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86th St (1)
86th St (B, C)
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This place has a pretty extensive beer menu and looks like it could be a fun spot at night, but came here with my boyfriend for brunch.
I'm sure this place gets overshadowed by Popover Cafe right across the street, and in fact we stumbled upon this place after deciding against an hour-long wait for popovers.
Overall was fabulous! Sat outdoors in the sun, service was good, and the food was delicious.
The french toast was soooo.... French. Elegantly presented, and not too sweet.
Also tried the omelette, which gets a big thumbs up. Coffee wasn't bad.
It was an Upper West Side rendez-vous a la Woody Allen. I arrived early, sat at the bar. There were some Lincoln Center musician type older gentlemen checking me out talking loudly at the bar. "That piece is quite well written but executed poorly to say the least," says the mouth. But the right eye has wandering problems Sir, yes indeed it does quite happen at your age especially around my bosom area.
I had a great time at B Cafe West. Great service and friendly atmosphere, quite the old UWS New York. The back actually felt like a cruise ship, both the wooden panels and the clientele, but the moules frites were mediocre at best. I'm not a good cook. I don't even fry omelets at home. But, I can make mussels at home for a fraction of the price and that's saying a lot. I still appreciate the effort and the variety of beers, excellent service and the fried donut apple thingy.
When you need a good kick in the ass, head over to B Cafe and order one of the Belgian beers on draught.
Met an old friend here the other night, and I ordered a few Grimbergen Dubbels -- a bittersweet beer with an aroma of raisin and toffee. Highly potent, the beer was like drinking a huge stash of the kind bud.
With such an impressive selection of handcrafted Belgian beers, I was here mainly to drink (Why are all my reviews like that? Should I be concerned?) -- but we did share a couple of apps....
The Belgian fries were tasty, though not "best in the city" as our server claimed. Not even close to Vol de Nuit, in my opinion.
We also ordered chicken skewers -- two measly skewers served on a plate the size of a small pizza...for $8. Not too impressive. The steaks looked tasty, though.
But it's the fruit of those monks' labor that will bring me back to B Cafe, especially when I need to get my buzz on.
Had a very rude waitress (she was prego, so maybe just a little moody) who got irritated when we wanted to enjoy our beers before ordering dinner. Really bad vibes from her. Hopefully they got rid if her. Not nice. We left before ordering dinner.
Good little place, lots of good beers on draft and in the bottle. I had a bottle of Wittekerke and then a draft wheat beer, can't remember the name. Looking forward to trying out some more of them. Wife liked her hanger steak, it was tasty and cooked like we like it (med rare). I had the duck breast sandwich, and it was really good as well. And of course the frites were very good. This place is only about a block from our apartment on Amsterdam, so we'll definitely be going back at some point.
There for lunch - which was great. Fab "Chimay" burger, great fries, and a terrific selection of good, flavorful beers. The space is narrow - cozy - but the service was lovely.
Great beer selection. Friendly bar staff will help suggest beers to try based upon your tastes. Relaxed atmosphere with open-air access provides for a nice relaxing evening with some good Belgian beers. However, if you come, you must eat! The food is very good and compliments the extensive beer menu nicely. Moules frites is the way to go.
If you want to experience irony on the Upper West Side, stop by B Cafe West. Belgium, what were you thinking? First, you give us Belgian waffles, which are partly to blame for the growing obesity problem in the US, and then you open B Cafe, where even Kate Moss would have a hard time walking between the tables.
Seriously, though, it's one of the most awkwardly narrow dining room layouts ever. And good luck getting to the restroom. My advice is don't use it, or risk being scalded by a hot dish: the restroom is right next to the kitchen. I am not sure how the servers manage to bring the food to the tables, but they do a very good job of it. Oh, and they're friendly and cheerful, too.
We came here for a late brunch on Sunday. I couldn't decide whether I wanted an omelet or a crepe, so my friend and I decided to get both. Problem solved! I decided to be adventurous and order a salmon omelet. They made the omelet with scallions, creme fraiche and several pieces of salmon. The salmon was flaky and fresh, but the whole omelet tasted a bit too sour for my taste. I am not sure if it was lemon or capers, or a combination thereof, but it was way too tart. The fritas (french fries) were very good. I finished all of my fries, something I never do. Either they were that good, or there just wasn't enough of them. Nah, they were good.
We also split an order of crepes with Nutella and fruit. It made us feel very European. The crepes were pretty ordinary, but it was a good way to finish off the meal. Besides, it gave us an excuse to have more coffee and catch up.
Overall, it was a pretty decent brunch. The walk back to my friend's place (4 blocks away) without umbrellas in the pouring rain was NOT.
Delicious vegetable omelet. Cute atmosphere, fast service, immediately accommodated 7 girls on a Sunday at noon. They had a great beer variety, although I didn't try any.
The frites were hot, crunchy and perfect... accompanied with 3 cute little dipping sauces.
If you like mussels and beer, you've come to the right place. Nearly 2 dozen provencale mussels and crispy frites for an extremely reasonable cost. Bf devoured hangar steak, frites and a palm beer: all... very good. It's a mixed crowd of seafood lovers, belgian beer enthusiasts and some of the older crowd. I wasn't a fan of the sidewalk seating, in particular because it was garbage night. Who wants to dine and stink/smell of garbage? Lucky for me, I was seated indoors and felt like a whale as the servers bumped into my seat every few seconds. Aside from the *minor* logistics, I enjoyed my meal and would return.
Of several moule frites options, I had one of the more basic ones and it was delicious. I drank wine, but next time I will check out one of their many
European beers, the have quite a selection. The restaurant is small, the service is friendly, was able to sit and chat with a friend for a while and didn't feel rushed. I can't wait to go again.
If there were a 3 and a half rating that would have been fair for B. Cafe on UWS. Alas there weren't so I settle for 4 stars.
CONS: The restaurant was really really small. Our table was tiny, right on the isle, and we were always on verge of getting hit by the wait staff with lots of beer glasses on their tray. Price is a little stiff, even for UWS standard.
PROS: - The cheese croquette was light as air, and not greasy at all.
- The House Burger (8oz fresh ground beef, pancetta, chimay cheese capers, mayo fries $14) was absolutely delicious. Huge prop for making it a perfect medium rare like we ordered (see picture)
- Then the star of the night: the Moule Frites - Beer based Hot Duvel (spicy, onion, carrot, cilantro, and comes with frites $20). We thought the broth was generous and flavorful, the mussels were fresh, clean, and with the heat as a little kick at the end.
Now I understand that this is definitely NOT the best Belgian mussels in town, and certainly NOT the best restaurant in the UWS. However, location, location, location! This place offers Belgian food which is very rare in this part of town, the food was expensive but tasty, also that fully stocked Belgian beers bar is a huge plus. We'd definitely come back to try more food on the menu
Love this place (but I'm biased, as a wannabe Belgian). Great (but not huge) beer selection, and yummy (if predictable) Belgian fare.
It's actually a really good spot for weekend brunch. And I've always had really pleasant wait people. I go back pretty frequently.
Only came to this place once. It's three blocks away from my house.. Fries a re good, as is the beer selection..
Person I went with ordered the mussels.. I was unimpressed.. Really what is impressive is the fact that they are selling a plate of mussells and fries for 20 bucks..
I tried the Malay broth.. watery.
Fries are good. I ordered an endive gratin.. Endive wrapped in prosciutto and then baked with a bechamel..
they are selling fries and alcohol..
I will go back
A lovely little Belgian place on the Upper West Side. Excellent selection of Belgian beers and a small but handsome menu. They claim that bitterballen are a traditional Belgian snack, and as a Dutchman I have to say, no they're not, and they weren't as good as original Dutch ballen, but they were certainly quite delectable. And handmade. Fish and chips isn't very Belgian either, but it was very good, and the chicken Vol au Vent was superb. Next time we'll definitely try some mussels too. Staff was friendly and alert. Just don't go when you're in a hurry, because service seemed a tad slow and there was a line out the door. But I suppose the latter is a good sign.
UPDATE on 9/1/09
What's up with not taking reservations for 2 people? This location is also not on http://Opentable.com for reservations.
Finally, after months and months of preparation, they finally opened the door to B Cafe. My friend and I slipped in on a Wednesday night and were impressed with how crowded it was. There's a small bar in the front if you want to sit and have a drink before dinner but we went right for the food. I had the Mussels Provencale (yum) and she had a dish which consisted of 2 rolled up pieces of ham with some sort of vegetable inside (sorry for lack of detail, can't find it on the online menu). She was underwhelmed. But she's ultra picky. Then for dessert we split: Gauffre De Bruxelles Chantilly belgian waffle, whipped cream, chocolate, sauce---very yummy. I was excited about the different waffle dessert options. I'm definitely going back to try other dishes and to have brunch! I'm glad something fun opened up in the hood- try it out!
This place is consistently great. the beer selection is large and varied. The staff is friendly in that i tolerate ignorant Americans way. Remy has taken many a time to explain the different beers to me and make pairings for whatever I have ordered. I cannot leave this place without spending $100. The dinning room is small and cramped, but the bar is the perfect spot to indulge.
There are three things that keep Belgium near and dear to my heart - mussels, frites, and beer (apologies to waffles, E.U., and Jean Claude Van Damme).
So it was welcomed news that B Cafe's opened up recently in my UWS 'hood - even if its a spinoff of a near 2 year old UES restaurant, marking the 4 billionth UES/UWS mirror restaurant.
My dining companion and I tried two of the five mussel dishes - the classic white-wine based Mariniere and a beer-based Hot Duvel. Neither wowed us. Your standard big pot of mussels. Both versions were heavy on aromatics like carrots and celery but stingy on broth and spice. Led to the mussels being a bit dry/flavorless. The accompanying frites (fries) were good and liked the three dipping sauces (ketchup, mayo, and, I think, curry sauce?). At $20, felt like it was a few bucks overpriced vs. other mussels offerings in the city.
The beer options are very good. Really liked the Kwak beer which came in an interesting, mini-me version of a yard o' beer glass (see http://en.wikipedia.or...). Also enjoyed the Chimay 500. Various Lambics are available in bottle.
Really liked the space. It's thin but has a lot of warmth and charm. Good service too.
4 stars for the beer, fries, and space/ambience. But giving it 3 stars for now b/c of the so-so mussels....
Great food and an impressive selection of beer. Friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. The scallops and the Steak Frite are recommended.
Ate here last Saturday night. The place is definitely a welcomed addition to the upper west side. The selection of Belgian beers is thankfully more than just Stella on tap. There are quite a few trapist ales in the bottle as well as lambecs for those who like the fruitier side of beer.
The service for our table was excellent. My girlfriend and I did notice another member of the wait staff having a particularly difficult time, forgetting to order appetizers for a table as well as not setting the table with the proper silverware.
The food was good, not great. The bitterballen for appetizers and the frites with dinner were the highlight of the meal. Anything deep fried tends to be good. No exception to that rule here. I ordered the mussels in beer and garlic. I was surprised by the tomatoes in the broth, thinking it was the provencal mussels. The broth was less than flavorful and could have used a lot more garlic. My girlfriend ordered a dish with ham wrapped in endive covered in gruyere and bechemel sauce....a deliciously rich concoction but almost impossible to finish. Will return hopefully when the place is a little less busy especially since the beer selection is great.
Let's be clear folks. The mussels are good, as are the bitterballen. But that's not why you're here. La Chouffe. Delirium Tremens. Corsendonk. While perhaps not the overwhelming selection of DBA or the red light atmosphere of Vol de Nuit, B Cafe's lead barkeep is Belgian and definitely on top of his game - something that can be hit or miss at the other Belgian beer bars.
I don't consider myself a foodie, but I know good frites when I have them, and when my mouth waters for the cheese croquettes and apple beignet, I assume that's a good sign. As for the beer menu... it's full of quality reading and difficult choices. The service is friendly and efficient, the bar is cozy and welcoming, and the restaurant is warm and intimate. On more than one occasion, I have lost track of time while chatting, eating, and imbibing at B.Cafe with friends - the environment was so inviting and cozy - who'd want to leave?! For these reasons, B. Cafe has become my new favorite spot on the UWS to meet friends after work or before a movie.
I wasn't impressed with this place. It caught my attention since I haven't found many nice bars in this area. I came on a Saturday night and it was pretty quiet. The interior is small and cute, brick exposure on one side, Belgian posters throughout. On a busy night it might get too close for comfort.
I'm going to have to disagree with the other reviews on the mussels. I'm a seafood junkie, and have had much better for less. The mussels here did not have much flavor at all, I was pretty disappointed.
For dessert we ordered a waffle with chocolate sauce... perhaps it is authentic Belgian tradition to serve the waffle cold and somewhat hard- if it is, I prefer non-authentic. The chocolate sauce, however, was amazing.
The selection of beer was decent, can't remember the name but our server recommended a dark stout for us, which we loved. The beer prices weren't too bad but the food was definitely too expensive considering the quality. Since the place is newer to the area, they should work on a few things if they want to stick around.
Good beer selection but seemed like small pours. Nice little outdoor seating area and great fries. Service was slow.
A Belgian bistro? Around the corner? In my sleepy kid-dog-and-a-pony-show neighborhood? Yay!
I've been searching for an alternative to Mermaid Inn, which gets terribly crowded, despite the harsh economic realities. B. Cafe, which is just next door, is an alternative. Smart location choice, if you ask me. The Mermaid Inn overflow is sure to jumpstart the business.
I haven't eaten dinner there yet, but boy do I love the beer selection. The service is friendly, which is key for a neighborhood spot like this. I sure hope they keep it up!
Welcome to B. Cafe and it was great to see you so very busy on your 4th night...it was jumping! The ecomony might be tanking but upper west siders like to go to new restaurants, that's a fact! And they will come and come back.
This is a very cozy spot, looks like it's been here forever, bar in the front, and the rest of the space is long and narrow with brick walls and window into the kitchen at the back. The staff is friendly, attractive and helpful.
The Thurs "hanger steak special" for $20 with frites was especially delicious and my companions mussels mariniere were ok, but a pot of mussels is boring...every bite is the same, good, but the same. The bread is good and there was plenty of it and the delicious Belgian speciality beer was a treat.
I will go again, not for mussels, but for another of the entrees, I saw a plate with roast chicken and mashed potatoes go by and it looked and smelled delicious.
The thing that did jump out at me was the fact that the front door opens right into the little bar in the front and it was windy and freezing tonight so everytime the door opens there's a blast of cold air...not a great design choice I think but I'm sure that the plan was to maximize the seating, but still, if it's really busy with people waiting for tables and the bar is full...then what?!?!
But, it was YUMMY and I bet it's worth a 4th star.... I'll check it out again and keep YELPers posted :)
Welcome B. Cafe
For months, I'd walk past B Cafe, wondering when it would open.... And, now that I've been there... Granted only once - I'm not really impressed. There's something formulaic about the food here. The first bites taste good, but then everything tastes cloying to me. Yes, the cheese croquets are okay, but they quickly wore thin with me. I had the short ribs as my main course, and it was like the beef version of Mississippi Mud Cake. Look, anyone can boil down beef stock and concentrate the flavor, but this was like beef syrup. No one who got this was able to finish it. This was a highly recommended dish. My wife and I were surprised at how crowded the place was. Maybe it's the bar scene. I don't think we'll go back. It feels like some restaurant planners got together and designed the place, the food had no soul. Sorry....
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