Daniel Boulud’s Return to Indoor Dining at UES Namesake Underwritten by Top Brands

UES’s Daniel returns to indoor dining as a South of France-inspired pop-up

With the return to indoor dining this Wednesday, chef Daniel Boulud has transformed his two Michelin-starred Upper East Side establishment, Daniel, into a South of France-inspired pop-up called Boulud Sur Mer.

A bunch of top brands including Evian and Lavazza coffee donated money and product to reopen the restaurant, and architect Stephanie Goto has reimagined the interior with fabric and wallpaper that are a nod to the landscape in the coastal towns overlooking the Mediterranean sea, according to Bloomberg, which first reported on the pop-up.

The temporary makeover reportedly cost five figures, but Boulud did not disclose the exact amount, adding that the pop-up would have been impossible without the sponsor donations. While a typical meal at Daniel will set diners back by several hundreds of dollars, Boulud Sur Mer will serve a three-course, prix-fixe menu priced at $123 per person with provençal dishes like rosemary salt-baked fish, bouillabase, and soup au pistou, according to a restaurant spokesperson.

The restaurant is currently taking reservations for this return to indoor dining, where diners will have to undergo temperature checks before entering and wear masks aside from when they’re seated. Daniel’s a la carte menu will be served in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area, which has been open since early July. Boulud is expected to revert to regular service at his restaurant at the end of November.

In other news

— Historic Queens bar Neir’s Tavern was burglarized early Friday morning. A couple of thieves made off with $300 in cash, and four bottles of alcohol. The 190-year-old establishment has struggled to remain open in recent years, first due to rent issues, and more recently due to the pandemic-related shutdown.

— New-ish Hell’s Kitchen taqueria Casa Del Toro, located along Tenth Ave., between West 44th and 45th Streets, serving up free tacos on October 4 starting at 5 p.m., in celebration of National Taco Day, according to a restaurant spokesperson.

— Sports bar mini-chain Stout NYC is set to open a Bryant Park location this year. An opening date hasn’t been announced but the new location will be the sports bar’s fourth in NYC.

— New guokui restaurant Crop Circle has introduced a new version of its popular flatbreads. The mooncake guokui with salted egg yolk and pork was launched in anticipation of the Chinese mid-autumn festival on October 1.

— Crown Heights cafe Hunky Dory is hosting a Filipino feast this Wednesday as part of its weekly pop-up dinner series. Chef Woldy Reyes will be cooking up savory foods while chef Abi Balingit of the Dusky Kitchen will be on sweets. The dinner also serves as a fundraiser for local City Council candidate Deirdre Levy, who would be the first Filipina to represent Brooklyn, if elected.

— Bushwick’s newly opened Runaway Roof bar will be doing daily movie screenings for the month of October. Screenings kick off tonight with Jurassic Park.

— Sold!