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Vernon-Jackson Aves (7)
21st St (Van Alst) (G)
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Went there on halloween around 2pm. Had been wanting to go for quite some time an after trick or treating with my son and his mom I suggested we stop here as I live around the corner and have been dying to try it.
Food was excellent and moderately priced. For the three of us it came out to $30.They had some nice soothing music on and it was very cozy. The bathroom is very clean but the service leaves a little bit to be desired - but ah so what.
I'm looking forward to coming here for dinner, I woud say this is a perfect place for a date, brunch or dinner with the parents. I even see people stop here for breakfast before work. I defenitely suggest this little place.
Very reminiscent of people watching brasseries in the cobble stoned streets of o'l Paris, but this place is in a small street in Queens where not many people are walking around... to be watched.
Nevertheless! They serve heaping bowls of coffees (or cafe au lait), deliciously crisp lamb sausage baguette sandwiches, fluffy french toast with a side of fruit salad. This place is really cute and the food does not disappoint. The service may be a little inconsistent during high-tide but when is anything French wham-bam-thank-you ma'am? It's a socialist background, so I've been told. Take it slow and enjoy life (well, the food!).
This is definitely my go-to Saturday brunch spot in the LIC neighborhood... would even go as far as an outer-borough brunch recommendation being how easy it is to get to via subway.
i live a block away and come here every few weeks for brunch. this is a very cozy, comfortable place that has been packed every single time i've visited.
the french toast is amazing. i would love to learn how they make it. nice thick bread that's soft/chewy in the middle with a crisp, caramelized shell. it comes with potatoes AND ham or bacon AND a fruit salad. i LOVE places that give you a little bit of everything so you can satisfy that craving for something buttery / chewy / carb-loaded / salty / sweet / tart / healthy.
i agree with dana v - definitely skip the croque monsieur. when i ordered it, the bread was hard as a tack and it was impossible to chew through it. it was nearly bad enough to send back.
This isn't the typical French resto that I'm used to. In fact, there is nothing quintessentially French about it, except for the menu and cuisine (somewhat). Our server was Spanish, music all-American, interior design and ambiance reminded me of the vibrant colors of Van Gogh paintings. The old hanging chandelier isn't beautifully grandiose per se, but warmly appropriate. Furthermore, copies of the New Yorker magazines were lying in the racks for dinnertime reading and discussion. The place is a blend of all sorts of elements, but not quite French as expected. But really, who cares?
We came here for a lovely French dinner composed of escargots in butter, Moules Marinieres and Salmon dinner accompanied by fresh bread and Malbec wine. Great food at very decent prices and accommodating service, all only 1 train stop away from Grand Central Station. Given it's a clear night out, a walk along the river for a beautiful view of Manhattan afterwards is a must!
Delicious bowls of coffee, so it's my kind of place. I've had brunch, lunch, and dinner here and all of my meals have been pretty yummy. Service is slow and sometimes it's pretty hot in there.
Recommend Meals:
Tartine
Merguez a La Moutarde Forte (lamb sausage sandwich)
Tomate-mozzarella-Prosciutto (sandwich)
Skip:
Croque Monsieur (bread was over toasted and cheesy making it difficult to bite into)
Dessert (except the crepes)
One of my friends at work (from California), said this was a "must place to go" when I was in New York. I was not disappointed! My son, Ryan and I sat outside (it was a beautiful Sunday morning) sipped on a glass of champagne, shared the french toast and eggs benedict with smoked salmon! Everything on the menu sounded good, so we decided to share. So glad we did! Absolutely delicious! Service was friendly. Very reasonably priced. Place was packed but we did not have to wait long.
Dear Yelp: I've been remiss in my reviews lately, namely, in not writing any. But if you'll have me back, and stop trying to get me sloppy drunk and groping me, then maybe this can work. In that spirit, let's do a non-drunk brunch, ok?
My Brunch experience here yesterday was fantastic and I feel bad for all those people who didn't get it. Perhaps it once was bad, but this Sunday, there was nothing I could complain about.
We got there in early afternoon and the place was packed. There were 3 couples waiting in front of us, but we were told the wait would only be 5-10 min. I was skeptical, but those tables turned over fairly quickly. Seems a bunch of people were finishing up at that time, and the staff was on top of it. 12 min later, we were seated. Pretty quick, n'est pas?
The menu had too many things I wanted to try and I need to come back just to keep my stomach from rebelling against me for life. The Large OJ was sooo delicious, and I drank it sooo quickly. Ok, I'm slightly annoyed for it being called Large, but only being a mere normal size. Unlike the coffee, which was large and bottomless. Our Authentic French Waitress was so attentive to my coffee that I had to stop her the third time. It wasn't overbearing, but I can't have 3 coffees and not bounce off the walls.
I got the French Toast. YOU GET THE FRENCH TOAST!
My words will utterly fail to convey the impact it will have on your life. If Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat French Toast from Cafe Henri," France might still be a monarchy. If Napoleon Bonaparte had this French Toast in the morning, he might have thought twice about marching into the frozen Russian tundras. Mel Brooks bribed Marcel Marceau to break his vow of silence with this French Toast, and it worked: this French Toast will save families, end wars and stop annoying mimes. How, you ask? It is the perfect combination of light and soft with a slightly crunchy crust. It has a sprinkling of crushed almonds, mint, and some white powdery magical substance they call sugar, but I know is pure mind melting awesomeness. (Hey, I told you my words wouldn't covey the import of this French Toast - so just trust me, OK?).
Don't even get me started on the bacon (why only 2 strips of this in-your-mouth melting goodness, cooked not too crispy, not too flimsily!?!?!) or the rosemary seasoned potatoes.
My friend had the Eggs Benedict. I don't like Hollandaise sauce. I don't like poached eggs. I really liked them yesterday morning though, that's how good this food was.
Next up: Crepes, mussels, Croc Madame, and the rest of the menu. I am on a mission.
It's a real homie, neighborhoody cafe. I'd compare it with your average tourist trap resto bistro on Blvd St. Germain, which is to say bad by Paris standards, but it's ok. There are worse places in New York.
I've had the mussels here, the broth is good for dippin'. The bread is so subpar though. I don't know why it's so difficult to find good baguette in New York. I don't understand why restauranteurs don't realize how important it is. Anyway, the mussels are good.
The crepes are unmemorable. First time, I had the crepe saumon followed by the classic crepe sucre. The crepe itself was too heavy and it wasn't browned enough. It was just so sad and pale looking. Sigh.
The "noisette" was extremely disappointing. I hate it when I can taste hints of burnt cafe.
I really liked the atmosphere and the decor. It was a pretty relaxing place to have dinner.
I had the cheeseburger (I know, I know, not very French but it's just what I was in the mood for) I ordered my burger medium and it arrived very rare ... I was not happy about this ... However I'm not in the habit of sending food back, unless there is a huge problem, so I ate it. Doctored up with some very spicy mustard, it was a tasty burger despite the rawness.
The other 3 in my party enjoyed their dinner as well. Another "medium" burger arrived rare so I guess that's just how they do things.
They have a reasonably priced champagne and wine list ...
I've been to Cafe Henri a couple of times for take out and sit down meals. Generally the food has been pretty good (esp the brunch and crepe items), making this an especially popular spot in restaurant starved LIC. The service on the other hand is a whole other story. I generally just focus on food at restaurants and don't really complain about if the service is less than stellar. But the past weekend when I went, the service was so rude and disrespectful it actually made me angry!
I went with my younger sister and boyfriend here for brunch the past Sunday. My sister wasn't hungry and just ordered the chocolate croissant. My bf ordered the egg and sausage platter and I got the orange, caramel crepe. The chocolate croissant came out after a few minutes, and then nothing else came. It was a busy morning and we just assumed they're backed up with orders. After 30mins we saw people who arrived after us getting their food and when we hailed the waitress over to our table she asked us if we wanted anything else. Basically she totally forgot about the rest of the order and never put it into the kitchen! Afterward, there was no apology no indication of when our food was going to arrive. She just casually walked away. Then after our food arrived, we asked for salt and pepper since we were one of the few tables without a condiments set. She took one from an empty table and angrily set it down. Halfway through the meal another table asked for salt and pepper and instead of taking the shakers from the empty table next to us the waitress comes over to our table takes ours without a word!
This whole experience let me with a really bad taste in my mouth and I think it'll be a while before I come back here. The only redeeming quality about the whole experience was the food. The scrambled eggs were perfectly cooked, not too runny and not overly browned. The home fries were really tasty with just the right amount of seasoning. The crepe was also very good. Soft and thin with just right amount of fruit and caramel filling. Maybe I'll just do takeout from now on...
Utterly charming French eatery with a stellar brunch menu. They have a great variety of crepes for all tastes, my personal fave the salmon w grilled veggies. Try the baguette with jam and butter, the jam is homemade, and it's the perfect starter on that warm baguette. The portion sizes are big and filling. Service is great, real French staff! It gets packed on the wknds so make reservations or get there early. Mags and periodicals line the walls for you to peruse through. Prices inexpensive, decor cozy and inviting, and the service on point. A gem in LIC.
I've been here twice with two different sets of girlfriends and both times everyone loved their meals. We got a variety of crepes for dinner and then also for dessert. Very fresh ingredients, friendly service, cute atmosphere. A+
Went here last night with a friend who recommended the quaint atmosphere and mussels. We shared the curried mussels, and were serenaded by a great jazz trio. The service was so polite and fun, but left us alone to enjoy. This place is right across from the Vernon Jackson stop on the 7, is pretty small, and is super cozy. It's romantic but also just fun - versatility, you see.
Enjoy!
Hurray for crepes delivered to my house! I have only had take out. I hear its beautiful inside. The crepes come quickly and are super delicious and a great portion. can't wait to find time to make it in.
I love it here. Always have.
They have an easy-going atmosphere and very good food. Over time, I've had so many things here: mussells, eggs bendicts, crepes, baguettes, etc. A lot of brunch items. Last time I had a croque madame.
It''s the sort of place where you can read the a magzine and they don't bother you. there was one time I had ordered champagne and they served me something flat. I notified the server and they amended it right away.
A wonderful respite in LIC.
I just moved to this area and have eaten here twice. My first visit a couple of days ago, I thought, nice place. Music was a bit loud and a bit incongruous (some sort of hard rock, almost metal), but I enjoyed the French toast. So I went back again today. Had a savory and a sweet crepe, and requested hot water to drink - just as I had 2 days before. This time, though, the bill included a $1 surcharge for the hot water. Not mentioned on the menu or by the server. I pointed it out to the server and told her, legally, if you want to charge for something that normally is free, like hot water, you should either tell people there's a charge or put the charge on the menu. Her answer? Summary: "I'll talk to my boss about it, but I'm not even going to warn customers without directions from my boss, and this is standard at all the restaurants I've worked at in New York City over the last year. Now if you'll please excuse me, I have other tables to wait on."
Wrong answer, and one that left a very bad taste in my mouth. Telling the customer they're wrong, and charging illegally, is bad service to say the least. I would have spoken with a manager, but there was not one available. (This was the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday.) If you're going to nickel-and-dime your customers - especially the relatively profitable ones who drop $17 on 2 crepes for lunch - at least do it legally, and don't tell them they're dumb for not expecting to pay $1 for the privilege of a cup of hot water. Talk about penny-wise, pound-foolish.
Came her with some blends for a little lunch action and it was a good choice, definitely better than the diner across the street. I had the french toast which was particularly rich, while a sample of their take on a club sandwich did not disappoint. The menu presents a lot of options and they all look great. It's a relaxed vibe and, overall, a good blend.
Cafe Au Lait is great, but comes in a huge cup so watch out.
Lamb Sausage sandwich is very good as is the sorbet for dessert.
I live in Long Island City and find this the most decent restaurant in town. My favorite crepe is the salmon. The service is slow but probably due to their small kitchen. Though I think they have gotten quicker and am happy they are in the neighborhood.
Dependable and yummy. Great affordable crepes and a cute place for a date or friend. Good crowd pleaser too..whenever I can't convinces someone to come all the way to Sunnyside, I agree to meet them halfway in LIC (they're convinced by the...but it's only ONE stop from manhattan whine). And it's a great alternative to Tournesol, unless you enjoy snobby waitors, overbaked fish and too-high prices...
If you're feeling particularly decadent you should go for the apple desert crepe...all the crepe meals (with salads) are super tasty as well.
What a gem of a French cafe! My boyfriend and I wanted to find a place to brunch in our hood and we stumbled upon this cafe that serves brunch food, entree meals, sandwiches and crepes galore. First of all, I was amazed at the prices. For about $9-$11 for a brunch item, you can get a tastefully amazing meal. What a deal! The best part is that the food was not heavy at all. I wanted to try their cappucino/mochas but thought that it might be filling. Oh well, next time! I ordered the choose your three items in a crepe dish. My crepe was filled with goat cheese ($2 extra), ratatouille and chicken. It was light and delicious. My boyfriend ordered the eggs benedict with salmon. We ended our meal with a chocolate/banana crepe that we shared. I left the cafe feeling great, because not only did we spend $36 with tip and tax between the two of us, the food did not weigh us down and we felt like we were dining in a quaint French cafe in Paris. That's how cool this cafe is and it's a short 5 minute walk away from my apt.
Truly one of the best breakfast plates I've ever enjoyed.
One of the best french toasts I've had in NYC. Came with a cup of fruits and bacon with roasted potatoes. My dining partner's omelette was good - nothing spectacular. Bottomless coffee was a good deal (only $1.50) - except they kept forgetting to refill the cups (we had to remind them twice).
Mediocre service. Mediocre decor. A casual, no-frill neighborhood eatery with a nice touch of French culinary influences.
I love crepes and anything that reminds me of my time in France, so I enjoyed my brunch at Cafe Henri. I've had soup, crepes, and french toast here. Soup and crepes aren't amazing, but they was nice. The french toat though, mmm... probably the best I've ever had. The place is cute and tiny. Speaking of tiny, so are the portions, true to French cuisine.
My main complaint was the service. Food is slow, and our waitress was so rude. She gave us attitude when we asked her to bring us silverware.
My first bad review...
This pretty spot is right on my way home from work, and it smells great from the sidewalk, so I REALLY wanted to like it.
Unfortunately, we were not a match made in heaven. I even tried twice, just to make sure.
I am always sticking up for the French. They're not rude snobs, I say! But, alas, both of my waitresses at Cafe Henri were just plain rude and inattentive. And I adore crepes. But not these crepes. And certainly not for $9.
Dudes. Crepes are French street food. They should take 2 minutes to make, not 20! Especially when I am one of only 3 full tables in the joint! This looooong delay between ordering and receiving happened on both visits.
On my first trip, I got the smoked salmon crepe, which was paired with a bitter, rotten-tasting ratatouille. I almost spit out the first bite. The second time, I ordered a "safer" choice: leeks, goat cheese, and egg. After my unbearably long wait, the crepe showed up...sans egg. I didn't bother to re-order because I didn't feel like waiting so long again. However, when the waitress showed up to clear the table (she never came to refill water or ask how I was doing) I mentioned that the egg was missing because I wanted to make sure I didn't get charged for it. Apologize? No. She turned around and left, and came back with a menu to show me that "the goat cheese and leek crepe doesn't come with egg." Ummm. She neglected to mention this when I ordered, and heaven forbid they should customize an order!
Cafe Henri, you suck. I am renaming you Cafe Sucky.
Well, here's another venture into Long Island City - from Sunnyside! Kevin suggested we meet here for a drink before dinner, but alas, the restaurant does not have a liquor license. Once inside, the smell of les moules was so thick that I developed a craving for the dish. We decided to stay and try this establishment.
Now, the place isn't very large - It probably seats 30 people. It's nicely designed with a large chandelier hanging over the dining area and an open kitchen (check out the posted pic.) The menu has a number of salad, sandwich, and crepes (salees and sucrees) options, along with specials of the day - nothing too fancy, but enough to give the impression of a French bistro, which is Cafe Henri.
The hostess told us that we could bring wine or beer, so we purchased beer at a local store; she even kept it on ice for us, which was very nice. I ordered les moules in a saffron sauce, which contained chorizo, onion and cream and chardonnay. It was quite good, but as I always say, you can't really screw up steamed mussels. A usual compliment would be frites, but we learned the kitchen had to remove their deep fryer, which is a total loss, at least for my meal. I was a bit surprised that they didn't serve bread. When we finally asked, I was already pretty much done with it, but our hostess was willing to bring some if I was in need.
As usual, Kevin ordered multiple items: lentil soup; quiche lorraine, which came with a side salad; and the salad Henri with slices of chicken, grilled vegetables and ratatouille. He loved everything, with the quiche being good - it looked quite firm - and the salad Henri being very good - the chicken had a terrific flavor, which probably comes from a special marinade.
As there weren't many customers on Monday night, the service was extremely fast, and the staff was friendly. We really enjoyed it and the price was moderate, so I definitely think it's worth the visit for dinner if you're in the mood for solid bistro food.
My first meal after arriving in nyc: Sunday brunch at Cafe Henri. Specifically, their French toast--good stuff. Expect to end up spending $10-15 per head. A bit pricey if compared, say, to the diner across the street. But it's a fancier menu and ambience. In fact, it feels a bit out of place among the industrial environs of LIC.
But I suppose it's part of the first wave of the gentrification of the area. Once all those high-rises along the river fill up, you probably won't be able to stroll in here Sunday around noon and get a table right away, as happened with us. On the other hand, by that time there will no doubt be pleny more--and even fancier--brunch places in the area.
By far the best french toast I've ever had. YUM.
The crepe is good too, and the atmosphere is so cute. The prices are quite reasonable, yay for borough prices.
If you like this you'll like Yuca Bar (EV), and Moto (BK)
By far the best restaurant in Long Island City
Cafe Henri has an amazing french decor and the food is incredible
The prices are medium to high
My favorite is the Sunday brunch, egg crapes, eggs benedict and a nuttlea dessert
What a lovely alternative to Tournesol across the street (good food - cramped dining room) and in general a great back-up for dining in Long Island City (still something of an oxymoronic concept). Go for the Croque sandwich or the eggplant crepe. Look, this is essentially a theme park version of the French bistro, so thrust upon New Yorker's via the Le Gamin empire. STILL, you'll have a good meal, drink a cheap carafe of excellent house red and leave satiated and quite sure you were nowhere near Paris.
This is an OK place for brunch. The food took a little long to come out and my wifes French toast was a little burnt, but it tasted great and the presentation was nice.
This is a cozy french bistro that serves amazing food in a comfortable atmosphere. A real gem. We had broccoli soup and salad appetizers, and they were exquisite - then crepes for our mains (both had the Crepe Henri) and they were fantastic. Swiss cheese goes better than mozzarella, btw, in the crepes. By that point we were too full for desert - but we left happy, and without our wallet lighted too much either! We'll be back for sure.
We loved all the food. I had Le Croque Madame, an open-faced egg sandwich the ham near the country bread and with the cheese nice and toasted and an egg on the top. On the side was a salad. We liked everything we had so much and wanted to try so many other things on the menu that we joked about coming back for every meal, or at least for brunch the next day too.. but sadly we didn't. I do think we've broken the Tournesol habit though
Just OK, the staff is nice and the food is okay. Nothing really special, but I like the reading material if I am alone at my table, and the breakfast food is correct. OK if you need a warm cup of hot chocolate or tea in a cold afternoon but nor worth going out of your way.
Stopped here for lunch today and really liked it. We've gone by a couple of times at night and felt it was more of a daytime place. I quite enjoyed the crepe and husband was ahppy with his panini club. $9 including a nice sald is a good deal in my book. It was sunny with a up to date variety of reading material. We could have hung out there all afternnon. Service was very good. Except the waitress seemed to forget about us after bringing dessert menus, which wasn't too smart of her since by the time she came back I'd had enough of sitting there. We'd go back, maybe to try out their breakfast.
This is by far the best lunch/brunch restaurant in LIC. The crepes are amazing as is the goat cheese salad. And did I mention the crepes? My boyfriend and I usually come here at least once a weekend for brunch. Be prepared to wait a good half an hour on a Sunday. During the week you will be able to sit down without any waiting at all. The food is worth the wait! If you have room for dessert try the homemade chocolate mousse! To die for!
I checked this place out over the weekend for brunch and I thought it was just ok. The staff was a little cold... but maybe it was just an off day. The food was regular brunch food - nothing to write home about. I had an omelette that came with potatoes (pretty good) and a green salad. Was frankly a little surprised that no bread came with the meal... Will check out someplace else next time I am in LIC.
Since I live in the hood I frequent this place quite a bit. The burger is small but beautiful served with a rosemary sprig. I'm a sucker for good presentation. I also love their crepes complete and the french onion soup. I would recommend going across the street for the quiche and down the street for the best coffee in the area. The service leaves something to be desired- not a place to take relatives.
I love this place. It is quaint and cozy. Their eggplant and turkey crepe is delicious. The service is friendly. The food was a little slow but when it came to the table I knew it was freshly made for me so the wait didn't matter at all. I can't wait to go back.
i love to get there hazelnut ice cream there. can't seem to find it anywhere else. i also get crepes there but it's nothing special.
Biere de Garde: Beer Dinners!
Neighborhood: Nolita
Live Music and Drink Specials!
Brooklyn, NY
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: French
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Category: French
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Category: Diners
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