes after sitting down, the effect wears off, and you wonder what’s next.
Unlike Tao, there aren’t any sake bombs or bachelor parties to keep you entertained – there’s just food. Of course, food isn’t a bad thing for a restaurant (most people expect it), but going to a Tao Group spot purely to eat some gummy steak tartare and a $37 plate of forgettable sea bass is similar to attending jury duty just to hear someone call your name. Sure, they call the sea bass by its French name (loup de mer), and there are few items on the menu that are legitimately worth ordering – like the pristine caviar omelette and baguette with rotisserie drippings – but there’s no element of fun to justify the high prices and mostly mediocre food.
Despite the huge space and constant crowd, Cathedrale is boring. Does that mean you’ll find us at Tao later, drinking $20 vodka sodas while we try to get the DJ to play the 2 Chainz remix of ‘Bubble Butt’? It’s doubtful. But given the choice between Tao – a place that feels like a dream you’d have after drinking several Four Lokos – and the relative snoozefest known as Cathedrale, we’ll take the former any day.
(212) 888-1093
nycathedraleinfo@taogroup.com
https://www.instagram.com/cathedralenewyork/
Lioni Burrata
Hors D’oeuvres
East & West Coast Oysters half dozen / 24
Mignonette & Fresh Lemon
Warm Dates 7
Marcona Almonds, Roquefort Cheese
Pommes Dauphine 13
Potato Croquettes, Eggplant Aioli
Hen of the Woods Brochette 19
Mâche Salad, Basil Pistou
Hamachi Crudo 21
Blood Orange, Florence Fennel Black Olive Oil
Lioni Burrata 22
Marinated Peppers, Lemon Thyme, Chickpea Pancake
Yellowfin Tuna Cru 23
Poppy Seed Crisps, Green Olives, Cherry Tomato Preserve
Steak Tartare
Appetizers
Onion Soup Au Père Louis 14
Gruyere, Dry Sherry, Crouton
Salade Verte 16
Radish, Pea Confit, Cucumber, Sherry Vinaigrette
Tomato Provençal 18
Capers, Shallot, Champagne Vinegar
Steak Tartare 19
Horseradish, Olive Tapenade, Gaufrette Chips
Belgian Endive 21
Ruby Red Grapefruit, Macadamia, Buche de Chèvre
Octopus Grillé 25
Fresh Red Chili, Tomato Ragoût, Oregano Breadcrumbs
Potato Chip Omelette 29
Kaluga Caviar, Crème Fraîche
Faroe Island Salmon
Entrées
Winter Squash 33
Butternut, Delicata, Grains, Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Pané Diable 35
Breaded Chicken Breast, Mustard, Endive, Asian Pear
Mediterranean Orata 35
Dandelion Greens, Capers, Lemon Confit
Rotisserie Chicken 37
Parsnip, Spigarello, Kishka, Chasseur Sauce
Faroe Island Salmon 37
Sicilian Oregano, Ceci, Rapini
Black Truffle Fettuccine 51
French Butter, Cracked Pepper, Parmesan
Lamb Chops 55
Romanesco Cauliflower, Mint, Taggiasca Olive & Fig Tapenade
Filet Mignon
Plats Royale
8oz Prime Cheeseburger 28
Cheddar, Tomato Provençal, Pain au Lait Bun
8oz Filet Mignon ’Banquiere’ 59
Paris Mushroom Duxelle, Bordelaise
14oz Entrecôte Au Poivre 64
Escargot Butter, ‘Steak Frites’
24oz Prime Aged Ribeye 85
Rotisserie Leeks, Sauce Vert
Accoutrements
Broccoli Rabe 12
Garnet Sweet Potato 12
Market Cauliflower 12
Spinach 12
Macaroni Gratin Jambon 14
Wild Mushrooms 16
Mimosa Flight
Brunch Bubbles
Chandon Garden Spritz 18 gls | 85 btl
Brut Sparkling Wine Infused with Natural Extracts of Orange Peels, Herbs and Spices
Mimosa Flight 90 750mL | 125 magnum
Spiced Apple Cider, Orange Juice, Pomegranate Juice, Peach Pureé
Cote d’Azur Brunch Cocktail
Cocktails
Matcha Made in Heaven 16
Rhum Clément Coconut Vodka, Oat Milk, Matcha
Garden Variety 16
St. George Chile Vodka, Ancho Verde Liqueur, Specialty Bloody Mary Blend
LES Cold Brew 17
Real McCoy 12yr Rum, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, Espresso, Cardamaro, Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Sevilla Bellisimo 18
Tanqueray Sevilla Orange Gin, Tuaca Liqueur, Mandarin Orange, Lemon, Sparkling Wine
San Simón 19
Milagro Silver Tequila, Pomegranate, Hibiscus, Habanero Shrub, Lime
Lemmy Caution 20
Dickel Rye Whiskey, Tobacco Nectar, Xocolatl Mole, Orange Bitters
Cote d’Azur (serves 4) 45
Ketel One Peach-Orange Vodka Botanicals, Peaflower Tea, Lemon, Sparkling Wine
Scone
Bakery
Olive Oil Muffin 5
Sour Cherry Scone 5
Croissant I Chocolate Croissant 5.5 I 6
Banana Chia Seed Loaf 6.5
Pastry Basket 16
Olive OIl Muffin, Sour Cherry Scone, Croissant, Banana Chia Seed Loaf, Yuzu Marmalade
Raw Bar
East & West Coast Oysters half dozen I 24
Mignonette & Fresh Lemon
Smoked Salmon Rillettes
Starters
Salade Verte 16
Radish, Pea Confit, Cucumber, Sherry Vinaigrette
Avocado Tartine 17
Egg Mimosa, Toasted Seeds & Sprouts
Tomato Provençal 18
Capers, Shallot, Champagne Vinegar
Smoked Salmon Rillettes 19
Brioche Toast, Crème Fraîche
Burrata 22
Nardello Peppers, Chickpea Pancake, Lemon Thyme
Yellowfin Tuna Cru 23
Poppy Seed Crisps, Green Olives, Cherry Tomato Preserve
Potato Chip Omelette
Eggs
Eggs tout de Maison 18
Three Eggs Any Style, Potatoes, Salad
Cacio e Pepe 19
Soft Scrambled Egg, Crouton, Pecorino & Black Pepper
Shakshuka 22
Baked Eggs, Tomato, Peas, Fresno Chili
Frittata Bianca 23
Egg Whites, Spinach, Potato, French Feta
Contadino 25
Two Poached Eggs, Brussels Sprouts, Honeynut Squash
Potato Chip Omelette 27
Kaluga Caviar, Crème Fraîche
Pain Perdu ‘Suzette’
Mains
Pain Perdu ‘Suzette’ 22
Citrus Marmalade & Maple Syrup
Salade Niçoise 27
Tuna, Anchovies, Potatoes, Eggs, Green Beans, Red Onion
Buvette Steak ‘Au Poivre’ 27
Crispy Potatoes, Sunny Side Up Egg & Salsa Verde
Salade Catalina 27
Baby Lettuce, Peas, Cucumber, Choice of Chicken, Tuna, or Salmon
8oz Prime Cheeseburger 28
Cheddar, Tomato Provençal, Pain au Lait Bun
Grilled Chicken Paillard 29
Watercress Salad, Endive, Stone Fruit
Faroe Island Salmon 37
Sicilian Oregano, Ceci, Rapini
Accoutrements
Crépinette Sausage 10
Crispy Potato 10
Thick Cut Black Pepper Bacon 11
Fresh Fruit 12
Crème Caramel
Desserts
Apple Beignets 12
Spiced Apple Compote, Calvados Caramel Sauc
Crème Caramel 13
Madagascar Vanilla, Fresh Blood Orange
Meringue Gâteau 14
Vanilla Cream, Lemon Meringue
