Dining out in New York City is more expensive than ever, and there also seem to be, inexplicably, more French restaurants than anyone could possibly dine at in a lifetime. Bistro and brasserie-style French restaurants, white tablecloth standards, shabby-chic hotspots… you name it, there’s a French restaurant for every style. But it can be hard to parse which places are worth eating at when every French restaurant in the West Village seems to have the exact same menu, and a Niçoise salad could cost more than your National Grid bill. So I have made a (thoroughly non-exhaustive) list of some of my favorite French Restaurants in New York City right now.
Mino Brasserie
Out of all the French restaurants in NYC, Mino Brasserie feels like the closest thing to stepping inside a Paris bistro. Not only is the decor spot-on, with its leather banquettes, zinc bar, and enormous antique mirrors, but it’s incredibly beautiful and instantly transportative. It’s helmed by the Michelin-starred Executive Chef Gérald Barthélémy (formerly of the Vernet Hotel in Paris), and run by the team behind the St Tropez restaurants. I’m always delighted when I go to a French restaurant in New York and hear both the staff and the guests speaking French, and this place was about as authentically French as you can get… without the slow service. 😉
Mino Brasserie does the classics, and it does them very well: Coquilles St Jacques with rosemary in a red wine reduction over truffle mashed potatoes, a wheel of brie baked in puff pastry and topped with a shallot marmalade, foie gras with figs, magret de canard à l’orange with parsnip purée, and the best French onion soup I’ve had all year. But it was the profiteroles at the end, with vanilla ice cream, thick whipped cream, slivered almonds, and a giant drizzle of thick chocolate sauce, that I can’t stop thinking about. They also have an impeccable wine list, and are happy to make excellent pairing recommendations no matter what you order.
Address: 225 W 12th St, New York, NY 10011
Chez Francis
The restaurant at 411 Park Ave South where Chez Francis has sprouted up is hallowed ground. Once home to the iconic Brasserie Les Halles, under the stewardship of the late, great Anthony Bourdain, Chez Francis continues the tradition of classic French fare in a fine dining atmosphere. The white tablecloths and gigantic displays of white flowers might be a bit dated, but once the food comes out you won’t care about the rest. Owned by Francis Staub, creator of the Staub French cookware brand, the menu has an Alsatian slant in honor of Staub’s origins. You’ll find tarte flambée, steak frites, truly unmissable frog legs, and a perfect duck breast, but what you should really do is order a full meal of soufflés. This is not a joke. There are five on the menu: four cheesy, savory ones (cauliflower velouté, spinach velouté, raclette, black truffle & mushroom); plus a dessert soufflé made with Grand Marnier. And you want all of them.
Address: 411 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10016
Le Dive
If you want a restaurant reservation that makes you feel like you’re having a night out in one of Paris’s cooler districts, it’s time to make a stop at Le Dive. This Lower East Side wine bar and resto, styled after the ubiquitous French tabac, is fun and sexy and just the right amount of sceney. The thing to do is grab a large group and sign up for their group prix fixe menu. At $65 per person, it’s well worth it for the amount and quality of food you get. The unsuspecting crowd pleaser is the mushroom pâté, which manages to satisfy both mushroom and pâté skeptics. Pair with a bottle (or two) of natty wine.
Address: 37 Canal St, New York, NY 10002
Libertine
This West Village hotspot has had to work very hard to live up to its hype, but it certainly has something to show for it. The strength of this bistro, with its highly curated shabby-chic vibe, is a commitment to a limited menu of somewhat unusual French offerings. Start with the Oeufs Mayo and the Scallop & Seaweed, but feel free to skip the Lobster Chou Farci and the Jambon Persillé. It’s worth going to Libertine for the Duck Deux Façons alone — a classic seared duck breast, paired with a duck confit under a sumptuous blanket of comté-infused aligot potatoes. (They’ve also just launched a Fri-Sun lunch menu with a 2-course $48 prix fixe, which should make getting a table a lot easier.)
Address: 684 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10014
Revelie Luncheonette
Sometimes a good dining experience is really all about the vibe. Revelie Luncheonette is a small French-American diner serving a combination of traditional French dishes (moules frites, duck confit) and diner classics (patty melt, chicken tenders). The contrast is delightfully unpretentious, and while the food itself is more Jersey than Dijon, the place is affordable and effortlessly charming. This is the kind of place I want to become a regular at, sipping a glass of Sancerre at the bar on a vinyl stool while I watch the staff sling Croque Monsieurs and chat with customers.
Address: 179 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman, or on TikTok @catinthekitchen.
