Manhattan, NY — Fleming By Le Bilboquet, a well-known American restaurant located at 27 East 62nd Street on the Upper East Side, received a Grade B following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 18, 2026. The restaurant recorded a score of 22, placing it near the upper limit of the B range and within six points of the Grade C threshold.

The inspection data was released publicly by DOHMH on March 25, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March visit, with no non-critical violations recorded.

The critical violation — Code 02G — involved cold temperature control for safety (TCS) foods. Inspectors cited the restaurant for holding cold TCS food items above the required 41°F threshold. This category of violation may also apply to smoked or processed fish held above 38°F, intact raw eggs held above 45°F, or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above their required temperatures, except when undergoing active and necessary preparation.

Improper cold holding temperatures are among the more commonly cited critical violations in New York City restaurant inspections. Temperature control failures can accelerate bacterial growth in perishable foods, increasing food safety risk.

Food Safety Context

Cold temperature holding requirements are governed by NYC Health Code Article 81 and are consistent with standards outlined in the FDA Food Code. These regulations establish specific temperature thresholds for different categories of potentially hazardous foods to minimize the risk of pathogen growth during storage and service.

A single critical violation of this type does not automatically result in closure. However, it carries weighted point value in the DOHMH scoring system, contributing meaningfully to the restaurant's overall score. The 22-point result places Fleming By Le Bilboquet near the top of the Grade B scoring range, with scores of 28 or above resulting in a Grade C or further enforcement action.

Inspection History

Fleming By Le Bilboquet's inspection record prior to the March 2026 visit showed two consecutive Grade A results:

  • May 15, 2024: Score 11 (Grade A)
  • June 14, 2022: Score 12 (Grade A)

The 22 recorded in March 2026 represents a notable increase from the restaurant's prior two scores, both of which fell comfortably within the Grade A range. This marks the first Grade B the restaurant has received based on publicly available inspection history.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades to restaurants based on inspection scores. The grading scale is as follows:

  • Grade A: Score of 0–13 points
  • Grade B: Score of 14–27 points
  • Grade C: Score of 28 or more points

Lower scores reflect fewer or less severe violations. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection, at which point a new score determines the grade posted publicly.

Diners can review current and historical inspection records for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov/health, or through the NYC Open Data portal.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Fleming By Le Bilboquet including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.