Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha:
"Bubbles After Broadway" sounds like a Woody Allen movie gone terribly wrong, but it's a cheap treat if you want to grab a high-quality bite post-show. The M-Sat (10-11:30 only) menu is a $35 prix fixe that includes entree, dessert, and a glass of (actually quite good) Champagne.
I've heard complaints that Aureole's portions are small, but that will work in your favor if you, like me, don't want a huge meal to round out your evening. Having said that, we were both full on our way home and had no complaints about portion size.
You won't miss the appetizer course because you start out with some lovely mini-ciabatta-type rolls to keep your Champagne company. My duck breast was perfectly cooked and sauced. It had a peppery kick that complemented the thin-sliced squash and pasta bits that lurked underneath. My husband's flatiron steak was delicious (well, at least what I could steal was), also a bit peppery and surprisingly tender. The weird thing is that both dishes were cool when they reached the table. If one of them was, that might be understandable. But both? Perhaps the kitchen has a communication problem.
Dessert was sticky toffee pudding for me: a little gooey, a little gingery, and gilded with whipped cream and the most adorable, sweet strawberries. My husband tried the banana split, which features sweet-and-salty cashews and cherries that throw the whole thing over the top. It's not big, but it sure makes an impression. I thought the bonus churros, with a little cup of bittersweet chocolate sauce, were unnecessary, but as soon as I tasted them I realized I was wrong. Anything this good is, in fact, very necessary.
Service was excellent. Everyone we came into contact with was professional, low-key, and pleasant. Clientele skewed older, maybe half tourist/half local. It was loud, but in a cheerful way.
I had heard that the interior is boring, which I guess is true but beside the point. (If I were being charitable, I would call it "restrained.") The gigantic windows look out on 42nd Street and Bryant Park. Why try to compete with that?