This will be a controversial one. I wanted to love it. I did. There was nothing to hate, and it was excellence all around. The level of service was 9.5/10. Food was great, obviously deserving of the stars. I very much enjoyed the montauk shrimp tartare, the hiramasa, the pistachio desert, but oh, especially the amuse bouche. They always get me. Somehow it just didn't hit home for me. I cannot give it a 9.0+ with good conscience, given the lack of "w o w". I was unimpressed by the interior design and the lighting, although the acoustics were well done for guests to have actual conversations with others at the table. The focaccia was out of this world actually. But nothing really left me speechless and wanted to just be in my own world for five seconds to savor this moment. It makes me sad that there was nothing really that I wanted to remember. And the desserts were too sweet. You really can't go wrong with anything at Le Bernadin. But I am well aware of how the risk reward ratio plays out.