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Arcane
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Caribbean French, Caribbean [Edit]
111 Ave CNew York, NY 10009
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City
(212) 777-0477
- Nearest Transit:
-
1 Av (L)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 12 am
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 1 am
Sun 11 am - 4:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
119 reviews for Arcane
Review Highlights
-
"The first bite of the Hanger Steak was pure heaven." In 21 reviews -
"...highly recommend their hanger steak and the pork curry stew." In 8 reviews -
"our dessert, the coconut flan was delicious." In 8 reviews
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119 reviews in English
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Review from Mary S.
5/10/2012
Love the ambiance of this place. It's quaint with just a few tables and a bar. I came on a night that there happened to be live music, what a nice surprise.
The drinks are good (and affordable!)and everyone seemed pretty friendly. I'd return here for drinks and apps. -
Review from Dave R.
Manhattan, NY
4/3/2012
Although the food was excellent the service was unbelievably slow. We would have purchased more drinks while we ate and talked but we never saw our server. A simple dinner lasted 3 hours, which for NYC is unacceptable.
But the food was great, just make sure you have some time to kill. -
Review from Vanessa T.
Brooklyn, NY
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Oh, Arcane. How can I describe the wonderful bursts of serotonin with every bite I took? That salad. Generous amounts of hearts of palm and gigantic shrimp!! My bf ordered the skirt steak and I had the Colombo de Porc. I'll admit I loved his entree more than my own but that's because his steak was perfectly cooked. It had a nice char on the outside and it was so juicy! My curry pork was good too but the portion was large and got redundant after a while.
Alphabet city is inconvenient to get to and the restaurant can get pretty loud. But I'd come back again and again. Until next time! -
Review from Yan T.
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sexy atmosphere, plenty of space, nice lighting, tasty and well-priced cocktails (all under $10), and apparently live music (there was a Spanish-language guitar chick when I was there). I hear the food is worthy of a brunch trip, so I'll be back.
-
Review from Lina C.
New York, NY
5/20/2012
great place for a weekday dinner. i usually get the hangar steak, the rabbit, or the roast chicken.
-
Review from Jennifer C.
New York, NY
1/25/2012
I must start out by saying that I really dislike going down to Alphabet City. It's a far commute and I feel like it's kinda in the middle of nowhere in Manhattan. (sorry Alphabet City lovers)
So when my friend came back home after a year of living abroad.. I was a bit annoyed that my group of girlfriends decided to pick this bistro which was a huge inconvenience for me (princess coming out).
=)
But oh man. Words can not describe how fab this dining experience was. First off, can I start out by saying how much I LOVE the ambiance? Something about the wooden interior, dim lights and I believe there was a red curtain? Maybe not red.. but there was something in the back that reminded me of a curtain. haha
between 5 girls, we split a sangria and a bottle of wine. For our entrees we split the following:
-Colombo De Porc: a pork curry stew. AMAZEBALLS. I need to go back for this
-Lime Organic Chicken: a bit dry but still tasty
-Ribeye: perfectly cooked to medium rare
-Red Snapper: absolutely fab. I believe this was the popular dish right after the curry stew
Food was fantastic. It's a great date spot as well.
Unfortunately, another customer and I got caught behind a couple who were up to no good in the bathroom. We were angry. Extremely angry. We kicked the door. (there is only one bathroom) -
Review from Jason P.
Manhattan, NY
5/5/2012
I must say I was VERY pleasantly surprised. The ambiance was perfect for a date, the service was excellent, and the best part, the food, definitely did not disappoint. I had the lamb and my date had the hanger steak. The portions were HUGE, which was excellent, but the food was also delicious. The lamb was literally falling off the bone and grilled to perfection. The steak was so tender it melted in my mouth. The creole rice was also really good, as was the codfish fritters appetizer. Overall, a fantastic experience which I would certainly recommend, and which I plan to relive soon.
-
Review from Rhonda W.
10/9/2011
easy breezy coolness inside, is it French, is it carribean (carribean poached eggs)... ah, it's both. I came here for brunch, was only mildly interested from the outside because it looked like a bar and I wanted food, but once I got closer I could see it was a rustic comfy looking eating spot.
The coffee was served in a very cute mug, where the handle doubled as a place to hold the spoon, and how was the coffee? It was good :)
I ordered the carribean poached eggs and when they arrived, they looked just like eggs benedict. i was confused, but only for a short while because when I asked if this was the right dish, the nice waitress said, 'oh yes, what's carribean about it is that there is a slice of pinneaple in there'. Oh! okay. it was interesting, but more than anything it as the right sized portion, the hollandaise sauce wasn't too heavy and the english muffin was nicely saturated in yummminess.
I'd like to come back for dinner sometime, and see what that's like. I'll be sure to bring only my mastercard or a wad of cash though, because that's all that's accepted here. -
Review from Samantha P.
New York, NY
10/4/2011
Yum. I really enjoyed Arcane, even if the restaurant was a little hot (no AC) for a 4th of July weekend outing. I came here with a http://Restaurant.com coupon for $25, and on top of that, found that Arcane offers a three course prix fixe for 19.95 (from 5 to 7:30).
My girlfriend and I each chose the prix fixe and split everything.
First Course: Papaya and Mango Salad and Feroce D'Avocat (Bacalao guacamole).
Main: Hanger Steak, Pork Columbo (traditional french caribbean pork curry stew) both of which came with sides
Dessert: Ice cream! Can't go wrong there.
All-in-all, good home cooked Creole fare for a VERY reasonable price.
TO NOTE: Cash or AMEX onlyListed in: Cheap Eats You Can't Beat
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Review from Lauren C.
SoHo, Manhattan, NY
3/18/2012
Love this place! First went because I had a group-on, and I love it! The specials are on point and the service never fails! Perfect atmosphere, Monday's and Tuesdays are the best nights. Bring cash or your AMEX, they don't accept any other form of payment.
-
Review from Brittany S.
Brooklyn, NY
11/6/2011
Seriously if I am paying $10 a drink the least you could do is make the drinks consistent. Each time I got a drink it tasted different than the last. One was SUPER SWEET I could barely drink it. I swapped with friends until we could all settle on drinks we could handle. Some had zero alcohol some had too much alcohol.
I didn't eat. Nothing looked appetizing and I HATE HATE AHTE HATE HATE HATE HATE the smell of curry. There was so much curry smell in the air I thought I was going to vomit. They had some curry soup or something that everyone and their mother was eating because it was part of the pri fixe dinner thing.
Overpriced and inconsistent. Not going back.
WTF kinda place only accepts cash or amex? Welcome to 2011 accept credit cards people actually use. -
Review from Roberto A.
Brooklyn, NY
10/25/2011
Originally supposed to have beer at the German spot next door, but their line was out the door.
I had the hangar steak, which was quite good. Good fries too.
The drinks were good, but inconsistent. One drink (Lulu, I think) was really sweet and tasty, the next not so much.
Service was good. Only one unisex bathroom, so the line can get a few people deep.
They only take Amex and cash. -
Review from Tina R.
Brooklyn, NY
9/16/2011
Cozy feel, trendy-ish decor without going overboard, great food! I highly recommends the bananas gratin--worth the long-ish trek from the subway for sure! Another favorite is the codfish fritters appetizer, a really great deal for $5. Light, fluffy and comforting.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC--it's great for so many occasions. Date, dinner with friends, or just drinking at the bar. -
Review from Jane K.
7/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Perfectly positive casual dinner experience complete with daily specials for only $10.95 and a 3-course prix fixe for $19.95. It's not a cheap-o place though, rather very cozy with plenty of locals sipping on sangria, chowing down on delicious food.
While I haven't tried a whole lot of things on the Caribbean/Creole menu, I'd have to join the reviewers in recommending the hanger steak. The lamb chops were perfectly cooked, though a bit bland. For a really delicious and diet-unfriendly treat order up the Christophine Gratin as a side. Mashed zucchini better than any whipped potato, baked and fried with a gruyere layer ... it's truly mm-mm-good.
Add a live band, some voodoo dolls and dim lighting and it's the perfect place for a low-key date night. -
Review from Angela C.
New York, NY
10/7/2011
I should take off a star for always feeling so bloated from their prix fixe menu, but I guess that also shows how good their food is. I have gone back enough times to try all their entrees. Everything is either good or great.
The staff is awesome. One of the waitresses refilled our plantain chips for free after it was finished...dont think she was supposed to do that, but thanks!
The prix fixe is so worth it. Especially with a http://restaurant.com certificate. With discount and after tax & tip, it's less than $15 per person for a 3 course meal.
But beware, it's A LOT OF FOOD! -
Review from Skip S.
Brooklyn, NY
10/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Damn. Great establishment. The vibe was great, interesting voodoo dolls on the walls. The food was phenomenal. Highly recommend the coconut cucumber soup, hangar steak (wow...), and the curried pork stew.
I will definitely be coming back here. -
Review from Tom S.
8/17/2011
Much has been said positively about Arcane, so I won't keep preaching to the choir here.
This place has a great, trendy vibe while still staying cozy. I was originally introduced to Arcane via http://restaurant.com, but they no longer accept these vouchers. I still visited, after hearing about their prix fixe menu, because it is still incredibly reasonably priced.
My mango salad and sorbet were great, but I felt let down by the hanger steak, probably because of the rave reviews here. The texture was absolutely perfect, but I could best describe the flavor as "burnt." It was also drowning in some unknown garnish that did really not agree with me at all. Perhaps it was overdone, or perhaps it was just an off night.
Overall, a solid choice for an intimate dinner between friends (or more than just friends, too) that I would definitely try again. Maybe I'd give the hanger steak a second try, also. -
Review from Nelson W.
6/24/2011 4 Check-ins Here
For an eye-opening introduction to French Carribean cuisine, one needs not look anywhere else. Upon entry, one is surrounded by brick walls facing against a side of honeydew green, a blackboard specials menu, and suspended lightbulbs. There is nothing quite like a restaurant that makes you feel like you are vacationing in the Carribeans with an East Village vibe.
The drinks are simply addictive. Rum drinks are strong, and the sangria is wonderfully refreshing. Without question, the mojito is the best I have ever had. This patron never had less than three drinks (of any kind) during each visit. Prices are VERY reasonable.
To save the best for last, let's talk about the food. Reasonable portions, reasonable prices, and amazing taste applies for both brunch and dinner. Memorable brunch options include the Arcane Baked Eggs and Omelette of the Day (normally stuffed with veggies and cheese) with a side of home potatoes and green salad. Brunch offerings ($11) are accompanied with a choice of juice or coffee and a cocktail.
Dinner is my preferred meal at Arcane. Appetizers and entrees are stylish in presentation, light on the stomach, and brilliant in flavors. Favorites appetizers include the Feroce D'Avocat and salmon tartare (special). Reliable everyday entrees are the pork chops, tiger shrimp, and the hanger steak. For fish lovers, the recommended seafood special of the day never fails to impress. Otherwise, the snapper is the other choice.
Not a lot of places a worth the voyage from Sunnyside, Queens to the Lower East Side in Manhattan. For the wonderful drinks and dinner specials, Arcane is not just worth the journey, it is worth it repeatedly. -
Review from Jill k.
1/3/2012
cool spot, flavorful creole-inspired food in the heart of east village. definitely one of those places i would frequent if i lived in nyc!
note: try the christophene gratin! omg, so delish... -
Review from Bryan B.
8/5/2011
Arcane left such an impression on me. Been months since I've been back, but the unique menu and ambiance really struck home. It is always top of mind if anyone is looking for a restaurant wayyyyyy in the East Village.
Went there on a http://restaurant.com gift certificate, which made it a very reasonably priced meal -
Review from Angelina K.
New York, NY
3/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
They make brunch so simple. The brunch menu is limited mostly to things that come with a poached egg on top, but they do it so well no one's complained. With a brunch cocktail, coffee, and OJ? For $11? You can pretty much find me here most Sunday afternoons.
The best part about this place? No wait. We're seated as soon as we stop in the door and we aren't rushed out. Super awesomeness. -
Review from A A.
Hempstead, NY
I am such a fan of this joint.
1. Prix-fixe and brunch!
It's so inexpensive. I don't normally really complain about the portion, but it's MASSIVE here. So skip the meal before you come.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
2. Music & Decor
I "soundhound" their music. Excellent Caribbean/French ones. And the paintings they hang on the wall. Damn, I could live here.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
3. One-and-only creative yet ethnic dishes.
Soupe Du Jour: SHRIMP COCO SOUP
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Papaya salad:
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Pork Colombo Curry(Damn, so blurry)
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Mussels with cream sauce (they didn't have salmon for the day)
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Hanger Steak wasn't really marinated well; I had to put salt n pepper. And it was burnt a bit on the surface.
And, I am warning you,
DO NOT ORDER LEMON SORBET.
Even if you are a lemon lover (or Liz Lemon, you are too?) It's WAY too sour. Coconut sorbet is a winner. Mango was passable.
http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Rachael B.
Brooklyn, NY
9/11/2011
Wondering around after fireman's Mass at Holy Redeemer Church, we walked into Arcane. Brunch. Really nicely prepared Eggs Florentine, great coffee, the potatoes, good, but not warm enough. Decent green salad. For $10.95 (including a cocktail), it was a good deal.
I wish they had more traditional brunch-like cocktail offerings...where was the bloody mary? Also, only one bathroom? I was waiting and waiting. Overall, food good, music great, service good. -
Review from Jade H.
4/28/2011
Christophine Gratin was fantastic. 5/5
Papaya Salad was average. 3/5
My Ribeye was a little on the tough side. 2.5/5
The ambience was mostly delightful. 4/5 and then the live music started. I, at first, enjoyed the live singers until the microphone began intermittently screeching. 3/5
Our server was very nice. 5/5
Prices were not impossible. 4/5 -
Review from John G.
Manhattan, NY
3/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
A nice cozy restaurant located in alphabet city, where the dishes have plenty of flavor, and the waitresses attentive of your table. The waitress was very friendly right from the start and always kept our drinking glasses full.
Regarding the food, I ordered the codfish fritters, which was slightly fried but it wasn't very heavy on the batter nor the grease. Each fritter had a nice balance of codfish in between and if it was an endless plate of fritters, I would probably still be eating instead of typing this review.
For entrees, my girlfriend had the hanger streak, which for those whoever love butter, it was a heavy dose of butter infused flavor in the steak. Seasoned perfectly and cooked just the way she preferred. Along with the steak was a small side salad and two potato chips that helped balance out the dish.
For myself, I ordered the pork curry stew and let me tell you, the curry isn't overpowering like most curry dishes are. The pork chunks were moist and almost fell apart when you use your fork. Mixed in the curry stew was also sweet potato cubes and string beans that absorbed as much of the stew as humanly possible into themselves, so every bite you tasted had flavor.
If you do get a chance, I do suggest checking out this restaurant when you have a free moment. The food is real good and the prices are fantastic, especially for a place located in manhattan. If you are looking to try the hanger steak, it is on special on Sunday's, while the rib eye steak is featured Monday's, mussels on Tuesday's, and various other dishes during the rest of the week. Seems the dish is almost half price off so if you have a specific dish in mind, try to go that particular day it has the special to save a few more dollars and still try the great food. :-) -
Review from Tan N.
5/26/2011
this place is a perfect place for a summer date- the restaurant serves great food, the ambiance is relaxed, and on a nice night, you might be able to eat everything next to the restaurant's double doors that can swing wide open to let the weather in. Just like a Caribbean island. who would've thought something like this could exist in Manhattan island?
But time the date well- their bar is situated right next to the entrance, basically inviting all the roving alphabet city bar hoppers into their place. if you're looking for some private quiet time...well, just make sure you're ok with it potentially not being quiet, just in case.
we got the hanger steak and the red snapper...the hanger steak is much better. the christophine gratin is simply amazing and is an absolute must if you come to dine. -
Review from Jin C.
New York, NY
3/14/2011
Arcane brings a refinement to island cooking that really elevates comfort food to the next level. The decor is very rustic and inviting, with warm wooden furniture, dim hanging lights and voodoo dolls lining the walls. I did think that the place was a little too dark, though. I had to use the candle light to read the menu. They were playing very chill-out, reggae-type music, and it definitely suited the ambience.
We ordered the guacamole with cod. It was served with fried plaintain chips that we could use to dip in the guacamole. It was a very tasty dish, with a nice blend of creaminess, crispness, savory and sweet. Next up was our stews. I had the pork stew, and my boyfriend had the conch stew. Both of them had really complex flavors and the rice was also perfectly cooked. The plate looked small but it filled us up very quickly.
By the way, Arcane does offer a bread basket with an olive oil dip. I have come to appreciate restaurants with bread baskets because a) I am usually starving by dinner time and b) I love to see how creative restaurants can get with their bread baskets.
Definitely a comeback place, and I'm glad they're on http://Restaurant.com! -
Review from Queen G.
Bronx, NY
6/12/2011
Their food is amazing. I caught their brunch special which was an amazing deal. Coffee, mimosa, and backed eggs french style YUMMY! Their decor is really cute, it gets kind of hot in the summer time, and their bathrooms don't really have a fan or good ventilation.
Their service is great, and everything on the menu seemed delicious. Haven't been here for dinner, but during brunch there is little wait for a table and the place wasn't that packed but had enough people for a good crowd. -
Review from Jane H.
5/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fiance and I agree -- this place is a solid 4 stars. The salad is amazing -- LOVE the vinagrette! The skate was perfectly cooked, could have used fewer capers. The meat-less chili is hearty and well flavored. While the decor was not bad, my friend thought the dolls hanging around were creepy, and I did not appreciate the "dim ambiance" that they had, which got even more dim later in the evening.
Portions are actually quite large! It seems small, but in fact, the amount is very good. We ordered two appetizers and three entrees for three people, and we ended up with left overs. -
Review from Angela L.
5/12/2011
wow, I've never been asked how I'd like my pork chop?! didn't know there was an option other than "cooked" and I was too scared to say 'medium' let alone rare, so I got it 'done.' Still one very tasty thick piece of juicy pork chop. Each dish is simply grilled and you get a choice of sides. For a French Caribbean place, they sure cooked one mean bowl of jasmine rice. My friend tried the lamb with a side of Christophine gratine (like scalloped potatoes with bacon) which he loved.
We also shared a shrimp avocado salad which was huge and very delicious. We ended the night with banana flambe - perfectly sweetened sauteed bananas with ice cream. A bottle of malbec ran about $30. Everything was very reasonably priced and the service was extremely friendly. No waits, chill atmosphere, don't be afraid of the little random voodoos hanging on the walls, not sure what those are for nor did we want to ask .
AMEX & CASH ONLY -
Review from Wafa Y.
New York, NY
12/17/2011
Definitively a place to check out. A menu very simple, few dishes proposed, that is why the food is very tasty. Try the fried calamari, hum mm, delicious...
Not loud at all, you can hear you friend, which is very rare in a restaurant in NYC. -
Review from Ann H.
Manhattan, NY
1/4/2012
This is a very cozy spot on Ave C with delicious French food with a flair. The owners are good people and this is the kind of place I like to support in the neighborhood. Ben makes a Kir Royale that reminds me of the ones I drank in Paris and on Tuesday nights the mussels special is my personal favorite. The chicken on Thursday nights is also crave-worthy.
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Review from Lelu L.
Staten Island, NY
2/6/2011
My friend and I came here with a http://restaurant.com gift certificate and I thought I'd give it a shot because it's not too far from my office.
Let's start with the good:
The outgoing bartender who made my friend and me outstanding (and stiff) cocktails. He also made us feel taken care of while we waited for a table to open up for us.
Great ambiance- excellent French-Caribbean music (I want their playlist!) and beautifully decorated space (I love the wooden furniture, the voodoo doll tree). Not a huge space but definitely space well distributed where you're not sitting on a stranger's lap.
The Christophine Gratin. Vegetables baked with a thick layer of cheese.
The bad:
My friend got the curry stew, which I believe she said tasted good, but did a real number on her stomach. Stay away from ordering that.
The codfish fritters. Where is the codfish? They must've forgotten it. It was mostly fried dough. A real disappointment.
My tuna was cooked to medium even though I asked for it rare. Thus, it was on the dry side and bland. Edible but I was completely unimpressed.
This place has potential oozing out of their windows, doors, every passageway. It's a comfortable set up and their staff was pleasant enough. We never felt rushed although it was a very packed Friday night. The wait was not bad at all. They said 10 minutes and we were seated in 7. Everything on the menu seemed remarkable but it unfortunately missed the mark with most things we ordered. I'm willing to write this off and give their daily prix-fixe specials or brunch a try (probably when I get another http://restaurant.com certificate because their dishes sure are not worth full price). Until then, in my book, they stand firmly at 2 stars. -
Review from Kyle W.
12/24/2010
Came here on the reccommendation of Alex S.
Seriously, the man never does me wrong when it comes to food or atmosphere.
Friendly bartender.
I was here with just a platonic female friend but the atmosphere was so intimate I seriously felt like we were on a date.
I rarely eat lamb, but decided to be adventurous. I had it with the banana gratin. Maybe I don't know what good lamb tastes like but it was gooooood. The bananas had a pretty good counterbalance of salty and sweet.
Pretty good value also.
Will definitely be back with date in tow.Listed in: Roll out of bed and into my…
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Review from Greg H.
New York, NY
5/26/2011
I liked Arcane. I had a nice rib-eye steak that was cooked exactly as I wanted. The wine great, and it wasn't overpriced.
What's more, they had live music on a Wednesday night. The music was good -- I bought their CD. -
Review from Meredith F.
Jamaica, NY
10/28/2010
I went to this restaurant on a terrible date. And that was actually a good thing, because I didn't mind him seeing me chew every last morsel of delicious salty and garlicky meat off of the bones of my grilled lamb chops. Otherwise I might have had to slip them into my purse to enjoy later. The rice and beans on the side were packed with flavor. The coconut flan was a perfect summer dessert to top the meal off. It's not an actual flan...it's more of a light mousse with a drizzle of tart raspberry sauce to balance the sweetness.
Our server (who I think may have been a manager or even the owner) was awesome and provided solid recommendations. She even apologized for the table behind us, a family that had decided to bring small children out to an intimate restaurant on a Saturday night at 8pm and let them run around, screaming. I plan on coming back with better company, and perhaps not in the summer since it was very hot. (The whole front of the restaurant is open, so they don't have AC.) -
Review from Sarit W.
New York, NY
2/13/2011
Brunch: The most magical meal of the week. For that sacred 4 hour window we are allowed to eat greasy and sweet foods, dose ourselves with coffee, imbibe alcohol in generous amounts, and conversation need not be deep (topics typically limited to the ridiculousness of the night before). And we are sated. And all is good.
Arcane knows not to mess with this holy ritual. For the low, low price of 10.95 they feed me deliciousness, caffein-ate me, and pour me a delicious glass of something akin to a sweet alcoholic hug all by a wonderful family-like staff.
Merci Arcane, Merci beaucoup.
P.S. Bring Cash. Or your Amex. -
Review from Craig N.
New York, NY
11/2/2010
and now for a straight-forward review...
Andrea, our wonderful waitress who happens to be vegetarian but still pushes the meat (oh god, that sounds wrong) recommended the lime chicken and the seafood braff. I have no idea what braff is but damn, that sauce is amazing.
For appetizer we ordered the grilled squid and I have to say, it was perfect. Tender, delicious, and just a little slimy on the inside, which any squid eater will tell you is just perfect. Too many places overcook their squid but this is not one of them. Try it, you'll be back.
Two absolutely amazing entrees, one appetizer, a couple glasses of wine and a bill under $60.
Arcane and Andrea, we will be back. Thank you for a much needed date night that you made even better. -
Review from Matt L.
4/2/2011
I've come here a number of times to meet up with my French friends, one of whom is a waitress here, so I'm biased somewhat, not to mention that it is down the block from me.
The food here is good quality, and every day of the week there is a 'special', which, unlike most specials, is pretty cheap (under $15 for a filling meal).
No matter what you get, at least order the "Christophene Gratin" as a side dish, it absolutely rocks. The food generally can be described as Caribbean French.
There's an active, very social bar in the front where everyone talks to everyone, and in the back there are some long benches and tables where you can easily bring a group and hang out for a while.
It' s a very French vibe, and very friendly. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't been here.
I've been here til late at night as well as for Sunday dinners. Good stuff. -
Review from Cory W.
New York, NY
3/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food here is off-the-charts.
We ate here last night for the second time, and I can't remember a better meal I've had in NYC lately. I finished everything that was put in front of me (that doesn't happen often).
What I ordered:
Appetizer: shrimp, avocado, and heart of palm salad
Entree: Tuna, with Christophine Gratis as my side.
Dessert: Lime tart
Although the salad was quite big (it's enough for two people) my girlfriend and I both agreed that the salad was one of the best we'd ever had. The shrimp were obviously fresh.
The Tuna was incredible. I ordered an additional sauce for it ($1 extra), but I wished I hadn't because the fish was delicious as it was.
I love lime tarts, and the one here was without question the best I'd ever had. My girlfriend said it was too "sour", but I thought it was perfect. It went great with the coffee I ordered (which was also fantastic).
We arrived at 7:40 on Saturday night, just past the 5:00-7:30 time frame for the prix fixe, and it was still quiet and there were plenty of open tables, but it got really crowded around 8:00 pm.
Only complaint: they only accept AmEx and didn't tell us until we tried to pay.
