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Ze Café
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Italian French, Italian [Edit]
398 E 52nd St(between 1st Ave & F D R Dr)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 758-1944
- Nearest Transit:
-
Lexington Av/53 St (E, M)
51 St (4, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 8 am - 10 pm
Sun 9 am - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
124 reviews for Ze Café
Review Highlights
"I had a nutella croissant and the croque monsieur."
(in 16 reviews)
"...biscuit with chicken and potato hash with mushroom and eggs."
(in 5 reviews)
"...treats like a berry and mascarpone stuffed french toast."
(in 3 reviews)
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124 reviews in English
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Review from David C.
Sunnyside, NY
2/5/2012
Fellow Yelpers, join me in having a wonderful meal! The amazing decor, the fantastic service and best of all, the food, merits the price. Rarely does one get to have a delicious meal and have your ass kissed so much at one time! Enjoy it while it lasts. What to eat? Anything, but in the summer you must try the tomato salad. ZeZe uses food from his private country estate garden, and all the organic eggs come from the free range chickens on the estate. It doesn't get any fresher than this!
And once you're done, take a look at ZeZe Flowers (same owner) around the corner on 1st Avenue and soak up the flora! -
Review from Michael A.
Jersey City, NJ
1/29/2012
This is a great restaurant with an amazing earthy decor accompanied by a large center table with beautiful flowers and fresh pastries.
The service was fast and above par. The restaurant was busy and we had walked in 1 hour before a private party. They were more than happy to serve us and we never felt rushed.
The marscapone french toast is amazing, and this is coming from someone who favor pancakes.
Recommend Highly -
Review from Arjun S.
Manhattan, NY
1/16/2012
-Very attentive service
-Quaint and delicious brunch spot
-Wait is never long - not yet overwhelmed - it's a well-kept secret in midtown that i'm almost reluctant to share
-Open, fresh, and inviting decor
-Combination of middle-aged ladies lunching and yuppies grabbing a Sunday morning recovery brunch
-On my regular order list: fresh lemonade; marscapone french toast; and tartine
Happy to call myself a regular here -
Review from Konstantin G.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
The duck breast is mesmerizing! For the price, 5 stars.
-
Review from Susan A.
12/9/2011
I had the chicken rigatone for brunch. I know, I know... rigatone for brunch!?! It's a bit heavy! Yes, it was. But I was hungry. And yes, it was too much. Yet, it was YUMMY!
I love what they've done withe space. Everything's packed in there, but once you are settled in... it's not really noticeable. There's some dead space in front of the door (big table with flower pot on top) but it's the right thing to do. I mean, who wants to sit at the table right next to the door right? Big winds, big draft.
Waitstaff were fun/quirky/entertaining and very relaxing environment to sit, chat, eat. Hot cider was ok. I hear the coffee is great.
Enjoyable experience overall. -
Review from Jane R.
11/7/2011
I stumbled across this location on accident while traipsing through midtown east w/ some friends. It's hard to find this gem when you're at 52nd b/w 1st and East River.
We were able to be seated right away but by the time we left, there were multiple groups waiting, which is typical of a Saturday brunch place.
Highlights: bacon & coffee. AMAZING coffee and totally hit the spot.
My friends also ordered the omelet w/ the sausage and French toast and no complaints there.
The ambiance is so cute it makes you feel like you're in Europe. I will definitely be coming back here again! -
Review from Jin Y.
11/11/2011 2 photos
I dropped in Ze Café for lunch and I think this place is better for Breakfast or Dinner. Lunch was not that great and I had one expensive sandwich. The roast beef baguette with tax and tip was $20+, let's just say Subways $5 sub are much tastier and a fraction of the price. I'll be happy if it was pricey and actually a tasty sandwich but it was not the case.
The atmosphere is soo relaxing and smoothing and looks like it belongs in a spa. I wish my room had the décor of Ze Café. This is a great place if you're the only customer to read a book or work on something as it has the type of atmosphere that allows you to think and clear your mind or to just dazed off. Overall, pretty décor but okay tasting food. I have to give their breakfast a try, which looks yummy. -
Review from Katie S.
Manhattan, NY
11/16/2011
Brunch review
I was in a rush on my way to an apt viewing but this place caught the corner of my eye. It stuck out like a sore thumb on the dreary east side of midtown (in a GOOD way). I saw two men sitting outside on the bench and the entrance was two double doors with frosted glass windows so you couldn't really see inside. I opened one of the doors just so I could get a peek and find out what the place was called and I really actually felt like I was being magically transported to somewhere in Europe. I was in a hurry though so I ended up just taking a quick peek and asking the men outside what the place was called.
On my way back down the street I couldn't get the place out of my head so we decided to do impromptu brunch here.
What to get: banana and marscapone french toast
Can skip the two zeze egg omelet
My other friend got the bacon, and the coffee was just right.
I couldn't stop gushing over the cafe and taking pictures like an annoying asian tourist. I'm really surprised that more people haven't found out about this place, but I kind of hope it stays under wraps for a while otherwise it'll just turn into another great place tainted by a 2 hour wait at all times.
If you feel like escaping the city for a meal, Ze is zee place to be! -
Review from J C.
Manhattan, NY
10/8/2011
The space is very pretty and well lit. Maybe home to 14 tables, this french sanctuary away from the craze of 2nd Ave somehow manages to be spacious (the middle area is occupied by a huge decorative table, possibly for flow of service or noise control).
The food is absolutely delicious, but not inexpensive as "$$" might suggest. Our lovely three course meal of 3 shared items (salad, $10; risotto; and roasted chicken, $29) along with 2 drinks per person and tip totaled $123.
Not extravagant, but not cheap. So, I'm assuming the "$$" rating is based on their brunch business, which is booming (read: likely to get crowded).
The service boarders on overly formal, but I liked it. Overall, the staff is not overly solicitous, but they are highly attentive. The dinner crowd was generally older, but Ze cafe is definitely not stale. Looking forward to going back.Listed in: Great Dates
-
Review from Marie T.
Manhattan, NY
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a great neighborhood place for midtown east. It's so cute! The waiters were very attentive and accommodating. We asked for many substitutions and requests and he was like of course to everything.
Bloody Mary is really really good. Perfect after a night out. They stick two olives and a pickle in it. It's quite spicy.
My omelet with salad was delicious, not greasy and heavy. My friend got the french toast which looked amazing, I'll get that next time. It looked nothing like a regular french toast. It was round and breaded, it looked crunchy on the outside.
I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Shar K.
New York, NY
12/29/2011
Went for a quick brunch. Portions are small. I'm curious if this place is better for dinner.
-
Review from Chris C.
Manhattan, NY
11/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my second or third time here and it has become my go-to brunch spot when I'm on the East side (besides the fact that I have no patience to wait for 2 hours at Clinton Street Bakery at brunch time.
We had the croque monsieur and banana french toast which were both tasty. The banana french toast isn't your usual bread and eggs but rather an interesting pastry of sorts. -
Review from silly a.
Brooklyn, NY
10/17/2011
Was I the only person to find the waiters to be completely aloof? Or at least the one we had. I had looked up a brunch spot and Yelp led me to (otherwise unfindable) Ze Cafe. To their credit, the spot is perfectly quaint and we were seated immediately on Sunday morning rush. I guess that would explain our really long wait for both drinks and food.
Sorry I'm not French, but the waiter emphasized every single correction he just HAD to make for such an unpolished group. "Oh, you mean the gyuyehhhh, it's a cheese sauce."
My sister had asked for a little plate of olives after she had tried one on my (really good) bloody Mary. The waiter told her she couldn't have any because she didn't get the drink. We thought he was kidding, but he seemed a little exasperated when he returned ten minutes later to the same request.
The food? Meh. The only thing that blew my mind was my sister's veggie burger. Best I ever tasted.
I had the smoke salmon sandwich, brother had the omelet. And we got a side of the scallion country fries aka itsy bitsy pile of chopped potatoes and scallion.
I'll pass on that second visit. -
Review from Rahul S.
9/26/2011
Leaving this place Saturday afternoon after a lovely double date brunch, Divya's exact words were "We just found our go to brunch spot". I couldn't agree more with her. We went so far as to planning future brunches when our out of town friends come to visit (out of friends couples that is...brunch is and will always be a couples meal).
The atmosphere is very homely and comfortable. The staff was great and they serve soft drinks out of mini-bottle glasses. And the food exceptional. Divya had the french toast and I had the omelet. Divya said her french toast was delicious and I even had a bite so I can verify this. My omelet, which was so tasty that I 'forgot' to offer it to anybody else for tasting, was outstanding. This was no ordinary omelet though. The gruyere cheese made it exceptionally more fancy than just a regular diner omelet.
The portions were a bit on the small side and there is no real place to wait. Other than those minute issues, excellent brunch place. -
Review from Irina K.
Washington, DC
10/17/2011
The ambiance is great and perfect for brunch.
I had the granola parfait and it was good, but not the best. The yogurt was fresh and tasty, the granola was a little soggy and the toasted almonds had lost their crunch. -
Review from Ann D.
Manhattan, NY
9/3/2011 1 photo
This place is definitely worth a stop in if you're in the midtown east area - both the food and ambiance were great.
We had the croque monsieur and french toast for brunch, both of which were delicious. The french toast was a bit unorthodox... it looked like it had been breaded in cornflakes and quickly deep-fried. Picture of the two entrees is attached.
What I also loved about this place was that it felt incredibly homey. Tables were nicely spaced out and there was a skylight that provided some natural lighting above a quaint little table with some plants and pastries. I felt like I had left Manhattan and was having brunch at a little bed and breakfast somewhere :) -
Review from Amanda S.
New York, NY
8/3/2011
*Caveat: This review is for Ze Cafe's dinner--noticed some mediocre reviews they received for brunch, so can't attest to that. But dinner was phenomenal.
Not sure why the price range says only "$$" - each dinner entree is about $30. Should be $$$, no?
Anyway, what a pleasant surprise! My boyfriend lived down the block from Ze Cafe, and we never really noticed it. There's no sign that says the name of the restaurant--just big glass windows that allow you to look in and wonder who the fabulous people dining there are. We wondered in a long time ago once, and they wouldn't show us the menu. How pretentious, we thought. But being the food-obsessed people that we are, we were determined to try it out one day...if we can be bothered, that is, since there are SO many other amazing restaurants in the city.
So I finally made a reservation for this past Saturday night, and was blown away by the quality of their food. The menu was very limited (who needs options when they are all so good?) but I believe we chose wisely. We got two appetizers - the gazpacho (this was the anomaly and was very so-so, it's too cucumbery) and pan-fried soft shell crab (probably the most amazing soft shell crab I've ever eaten, and it's not deep-friend, thank goodness), and two entrees (the duck and the fruits de mer) which are both so, so good. The people next to us ordered the crab cakes and they look moist (sorry, this is the best word I can think of that would make crab cakes sound good) and amazing.
We felt great after the dinner, and from that I could tell that the dishes were made with good, healthy ingredients. Nothing was either high in fat or sodium--a huge plus!
Finally, service was attentive and fantastic. When we asked for recommendations, the waiter did not tell us to order the most expensive thing on the menu. I also love, love, LOVED the decor. For a second I felt like I was transported out of the city into a quaint French bistro/florist.
Love it. -
Review from Eva W.
6/30/2011
Our waiter forgot to put in our ENTIRE order. HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN!??!
We had been here for brunch previously, and service is not that fast to begin with. After chatting for an hour and still not getting even our appetizer, my friend flagged down the waiter..who then came back with a fishy sounding "oh it didn't go through the system" excuse. Then he asked us again what our orders were. After more waiting, when the couple next to us received their entrees, we knew something was up. I flagged down another waiter and asked why the other couple was already eating despite them being seated almost half an hour after us. The waiter knew our original waiter had fucked up and was like..we'll fix it, and started to leave, with no explanation of what had happened. So I called him back and point blank asked if our original waiter forgot to put in our order. After some hemming and hawing and nervous fidgeting, he finally 'fessed up and admitted to their mistake.
The food finally did come, over an hour and a half after we originally were seated. The beef carpaccio was delish. The crab cake had a sweet tinge and was juicy, and the duck breast was also pretty good.
Our original waiter ended up comping us dessert. Without so much an apology for his screw up. His lack of remorse was completely disrespectful and his "resolution" was nowhere near enough to make up for the 2 hour plus ordeal. By that point I just did not want to deal with him any more and we just wanted to get out of there.
Such a shame. Good food cannot make up for abysmal service.
-----
Insert more complaining.
Honestly, how do you not put in someone's order. The place is rather small, probably seats around 35. The waiter walked past our table MANY MANY times in an hour-plus time span. Do you not register that..hey, they've been sitting there a while with NO FOOD? We had even asked for more bread, which is an obvious sign that we're hungry! The waiter's total lack of regard completely boggles my mind. Honestly.
AND HE NEVER APOLOGIZED. -
Review from Liz I.
New York, NY
11/28/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The entire experience was fantastic. I had the duck breast, which was done perfectly. My boyfriend had the chicken, which he liked. I would have priced it at $$$ instead of $$, the wines start in the $40s and the meals are about mid $30s. But are you are interested in a acceptable splurge, it was well worth it.
-
Review from Hideki K.
5/14/2011
Ze Cafe is a relaxed brunch place.
I had an unhectic brunch experience today at Ze Cafe (no having to wait or having to endure loud conversations around me). We were a party of 5 and stayed for 1.5 hours, and didn't feel rushed at all.
The food was good, though somewhat pricey. I wasn't particularly too interested in what the menu was offering.
I ordered a Croque Monsieur (a Croque Madame sans fried egg) that consisted of a liquidy gruyere cheese and ham with a side "wild blossom" salad (nothing too interesting).
The gf ordered a yogurt, which was good, and a tartine (not worth it, it was just 2 slices of French bread with butter and jam). Another friend ordered their stuffed French toast, which looked interesting; and another friend ordered a tuna melt, which looked good with tasty-looking bread.
Again, I wasn't particularly keen on the menu, so I would not go out of my way to return. I wouldn't be adverse to returning, if I were in the neighborhood, though I'm not on E 52nd St, bet 1st & York, very often.
Gratuity of 20% is automatically added for groups of 5 or more. The wait staff was pretty generous with their coffee refills. -
Review from Eric L.
New York, NY
6/5/2011
Nothing surprising here. And the portions were on the small side.
If you're looking for a good brunch spot in Midtown East, head to Matisse instead -- because for the same price, you get more generous portions and tastier entrees.
P.S. The storefront needs a sign that bears its name! -
Review from Divya M.
Manhattan, NY
9/26/2011
I can't believe that I hadn't discovered this place sooner seeing that I've been in the midtown east area for over 5 years. There are a few brunch places in midtown east, but not many cute/non-bar places. We came here for brunch with a group of four. We all ordered different meals and no one was disappointed. The food was great - I have no complaints at all regarding the food - in fact, i think that we all finished every bit of our meals. (banana french toast by the way - so good and pretty unique).
The only draw back was that it was crowded and I can totally understand why being that there aren't many places like this in midtown east. We waited for almost 20 minutes outside the restaurant despite the fact that the host had told us it would be 10 minutes tops. Also, there was an open table for four available but for some reason the host was going to skip over us (until we asked if we could have the table and he agreed since we were there first). Also, this place is pretty pricey - for a basic brunch with tea/juice/coffee (without an alcoholic beverage) expect to pay between $19 - $25 a person. But, the food is great and the atmosphere is wonderful. -
Review from Bailey M.
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Everything is simple yet well executed.
The decor is charming and has an organic feel to it -- lots of trees and flowers.
I came for brunch and had a mimosa and the spinach omelet. The omelet was healthy and cooked just right (I hate the watery ones you get at other places) -
Review from Katy D.
4/17/2011
This place is NOT the epitome of the UES, it is the epitome of all brunch places that serve mediocre, overpriced food with terrible service. You can't just get away with this because you're in a swanky location in a, have to say, beautiful building.
All things started off well; I had the biscuits with potato and chicken hash, and my friend had the egg and gruyere sandwich. She was impressed with hers, I was impressed with the size of my dish but definitely not the bland flavor. I would've had better at Cracker Barrell.
The icing on the cake was the poor service with the pastry selection. We ordered the nutella crossiant, but it never came. We asked another waiter for the crossiant, but he brought us a plain one. By the time our waiter came back, there were no more nutella crossiants left. How about an almond crossiant? Try again. BUT, he said, they have a divine flourless chocolate ccake with mint chocolate chip ice cream. Our mouths salivated..so we waited...oh, nope, think again! They're suddenly out of that too!! Our waiter just walked by, dropped off the check, returned with our credit cards, and walked away without a sorry, a thanks, a nada.
So I can't say don't go here; it is a fantastic space and things seemed clean and fresh. Just don't count on enjoying any of the rumored great pasteries or expecting to get what you're about to pay for. -
Review from Grace C.
5/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
My party of 6 came here for brunch! We had no problems getting seated and our waiter was outstanding! Since we were a party of 6, the gratuity is automatically placed on the bill but this didn't mean the waiter slacked off at all. If anything, he went above and beyond to make our meal here even MORE outstanding.
I ordered the Yogurt Parfait and the Almond Croissant. Both were amazing ESPECIALLY the croissant. The filling and the pastry was perfect! My coffee was great too and was always refilled the minute I finished it.
My boyfriend ordered the Tuna Melt and he raved about it. He said the tuna was toasted too along with the bread so it had caramelized edges (definitely not your average tuna salad slapped between bread).
My sister's crab cake was beautifully presented. Our waiter even threw in a complimentary Nutella Croissant because he said they messed up the order, so her crab cakes would come out a little later. (we hardly noticed the blip!) Nonetheless, the croissant was amazing!
The other people in our party ordered the crepes, and smoked salmon. Both dishes were gobbled up and no complaints.
Two people in our party ordered pies for dessert: the strawberry rhubarb and the salted caramel apple. Both were delicious (because I sampled..)
I had the Gelato in an expresso shot which was delicious but I realized I may have had too much caffeine by the end of the meal.
The venue is beautiful and totally worth the price! -
Review from Julianne G.
Richmond, VA
7/22/2011
Only been here once, but Ze Cafe didn't disappoint.
We had brunch. For me, the greek yoghurt parfait and a tartine with jam hit the spot...along with the Hibiscus Royale. The Hubs got the smoked salmon with the Sst. Germain & Secco. Coffee, to top it off, was perfectly strong. The food isn't too pretentious, but I could see how it could be read that way...actually, a lot of it is/seems to be locally-sourced.
They were steadily busy, but the staff seemed used to it. No ridiculous wait time for food. We walked right in and were seated.
Atmosphere: cozy, French cafe-light with an American flavor...if that makes sense. Think: a little marble, a little wicker, fresh flowers, close seating arrangements, and decadent, if not overwhelming, food. Cocktails were outstanding. -
Review from Josephine L.
Boston, MA
5/31/2011
Don't be fooled by the cheesy (zeesy?) name. Ze Cafe is an amazing, hidden, hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the culinary dead zone known as easternmost Midtown East.
First, it is absolutely gorgeous, with flowers and plants tastefully arranged everywhere (just look at the Yelp photos). Next, the service is awesome. Attentive, friendly and more than a little New York sass thrown in. Finally, the food.
My Croque Monsieur was delicious. Smothered in melted cheese with the right amount of ham and toasted bread. The accompanying salad was the perfect side and generously portioned. The boy's tuna melt was great--no mayo so just glorious tuna flavor. The zeze omlette, we were told, was made with local, free-range eggs and we joked beforehand that no one could really taste the difference with things like that. Except, you can. One bite of my friend's omelette and we were all raving about how fluffy and fresh it tasted. My other friend got the banana marscarpone french toast and let me just say: "Child, I ain't never seen a french toast done like that". It was fried and crunchy. It was thick and round. It bore no resemblance to bread. But damn if it wasn't good.
So worth the trip. -
Review from E R.
Bronx, NY
5/2/2011
No intro, Brunch: The French Toast...the banana & mascarpone stuffed french toast to be exact, is heavenly (some might even say orgasmic). If there were such a thing as breakfast cake this would be it. Not too sweet, its silky, yet has a bit of texture. I can't really explain it. It is a MUST try and I only had a piece. This wasn't even what I ordered.
Ok, now I can get to background info: Ze Cafe is tucked away on 52nd a bit past 1st, so its easy to miss. It has a great airy ambience and unlike previous reviews I got a table right away. I definitely think that is not the norm, because when I called ahead for reservations and was told they only do so for parties 5 & larger the host told me there is usu. a half hr wait. Service was great. The waiter was attentive and when he wasn't helping us the other waiters checked in on us as well.
I had to go with something a bit healthier, so I had the Tuna Melt aka the Olive Oil Poached Tuna Salad and it was simply delightful and filling.
I would definitely go back here and so should you. -
Review from Abul R.
New York, NY
7/13/2011
I remember finding this place in our neighborhood and immediately falling in love! A place that looks like it belongs in Chelsea or SoHo or Tribeca but in Sutton Place???
Delicious, home-made-quality, organic foods (albeit slightly tough on the wallet).
Over a year we went a handful of times... and then it started happening.
The portions which were small to begin with - got even smaller!
Then the final straw - Two pieces of rubbery chicken in the chicken hash?? When I showed the waitress she sincerely apologized and then within minutes brought me an entire bowl of chicken. Well, at least the staff told her it was chicken. It was grizzle, rubber, bone, and nasty bits.
My wife's crabcake order was literally cut in half (one instead of two! and they are also tiny to begin with!)
For the prices they charge we'd expect more.
Knew a place like this in this neighborhood was too good to last. -
Review from Lisa C.
Gaithersburg, MD
3/27/2011 2 photos
We were visiting our friends that lived up the street and decided to try this place out. The four of us arrived around 11:30am for Sunday brunch and luckily we were seated right away. One minute late and we would have been stuck waiting for the next 30-45 minutes. Phew!
We read great reviews on the stuffed french toast and it did not disappoint! Even the old couple next to us saw it and was like "What is that? I want that!" The inside was stuffed with the mascarpone and sliced bananas, the bread was about one inch thick and super soft while the outside layer was coated with corn flakes and deep fried, then topped off with some fresh whipped cream and a slice of strawberry. Totally yummy! My SO tried the chicken and hash and it was pretty good. The biscuits that came with it were just whatever. My latte was also delish.
Would I come here again on my next visit to NYC? Maybe...the prices are a little high for a brunch and with so many choices in the city, I would try other places before I return. However, I had a pleasant experience. -
Review from Karyna K.
New York, NY
3/21/2011
As soon as you enter this place you'll be greeted by a long table adorning sweet smelling flowers and beautifully presented and extremely tempting pastries....from crossaints, to tarts, to brioches.
The skylight in the middle of the room brings in lots of natural light, and along with the neutral colored decor and brick walls, everything seems bright and fresh.
The waitstaff make you feel like long lost friends and the food is extremely tasty, especially the roast beef sandwich! -
Review from Gareth L.
3/16/2011
Just about as good as it gets!
Went for brunch with my wife and friends, who have a 9 months old baby. The restaurant was incredibly accommodating - they stashed the stroller and brought a booster seat.
Food and drinks were excellent. My wife had the french toast, which is stuffed and looks more like an empanada with a crunchy crust. I had the chicken hash over biscuits, and a breakfast drink with Bombay Gin and grapefruit - nice and refreshing.
Coffee is bottomless and they have a great loose leaf tea and you choose your tea by inspecting samples.
I'm looking forward to returning -
Review from Marie r.
Los Angeles, CA
10/2/2011
super cute lunch spot
i had the hibiscus ice tea -so refreshing!
and a blossom salad that was the prettiest salad ive ever eaten
the champagne vinaigrette was perfect
service was great! -
Review from L S.
New York, NY
8/14/2011
I live in the neighborhood and I have gone here twice.
All in all, it is the decor that brings people to this place. If you took away the prettiness of the place, there would be no reason to go there at all.
Pros: the decor is beautiful. So light, so pretty. The flowers are beautiful. Even the ladies room is beautiful. There is a high end flower shop around the corner called ZeZe-- my guess is the two businesses are linked.
the place tries to be attentive -- doesnt always work. They do things like bring you heated milk for your coffee, but the actual coffee served is cold.
Cons: The floor and walls are stone and it is NOISY. You cant hear yourself think once they get some people in the place.
The tables are v. close together. your neighbors conversation is in your face . That's on top of the rest of the noise.
The food is absolutely mediocre and expensive. Portions are small. coffee is cold.
This place is expensive for what is serves. I had the croque monsieur (grilled ham+ cheese sandwich) with a small handful of salad on the side of the plate and a cup of coffee. = $24 including tip. You wont leave feeling full. They charge $7 for ice tea !! -
Review from Joe S.
Plano, TX
12/17/2011
Badly underwhelmed. Sure it's charming, etc., but the place honestly isn't that good.
Had dinner here -- the menu was the single most un-vegetarian-friendly menu I've seen in years. The server wasn't great at asking the chef to make things more vegetarian friendly, either, though I was able to get a main made. Otherwise, the service also remained unremarkable. Some minor handling errors (flipping the tea refills here and there, speed on bringing us bread) suggest that there's much to be learned here for the staff.
Food: the wild blossom salad was presented well and was nice, but it was very generic -- the quality of the greens was absolutely unremarkable and there was nothing interesting about the salad except for the fact that it was topped with some flowers. I had, I guess, some sort of root-vegetable pasta with a tomato-basil sauce. Deeply bitter and bland -- and not in a good flavorful and interesting way. Rather in the someone forgot to spice this at all way. Even some simple salt and pepper goes a long way, if you don't want to be more sophisticated with your seasonings. So I enjoyed an otherwise-well-made pasta dish, which was portioned well and was certainly filling. The aforementioned bread was actually quite good -- the olive oil/parmesan combo was fantastic and this was, and is generally, a good indicator of quality. My apparently rare culinary condition of being vegetarian rendered my ability to eat the rest of the food moot, but I don't doubt that it's not bad.
That said, all in all, nothing special, a tad overpriced, and it didn't leaving me wanting to come back. -
Review from vanessa v.
Portsmouth, NH
3/19/2011
I'm impressed. Hubby and I decided to spend our Saturday on the East side and had noticed this place before, so we popped in for brunch. Everything was fresh and tasty. Service was a little awkward and very slow, but they were super busy so it's fine. Prices are a bit high (especially for drinks) but probably about average for the neighborhood.
Limited selections for vegetarians-- M got the veggie burger and I had an omelet. Lunch menu has even fewer options (salad and pastries only I believe) and dinner... well... don't come to a French place for dinner if you are veg, I guess. -
Review from Megan C.
3/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I arrived here for brunch peppy and well-rested and entirely sober. I left peppy and giggly and not entirely sober.
I LOVED this place. I loved the outside and I loved the inside. I loved the gorgeous flowers and the ferns and the huge wine rack. I loved our seriously charming and totally ridiculous-in-a-good-way server, David. I loved that melty gruyère was featured on a good majority of the menu. I loved that there are fresh and affordable and tempting pastries everywhere you look. I loved the Gin Blossom cocktail, but I positively ADORED the Bloody Mary. Shit girl. It was all kinds of delicious.
It's definitely not cheap if you plan on eating and drinking as much as I did, but it is sooooo worth it. In my humble and tipsy opinion. -
Review from Eric B.
San Diego, CA
6/17/2011
From what I can remember, I had the soft shell crab sandwich. It was good.
The other two in my party had the ravioli or pasta of the day I believe, and they say it was the best they've ever had.
We shall come back next time we are in the city. -
Review from Jamie C.
New York, NY
3/25/2011
This place IS UES. I hope that is a good thing. It definitely has an older/housewives type of vibe here. That said the food is delicious!!! The portions are definitely for those housewives watching the waistline though. I have never left hungry, but never left really full either. The Banana stuffed French Toast is a MUST! In fact, I have never really bothered to order anything else. Omg, soooo good. I don't like the fact that the mimosas are extra and not cheap.
This is laid back, brightly lit spot for a classed up brunch with a friend or two. It is small, so sometimes there is a wait, but I've never waited longer than 15 minutes. It has become one of my go-to spots! -
Review from Kevin L.
I really really wanted to -love- Ze Café, I promise I did. In fact, I actually -did- love it the moment I walked in for weekend brunch. It's so airy and contemporary! The servers are so well-attired! It's so... utterly UES! This joint just oozes cute, yet polished.
I was a huge fan of my unending cup of coffee - an absolute necessity for a nearly hour-long wait for the remainder of our party to make their unfashionably belated arrival. That and the delightful (paid) pastries and the patient staff made the delay bearable.
It wasn't until my actual entrée (the croque monsieur) arrived that I suddenly became utterly underwhelmed. First, scope out the pic I snapped before I started digging in: http://bit.ly/cxVNpS - what does that look like on the sandwich? Does it appear to be melted Kraft singles to anyone else?
I believe the unfortunate sandwich coating was intended to be a Mornay sauce, but when left to cool too long, it congealed into an semi-solid puddle of erstwhile gruyére. Oops. Similarly, what may have once been toast was quasi-soggy bread at the point I started knifing into it. Tasty, but ever-so-not-just-great. If not for the $13 price point, this dish may have been agreeable. Instead, it was merely acceptable.
As an aside, we arrived on the earlier end of the spectrum of brunching (perhaps around 1030 hours) and the clientele were mainly the elderly, and families with children. By the time we left, closer to noon, the crowd waiting to be seated was almost entirely yuppie Asians. Is this the typical UES demographic and I just didn't know it?
--
I just compared against someone else's photo of the same dish: http://bit.ly/dsCAdp... Did we dine at the same place? Because I heartily wish -that- had be put in front of me!Listed in: Brunching in NYC
