César Ramírez is a Mexican-born, Chicago-raised chef and restaurateur known for his Michelin-starred French restaurant, César, in New York City. His culinary style is characterized by a refined blend of Japanese...
Insights
FrenchLocal ModernSeafoodJapaneseSeafoodFine diningDinnerFine DiningCocktail Bar
Last updated: 7/30/2026, 3:42:09 AM
Key Information
César is a fine dining restaurant in Manhattan, led by acclaimed Chef César Ramirez, known for his previous three-Michelin-starred establishment, Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. The restaurant offers a Japanese-inspired, predominantly seafood-focused tasting menu in a minimalist setting with an open kitchen, allowing diners to observe the chefs' precise work. It aims to provide a refined yet inviting culinary journey.
Customers generally praise César for its exceptional food quality, precision, and creativity, particularly highlighting the beautifully balanced and flavorful seafood-focused tasting menu, with dishes like uni and bluefin tuna receiving high acclaim. The service is often described as polished, attentive, and warm. However, some reviews note inconsistencies in service pacing, wine pairing explanations, and billing clarity. While the minimalist decor is appreciated by some for keeping the focus on food, others find it somewhat outdated. Despite minor service critiques, many consider it a top-tier culinary destination in NYC.
Additional Details
Chef César Ramirez honed his skills at renowned New York restaurants, including a significant tenure as executive chef at Bouley, where he was introduced to Japanese cuisine. He later achieved widespread acclaim and three Michelin stars at Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare before opening César, bringing his distinctive culinary style to a new Manhattan location.
Given its fine dining nature and tasting menu format, César is primarily a dinner destination. Reservations are highly recommended.
Awards & Recognition
Michelin Star(s) • 2024
5
We had a beautiful evening at Cezar. Chef Cezar, formerly of Brooklyn Fare, brings the same precision and creativity that made his previous restaurant so memorable, while creating an experience that feels entirely his own.
The tasting menu is predominantly seafood-focused, and every course was beautifully balanced, elegant, and full of flavor. There is a generous use of uni and caviar throughout the menu, and the standout bite of the evening was an unforgettable combination of uni and bluefin tuna—one of the best we’ve ever had.
The ambiance is calm and understated, with a simple, minimalist design that keeps the focus exactly where it should be: on the food. The open kitchen adds another layer to the experience, allowing you to watch the chefs work with incredible precision and attention to detail.
The service was polished, attentive, and genuinely warm, making the evening feel special from beginning to end. Cezar is one of the few Michelin-starred restaurants that we’d gladly return to—an exceptional meal that feels just as inviting as it is refined.
Went there on July 4th and service could have been better given how well reviewed this place is.
Edit: I feel like I have to preface this post by saying that this didn’t ruin my night in any way. We enjoyed the food and the company of friends. The whole point of this post is to compare it with the level of service I have seen from other restaurants at this level and price point.
The good part: food was well executed for the most part. One fish course was overcooked in particular. We enjoyed most other courses though.
The bad part: service and attention to detail was lacking for the price and reputation. Lots of small errors that added up to a less than stellar experience rather than any one major error.
Examples:
- Inconsistent pacing. Main squab course took about 40 minutes to arrive. Bread arrived so early that it got cold by the time the accompanying course arrived. No explanations or remedy given for the long wait. Total dining time was 4 hours end to end for only 10 courses plus 2 desserts.
- Wine pairing was not explained for a few courses. It was also explained to the wrong person for other courses. Also, they didn’t seem to have a sommelier that evening.
- Billing confusing. They made us fill out a gratuity first before paying. When the final credit card receipt came, it wasn’t clear whether gratuity was in the final charge. Had to do some more math to figure out it was excluded so we to ended up filling it in again.
- No menus (or any memorabilia) given to diners to take home. I thought this was standard practice at most Michelin starred places by now. And definitely saw some other diners get one in other reviews.
- Service was a bit chaotic and cold. Staff tried their best to be professional in between the lapses described above. Lots of hustle and bustle in the dining room (perhaps too much). It lacked the warmth and cohesiveness of similar rated NYC restaurants.
- Decor somewhat outdated. Subjective and more of a nitpick, but wood paneling in the dining room is reminiscent of early 2000s fine dining.
- Price is not reasonable given the lapses. If you expect to charge $295 + 20% for a wine pairing, you better make sure that all of the other aspects of service are on point.
- Is there a dress code or not? It was a hot day, so I can understand not enforcing it. But some diners came in wearing jean shorts and t-shirts despite the dress code. I don’t like dressing up either, but I read that some folks were turned away in the past for not dressing up. At least enforce it for the other people who made the effort to follow it. Otherwise, get rid of it.
Excellent food and great wine pairing. Appetisers were so delicious, umami and beautiful. I love their pre-dessert this season too (strawberry). Service was top notch really. Special shout out to Yisi Lu, Daniel, Roberto and Jonathan. Great work and attentif to all our demands. Would definitely come back. Best fine dining restaurant in Manhattan!
Cesar is a bonafide, top tier New York City culinary destination!
We were truly looking forward to our evening @ Cesar with great anticipation & were not let down!
We had the privilege of being seated directly in front of Chef Cesar Ramirez himself as he & his team plated wonderful dishes! Please note, dining at Cesar was not just another night out for us, but rather a culinary journey into the depths of our newly awakened sensory receptors!
Everything we had was remarkable. We also opted for the wine pairing which absolutely complemented the delicious dishes. The interior is clean, fresh and welcoming. A minimalist design that is geared towards food quality than flash interior optics. And on that my friends... Cesar absolutely delivered! The food was perfect! We definitely recommend Cesar!
For a couple like us who love both Japanese and French cuisine, this place was honestly perfect.
Adding uni, truffle, foie gras, and wagyu to the course took the whole experience to another level.
The tasting menu itself was full of surprises, and the wine pairing matched beautifully throughout.
And the dessert… so soft it felt like it would melt the second it touched your tongue.
Service was polished but warm, and dining while watching the open kitchen made everything feel even more special.
