Cafe des Artistes

Cafe sea Artistes is always reliable with excellent food & service We were excited when we saw that they offered outdoor dinning and they did not disappoint.

The food was excellent- whole wheat pasta with lamb ragu and branzino with Brussels sprouts- truly the best Brussel sprouts I have ever had and a small order of cannoli. The waitress and the servers could not have been better and the covid precautions were impeccable. What a lovely evening. I highly recommend them.

Food was okay, but there were these two guys at the next table, Andre and Wally(?), who would not shut up about avant-garde theater, capitalism, and the nature of human experience. One or both of them seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown the whole time, and I asked their waiter to tell them to quiet down, but they just kept it up for the entire hour I was there. I went home and told my wife about my unwanted dinner with Andre and Wally, and she didn't understand why the staff wouldn't, gently or otherwise, ease them out.

We were there recently for an office dinner. The crowd generally comprises middle aged couples, so our group of 10-12 was atypical.

The murals are stunning. And the wine selection befits a restaurant of this standing. The service was spotty. The waiter was quite slow on the uptake initially, but warmed up to our particular requirements over time.

This was an inappropriate choice for a group business dinner, but I can see why dinner-for-two might be a more natural choice. So I shall only take one star off--blame it on food quality and service.

Will you forgive me for not properly saying good-bye to you? I thought by not doing so, I can pretend that you're still around. You have loved me with Howard Chandler Christy's murals while I dined. Will you please come back and let yourself be loved again?

Yet, with spring there is hope especially because your name remains with the owners of Hotel des Artistes and you can come back, even if Mr.George Lang is no longer with you.

Decorated with beautiful flowers, autumnal foliage and beautiful murals, this is one of the prettiest places for lunch. They have a $25 3-course prix fixe lunch menu which includes a very large salad or soup (I had the delicious lentil soup), steak frites or grilled salmon (I had the salmon) and something else which I don't remember. The desserts were wonderful. The service couldn't have been better.

However, the cocktails and wines-by-the-glass are quite expensive, so the total check was considerably higher than we're used to for a prix fixe lunch. (No, we didn't get sloshed at lunch! We each had one cocktail and one glass of wine.)

If you're in the mood for some upper-crust brunch, Cafe Des Artistes is tremendous. Pricey, a little bit snooty, but very tasty.

The atmosphere is very sedate, with flowers everywhere and murals of woodland nymphs cavorting on the walls. They say jackets preferred, but not required, and business casual is a minimum. When I asked them about this, they said no jeans, no sneakers, though they still let in my friend who was wearing a pair of black jeans, but maybe they just didn't notice.

The melon prosciutto salad was really good. The crisp refreshing taste of the watermelon is a perfect counterpoint to the savory prosciutto.

The french toast is some of the best I've ever had. Deliciously crisp on the outside.

They said the Virginia Ham Benedict was a Cafe des Artistes invention, but I really couldn't tell what was different from any other eggs benedict.

I guess this place is suppose to be special because it's old and upscale. But honestly, I wasn't very impressed. The ambiance was a bit stuffy for my taste. All the other dinner patrons around us looks like old money types. And when I say old, I mean rich senior citizens. I think we were the only ones in that place under 50.

The food itself was not at all memorable. Too pricey for not being tasty.

I will admit though that it is a beautifully decorated restaurant. It would be an impressive place to take some ditz who knows nothing about food but loves pretty things.

Cafe des Artistes has a wonderful atmosphere for a perfect dinner. I was actually taken here on a first date, and the ambience is perfect for getting to know someone. The beautiful murals are playful and make you feel like you are truly in a special place. It was a wonderful dinner after a day at the Guggenheim and before an evening at the Lincoln Center.

It does seem a bit crowded when you are in there, but it just makes it feel a bit more intimate. I highly recommend the dark chocolate fondue for two, it was by far my favorite part of the meal.

I would definitely come back here for another wonderful meal and romantic evening. What better way then to be surround by history and art?

Review #100! Instead of getting stuck waiting for the perfect place to review, I've decided to go ahead and update my review of my most long-standing favorite restaurant in NY. Perfect timing, too, since we just went for dinner last night to celebrate my birthday.

[Edit: It seems updates don't count toward # of reviews. So officially, the Met is review #100. Whoops!]

As mentioned in the first review, this place is all about ambiance. The Christy murals on the walls, the charming bar area, the cozy seating arrangements -- it's a throwback to a time when cell phone reception didn't matter at all.

They don't get exceptionally creative with the menu, but the food is always well-executed (we've never left disappointed). Try the Fountain of Youth cocktail: pear-infused champagne with a cinnamon-spiced pear slice soaking up the alcohol. That pear tastes SO GOOD when you get to the end of the drink.

Cafe des Artistes is a place we will continue coming to until it's no longer there (and I really hope that never, ever happens!).

Located inside the main lobby of a beautiful Gothic apartment building on Central Park West, the Cafe des Artistes is a legendary New York restaurant. Murals of nude nymphets frolicking amongst greenery adorn the walls. Pots of tall and lush plants are in every sight line. There are secret areas and private corners, not to mention a hidden bar where you can grab a drink or even a meal. The service is incredible, highlighted by quiet attention to detail. Though the menu is limited, all the selections are superb. The salmon dish is highly recommended, as is the Hot Fudge "Napoleon."