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50th St-8th Ave (C, E)
50th St-Broadway (1)
49th St-7th Ave (N, R, W)
"You don't have to be a card-carrying member of the Social Register to dine here but if you are not you will most likely be in the minority.…" read more »
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I had specific type of place in mind for dinner before watching Ave Q off-broadway. I wasn't sure if I was going to find it. I did when we stepped into Chez Napoleon.
Totally my kind of place. Small. Comfy. Charming. Unique. Authentic.
Traditional french fare, w/ a whole lot of selections that you can't find elsewhere. I almost bit and ordered the calf brains, but went with my original craving for sweetbreads, which i'll add were delicious.
The Cucumber salad was simple, but hit the spot as you can tell it was brined before being served w/ their signature dressing.
Wife had the cordon bleu, probably one of their more 'safer' menu selections, and she enjoyed it but didn't love it.
The grand marnier souffle was delicate and delicious.
Service was attentive, humorous, authentic, and truthful. Also accommodating when they knew we had a show to catch.
This is one my MUST VISITS anytime I come back to NYC.
People thought this was:
Chez Napolean is tiny, eclectically decorated, and a bit romantic. They churn out a long menu of legit French dishes. Entrees average $24, a full meal here is not going to be super cheap. For me, the service kinda feels like you are a guest in the home of a French matriarch who is stern but has a heart of gold.
I am a sucker for garlicky escargot, and tend to order it when I see it. Here 6 of them came in individual little ceramic containers.
My entree, canard a l'orange, was really delicious. Thee duck was moist on the inside with just a hint of orange flavor and the outside was crisp and glazed with the orange sauce. Normally I am not a huge fan of orange and meat, but it definitely was done right here. It came with a nice helping of wild rice.
I ate a lot of the bread that came at our table during the longish wait for our food and I knew I had to save room for dessert so I took practically half of my main dish home and it made for a hearty breakfast.
Make sure to order your dessert souffle at the beginning of the meal to give it time to be made fresh. Ours came with a booze filled grand marnier sauce, that only added to the major wine buzz I had going on.
A much better French dining experience than the neighboring Tout va Bien.
People thought this was:
Aaaah. Where do I begin. This tiny little family operated french restaurant was recommended by some french coworkers back in the 2004. I will never get enough of this place. This midtown west side old world charming little place is a delight. If you like trendy-popular-model-looking-people populated places this isn't for you. This is the kind of place you could easily come to alone, with a small group (under 6) or a date and still have a good time. The chef is the 80 something year old french lady who sometimes comes out and hangs out by the bar which is taken over by bartender - her grouchy looking grandson who also happens to be the son to the waitress who is the only daughter of the chef. I don't think I have ever seen him smile which definitely adds to the amusing charm of this place.
The menu: they make the world's best Bouillabaisse. Also, I like their escargot, Saucisson Chaud, mussels, soft shell crabs, frog legs, and other traditional french food. I have gone here over a dozen times at this point and it never disappointed me.
People thought this was:
This is the kind of restaurant that makes up for Meat-packing District, it's a booyah in the face of giant urban brasseries, a place where no self-respecting bridge and tunnel hoochie mama would be caught dead...how amazingly wonderful is that? Chez Napoleon is a classic, authentic French restaurant done in a breezy, relaxed manner that could easily have been airlifted from a tiny street in Paris. A serious time caspule, this tiny gem hasn't changed in years-and why should it? With very simple furniture, framed jigsaw puzzles on the wall and no-frills tableware, you aren't coming here for decor inspiration-you''re here for the food!
After being greeted warmly (Bonjour!) by the experienced staff, I was welcomed to our tiny table despite arriving embarassingly earlier than my friends. When we were all settled in we got great sevice and recommendations, one of which was a shrimp and rice dish seasoned with tarragon. Who knew? I went traditional (as many menu items are) and was rewarded with a sirloin that packed tons of flavor in a package roughly the size of a baked potato.
I can't remember the last time I cleaned my plate at dinner. But what do you expect from the French? The portions were perfect so enjoying dessert was a no-brainer. I can safely say the chocolate mousse, cherries jubilee and crepes Suzette were served the way (and tasted the way) they have been meant to be enjoyed for sheesh, centuries?? Grande-mere (who was tipping back a sherry at the bar when we left) does it with ease, apparently. She doesn't look a day over 60.
A NY classic. If you haven't already, add it to your short list.
People thought this was:
Charming,intimate,cozy,warm,delightful...just some of the adjectives. We went prix fixe and all courses were superb. This is the kind of place you want to go back to whenever you are in town.
People thought this was:
Old-time french in an old time setting. Lunch was OK. Might have been bad ordering on my part. Nevertheless, there were what appeared to be a few friendly regulars milling about the place.
It's still weirdly worth going to just because there aren't many places like it in New York -- or perhaps there are, but I just haven't noticed them. There's a place called Ye Olde Curiousity Shoppe in Seattle and stepping into Chez Napoleon is a similar experience.
People thought this was:
The outside of this restaurant could use a bit of a touchup, as it certainly doesn't look anything like a nice restaurant from the outside... but once you get in, (cliche warning!) you feel like you're in a completely different world. Various French-y items adorn the walls, and French music is piped in through the unobtrusive speakers.
And then the food... it's great here! My dining partner and I had the Coquille St. Jacques as well as the Vichyssoise soup, both were very tasty (and creamy! Bring lactase along if you need it, or else you'll be in trouble!). The vichyssoise had a great texture from the garnish, and the flavoring was very nice and refreshing after a warm day. The scallops were also a nice bit as well. For the mains, we had bouillabaisse and coq au vin, the bouillabaisse being the real winner. How can you not appreciate such an intense seafood flavor? And served over the toasted bread (with rouille, yummy), the texture ranges from soupy to crunchy, all in one dish. The coq au vin was also quite good, with a real hearty chicken flavor and scent. The ratatouille served alongside the chicken was also very nice; the only complaint I had was that there wasn't more ratatouille (maybe 3-5 bites total).
For dessert, I cannot recommend getting a souffle enough. When you're ordering dinner, pick out a flavor and get that souffle going, and you'll be rewarded with a poofy, light, and moist souffle, the best I've had in recent (and not-so-recent) memory.
Find somebody (or a group of somebodies) that you don't mind talking to for a couple of hours, get a bottle of wine (you can choose from their selection or bring your own, corking fee $20), and enjoy yourselves.
People thought this was:
I had a business lunch meeting and decided to check this place out since it got good reviews.
We got there and it was pretty empty but that's what I was expecting since I believe this place is more for dinner. I ordered the pate appetizer and just to let you know I haven't had much pate in my life so I couldn't compare but it tasted ok. After that I got the duck confit which was moist and the skin was nice and crispy. I would have enjoyed it a lot if only it wasn't so salty. I finished 1/2 of it and since it was a 1/2 of duck that would make it a quarter. the waitress thought I was on a diet since i didn't finish the pate either. finally for desert I got the crepes with grand marnier which was the best thing I had for lunch. She must have felt bad that I hardly ate so she loaded the crepes. Bottomline line is the service was great but the food was lacking!
People thought this was:
My partner and I have called this "our place" for good reason: it's fabulous!
This real French bistro is one of a number of original bistros which opened in the 50s and 60s throughout the area. To step into this restaurant is to step back into an older time in New York dining history, many of these establishments being family owned as this one. It's not fancy, nor is it a hot spot, but there is certainly a loyal following who loves "mama's cooking."
I've had just about every dish and enjoyed each one. Although the restaurant is moderately expensive, I find that I can't go wrong with ordering one of the specials of the day, which tend to hover around the $20 mark.
Of course, Chez Napoleon is not for everyone. Some may think the atmosphere lacking or the food too rich, but in my opinion, if you'd like to take a trip back into a different age of NYC dining, as well as enjoy some down-to-earth French food, then find the time to visit this jewel!
People thought this was:
What a wonderful little restaurant! It's right in the theater district, so I would suggest dining after the theater crowd has left. Went to dinner there with a good friend. We walked in at 8:30 and were seated immediately.
We started with escargot and a tomato & anchovy salad. For the main course, we ordered sweetbreads in a mushroom sauce and calf liver with onions. Everything was delicious. Definitely rustic and very comforting food. We capped off dinner with capuccinos, cherries jubilee and a napoleon.
The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Even after we'd finished our food, we lingered and discussed/gossipped/bemoaned/celebrated and never once felt rushed.
People thought this was:
Chez Napoleon is a traditional French restaurant worth a visit. The dishes are fresh and delicious and the wait staff attentive; we didn't have much trouble securing a table for three on a Saturday night.
However, because of the restaurant's appeal to the theater crowd, the menu is a bit pricy. I prefer Cosette in Murray Hill for more affordable French fare.
People thought this was:
I really enjoyed this restaurant. I went with my wife and parents last weekend. The food was very very good (I had the rabbit, and really enjoyed their house dressing), and our waitress was funny in that "I'm going to talk to you like a normal person and not kiss your ass by being formal" way. Very refreshing. They also had a decent selection of French wines.
We had dinner about 7:30pm, and I would recommend you get a reservation. It's a small place, and by 8pm there wasn't an open seat in the house.
A few comments about the other reviews here. I didn't find it pricey at all compared to other restaurants near the theatres. We actually selected it because we considered it affordable. I got away with two full bottles of wine, a round of appetizers, mains, and desserts for 4 people at just over $50 a head. For that much food, I'd consider it reasonable.
Additionally, I didn't have any problem with the staff, whose first language is obviously French as stated below. However, I disagree with saying you need to speak French to get by. They obviously spoke enough English that unless you had your mouth full while speaking, there really is no way they could misunderstand you.
People thought this was:
New York Times had a great piece on this place today (7/14/2008) - the chef owner is 85 and still working. I remember it over the years as a very nice, cozy, old style French restaurant. The first place that I had cassoulet - back in my youth.
People thought this was:
Basically, I went by myself and because I was a walk-in there was no room for me, except if I wanted to be out by a certain time. The people were rude and I didn't even get to eat the food because I was so turned off by the fact that I could eat there, but I had to be out at a certain time because of other reservations.
This is a decent, inexpensive (price fix $30!) theater-night french restaurant. The ambience is a little weak, but not terrible - the place just needs to be freshed up a bit. We had the house wine, which was good, and skipped the price fix to go right for the entres: Boeuf Bourguignon and Steak a la Guillaume (steak with grilled onions, french fries, and melted blue cheese). The Boeuf Bourguignon was outstanding, but the steak tasted a bit too much of liver, and wasn't as tender as it could have been. We finished up with an amazing coffee souffl (order with dinner) that was light, smooth, and flavorful.
The service was prompt and friendly, and the waitress even suggested avoiding a few of the "advanced" dishes (calf's brain anyone?) since it was our first time.
In summary, this is an authentic French restaurant (staff speaks French, menu has French and English, etc) with good service, decent food, and ok ambience. The price (low $20s for most entres) can't be beat and makes up for any shortcomings, making this a solid pick.
Both food and service are extraordinary at this small French bistro. Family owned and run, it is a well-loved staple among New Yorkers who work in the area, as well as theater goers. A must try!
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