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Brasserie Beaumarchais
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
409 W 13th StNew York, NY 10010
Neighborhoods: West Village, Meatpacking District
(212) 675-2400
- Nearest Transit:
-
8 Av (L)
14 St (A, C, E)
14 St (1, 2, 3)
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 5:30 pm - 12 am
Thu-Fri 5:30 pm - 1 am
Sat-Sun 11:30 am - 6 pm
Sat 7 pm - 1 am
Sun 6 pm - 12 am
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
- Good For:
- Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
At Bistro Vendome, our simple goal is to offer classic French recipes, some original, some with a modern twist, and to get our guests to fall in love… read more »
178 reviews for Brasserie Beaumarchais
Review Highlights
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"I will definitely be returning to Bagatelle." In 41 reviews -
"Welcome to what BB dubs "le grand brunch." In 75 reviews -
"risotto, steak, and tuna tartare all well done." In 8 reviews
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178 reviews in English
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Review from Lili K.
5/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I wasn't here for the partying time, but I was here for their brunch.
The place is cutely decorated, with cupcake decorations, and warheads & lollipops littered around the tables.
I got the Eggs Benedict, which was good and pretty filling. The mini salad was tasty as well. I'm all for this place with its nice location in the Meatpacking area! -
Review from Agz C.
Brooklyn, NY
4/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
You have to be a certain type of person to come here and enjoy it. I unfortunately am not of that kind. On a Friday night, you will surely lose your voice trying to have a conversation over dinner. There is a dj and it's no longer a restaurant but rather a full blown club. The booth we sat in was vibrating the entire time in sync with the bass.
Anyway, on to the food part of the review which is the important item on the agenda: overpriced. Was the sea bass good? Yes. Sidenote: I have a strange love for quinoa. The oysters (from long island) and foie gras appetizer was also very tasty. But the dessert.... OMG and not in a good way. It was a friends birthday and they bring out their "special birthday dessert". It is simply whipped cream, chocolate syrup, a few berries and stale cookies, which looks nice with the sparkler when it comes out, but I personally don't think it's worth $40. That cost more than the sea bass! Also note $18 cocktails that taste like juice.
Finally, if you like entertainment during dinner, you may enjoy the group of people standing on their chairs and dancing slash jumping to the beat. Like I said, this place is just right for some people who like that kind of scene. I however will probably never go there again.
2.5 stars. -
Review from Valerie H.
Houston, TX
4/27/2012
Formerly known as Bistro Bagatelle.
I first heard of this place from 'Bagatelle Brunch' on XM radio's Bpm saturday show...I fell in love! I live in Houston, and knew i just had to visit this place because there aren't many house music spots in NYC, (my fav vacay spot). I visited for brunch on a Saturday around 4 while it was still Bagatelle, back in Oct 2010, then recently visited just a few weeks ago...nothing has changed but the name!
I forgot to ask what the name change was about, nonetheless it's still an awesome brunch spot! Bottles of champagne and rose poppin, people dancing on chairs/tables, dj spinning house hits, what's not to love!
Word to the wise; MAKE A RESERVATION! During prime brunch hours (sat & sun 2-5p) they are reservation only, and prob even before and after that. I knew this beforehand, and actually reserved a month in advance to ensure a table. They give you the runaround when you show up, and send you to the bar for 20-30min, but the atmosphere is pretty fun so it's not that big a deal. THe mojitos are very, very good and fresh.
Our reservation was for 2p, and after 2 drinks at the bar, some moving of people/tables, etc, and checking back with the host, we were sat around 2:40. Not exactly great customer service, but this place is pretty small, and gets really packed, so I guess that should be expected. Once we were seated on the patio however, our server was very attentive. The doors/windows dividing the inside from the patio are opened until around 4p, when the music gets really loud. After that, they close them, and the curtains, and indoor becomes a day club party!
I will be back, and it's worth the wait!
Oh, and the food is good too...goat cheese egg skillet and pancakes are to die for! -
Review from Emily K.
New York, NY
5/3/2012
I would give them 3.5 stars...
This place is insane! I thought I was going to dinner, but it was like being in a club. The music is loud and the place is always packed. There is bottle service....they have sparklers when people order certain bottles of champagne. There was also a burlesque show towards the end of our dinner! Definitely make reservations. Food is fine, but too expensive. This place certainly makes for an interesting night! But it's not for everyone. -
Review from Connie C.
San Jose, CA
3/28/2012
One of the wildest boozy Sunday brunch parties in NYC! I celebrated my last birthday here and had an amazing time. You'll want to make reservations far in advance as everyone comes in large groups and try to make them for after 1pm, because...
The place transforms from a bright and airy fancy brunch spot into a nightclub in the Meatpacking at 3pm. It's as if the clock fast forwarded to midnight in an instant. They close the doors and pull the drapes to blacken out the place and the music goes from yacht rock to full on house beats. You might not want to bring your parents here unless they party just as hard as you.
Practically everyone is there celebrating a birthday or a special occasion so every 10 minutes, someone gets a huge sundae or bottle with a massive sparkler brought to their table. It's really cool, but after 10 times, it does get kind of old.
Wish there were more places like this around! Oh, and the food and drinks are really good too! -
Review from Leslie D.
I haven't been to Europe now in 5 years, 6 months and 12 days... not that I'm counting or anything. This past Sunday at Brasserie Beaumarchais felt like the closest I've been across the Atlantic in all of that time.
My day actually started off by meeting a group of friends at Lavo in Midtown East for a brunch party. After being told by Lavo they do not have brunch parties on Sundays, my party and I hailed cabs and headed downtown to the Meatpacking District for brunch at Brasserie Beaumarchais. Now I rarely ever go to the Meatpacking District and Lord knows I've never been during daylight hours. With its cobblestone streets, trendy stores like Ed Hardy and attractive, tanned young adults, I felt like I was back in Vienna.
Since we had no reservations, the head of our group went straight up to the beefy bouncers in the front and inquired about getting a table. We were in luck as the manager (serious eye candy by the way) was also right there and assured us we could have a table for our party of 7 in no time. When we told him the rest of our party were men (their cab arrived later than ours) we were given a weird look. Once reassured that they would be spending lots of money on drinks and food, the tension eased. Please, this isn't Vegas nor are there any tables inside your restaurant that are all women. Besides this one little quirk, the rest of our experience ran smoothly.
While the girls and I waited for the boys to arrive, we headed immediately to the bar to quench our thirst. $16 mimosa? Why not! It's brunch. Sexy European style brunch. After receiving my drink, I sat down at the bar and surveyed the terrain. Beaumarchais is very quaint with its stone pillars and white clothed tables throughout. I particularly love the large mirror at the bar. I noticed that the walls were blank which was odd since you could see drill marks from where paintings had been hung. I was then informed that apparently brunch here gets so wild on the weekends that they take down the paintings to protect them. Uh, ok. Should I get nervous or excited?
Once our boys arrived, we were led to our booth along the wall. Our very French waitress handed us our menus and took more drink orders. Now at first glance, the menu looks very expensive. I won't lie, it kind of is but you have to realize that the quality of the food is up to par with the pricing. They are offering you options like beef tartar and foie gras and fancy omelettes for brunch! After much deliberation, I decided to order the Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta and Truffle Baguette slices option for $22. I almost ordered beef tartar because I freaking love raw meat but I was worried I would still be hungry afterward. Those around me ordered eggs Benedict, pancakes, my dish, and a burger.
My dish came out in cast iron skillet piping hot. I was a little nervous I would not like the short rib as sometimes it can be very dry and have such a boring flavor. Boy was I surprised! My meal was freaking amazing. Juicy pieces of short rib surrounding a center of creamy polenta with two perfectly poached eggs plopped right in the middle. Poke poke and the runny yolk oozed into the surrounding polenta. Meat, yolk and polenta became infused in one delicious bite. Oh and I used the bread to dip my way through the mush. It was heaven, my friends. Absolute heaven. Filling, rich, meaty, creamy heaven. It was so rich and filling I couldn't even finish all of it from being so stuffed! I wanted to oh so badly.
I luckily was able to sample a few of my companions' dishes as well. The Almond Pancakes were some of the best pancakes I've ever had. The Eggs Benedict with Salmon was also very yummy. Everything was delicious and fresh from what I tasted. Throughout our meal there was a live DJ and we were surrounded by mostly Europeans and people who want us to believe they are European. I learned that Beaumarchais gets crazy around 3 o'clock and girls start dancing on tables like drunk fiends. So that's why the paintings are hidden! Insane. I'm kind of sad we ducked out right before that started happening... but I'm glad we did for our wallet's sake. Those mimosas and cucumber lemonades were adding up.
This was a Sunday Funday and Sexy Brunch at its finest and I intend on returning. If I end up being one of those dancing girls on top of a table, so be it. I know it will be a hell of a lot more interesting than your average Sunday.Listed in: Hangover Cures
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Review from Allison M.
San Francisco, CA
So it's like... brunch.. but it's a club. It's a brunch club. No, it's club brunch....
It's like... eggs benedict and champagne, but then it's like techno, LMFAO, strobe lights, and girls in underwear dancing on table tops.
It's French, and cute and elegant, but then it turns French and loud and crazy. I don't which part I love more.
I had polenta with braised short ribs and poached eggs, about 30 bottles of champagne (brunch), and then I had about 30 more bottles of champagne and danced on my chair, while a drummer came around and put down some pretty great rhythm to the beat of (insert popular dance song here) (club).
Around 3pm, the curtains close and the lights go down. The beautiful people start getting a little nuts. The bouncer starts having an official role as the general public swirls and accumulates outside. The bathroom line gets really long, but it is facilitated by the genial water closet attendant, who will shake the door nob of those taking too long. This becomes ever-important when you're #18 in line and you're on Moet bottle #60.
On the weekends, brunch is served throughout the clubbing, until 6 pm, when they close for 1 hour to reset the place for dinner. This makes for some precarious booty-shaking, particularly when you are mere inches away from a European guy who is oogling not only his pain perdu (brunch) but the pain perdu (club) of the go-go dancer as well.
J'aime le Beaumarchais. And the best part is that you can have a good, hard club night between the hours of 1 and 6, stay up til 9, sleep a perfect sleep, and feel well rested the next day! The next day, we had a clubless brunch. But maybe you'll even feel like going 2 days in a row...
FANTASTIC time. See photos for proof.Listed in: Woohoo! As good as it gets!, NYC, ETC.
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Review from Kimberly F.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
I just celebrated my birthday dinner here on Thursday. It still has the beautiful look and feel I loved from Bagatelle, with all new staff and service.
The waiter was awesome, and he dealt with us as out group went from 5 to 6 to 7 to 8 throughout the evening.
Known for their brunch parties, but a great place to have a mellow dinner too (during week nights). I honestly can't tell you much about the food...but they have great drinks. ;) -
Review from Paula E.
Manhattan, NY
5/6/2012 5 photos
This place is awesome! for brunch that is since that is the only event I have attended here. I guess if you are not into the whole party brunch with loud house music thing then this place is not for you. We happen to come here for brunch on Cinco de Mayo and this place was a blast. The entire restaurant was decorated mexican style and the specialty drinks were tequila based and sooo good. I thought it was great that Beaumarchais decided to have fun with the whole Cinco de Mayo theme and oh did I mention they brought mariachis in the middle of brunch? It just goes to show you the amount of detail they put into their parties which are always awesome. If you just want to come here for the brunch (food) then I suggest you come at an earlier time 11:30 am -2pm window. The party usually starts at 3pm and that's when the music and the champagne starts flowing all over the place. I can't wait to see how their parties are going to be in the Hamptons... can summer get here any faster? I'm done with this odd weather already.
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Review from Nancy S.
2/21/2012
I hate to admit things like this in meatpacking, but I've got to admit.. this place has a pretty cool vibe. I was to meet a group of my friends there after getting out of work in the west village. Their dinner reservation was for 10pm and I didn't get there until around 12am. According to my friends, they were a little hesitant to let another join their party but when I arrived, I had no trouble entering through the bouncer and host.
My friends had already eaten dinner so this review won't be about the food .. it's about the dance party that this "restaurant" turns into at night! I've got to admit, I've frequented Kiss & Fly many times and never once paid attention to this small entrance next door. As I thought I was meeting my friends for dinner, I was a little surprised to walk into blasting dance music, scantily clad girls dancing on their table chairs, and suited-up men clutching their drinks and staring up at the girls.
The place is pretty big, filled with large round tables in the center and booths along the back wall. it was a bit dark to really tell how the décor was and a bit LOUD to really gather my thoughts (that might've been because we were a table away from the DJ and his unnecessaily large speakers. The bar area is quite small and was mainly packed with men.
I had a pretty fun time, had a great gin cocktail that I can't recall the name of right now and the service was surprisingly attentive (probably because of the bill my friends had already racked up since 10...) It's not every night that you get to dance on top of chairs at a "fancy" restaurant!
I'm not sure how tough this place is to get into if you don't have a reservation, but I will definitely be making a trip back in the future. -
Review from Saara H.
1/17/2012 Seated via OpenTable
"Anything to declare?"
"Just my undying love for New York"
God this city is fantastic. Where else can you find a legitimate club experience during the middle of the afternoon in the depths of winter?
As long as you level your expectations, you'll have awesome time at Brasserie Beaumarchais. Don't expect the best service or the best brunch (although the food was surprisingly good). Do expect to find a lot of Europeans, "It" girl aspirants teetering around in Christian Louboutins, and super hot go-go dancers. -
Review from Barnaby J.
Manhattan, NY
3/8/2012
Came here for dinner, not brunch, so this rating is only for the food part. Looks like we got out before the place turned into what other peop are describing.
Their foie gras was amazing, one of the best I've had. I give it 5 just for that. Their steaks were very good though. They have some great wine bottles too.
The staff was surprisingly nice.
It's in the meatpacking, so you already know what kinda peeps are going to be there, but it's worth it. -
Review from Orianna M.
Miami, FL
5/14/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I was here at 3 for the party and it was great! Loved the music and the people are nice.. The food was not excellent but good. My waiter was nice but overall the staff was rude, they hurry and push you, almost throwing you out of the place because there are so many people waiting! Also, you have to be over 21.
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Review from Jana S.
1/5/2012
5 Stars for their WILD, wild, super fun, party on top of the table with the DJ and the rest of the restaurant vibe. GREAT music. This place is like no other. I can only think of a few restaurants in San Francisco that remind me of this place in terms of the entire restaurant raging and having the time of their life.
3.5 Stars for food - since everything tastes semi delicious when you're tipsy, having fun, raging on top of tables, making friends and in a "I never want to leave mood."
Came here on a Saturday, had reservations at 9, didn't sit until 10PM....I think they want you at their bar taking advantage of their delicious mojitos. Right when we sat down the PARTY STARTED......groups were pounding vodka shots, beautiful girls were dancing on top of tables with their flashy dresses and heels.....every one was making friends and the DJ was going at it.
MAKE RESERVATIONS or they probably wont sit you. If you want to impress your finicky out of town guests bring them here, they'll be talking about it for months.
How was the food? Hmmm, steak came out rare, salmon was tasty and I'm pretty sure we took two bites of the dessert - who wants to eat when you can dance on tables? -
Review from Betty N.
10/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
**PRICEY BRUNCH SPOT WITH DOUCHE ABUNDANCE**
2.5 stars.
For Sunday brunch, we celebrated a friend's birthday here.
Ordered the Eggs Benedict ($16) which consisted of Canadian bacon, poached eggs, spinach, and Hollandaise sauce. Tasted decent and it wasn't bad.
Most the cocktails were priced at $12 and they weren't strong.
Around 2PM, the curtains were drawn and the DJ pumped up the house jams.
We danced.
And then customers would purchase bottles of Dom Pérignon and the theatrics were out of control.
STAFF PARTICIPATES IN EGO BOOSTING THE CUSTOMER WITH:
*Sparkles
*Costumes
*DJ plays Superman, Star Wars, MGM Studio themed music to heighten the mood
I was over it after witnessing the theatrics for the 10th+ time.
Sure, there were beautiful people with the latest and greatest fashion accessories.
But there were also douchebags who would inappropriately grab women.
The front reception lady was a French snob, whereas our French waitress was considerably nice. So, give and take.
I'm an easy-going person for the most part BUT I detest fakers and douchebaggery.
Didn't care for this place.
WOULD NOT RECOMMEND NOR RETURN. -
Review from stephanie f.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
12/28/2011
Las Vegas Pool Party meets South Beach Club Scene ....on a Autumn, Saturday Afternoon (indoors..) in NYC.
Yep, that's Brasserie (aka Bagatelle). -
Review from Cory B.
Allston, MA
3/26/2012
The main reason for my rating was not that the service was bad (because it was terrific) but the music was so loud, my group of three could not hear eachother and the base was pumping so hard that it made us all dizzy and naseous. we asked our waiter if he could turn down the music but he said he couldn't which was really too bad. Everything else about this place is amazing, the food is terrific, but if you plan on talking to anyone else in your party and having a nice relaxing meal, i suggest going somewhere else first for dinner then coming her afterwards for drinks...
. -
Review from Alex B.
10/10/2011
When you have a wealthy friend that says, "Yo man, get your waterproof camera and come to NYC. There is going to by champagne everywhere...literally f%&$ing everywhere," you do exactly what he says.
You have to come here being ready to drop some serious cash and boy do I mean some serious serious $$$$$$. Came here on a Saturday with 5 friends for brunch, but unfortunately they never had our table ready so we never ate. Instead we were allowed to hang out by the bar and spend even more money until one did open up. Considering we ordered 15 normal bottles of champagne and a 12 liter you think they would have had a table ready for us.
Highlights include
1. Waitress and 7 other servers coming in as a ghost-buster with theme song playing in the background.
2. Same thing as super man
3. Same thing as a spartan
4. Sparklers coming out of the champagne
5. My friend falling backwards and landing on her head (probably got a concussion)
6. Pancakes mid party
8. Awesome music
9. Friend running out after brunch with a table cloth wrapped around him like a cape
10. That this midday party can be defined as seen below and remember this was only brunch. Holy hell.
insanity [in-san-i-tee] Show IPA
noun, plural insanities.
1. the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind. Synonyms: dementia, lunacy, madness, craziness, mania, aberration. -
Review from Meredith M.
San Francisco, CA
I was beyond impressed and pleased with everything Beau had to offer. I have heard stories of their epic sexy brunch party, but I decided to opt for the more tame dinner. The food was incredible, cooked to perfection...I was immediately in love. Beware of their deadly (in the best way) lemonade. 2 of those and you will be tripping out the door on that cobblestone!
The perfect date spot, girls night out or client dinner possible...especially if you are planning on heading out in the MePa after. -
Review from Michelle V.
San Jose, CA
10/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would honestly have to say, I wouldn't come here for the food. But if I was in the mood to boogie down in a slutty clubbin outfit at 2-3pm on the Lord's Day aka Sunday, then this would be THE SPOT to hit up.
We came here for Connie C.'s bday brunch celebration. Since her and Betty N. can seriously drink & party 24/7, I can see why this was the chosen spot for her celebration, haha.
Seating is very tight and it seems like the waiters are used to constantly moving people around and bumping into customers' seats constantly while delivering food or cleaning off tables. That was pretty annoying...
I ordered the high-priced lobster caesar salad, I'd have to say...MEH to that dish fo sheezy. It was a salad that I probably could have purchased at Trader Joe's, since it tasted similar to packaged salad. The SBBF had their burger, he said the bun on it was all wrong and he'd also rate his dish w/ a MEH.
It seemed like every table there was celebrating a birthday because Connie got the same birthday dessert as everyone else. It was a huge sparkler of a dessert w/ ice cream, cookies, sweet berries underneath & tons of whipped cream. And I'd have to say, that was the only thing I really enjoyed there besides great company. :)
The DJ was playing some crazy, weirdo music until 3:00pm rolled around then the doors shut, curtains closed and the real partying began. I didn't partake in any drinking unfortunately, but I did shake my thangy thang for awhile until I started getting hungry...and I knew fo sho I wanted a slice of NY pizza somewhere nearby that wouldn't cost me a leg & an arm.
Also, service here isn't the best. Especially in regards to the female waitresses, they don't tend to like the ladies...they got fake smiles on when you ask them for something and they also partake in the partying and actually sit their asses down and have a glass or 2 of champagne while you sit there and patiently wait for the check you just asked the bizznatch for.
It was definitely an experience...but I wouldn't go back there unless I decided to ditch my new fitness lifestyle and go back to drinking and partying. Haha, NOT gonna happen. -
Review from Lily R.
9/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
3.5 Stars.
I have no idea how 2 tiny girls put away $200 in food and drink, but we did.
We tried the Fois Gras, Waffles and the Caiprinias. We also had some champagne. After that everything is a freakin BLUR.
Here is what I did not like. The Service. The waitresses are not friendly to females and if there is anything that ticks me off is a snobby waitress. I recall smiling and being super nice to our server and did not get the warm fuzzies in return.
Here is what I liked. ITS A PARTY. I was delighted that the owner sat us in a prime spot when we arrived at 12:30pm. No one was seated next to us until way later in the day and it happened to be a bunch of fun Amsterdam visitors ready to raise the roof. They had a Brasilia theme this past Sunday and it was very fun to see Rio dancers and staff in Brasil soccer uniforms.
I will return to this establishment and I will NOT be nice to the waitresses. I will be snobby, ask for things non stop and I will not be courteous. I hope they read this review b/c I saw plenty of women brunching together. Customer service training is needed, management! -
Review from Neelam P.
2/15/2012
Try walking in around 3-3:30pm and tell me that you're not shocked. I've never seen so many drunk people dancing to techno music in the middle of the day in a dark room before! Lavina D. had her birthday brunch here and it was definitely an experience!
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Review from Wes W.
8/26/2011
How wild is this place. INTENSE. After landing in New York, we find ourselves in this open restaurant thinking that we're here to enjoy some brunch. Le Croque Madame is decent. Ham and bechamel in between bread covered in emmental cheese topped with an egg with light greens on the side. A little champagne. I thought that was it...
...until I noticed that they were shutting the doors. At 3pm? That's odd, I think to myself. As I tried to figure out what in the world was going on, music comes on. Heavy bass. My friend's devilish grin gave me anything but comfort. This place transforms into a goddamn club for christ's sake. It's ok, as long as we run out of champagne we're probably going to leave.
Heavens no. Bottles and bottles, delivered to us in a freakin' crate with sparks flying out of it. It's like everyone transformed into an alcohol nazi in the blink of an eye. Across from out table there's a waitress being carried out like superwoman holding bottles that look like live TNT...three separate times that night. At some point, there was a man running around in spandex and a cape like Nacho Libre. This place is off the hook.
In all this awesome chaos, everyone's raging on top of chairs, practically itching to sprays each other with champagne. All you need to do is initiate. Don't be afraid, everyone is thinking the same thing.
Until six, you're just immersed in this drunken party as each table one up's each other with quantities of champagne indicative of the world ending tomorrow. Simply awesome.
And then you leave, continuing on with the rest of your day. After all, its still the afternoon. -
Review from Ilan M.
Manhattan, NY
9/22/2011
This is pretty standard, french fare, in a nice part of town. You'll get what you expect here, which isn't always a bad thing when your expectations are set high. Make sure to make reservations, because even though we came on an off Wednesday night, this place packs up fast.
Three of us had an app each, an entree each, and split two desserts and a bottle of wine. The portions appeared smaller than you expect, but were rich with flavor and depth (and the butter/oil in french cooking is quite satiating) that you are satisfied when you leave, if not exploding at the seams.
Our apps were the tuna tartar and gnocchi (two orders). The gnocchi left much to be desired - a touch bland, too soft and very small. The tuna tartar was delicious, a surprisingly large amount, and came on plantain chips which is a nice departure from the usual bread. The only complaint is the plantains tasted old and not crunchy.
I had the seared scallops on celery root - absolutely delicious, perfectly moist and soft, with a lovely flavor profile. Only wish I had a touch more. My friends each had the bouillabaisse, which they devoured.
We ended off with the pistachio molten cake (promptly finished with a tasty cream sauce) and the sorbet tasting. I appreciated the fact that I couldn't identify one of the flavors, making it more interesting than the standard mango, peach, berry combos.
In the end, the atmosphere was cool, service (while very slow) was friendly, the company was great and the bill was reasonable, although had I not had a gilt coupon, it would have been a touch overpriced.
I'd come here again for a nice romantic outing. -
Review from Asim B.
Austin, TX
11/13/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Went for saturday brunch (Halloween weekend).
As we were denied a table last year for arriving last, we made sure this time around we were there on time. booking was for 1:30pm howver we got seated at 2:30pm.
The atmosphere was amazing. A lot of ppl in halloween costumes. hot /sexy girls everywhere. Focus was more on drinking than food. ordered 6 bottles of champagne. try their signature dessert. Danced till the the very end (6pm). Got the craziest pics ever from this place.
make sure to book in advance for the table and have a blast! -
Review from Jolie L.
Manhattan, NY
7/6/2011
Breeding ground for broke wannabes! Went there for brunch and it turned into a daytime club. My food was enjoyable but I was instantly rubbed the wrong way when the waiter asked if we'd like to start with a bottle of rose. Um no. Later the waiters were so touchy and would pick up our phones from the table and look at them. The bus boys did all the work while our waiters were trying to convince us to buy bottles. Before I could finish my omelette the room was dark, strobe lights on, music pounding, and girls dancing on tables. The saddest part comes when people go crazy taking pictures of a waitress in a superman cape being held up by busboys delivering a bottle of champagne. Really? That's what impresses you? Sad.
I finished my breakfast and began getting into the music and right when I felt a good time approaching our uber rude waiter came to me and says, "Unless you're going to buy a bottle, we need you to leave the table." I was so offended. Just because I don't feel the need to impress people with fake birkins, name dropping, and bottles of overpriced champagne does not mean I deserve to be treated like trash. How dare them.
A $400 brunch later we were not so kindly being escorted off our table. Ugh, never again. -
Review from Rachael N.
Cleveland, OH
8/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
3 stars for the food, 4 stars for the decor and the environment. And it's right next door to a bumble to bumble salon!
Went here per suggestion of my cousin. It's a cool concept- a restaurant with open windows, where the later you go in, like around 2-3pm, you get a DJ playing.... making it like a party brunch. How fun is that.
Besides the age group of individuals there (it was like...cougar age), it's still a cool environment and thought.
I got the eggs benedict- great solid meal, not too oily, and the right size. My cousin got the eggs beaumarchais, which was also really good. I love how the poached eggs were cooked.
If you know what it is, it's a cool place to go. If you have no idea what's going on, yes, you're going to be shocked. haha. -
Review from Paola S.
New York, NY
7/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Brian & I had yet another gilt certificate that we were trying to use before it expired... it's like never ending.
SETTING: the inside is cute. dark room, dark wood furnishings, linen-covered tables. my only beef is that there's no clear sign for the DOOR. come on guys, this is Restaurant Aesthetics 101. if I want to eat at your place, don't you want HUGE ARROWS [warner brother's wile e. coyote style] pointing at your restaurant door? seriously. anyway, we came for early dinner on a weeknight so the place served about 3 tables at the time.
FOOD:
we were offered the Gilt City menu. which is something that I really don't understand. the whole purpose of being on gilt is so that you can entice 1st-time diners to DINE at your restaurant. when said customers get there, the ultimate goal is to make REGULARS out of FIRST-TIME DINERS. [at least in my brain, this should be the theoretical thinking behind being on Gilt]... I guess my point is, why the fuck are you giving me a separate menu instead of letting me pick off of your regular one? maybe if I liked it, id come back & get the same thing, you know? here's what I got:
TUNA TARTARE: came on a bed of greens, guacamole on top & drizzled with some sesame oil concoction. not bad but the guac made my face itch... =/ sadly, it didn't taste fresh.
CAESAR SALAD: this is an entrée & comes in a HUGE bowl... meh.
STRIP STEAK: grilled, sliced & served on veggies & asparagus. not bad. seasoned well, cooked medium just like I asked, & pretty tasty. however, I can get any piece of average steak like this from anywhere. there was nothing particularly different about it which goes back to my point about how they should have tried converting me into a repeat customer.
PRICE:
since everything was paid for [& I don't remember how much], I should have been happy at having dinner "for free". the sad thing is, I thought it was a major disappointment & I won't come back to this place nor recommend it to anyone. don't get me wrong, it wasn't THAT bad but it wasn't THAT good either. just average. so why bother?
xoxo -
Review from Valerie G.
New York, NY
Updated - 8/17/2011
I finally came here for their famous boozy dayclub brunch a few Sundays ago with 3 gfs. While there, I had a BLAST. We were seated next to the DJ around 3:30pm, just when the place started to heat up. The food was decent brunch grub ~$16 an entree. There was a weird crazy man dressed in a neon green body suit blasting bubbles at everyone... all the ingredients needed for a fun time! Our waiter gave us 2 rounds of free shots so all in all it was awesome!
Had a sliiiight miscommunication with the bill but the restaurant figured it all out so it's all gravy!Listed in: Bruncharama!, Ballinnnnnn' $.$
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/21/2011
Went here on two occasions
1) Popped in with my fave bitty, Christine W., for an after brunch drink… Read more »
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Review from bun b.
Manhattan, NY
7/18/2011
Heard great things about this place so came here with a friend for her birthday dinner.
The food was quite bad. Our appetizer gnocci was so mushy. The entree steam bass was a little overcooked and bland. The oil on the side has a bad oil taste, the stuff they put in the oil (tomato, olive, etc) was way too salty. The dessert was chocolate cake w/ ice cream. Quarter of the ice cream melty before it hit our table. The chocolate cake was ok, but way too sweet!!
The environment is not what you would expect from a $$$$ restaurant. Music was so loud that you can't really talk to anyone, like the waiter or my friend. We were practically screaming at each other trying to communicate by that was still covered by the loud music. I've been to bars, and even bar music is less invasive than this place. It was someone's birthday at another table. The restaurant was doing a superman theme wish him happy birthday. Not sure if it's something that that group specifically requested, but the whole thing made me felt like I'm in Johnny Rockets!!! -
Review from Tom W.
Manhattan, NY
12/21/2011
Location (5/5): Great location, in the middle of Meatpacking close to shops, others restaurants and bars, and some of the hottest night clubs in New York
Atmosphere (5/5): This is one of the most exceptional places I have ever seen! The crowd is very young and hip, music is great (live dj) and the place is just buzzing with energy (people dancing in between the tables or on chairs). You will never have a boring time in this place. Even during brunch on Sunday, the place will be packed and the energy will be through the roof...
Food (4/5): Overall quality of the food is great and better than you would expect for a place like this. Dinner menu is diverse enough, they have a great wine selection, and some items on the brunch menu are really amazing (croque monsieur, carpaccio). Only remark was the size of the salad (huge) compared to the goat cheese (very tiny)
Service (5/5): Don't expect the normal style of service from a classy restaurant. Staff is very friendly, very attentive and clearly professional, but they bring the experience to a higher level by e.g. taking shots with you, serving champagne straight from the bottle, ...
Price (4/5): It's not cheap, but for the experience you get, it's more than reasonable! -
Review from Ryan W.
Jersey City, NJ
6/5/2011
I am SHOCKED that I just gave this place the five star mark. I read the reviews and honestly expected the worst...
Your guide to having a good time at Bagatelle:
1. Set your reservation early - 12-1PM. Get a table in the back.
2. Don't go for brunch - go because you want breakfast and like to party
3. Get there an hour early - have drinks at the bar while you wait for your reservation
4. The best time to be there is from roughly 2PM-4PM when the brunch crew that got there early is transitioning to party - seriously - it's awesome
5. Be willing to spend a little coin - it's not cheap, but worth it
6. If you like to dance... it will be that much better.
The gory details:
For me this was a 30 something birthday party for my best friend. We read about the Sunday party prior to going and figured this would be the douchiest brunch every - seriously - regret was look on our faces as we headed to meatpacking.
We were early (Noon) - I generally think it's a good call. No issues at the door and went right to the bar to meet my friends - we had a 1pm reservation and kicked the afternoon off with a few cocktails (try the firefighter)!
They came to seat us at 12:45 - perfect. From here it just goes to a solid blur. We left at 6PM - yikes.
Our waitress was great - she was very attentive and promptly supplied whatever we needed. The DJ kept beats going from the time we got there to the time we left. Food was great - cold cuts, tuna tartare, pizza, and eggs benedict with smoked salmon - all very solid and above the average brunch fare.
Side note:
We laughed a little - across from us was a family sharing what looked like a 'mistake' brunch. You know what I am talking about - one of those, 'Oh this place looks nice' and later hating yourself because all your mom did was comment on how slutty everyone looked and your over consumption of alcohol. Turns out they were there celebrating 50 years of marriage and knew exactly what they were in for. All be it a bit odd, granddad danced with every pretty lady and grandma took a few swings around the dance floor - they clearly had a blast and the crowd was all about it. -
Review from Tiffany T.
Manhattan, NY
7/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
1.The mixed drinks here are really good!
2. I didn't feel that the service was all that great but the food almost made up for it. You must try their dessert, the chocolate ice cream is delicious and rich!
3. The seating for couples was over crowded, if you were to stand up and move your butt is immediately in the other persons face -
Review from Leslie M.
8/12/2011
I think John W. (below) does a pretty good job of describing what this place is like. I went for the first time last weekend meeting a couple of friends up for brunch. I had no idea what I was in for...
From the moment we walked in I felt I was in a nice quaint french restaurant with all white linens, all white decor, and of course a staff dressed all in white. A couple of people from our party were running late and the hostess told us that if they didn't arrive in the next 10 minutes we would be losing our reservation. Thankfully they did, but they proceeded to tell us we only had the table until 2:30. Mind you our reservation was at 12:30 and we were sitting by 12:40. I almost felt like they were putting a time limit on how long we had to eat/drink, cmon its brunch!
The food was good, but expensive. Around $20-$30 a plate for something like poached eggs with smoked salmon on top of an english muffin. Honestly, I wont be going back for the food. You could get something a lot cheaper elsewhere and just as tasty. We finished our brunch and drinks before 2:30 and then just hung out at the bar. An average drink is about $17 and they include a 20% service charge for anything you order at this place, regardless if you liked the service which I though was pretty shitty.
As mentioned before, at exactly 3 pm they pull the thick red velvet curtains, turn of the lights, turn on a siren and the DJ begins to blast the House music. The day I was there some guy was hosting his birthday and had no joke about 75 bottles of champagne in less than 3 hours. Half of them were to spray his friends and the people around. At more than $100 a pop, I cant even imagine how much his bill was. One thing i did enjoy is that everytime someone orders a bottle a waitress is "flown" in with a Superman cape carrying the bottle to the table. Pretty awesome.
The crowd here is beautiful, well dressed, and ready to party. It all ends at 6pm so make sure to be there exactly at 3pm if youre there for the party. Come wearing what you would wear on a night out in meatpacking as most people just go out in meat packing right after. It is a full on club from 3pm-6pm. Girls on couches & bottles popping.
Be ready to spend some serious dinero, but also to have an experience of a lifetime. FYI, save your money for the drinks and dont eat here. -
Review from Jean L.
4/8/2011
Mother of all daytime parties with french toast. Euro chic meets Jersey Shore in NY with a dabble of Hollywood. Madonna, say hello to Marilyn Monroe in Kiki de Montparnasse.
We've all been to brunch. Rare any of us have been to this kind of brunch. To set this up, it took a call ONE MONTH prior to the date of reservation. No morimoto, but we had to jump 9 am ET for it.
A group of 10 of us arrived for our 3 pm rezze. As we waited for our table, we stood at the gorgeous white crown molding bar, making room for servers carrying platters of truffle fries and waffles. The lights were on, the DJ was playing, and the noise level was a satisfactory pretty hum. I got a Macallan 18 - for $30. I kid you not!
We were seated half hour later. Then the lights dimmed. The red velvet curtains were drawn. The DJ amplified the music. People started dancing...on tables.
By the time we had shots, ordered our food, and wolfed down our meals, we had joined in. It was a SCENE. Dancing room was somewhat somehow somewhere made between the round and square tables, among couples and groups of friends. Some of us were on booths, others on a tiny platform next to the DJ.
A bachelorette party next to us may never remember all the details of their brunch because - suffice it to say, the maitre de/manager had his tie off by mid-afternoon.
Another table at the other end of the room ordered bottle after bottle of champagne. Each time, Stars Wars music played as a waitress wearing a white coat was carried by several other waiters while she held the bottles flaring fireworks before her. dun dun dun dun!
Btw, a glance at the wine list? The most extravagant bottle was $16,000!!
In the midst of the spazmatronics, I decided to order a dessert for a beautiful friend of ours who was indefinitely leaving for London the next day. What arrived was a THREE LB. sundae filled with berries, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and a blazing candle. $40 - again, I kid you not.
Foodwise, my eggs benedict with ham was topped with an awesome spicy chipotle hollandaise sauce, sided by a green salad and saucy potatoes.
More or less, you become friends with tables next to you, your waiters, and even the busboys. A party is a party is a party, even at 3 pm on a Sunday. When we rose out of our midafternoon masquerade, it was only 6:30 pm and the sun was still out. As one other friend who later met up with us described it, she didn't know whether the looks on our faces were reactions to the bright light or reminiscence of the most entertaining, erratic sock hop of a brunch we have ever had.Listed in: BRUNCH
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Review from Jennifer C.
San Francisco, CA
4/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh holy hell this place sucks. I mean like really sucks. I'm not sure I've ever been to any establishment that I have hated this much. Here is my laundry list....
1. The host/manager/whatever was so RUDE. I'm sorry, you're not doing me a favor by doing your freaking job. He obviously thinks he is gods gift to this earth, but in reality he is a pretentious, snobbish, elitist, (not very cute I might add), sonofabitch.
2. This place takes itself WAY too seriously. Went there for a bachelorette party and they wouldn't let the bride to be wear a tiara, or a sash, or let us play bachelorette games. Ummm...I could understand if this place was a classy upscale French restaurant, but it's a freaking club. You're a trash afternoon club! Do you understand that??? They played blaring music that said "co%$ sucker" during lunch for god's sake.
3. The FOOD was HORRIBLE. I mean, seriously horrible. I got the eggs benedict and the eggs were totally raw (the white parts!). Disgusting. Ew. The salad tasted like it was soaked in salt. Barf.
I think that is enough for now. Will warn all my friends to avoid this place like the plague. -
Review from Maria T.
Staten Island, NY
1/16/2012
Sunday went for their brunch with my girlfriends was a little annoyed that it came to almost $200 per person. Food was ok.. Decor was pretty.. Music was good.. And it's always fun to see a girl getting carried out like superman to bring you your bottle. Overall fun atmosphere but a little pricey.
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Review from Kathy M.
Chicago, IL
1/23/2012
My 7 girlfriends and I dropped nearly $900 at brunch this past week. The food and drinks were great. Sadly, our waiter was nothing short of terrible to us. A few of our favorite moments;
He was so rude and clearly annoyed when we asked him to take a picture of us.
He threw our check at us (we didn't even ask for the check).
My friend was outside having a cigarette and said hello to him, and he turned around and walked back inside.
There is nothing worse than poor customer service, especially when you are with a group of friends who could not have been nicer to him and spent more money. We felt very disrespected and treated poorly. The service staff ruins what could be a great place. I would never recommend this place to anyone as a result. -
Review from Jillian Q.
East Watertown, MA
6/27/2011
Food-wise, Beaumarchais is 5-stars. I'm just a girl from the 'burbs of Mass having a meal in NYC, but I know good food. The tuna tartare was one of the best I've ever had (adding avocado is just a stroke of flavorful genius). The artichoke app was well liked at the table as well as the flatbread pizza (made with puff pastry). I wish the veggie plate has less lettuce and more veggies because the dipping sauces were amazing.
I was concerned about getting a $20 burger but, wow, it was delicious. The sauce that accompanies it adds just the right amount of flavor. The rest of the table enjoyed croque madames and waffles. Even though I could hardly take another bite, I HAD to try dessert. The molten chocolate with creme anglais and pistachio ice cream was perfection. The nutella dessert was different than I expected with the description but yummy just the same with a crunchy texture to the pastry paired with the smooth nutella filling. I found each employee of Beaumarchais exceptionally nice and service was very friendly.
One negative was that our table was so close to the one beside us that my chair and another person's chair were touching. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but we were seated right beside the outdoor dining area and servers could only get to the patio BETWEEN our chairs. There were also customers who wanted to enter the restaurant from the patio and could only do so the same way. I was constantly squeezed into the table so people could get by. This got very old, very quickly. Also, even before the "club" aspect gets started, the music can be too loud to hold a conversation without yelling.
Like I said from the start, one of the best meals I've ever had and I would certainly return. -
Review from Kimberly G.
Manhattan, NY
6/15/2011
This quaint brasserie is a well designed, upscale restaurant tucked away on the cobble stone streets of the meatpacking district.
The drinks were delicious and the Parisian art work gives off an authentic French bistro feel.
There's a touch of pretension (unavoidable being in the meatpacking) and the music was too club-like for the relaxed atmosphere - but the mini burgers made up for it.
