B. Cafe

 

8

105

Josephine A.

New York, NY

Arrived late last Saturday to meet up with some friends.  The kitchen closes pretty early... (I think around 10 or so...) so we barely made it to put our order in.  The restaurant is dark and long... nice romantic ambiance though.  The staff is very friendly and attentive... so friendly that they didn't mind that our group of eight was very, very loud (annoyingly loud).  I ordered the seared scallops ($24) and my boyfriend had the stew... I didn't try his but he was talking the next day about how delicious it was.  Honestly, I didn't think he would remember eating his meal (drunken stupor) but he obviously remembered the stew.  This place has tons of Belgian beer and what I was most excited about... was the Iambic beers.  Yum, I love those fruity beers.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

18

189

Ted S.

New York, NY

Great spot.  I have been walking by the place for a while now and it looks very enticing.  Neighborhood Belgian brasserie and beer bar...  whats not to like?  The beer list lived up to expectations, they probably have 30 of those expensive Belgian beers (some trappist) that usually top the price list of other bars.  They are of course all delicious and highly alcoholic.  As for the food I can tell you that the Moules Frite are excellent (I had Madrid style with chicken broth, and saffron) and the steak frites ain't bad either.  The mains are reasonably priced at around $20 but the appetizers were rather expensive, all over $12.  Nothing really jumped out as a must have app from the list either.  However, you don't really need one since the mains are huge.  Maybe the best part of the meal though was the light, airy, and ethereal Belgian waffle with whipped cream and chocolate sauce... You will crave this afterwards.  It is amazing, but you pretty much have to share it because it is huge.  This place is a gem.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

41

45

matthew h.

New York, NY

i can't believe i haven't reviewed this place yet. I've been going here since they opened, and have never had a bad meal there. ever.

great belgian beer selection.
great moules frites. i especially like the hoegarten and garlic ones - i had the madrid ones last night and they were also very yummy.
the frites are crisp and perfectly cooked and come with mayo, ketchup, and a spicy mix of the 2. we usually need to get extra of the 3rd sauce. i just wish the orders of fries were bigger. cause i'm a pig for good fries.

they moved a few items off the main menu that are still on the bar menu, do not miss the bitterballen, which are tiny meatballs, breaded and then fried, and served with mustard. yum. i said yum and i meant it.

they also do a tremendously good hamburger and a really nice beef stew. it used to be a daube (beef cooked in red wine) but now they have a more tradition flemish one cooked in beer that is delicious.

they make belgian waffles for dessert that are nothing like what you get in a greek diner. they are so light and crunchy, they seem to disappear in your mouth as you are chewing them. i noticed that they expanded that to 3 serving styles now, plain w/ sugar, w/whipped cream and chocolate sauce, and w/ vanilla ice cream, berries and chocolate sauce. how can you go wrong?

enjoy

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

12

119

Arielle W.

New York, NY

Love it!  Great spot, v authentic, yummy beers.  Seems like the perfect spot for brunch, or a birthday party.  I'm a big fan.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

0

2

Josh K.

New York, NY

Fantastic place!  We arrived around 7 on a Saturday night and were seated quickly.  I had the Carbonnades Flamandes (belgian beef stew) and she had the Garlic And Beer mussels (cooked in Hoegaarden).  Both were outstanding!  The flavors were strong, but not overpowering and the beef selection was very nice.

The service was prompt and courteous.  The atmosphere was very nice - clean, comfortable, and dimly lit.  I suggest making a reservation or arriving early if you're going on the weekend.  Other than that, I highly recommend B. Cafe.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

0

5

Dave O.

New York, NY

Absolutely worth the walk, or cab or what ever means you use to get there.  Best wild mushroom omelet I have ever had.  They make the perfect bloody mary too!
Wait staff is friendly and prompt.  I am rapidly becoming a regular for brunch

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

6

150

Formicas ..

New York, NY

We popped into this little gem on a rainy Friday night and it is THE perfect spot for a good beer!  They really know their beer here and while I am not a big beer drinker - I actually enjoyed their Belgian dark beer!  
Matt had the B. Cafe burger and I had the chicken Waterzooi stew.  The Belgian style Moules Frites were THE BEST thing and served with mayonaise & mustard on the side :) yumma.   We also treated ourselves to the Belgian waffle for dessert and it was so/so- we are not big waffle people and it tasted a bit dry to me.  The ice cream served with it was amazing though.  Fresh fruit on the side and real whip cream topping which Matt enjoyed.  
The best thing about this place is their beer selection. They boast over 30 Artisan Belgian beers.   We especially enjoyed the Leffe Dark and the Chimay blue.

The ambiance is warm and inviting and the staff was VERY friendly.  Great service experience here.  We also liked the quiet/ relaxed rustic feel; on a Friday night the music was not blaring and we could actually have a conversation and just mellow out.  Just what we were looking for.
The best thing is that it's in our "hood" in the UES!  Love it- a true gem.

Came back again on a Friday night around 10pm and the place was packed. Drinking the beers  on tap is certainly the way to go- $6.
I had a GREAT dark in a bottle (since they were out of dark on tap) called Trappistes Rochefort #10.  Awesome if you are willing to pay $14 for a bottle of it.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

4

18

Marysa M.

New York, NY

This is, by far, my favorite hidden gem on the UES.  It's the place I can always count on for yummy mussels and frites....and the dessert that tops all desserts - the belgian waffle!  Everything is quite simple here, it's just good food.  No crazy spice screams out above the rest and the quality (and quantity) of the mussels is great.  

I'm not a huge beer drinker but of course the Hoegaarten is good as is the lambic beer or what I like to call "lady beer."  I wish they had peach flavored, but the other choices are just as good.  

But remember you MUST, MUST get the belgian waffle.  Freshly made waffle with ice cream, strawberries, blueberries, and chocolate sauce.  I literally lick the plate and you will too!!

UPDATE: They do in fact have Peach flavored lady beer.  Apparently I was too inebriated the first 17 times I was there or they added it.  either way, it made my day!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

2

16

Becky A.

New York, NY

I really like this place! The beer selection is great and the service is on point. You shouldn't have a problem finding which beer you like and the bartenders are very helpful. Too bad the residents in the building won't allow the garden in the back to open. The atmosphere is great and the food is excellent. I love the beef stew and chicken stew. This is a much needed place for the UES. I wish there were more places like it. Baronda overrated.. and an eyesore!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

43

343

Mahua C.

New York, NY

Cute place.

The food was pretty good. I had the Malay something mussels (coconut milk and curry involved) and 007 had the beef stew, which was also quite good. Nice beer selection - Leffe on tap, though I stuck with the Maredsous.

The atmosphere is nice. It's a little on the small side but it felt more cozy and homey than tiny. The bartender was great.

The one drawback was the large amount of children that happened to be there. I don't know if that's a usual thing or not. I'd go again for the food, beer, and vibe. If the kids are out of the picture, I'll raise the rating to five stars.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

39

226

anita c.

San Francisco, CA

The beer selection was nice, if not as stunning as Jay's review led us to believe. (I think my time in Seattle has forever spoiled me into expecting too much when someone says "beer selection is without peer".) The food was good, in an unambitious sort of way. It's a treat to find properly made frites!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

6

123

jay g.

New York, NY

The outside sign says 'Belgian Cafe', but the actual name is the 'B. cafe'...why? I dunno'...It seems very authentic. Hoegaarrten  $6, St. Bernardus $12, if they have it. The Belgian beer selection is without peer. The menu is full of interesting dishes, but I always get the 'Belgian burger' and a few beers. The music is always piped through an ipod, loaded with odd European music. The fries are really good and served with mayonnaise and 'mayostard'. The fries are so good, they can be ordered as an appetizer.

One of my favorite burgers in the UES.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

10

199

Adrienne M.

New York, NY

Headed here on a Friday night.  It wasn't too crowded and had a great atmosphere.  The tables were close together, but not so close that you felt like you were a part of the other tables conversation.  The beer was yummy and they did have a good selection.  Although, the waiter who took our drink order forgot about us at first... We tried to buffalo chicken spring roll appetizer- and although it said all white meat, it was all dark meat.. hmm, but the blue cheese/buffalo sauce they served with them was good.  We both got Moules Pots, I the Hoegaarten and garlic, my boyfriend the Marinara.  We had high expectations given that Waterzooi has been the only other place we've gotten Moules Pots and they are huge and delicious.  Our Moules came and immediately we were confused.  They both looked the same!  I asked for clarification and was told that indeed they were different.  I don't believe it though.  They were both just basic broth with some carrots and celery.  No flavoring, no added zest, just plain broth.  That's okay, if you are upfront about what you're getting when you order- but I wanted some garlicy flavor and my boyfriend wanted some tomatoes and spices.  The frites were delicious and the atmosphere great which gets it the 3rd star.  But I was very disappointed with the moules.  I may go back for the atmosphere and try something else next time.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review