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L'Ecole at The French Culinary Institute could be Manhattan's most instructive dining out experience; the food at this neat Soho spot is carefully prepared by FCI students. If the kitchen is their classroom, then your plate is their homework. Instructors supervise cooks as they craft French standards--items like bouillabaise, sweet breads, and house pates--as well as more contemporary fare, like seared bluefin tuna with ginger and coriander in a pepper crust. While eating at L'Ecole can be quite enjoyable, the best part of dining here is being part of the chefs' education. Patrons tend to be much more appreciative when they know there are students hard at work in the kitchen. If you think that they're doing okay, say so on the "report card" provided at the end of the meal. Keep in mind, menus and chefs rotate regularly. — Gabriella Gershenson

Three-course lunch, 12:30 p.m.—2 p.m., $28; four-course dinner, 5:30 p.m.—7 p.m., $42; five-course dinner, 8 p.m.—9 p.m., $42

Note
Only lunch and the 5-course dinner are prepared by FCI students and change daily; the 4-course dinner is prepared by professional chefs and changes infrequently (menus available online).

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Cooking Course (2007)
• Best Cooking Class for Seasoned Amateurs (2007)