Cornelia Street Cafe
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/West Village29 Cornelia Street
(between 4th St & Bleecker St)
New York, NY 10014 (212) 989-9319
- Nearest Transit:
W 4th St (A, C, E, B, D, F, V)
Christopher St (1)
9th Street (PATH)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Brunch
- Alcohol: Full Bar
52 Reviews for Cornelia Street Cafe
Brunch is also five star worthy. With the $17 pre-fixe menu I got a spicy bloody mary, a crunchy croissant, delicious eggs Florentine with rosemary potatoes and one of the tastiest hollandaise sauces ever, a good cup of coffee and a seat with no waiting!
Cornelia Street Cafe - once again you rock my world with your fabulous combination of cute location and great foodstuffs. I do love you so.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
06/01/2008
Thank you Cornelia Street Cafe, for giving me a perfect night sharing delicious food, wonderful wine… Read more »
My friend and I went here for brunch/lunch around 1 p.m. on Saturday and there was barely a wait. We asked to be seated outside and was promptly seated. I expected to wait a long time for service since we sat outside, but service was impeccable! Our server was super nice and friendly! She periodically came out to refill our glass of water without us having to ask. I ordered the Egg Florentine and my friend ordered the Grilled Chicken baguette. We were both very pleased with our food. I'm definitely going to recommend this place.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I love this place. It's one of those great places to sit and while away a Sunday morning having brunch. The prefix brunch is a steal at $17 for a coffee or tea, drink of choice (mine was a mimosa), pastry (great croissant) & entree (me=Eggs Benedict). The atmosphere is calm and friendly and the wait wasn't bad at all. 2 of us waited about 10 min for a nice spot by the windows on a Sunday afternoon.
All of the food was delicious. We also indulged and split a Creme Brulee which was worth the extra indulgence.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Came here for a solo brunch and really enjoyed it. I was seated immediately by the friendly waitstaff, loved my food, and cute atmosphere/location.
FYI - $25 minimum for credit cards.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Fantastic brunch. I love the variety that you can get in their prefix brunch. Cute, casual, local atmosphere feel to it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Well worth the wait! And what a steal for their $16 brunch special deal! As we sat at the bar, waiting for a table to free up for our group of six, most of us were drooling as we eyed the giant plates of poached eggs, omelets, and Hollandaise sauce that were served to those already seated.
Space is seriously at a premium here. We somehow managed to cram all of us around a table that should really only hold four. I'm really not quite sure how exactly we juggled everything around to handle the excessive number of plates, pots, glasses, and saucers we had for our brunch. On top of being in very tight quarters, it can get noisy. All of my friends were busy catching up together, so we were only adding to the clamor as we excitedly gushed about the happenings in our lives.
The $16 deal netted me: a much-needed cup of Earl Grey tea, a hunk of warm chocolate bread, a generously-poured Screwdriver, and perfectly poached eggs Florentine which came with a side of rosemary roasted potatoes. The price was spot on for what we got; this was exactly the meal necessitated by the late night out we'd had previously.
Once again, the Yelp list search function wins kudos from me. Thanks to all the NYC Yelpers that pointed me here, we were not disappointed!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (4)
$16 weekend brunch here is a great deal and includes choice of coffee or tea, fresh-baked pastry, fresh oj or breakfast cocktail and entree. The croissant is fluffy and buttery. The eggs benedict was delicious - I usually don't like english muffins but these were thin and crispy which suited my tastes well. The roasted rosemary and garlic potatoes that came with the eggs benedict were perfectly-seasoned and scrumptious.
One star deduction for the subpar service and the hostess being rude to my friend who was stopping in briefly mid-meal so I could hand something off to her.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Cool (3)
We had my roommate's birthday here, barging in with a party of 15 or so. Not only was every single thing we ate de-licious (all the way down to a couple of olives that were life-alteringly good... no seriously), but the wait staff was extremely kind, attentive, and went way above and beyond to make sure the birthday girl had the perfect evening, and that everyone was enjoying themselves.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Typical yum brunch. You know, eggs good with a side of taters. Though, I can't remember was there a mimosa or bloody mary offered? Nothing too offensive, though I think they tried to bully us out. And I think they charged extra for my coffee, though it was unlimited refills. So okay, 3.5 stars to which I'll round up.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Popped in here for a drink Saturday afternoon around 5ish. Unfortunately we were too late to sit outside without having to order a 3 course meal so plopped our hinnies on the bar stool. We waited about 15 minutes just to flag down the barmaid for a menu (actually, I think we stole it from the people next to us) and then waited another 10 for her to pour the prosecco. It wasn't busy at all, but you know, we weren't in a rush and everyone was French... (just saying) so it was cool.
Anyhow, we ordered an app of artichoke with prosciutto and greens which was amazing and had me excited to try some more fare at this little spot. I'm leaning towards 3 (bordering 4) stars for now, but plan to come back again for a full meal - if only to sample the brunch (which to what I can tell, only has RAVE reviews!) and to test the service out again because I think it may have been slightly *off* only because of the weird time we had come.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (2)
Something strange happened to me over the last few years. I became a brunch person. For whatever reason, it was never my thing. Maybe because I associated it with more breakfast-y items, while I am more of a lunch and dinner-y type gal. In any case, that has all changed. Now, not only do I actively seek out good brunch places, I sometimes even order the breakfast-y items on the menu!
I chose this place for last Saturday's brunch because of all the rave Yelp reviews. Seating was not a problem, possibly because we got there after 2pm. I could imagine it would be more crowded earlier. The interior was cute and comfortable, though I have mixed feelings about their brick walls being painted white (isn't exposed brick just so much warmer? I think so).
The brunch deal was a good one. $16 for coffee/tea, a mimosa/bloody mary, a selection of bread or pastry, and main course. The coffee was strong, mimosa perfectly fresh and fizzy, and chocolate bread warm and gooey. I ordered the huevos rancheros and initially scraped off the dollop of creme fraiche at the top, as a paltry attempt to be health conscious. The dish was okay. Then I decided to enjoy the meal fully, put the creme fraiche back on, and suddenly the eggs were much more delicious. Lesson learned.
I didn't expect service to be that great since it took a while for someone to come around for our orders, but after the initial waiting, we were well taken care of. The drinks, food, condiments, and check came promptly, and our waitress even stopped by to make sure everything was okay when we didn't need anything (that always wins points with me, because it's like they really care!).
I'm leaving off a star because the bathroom could have been cleaner, the restaurant isn't as conducive to lingering as others, and while the food was very good, it didn't wow me the way brunch at somewhere like Sushi Samba did. Still, I would (and hopefully will) come back here.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
Had my second brunch experience here this morning and, though a bit flawed, I enjoyed it. We arrived during the brunch prime time at 1:30 and were seated right away. After a few minutes of looking over the menu, our waiter came over to take our orders. I ordered the omelet of the day (always changing) and my friend ordered the hamburger. This place can be VERY slow with their service- don't ever go here if in a hurry. Took about 10 minutes to get us our coffee and tea. Our waiter was nice, but seemed distressed, overwhelmed, and completely hungover so it took a bit of courage to ask for a coffee refill. The food came out not too long after the drinks and was tasty. My omelet was delicious (had fresh zucchini and peppers in it), but didn't come with any toast! Who doesn't serve toast with eggs? Weird. My friend gobbled up her hamburger and really enjoyed her fries.
I live in the neighborhood and think this is a good spot for the locals, but don't trek across the city to come here. Also to note, the perfect brunch spot if you are flying solo. There is a big bar where you can spread your newspaper and enjoy your meal without feeling like a loner. Next time I come, I will most likely order something different and get an order of Amy's chocolate bread. FIN
I was here for brunch with Tali A. and her dad, and it was fab! Not to repeat Tali's words, but her dad's flirting with the hostess was hilarious, I caught the last glimpse of it, and man that girl for dense, and she probably didn't understand his Hungaro-Israeli accent anyway, and besides, she was busy. We were seated within minutes of my grand entrance (seems like they were waiting for 15 minutes already), and we had the cutest waitress ever. She DID understand the accent and the innocent flirting, and she flirted back with all her heart, with all three of us.
The $16 brunch special gets you a tea/coffee, another beverage (mimosa, prosecco, OJ etc - fancier stuff), bread/muffins and the entree (duh!). I had the French toast, and the chocolate bread (which is served warm). The French toast was the best I've ever had and I would totally get it again. Tali's omelette was delish too! I forget what her dad got though. The have generous portions too, relative to my experience at trademark brunch places. The bathrooms were tiny, and dingy but not nearly as dark as Tali made them out to be, and her shrieks while in there made for quite the entertaining wait.
I'm so going back, hopefully on a warmer day so I can sit outside with my prosecco and judge the pretentious hipsters frequenting West Village these days...
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (5)
Cool (6)
The first thing I noticed about Cornelia was the quiet and personal environment in the restaurant. We thought it would be a causal corner cafe, but it was somewhat fancy with the candles dimmed on table and no cell phone usage while dinning. The waitress gave us fabulous services, and the food was pretty good. I wished there were more crab cakes, but there was only one on the plate. This is a great place for dinner after a day of shopping in Soho or Greenwich area.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
We ended up here for drinks because our table wasn't ready at LIttle Havana, across the street. All these stars are for the fantastic bartender who unfortunately fed me enough drinks that i forgot her name. The menu is full of cocktails she's created (along with others I believe) .... they were all decadent and delicious. perfect place if you want liquid dessert.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I was visiting my BFF in NY, and we came here for a late night dinner around 10:30 PM, and were seated immediately with no wait. I loved the candles and low lighting inside. Very cozy. We were seated by the windows, but it was dark outside and not much to see.
The waitress, very slow. I forgot her name, but she worked Saturday night 4/26 with short blond hair. It took her 10-15 minutes to take our order, and once she did, I never saw her again until at the end to give us our check, and add some comment about the garlic mashed potatoes, which I didn't care for her opinion being that she never checked on us once during the meal to see if we needed more water or what. I NEVER IN MY LIFE HAD SUCH A CRAP SERVER. Who just takes the order and never comes back only to give the check? Are you kidding me? I have to say, I'm used to good service being in the service industry myself. I'm a really good tipper, and I only tipped the bare minimum 18% because the other wait staff helping her were extremely polite and helpful, refilling our waters, getting us more bread. If it weren't for them, I'd have leave ZERO dollars, as tip is for service....and she had none.
Anyway, based on their food alone, I would give them 5 stars. My friend and I both ordered the Steak Frites, which comes with a steak and a pile of skinny cut fries. She intentionally ordered the steak to be medium rare in prevention of the cooks overdoing them. I ordered mine medium. When we both got our steaks, they were cooked to perfection. It came with herb butter, and melted in my mouth.
We also ordered a salad with goat cheese, walnuts, pears, cranberries- very yummy. I also ordered a side of garlic mashed potatoes and it was absolutely delicious.
Being that both of us ordered heavy comfort foods, the water should have been refilled at all times. Provided the cups were small, maybe this place should invest on bigger cups.
End analysis? VERY GOOD FOOD but sub par service from our main server.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Cozy place for brunch. Perfect if you're an "early" riser by Manhattan standards.
$16 pre-fixe menu is the way to go. Portions are pleasantly sized.
Croissant provided a light starter and eggs benedict was the perfect choice for the main course.
Looking forward to sitting outdoors once the weather permits.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Love that they open at 10am on the weekends. Great brunch, and sometimes it's nice to eat early. For $16, you get quite a nice bit of food, coffee/tea + breakfast cocktail or juice + tasty small bit of chocolate bread (very good) or lemon poppy muffin or brioche + entree. Portions are hearty. Farmer's Breakfast is excellent, and I'm not the only one who thinks so as pretty much every table in the joint got at least one order. It's a big salad topped with two eggs and bacon crumbles. Simple but well-prepared and delicious. Eggs benedict were ok. Pancakes were another standout. Friendly service.
As for the person who complained about the ugly clientele, for real? Not that this is a supermodel hangout, but geez. Everyone there is pretty mellow and nice, maybe too mellow to slap on an inch of makeup and crap before dragging out to brunch. Go back to the meatpacking district or whatever eurotrash joint.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
The very first brunch I ever went to was here at Cornelia Street Cafe. my friends and I had always wanted to do brunch but never knew where to go. So we saw an ad for this place in the Village Voice and decided to come here. And we were so glad we did.
I tried the eggs benedict, and of course it was my very first time trying eggs benedict. After that first bite, I was an instant convert. The sausages that I got on the side were delicious too.
Since we came during the summer, the doors were wide open and we sat and ate, while people watching at the same time. Just a cute, little place to come, relax, people watch, and eat food at the same time.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
A very decent, respectable, comfortable bustling brunch place. definitely recommend. Gets 3 stars instead of 4 because a 4 star brunch spot should produce 4 star eggs benedict and Cornelia Street didn't. The hollandaise on the eggs benedict was really not very good (poor texture, no flavor, could have been packaged?) and the eggs were runny (i almost gagged). That said, the orange juice was very fresh.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
DELICIOUS BRUNCH!
With a group of nine - we all ordered something different for brunch and loved it. That should speak volumes about this place. They have a great selection and each dish is really good and unique. I went with the French toast with fruit and LOVED IT. Their fresh squeezed OJ is also a good choice.
Watch out for the mini step as you go downstairs to the bathroom -- potential for a public wipe out.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (2)
Great place for brunch! Inside is very cozy and has a bunch of different pockets to seat people so it never feels too crowded or empty. I went around 11am and it was easy to get a seat, I'd say by 12ish the place was full.
Food was really nice, I'd recommend the Prix Fix if you're in the mood for a Mimosa or Bloody Mary, it's $16 all in and this includes coffee/tea, drink of your choice (alcoholic or non), fresh bread/pastry of your choice and a main. Menu had a pretty wide selection so you can satisfy all palates.
Great neighborhood to stroll around in afterward if you're having a lazy Sunday....
Stumbled upon this gem while searching for a place to eat that we could all agree on. Love the little block this restaurant is located on and the outdoor seating was perfect on this warm day. The food was very good - between the three of us, we ordered the soup of the day, the warm goat cheese salad, the hummus plate, and a sandwich special of the day w/ fresh mozzarella. The mozzarella was sooooooo good. The Cornelia Street Cafe has become one of the multitude of reasons I love visiting Manhattan so much.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I find it pretty shameful that I've never eaten at Cornelia Street Cafe before, even though I've known about it as long as I've lived in the city. Or if I have, it must have been when I was a young'un living in the neighborhood, back before the idea of Yelp, or let alone the Internet, could even have been fathomable. But I digress.
Cornelia Street Cafe is so quinessentially the West Village! It's been around for about 30 years and started as an artist's hang out and performance space, and continues that tradition to this day. I can't wait to come back and check out some of the live music or poetry readings they have here.
The space itself is very homey, casual and comfortable. Lots of exposed brick, plus a beautiful bar and fireplace. There are various dining areas too, so even if the place is full, I doubt it would feel cramped. Compared to the row of restaurants across the street (Pearl Oyster, Home, Le Gigot), it's hugely spacious. You can't beat that when you're hungry on a Saturday night and don't want to wait 45 minutes for a table at Pearl!
The food is pretty good too. The menu is simple and not very extensive, but everything we ordered was tasty. We tried the warm artichoke salad and the seared scallop appetizers, and we didn't leave a thing on the plates. For my main course, I had the steak frites b/c I was craving a big hunk of meat. It was tender, juicy and thick, which is to say it really hit the spot! The fries were a little crisper than I would have liked, but they soaked up that meat juice right quick.
And then we ended our meal with sweetness: hazelnut bread pudding and a chocolate brownie. Surprisingly, the bread pudding was sweeter than the brownie, and we all risked going into diabetic shock, but I think it would have been worth it.
No, I don't think the food here is anything out of the ordinary, but everything else about Cornelia Street Cafe is, from its location to its atmosphere to its welcoming service. How else could it be so successful for 30 years and counting? That's practically reaching landmark status in this ever mutating city.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (4)
They wouldn't let us be seated until our entire party was there, which was annoying, but otherwise lovely service. The young, cute waitress flirted with my dad, which of course he ate up hard-core. Cute brick walls, neighborly vibes even if this place is too well-known to be a neighborhood hangout anymore.
Brunch specials are a good deal at $16 for an entree, appetizer, coffee/tea and a drink. My omelette, the veg special of the day, was rolled up a la French style and delicious, I have no complaints. The warm gooey chocolate bread was sweeeeeeet.
The bathrooms were a little too dark for me, I started shrieking a bit and Arnab M. enjoyed laughing at me for that.
Ooh, also there was this precious little baby there and it made my ovaries kind of hurt with its cuteness.
Beware of the New York baby scene at popular brunch spots! They will have you coo-cooing and making goo-goo eyes at unknown babies like a crazed grandmother and the parents will look at you like you're mad a potential baby-thief.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
The Good: Cute place, nice open doors letting in sunshine and fresh air. The menu was varied and I had a hard time deciding on what to have for brunch. I settled on the farmer's special or seomthing like that, eggs over greens with roasted potatoes. Yummy!
The Bad: the coffee was HORRIBLE. I couldn't even drink it, that was how bad it was. No half and half and no equal which made bad coffee worse. ECK. The water glasses, tiny, and were not refilled without asking. I mean it's brunch, people go to brunch because they are hungover and therefore water refilling is needed and should be done without asking. The bloody Mary's tasted ok, but again, small ass glasses, read hungover note above, small glasses not ok. and no celery. MADNESS.
The Ugly: I don't know who let these people out but OUCH, they were so hard to look at and unfortunately right in my line of sight. OK, I know ugly people have the right to brunch too but seriously ouch.
Will I go back? Ehhhh, they just pissed me off with the gross coffee and no water service, and with all the other brunch places in the city, i think no, I will not return.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Cornelia Street Cafe and I have both been described in the past as petite and elegant.
And that's not all we have in common.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (3)
Cool (1)
I love restaurants that have front doors and walls that can open up during warm weather to allow the diners to eat outside (or inside but feel like they're outside). I love restaurants that are located on small, quiet streets so that when you do eat outside, you're not choking on fumes. And I love the conversations that people have when the weather gets warm and you are eating outside:
Friend: What's that on your arm?
Me: Where?
Friend: Right there by the elbow. (pokes me)
Me: I don't know. A bruise?
Friend: Is that a track mark?
Me: A track mark? Like, a heroin track mark?
Friend: Yeah.
Me: Why the fuck do you think I'm on heroin?
Friend: Looks like a track mark.
Me: Well it's not.
Ah, I love short sleeve weather.
BTW, the $16 brunch on the weekends is great.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (8)
Cool (3)
FAB brunch spot. I came here around 12:30 on saturday and there was about a 10-15 minute wait which wasn't bad at all. yummy coffee & super friendly waitresses... and, BEST QUICHE EVER!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
One of my fav. brunch and dessert places. The omelettes are great. The bread pudding and strawberry short cake are incredible. I tend to lose sight of things around me once I start thinking about the bread pudding... ahh, too good to be true.
My first time here was on a cold, rainy Saturday morning for brunch. It was quiet, pleasantly warm, and with some Sinatra in the background... just perfect for a rainy day brunch.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (3)
Holy crapola the risotto here was a-MAZ-ing! And it is such a cute, charming little restaurant! Unfortunately, this is New York, so a small plate of cheesy rice = $15. Glad I wasn't paying!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
My New York friends found this place and were kind enough to share it with me when I visited. Came here for a late brunch on a Sunday and absolutely loved the place! Very cute and cozy, and the food was spectacular! Had the eggs Florentine, which was scrumptious. But really, everything they served looked good. Can't wait to go back!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
Very cute place for brunch. The service is great, and they give you a lot of food for the prix fixe price of $16. The chocolate bread is delicious, and hot out of the oven.
Went here for brunch. Eggs florentine was very good.
But this place was so memorable because of the suprisingly amazing, to-die-for chocolate bread. A must try, even if you don't like chocolate for breakfast :)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This was such a nice date place. Really amazing hummus appetizer with some kind of red wine sauce, Excellent salmon and mediterranean salad. Only complaint was that they did not have an ice bucket for the bottle of Prosecco which we ordered. Great atmosphere on a warm summer night.
Cozy place, very friendly staff. The dinner was yummy and the drinks were good! I really can't find anything to complain about (stunning, I know!).
Highly recommend!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Cornelia Street Cafe is cozy and dark(almost too dark for me lol) with a friendly staff. I've come here with family and we all had a great meal. The mussels are great as an appetizer and the lamb entree was nicely cooked and flavorful. Creme brulee was a great ending to the meal.
I would like to come back for brunch one day.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I went here for dinner but now I want to go back for brunch and another dinner and maybe another dinner after that.
The food was so good that I dint even care that our waitress forgot to bring us water and bread and then after we asked for both she took forever to bring them to us. It all doesn't matter cause at the end of the day I was with four people and together we got 6 different things on the menu and they were all Slammin'.
I like that this place has a very good variety of options on the menu, the prices are extremely reasonable, the wine list has many options and the place itself is very cozy and cute.
I give it four stars because the service just wasn't where it could be.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I haven't been here for brunch, but all three times I've eaten here for dinner were fabulous. Intimate atmosphere (okay, let's face it--what restaurants in this area aren't "intimate"? Space is a rare commodity), decent wine list, great food. The servers are extremely attentive, too, and will do their best to ensure that you enjoy your meal. Wow...that sounds a bit dirty. That's not what I meant...
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (4)
Cool (3)
I love this place. Back before I moved to the city, my sister used to live on Charles Street and she took me here once when I came to visit her. I totally fell in love. It's the kind of cute, perfectly charming cafe with great food and a fun, friendly staff. Everything is delicious, if a little bit uninspired, and the atmosphere is warm and gracious. Works by local artists hang on the wall, and there's a lively cabaret/theater in the basement in which you may find the stars of tomorrow. I'm a big fan.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
