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5th Ave-53rd St (E, V)
Lexington-3rd Aves-51st St (6, E, V)
57th St-6th Ave (F)
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I've come to realize that the french fries at this place are like crack! I find myself salivating around lunch-time thinking of these fries. Oh yeah, try the steak sandwich along with those fries.
p.s. i've only been here for lunch.
I've had a couple of work lunches here. Both times the food was really outstanding. The first time… Read more »
The service was awful. After receiving no water for the first 30 minutes, we finally got some after asking. We waited a long time between courses, and we never got any butter or oil for the bread (and we only got bread after asking for some).
The salad was ok, but the red snapper was overcooked to a rubbery consistency that made it almost inedible. The french fries were mediocre, and the profiteroles tasted stale.
This is one of the better midtown bars out there. We had a company happy hour here and I was so happy it wasn't at the usual place. Papillon has more of an intimate feel to it than other after work bars I've been to. The service here was great and the good was pretty good also. We basically just got bar food but still better than other places.
This really is a nice place to have some after work drinks with your work group, especially if some one else is paying
Well....I agree that the steak sandwich is great, the french fries are mouth watering...the bar upstairs is intimate...but the girls....the girls who work at Papillon....the lovely crew on the floor....this ONLY should be a reason to visit this place....It's easy to fall in love at Papillon...cause once you go...you know...
I've only come here after work to meet up with co-workers, old and new. The bar is spacious enough to hold a good after-work crowd. This bar is a bit nicer than Connolly's or Maggie's in midtown, and those are both lready great spots for after work drinks!
For bar food, I would recommend the mozzarella sticks. They come out hot from the oven, and are a bit tough to resist.
I'm sure this would be a good spot to power-lunch!
I was here for a happy hour, which was fun...drinks were good (I had Stella), even if a little pricey. I was upstairs on the balcony...a little tight, but a nice space.
It was your typical bar atmosphere...a good after work crowd...and conveniently located in midtown.
Now I was prepared to stay for some food, but wasn't willing to spend $15 on a hamburger with co-workers! I'll keep this place as after work drink place, and reserve the right to comment on the food, if and when I should try it here.
This is a great place to go in Midtown when you want to have a lunch or grab drinks with friends. If you're looking for a fun social place, definitely pop in! You can eat on the outdoor cafe, downstairs of upstairs (my favorite place). I love having a few drinks here after work and to catch up with friends.
Wow, I've been coming here for a year now, and can't believe I didn't remember to yelp this!
First came here with some friends when they had a bangra event, it was a good locale.
Then started working nearby and frequent the place quite often. It's got a good after-work crowd, always people around. As a girl, usually get decent luck with seats, but obviously, this is dependent on time you get there and what crowd is like.
Food, appetizers, drinks are good. A little on the pricier side, but hey, this is midtown. Waitresses are generally pretty nice, when you get to know the people there, it's quite nice. Lunch is also quite good-- they have a decent french onion soup and good sandwich/salad combos.
You can hear people when they talk to you (for the most part) and it's a good place to get to know people better.
Papillon is probably best known as an after-work bar, and it fills that role well -- it's big, and even on Thursday and Friday nights it pulls in a big crowd without ever getting too cramped. I've been going here for years (since it was Typhoon Brewery) and have never managed not to find a seat when I wanted one. The beer selection is fairly good and, once they know you, the buy-backs come pretty fast. Service at the bar can be a little slow (the bar is very long and it can be hard to be seen by the bartender when it is crowded), but they do well given the physical space.
Beyond its appeal as a reliable midtown watering hole, Papillon has better food than I would have expected. It bills itself as a bistro, and upstairs actually serves quality bistro fare. Despite having been there many times for drinks and appetizers, I had dinner there for the first time this week. The steak frites was very good, much better than I expected. The only knock on eating here is it loud, even upstairs, so if the bar is busy, you may have trouble having a conversation. But overall a good spot to get a solid meal if you haven't had the chance to plan something better.
This review is about the bar only.
An ordinary place made special by the lively, loud crowd. Not loud as in rowdy - just a lot of fun conversation at a high volume. Nearby workers gathering in the evening.
3.5 stars
Came here for a gathering. We had drinks at the bar. Bartender as a little too in your face with trying to be funny and all. A little too much and slightly annoying I must say. Otherwise, drinks were decent and he surely refilled our glasses sufficiently so all night.
A typical bar atmosphere with a good after work crowd. The bar staff are lovely and very friendly (but that doesn't make up for the expensive drinks). The bar food menu hits the spot with a nice selection of fried delicacies - exactly what you want when you're out drinking.
I work within 1 block of here and so when our work induced creativity can take us no further than 1 block we end up here. Basically I'm fed up with this place, but even so at it's best it's only worth 3 stars in my view. It's just nothing special, normal bar, ok food, average decor and layout.
In the week there's an after work crowd which gets noisy but has no vibe other than to annoy - and I'm often one of the crowd
It's ok for a quick business lunch if you can't think of anywhere else to go
All in all I'd advise squeezing those brain cells a bit more and trying to find somewhere else close by
The most kick ass seared tuna sandwich ever! The wasabi aioli was perfect....
... if only the service was too.
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Notes: kind of dirty, slow service, nice and spacious, delicious food
After some consideration, I've decided the reason this place isn't very busy is that there are better options in the area. I like the layout, nice old wood and such. However, the food is basically average. Nothing terrible, but nothing to write home about.
I'd say the best thing it's got going on is the bar. It's rather dim (always a plus), features more of the aforementioned dark wood and otherwise feels very....bar-like.
So, I'd go for lunch or whatnot, but not a destination place. k
Pretty typical brunch fare, but it was nice to be able to get brunch at 2pm. The Brioche French toast was very fluffy and light, but otherwise nothing you couldn't get at an IHOP. The service was mediocre, but overall we were happy to get a solid brunch that still allowed us to get a few hours rest from the night before.
I've ordered delivery and eaten in but have never been very impressed. The food is decent at best and the decor is pretty underwhelming. Delivery service has been reliable.
Since they took the grilled vegetable and couscous entree off the menu, there are no vegetarian main courses other than penne. The server kindly offered to ask the chef to make the risotto with water (apparently they don't have vegetable stock) instead of chicken stock "but it still comes with chicken on top ...... oh, uh, I guess we should leave that off too?" At least he was making an effort.
I'd be more inclined to go to BiCE across the street or Aquavit Cafe one block up.
Since I have only been to Papillon for an Elite event, I don't know if I can fully review it...but I do know that I will stop in for drinks and maybe a meal at some point (yeah on the appetizers and the helpful staff). The room in the back is great for a small private party.
Clean bathrooms = big plus.
I will have to venture back for a full review.
Thanks for planning it here Nish & Sam!
I went late, we were all drinking glass after glass of wine, taking are time ordering. I understand that kitchens close and that we were being slow, but the waiter could've handled us with a bit more tact.
I had the mussels, they were alright. The fries are great. I didn't care for any of the red wines by the glass, but I did find a white one that was very pleasing. I like the space, nice ambiance. I would go back to grab a drink at the bar. The menu didn't excite me all that much.
No, no, no: despite the bistro-style tables, the exciting two-story setup, and the proximity to MoMA, this is not a restaurant I plan on visiting again. The menu, typical French fare, disappoints for the quality of ingredients: the beef, bread, greens, vegetables are all second-rate. The insult goes further with the lackluster preparation.
The staff are indifferent, perhaps a result of the lack of regular clientele (too many museum tourists?), but perhaps simply ill-trained.
Better restaurants nearby: for French food, La Mangeoire, two blocks east on 2nd Avenue.
Nothing says love like a good business lunch, and a good one indeed was here! The lunch is pretty heavy, so be prepared, but it is for sure delicious! I went with the hangar steak, which comes with au gratin and a lovely mushroom sauce. My boss went with the croque monsieur, which I will never have (no porky for Jewy) but said it was quite good. An espresso to top off the meal and we were ready for more meetings and hard work! A good place to refuel on a busy work day, just make sure you get coffee or you'll be asleep at your desk in no time.
Not-so-good things:
1.We sat at our table for about 20 minutes before our waiter greeted us.
2. His greeting was "Do you guys want sparkling water or just, um, regular water from the sink?".............um, what?
3. Waiter messed up the most basic order twice; caesar salad with dressing on the side.
4. Overpriced! I know I don't live in Manhattan, but $8 for a side order of french fries? $9 for a CUP of soup?
5. FOUR times we saw our waiter go outside to the sidewalk and use his cell phone. And we were sitting right next to the door (i'm not against cell phone use at work; I was a server. But we all know to call from the kitchen or out back, not in front of your table!)
Some-ok-things:
1. Upstairs was beautiful; just the kind of place I would like to hang out after work and have a cocktail.
Would not go back. Sorry.
This place definitely reminds me of the perfect "Gentleman's Club." The dark cherry wood bar gives off that PJ Clarke's kinda feel. And this place possibly has THE largest bar I've ever seen! It's pretty darn big!!! Behind it is a very complimentary brick wall that really brings the whole thing together.
From the few snacks we had, they were pretty yummy--I loved the abundance and plethora of sauces that everything came with. Also, everyone there was super nice including, yes, one very cute, very sweet blond server who was my bf[f] for the night. Two thumbs up! Also, cheers to the multi-stalled and clean bathrooms--boo that you have to walk upstairs to get to them, but it does make for a lovely photo shoot on the way back down! The place was gorgeous, spacious and I definitely want to go back and try some of those yummy french fries, etc that I saw people chowing down on!
You know the transaction: you're in Midtown..maybe you've spent the afternoon in the Park, or at MoMA, or Rockefeller Center. You want to get a drink, maybe a bite to eat.
This is the situation we found ourselves in after visiting the Municipal Arts Society (for their Jane Jacobs exhibit, and which is in a cool bldg..but that's another story). We'd run into some people at the exhibit, and so the eternal NYC questions presented itself--where in this neighborhood can we go for a drink? Luckily I'd had the presence of mind to ask the guy working the bookstore (a very nice bookstore, btw--but that's part of that other story), and he recommended Papillon.
At the time that we went (~6pm on a Saturday), the place was almost empty, so we got a table w/ bar stools, and spent a few hours sampling their beer selections--which is quite good--and engaged in some good converstation.
We didn't sample the food menu, so can't comment on that.
There are a handful of TV scattered around the bar, which was nicely tuned to a soccer game when we walked in, though that got changed to college basketball over the course of the evening. The point being, you might consider popping in here if there's a game you want to catch, but want to avoid a sports-bar atmosphere.
One more note: from where we were seated, caught sight of a loungey sort of room in the back, with a full pool table. But didn't make it back to check it out...next time.
Papillon is a relatively new French bistro that doubles as a great place to meet for after work drinks. Being in Midtown East, the crowd skewed towards the late 20s to early 40s shirt/tie and skirt set, but in a stylish and mannered way.
It's an easy enough location to meet up; it's not a destination restaurant but rather one that serves the immediate vicinity - again, not a problem, simply my observation, since they seemed to be doing all the right things to attract their demographic.
I didn't have a chance to sample too much of the full menu but it's clear that you could make a quick meal or even enjoy an appetizer with your cocktail before heading out.
The staff were a huge plus, they really brought the place together, being professional yet gregarious, and very accomodating. To me, service is the key to any long-standing establishment, and on that note Papillon seems poised to be a solid fixture to the Manhattan coming alive after five scene.
There are two things I especially like about this place. One is the French bistro like interior, that, admittedly, is not so rare here in the city and the second is the appetizers. They have a bar menu with some of my favorite appetizers including a good spinach dip, fried calamari and pot-stickers. The beer selection is pretty decent, which combined with the aforementioned positives makes Papillon a great place for drinks, apps and good conversation.
Decent place for a business lunch, which is mostly when I go there. Good, not outstanding french food. The pumpkin cheesecake isn't bad, but isn't amazing. (Good french onion soup, omelets, etc.) The venue is good, and the tables up in the front by the huge windows are really nice.
Not my favorite french place, but not bad for midtown. And If you're seated upstairs, try to get one of the big banquettes--they're really comfy.
It was unpretentious and really relaxed. We had a great outside table, which on a really nice night was amazing. The service was friendly and attentive, and food was just right (Definitely try the tuna tartare and halibat , both perfect). It's hard to find a place in midtown with a patio that isn't a lounge, so I would definitely consider returning here.
Great for after work drinks. Downstairs you still get the after-work social crowd without the suffocation of typical after-work midtown bars. Go upstairs for a quieter, more intimate round of drinks. Good selection of beer. Bar food was very good. Can't comment on the real food/meals. Unremarkable but pleasant decor. I definitely recommend as a place to go with coworkers.
I like a place that takes it's staff into consideration when putting the joint together. Papillon has the most room behind the bar that I think I have ever seen. Have you noticed the less room they have the surlier the bartender gets? These poor souls are often treated like caged animals and everyone wants something from them...poking 'em with swizzle sticks only to reward them with maybe a dollar. Not Papillon...it's as if their bartenders are in the actual vineyard or roaming fields of barley to cheerfully return with a glass just for you. I got my drinks fast and they were actually much more reasonably priced than I imagined they'd be for the location. So won't you support the free range bartender movement? Happier bartenders make for happier patrons. If I ever hung out in midtown I think I could certainly be swayed to amble on over here again.
A nice, cavernous wooden space in midtown east that seems perfectly catered toward the business men crowd it attracts. Only had the appetizers at the Yelp Event (and they were fried, therefore excellent), but should I ever find myself in the east 50's again (doubtful), I'll probably give it a shot. The staff was wonderful and accomodating to our event, so props there, but it's not really my scene.
The restaurant is very charming and clean. The staff is attentive and the food was served fairly fast. We had a great brunch outside, which included a drink with our order - a very nice touch.
It was kind of strange to see so many people making sure you're okay. And I'm not the greatest tipper in the world. But, first things first... the food was top rate. I had a lamb rack cooked to perfection. And also, the finishinig touches on the dish were very impressive. Overall atmosphere is great and kind of inviting to stay longer. As I work in the nearby CitiGroup Centre I noticed a number of people there that I saw before. Which is good. Keeps the morale high.
Sure to visit again :)
Really enjoyed myself here for the Yelp event. Huge spacious bar, walking distance from the shops on 5th Ave. Definitely an after-work hang out, lots of business types and such, which means clean decor, courteous staff, and amazing restrooms. I look forward to enjoying dinner here one night soon. The appetizers were very yummy.
Works well for a planned event, although I can't say the midtown businessman afterwork crowd makes it a place I'd ever return to on my own. All I ate there were fried bar appetizers, which were pretty much what you expect from fried bar appetizers, so I can't comment on the regular menu.
"Great place to go after work. Nice wine selection and the food is excellent. Very easy to get a table and the atmosphere is great. The staff is very nice. I highly recommend it to any one looking to go grab a drink after work or looking to grab appetizers."
We went here for a chic dinner. Food was very good an true french style. The ambiente is nice, try to get a table next to one of the the big glass windows.
never never never again - not to mention the fact that it was like a frat house exploded down in the bar area - the food - well let's just say - a cat's arse would taste better. over cooked - dry to the bone. the pate appetizer was nice and the wine selection was decent - but my steak fritz and my date's scallops were less than edible - her's like rubber bands - mine - like what was left over in the pan after the rubber bands had been cooked wrapped in shoe. staff was just eh too. don't think so - not again - run run away!
like the other reviews have stated, papillon was definitely a place for the after-work business crowd. the staff was friendly (my friend megan also had a crush on the blond waiter, who was super nice!), the bathrooms were clean, and the appetizers were tasty.
Biere de Garde: Beer Dinners!
Neighborhood: Nolita
Happy Hour !
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: French
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: French
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Italian
