Things to eat
and drink
Restaurants
NYC counts many French Restaurants, here is a short list of my favorites.
Manhattan:
Lafayette: Quintessential French Bistro in Noho. Great attention to detail and to service. Extensive menu, fun place to be.
Frenchette: Upscale French bistro in Tribeca.
Mixed of modern and traditional French food. Long list of natural wines.
Buvette: Very charming bistro in the West Village. Delicious food served until 2am.
Petite Boucherie: Traditional French restaurant in the West Village. The food is great, the service super professional. Nice patio seating.
Ocabanon: Cozy and trendy little place, delicious food, good service, great vibes.
50% off wine on Sundays! 29th & 8th ave
Le French Diner: Hidden gem alert! Small bistro on the lower East side. Short menu of classic French food prepared exactly as it should be! Really nice ambiance. 188 Orchard St, New York
Les Enfants de Bohème: Good vibe, great food and nice staff. Mix of restaurant, bar, café. Lower East Side
Claudette: Provençal restaurant in Greenwich Village with intimate ambiance and attention to details.
Raoul: Lively French bistro in Soho, that has been around since the 70's. Great ambiance.
Mountain Bird: Cute little restaurant in Harlem, serving almost exclusively chicken and poultry. Charming, creative.
La Ripaille: Cosy and romantic little spot in the West Village. Great food and ambiance
Jacques Brasserie: Traditional brasserie. Retro decor with old French poster, red booth, woven wicker chairs.
Brooklyn:
Café Paulette: Casual French bistro in Fort Greene. Organic wine, nice ambiance, simple but satisfying menu.
French Louie: Chic Bistro, great decor and delicious food. Boerum Hill
Chez Moi: Laid back French Bistr0 in Brooklyn heights. Great cocktails, beautiful decor and warm ambiance.
Café Luluc: French bistro in Brooklyn Heights. Popular for brunch, as it is very reasonably priced and good. Nice ambiance and outdoor seating. Cash only.
Citroën: 1920's inspired French bistro decor, solid French fare made of fresh ingredients sourced locally. Great variety of cocktails and wines. Greenpoint
Oxalis: Fine dining in Prospect heights. Creative menu, very well executed. Oxalis offers one tasting menu each night, which changes regularly and includes six courses for $60.
Le garage: Friendly French restaurant in Bushwick. Great food with attention to details. Pretty setting.
La Cafette: Small cozy restaurant in Williamsburg.Nice ambiance, laid back and friendly staff, authentic French food.
Paté et traditions: Casual French restaurant in Williamsburg. South-of-France-focused menu except for crêpes and galettes.
Sauvage: Beautiful place, with a very detailed decor. The menu is creative and well executed. Located in Greenpoint.
Gentleman Farmer: Very tasty food, creative menu (beef tongue perfectly cooked, bison tartare). Laid back and friendly staff. Fort Greene
Cafés & Bakeries
Little cafés and delicious pastries
Manhattan:
Marie Blachère: Just opened! Large bakery selling, bread, pastries, and the cheapest baguette in NYC!
Les Enfants Délice: Lovely place with delicious pastries. (annex of Les Enfants Bohème)
Le Pain d' Avignon: Great bakery. Great selection of breads and pastries. Several location in the city.
Mille Feuille bakery: French patisserie baking viennoiseries, pastries, cookies, cakes. They also offer cooking classes.
Bouchon Bakery: Traditional French boulangerie Fare, by Thomas Keller.
Patisserie Chanson: Pastries, macaroons, tea room. Beautiful place with delicious desserts.
Le Petit Parisien: Authentic French style sandwiches, crusty baguettes, quiches, croissants.
Arcade Bakery: Home of the best croissant in the city!
Eclair Bakery: artisan bakery that offers delicious and authentic French pastries, croissants, éclairs, macarons and fine desserts
La Mercerie: Stylish café housed in a furniture shop. Lavish and beautiful though pricey.
Brooklyn
Almondine: Great traditional bakery in Dumbo. Best croissants aux amanandes, delicious sandwiches.
Couleur Café: Small, casual spot for light French breakfast & lunch fare, plus coffee & snacks. Local, quality ingredients and nice presentation. (Park Slope)
Beny's Delice: Small French bakery on Fulton St in Clinton Hill. Delicious pastries, viennoiseries and sandwiches.
Bien cuit: Served a variety of bread, pastries, tarts and sandwiches. Note: "Bien cuit" means well cooked in French, so their bread is very crusty. Smith St and Pacific
Colson Patisserie: Bakery offering classic French-Belgian sweet treats, plus sandwiches, quiche & coffee. Park Slope
Charlotte Patisserie: French bites & classic pastries, plus beer & wine, are found at this charming cafe with a patio. Williamsburg
L'imprimerie: This cozy French bakery with a vintage vibe offers homemade breads, pastries & espresso drinks. Bushwick
Le Paris Dakar: Laid-back creperie also offering sandwiches, salads, java drinks & French-style baked goods. Bed Stuy
Joye Bakeshop: Not entirely French, but has great croissants aux amandes and other pastries. Prospect Heights
Bars
Wine, absinthe and everything in between.
Manhattan:
Jadis: Wine bar with small plates. Cosy decor and lounge area at the back. LES
Lucky Strike: Quaint French bar. Daily happy hour from 4-7pm. Comfort food such as onion soup and croque monsieur.
Vin sur vingt Wine Bar: Impressive selection of French wine, Happy hour selection includes $1 raw oysters
5 locations: West Village, NoMad, Plaza Hotel, Upper West Side and newly opened, Tribeca.
Ruffian: East Village wine bar with an intimate setting and a big list of natural wine. Very knowledgeable staff
Le pif: Rustic Chic wine bar with 2 locations, one in the UWS, the other in Chelsea. Friendly place and great wine list.
La compagnie des vins surnaturels:
Cozy and cool spot in Nolita. Great happy hour deals.
Wallflower: Amazing cocktails, quaint atmosphere, great food in Greenwich Village.
Léna Wine and Cocktail: Cosy spot in LES. Great selection of affordable wine.
BXL café: Great Belgian place if you like to watch soccer. Long list of beers and cocktails. Bistro food
St Tropez Wine Bar: Rustic ambiance, good wine, tasty food at reasonable prices.
Vanguard: Lively wine bar on the UWS. Good vibes, good wine list, great valur cheese and charcuterie plate.
Brooklyn:
Mominette: Cool place in Bushwick, creative cocktails, oysters, pretty backyard, extensive happy hour from 1-7pm.
Maison Première: Retro and cosy, great atmosphere, delicious cocktails and $1 oyster.
Le Boudoir: A cocktail den in Brooklyn Heigh, can be reached through a bookshelf in Chez Moi, a casual French bistro. Modeled after Marie Antoinette's Versailles boudoir.
Places to shop
Places where you can buy authentic French products.
Manhattan:
The district: Big market complex in Battery Park City. It has restaurants, markets, shops everything you could wish related to French food.
Marché Maman: French marketplace/café. Very charming place with textiles, beauty and lifestyles products, kids clothing and accessories.
Nice outdoor area at the back.
La Bergamote market: Specialty French goods store that is a sister-store to La Bergamote Bakery across the street.
The Cheese Board: Nice little spot in Nolita, specialized in cheeses and dairy. Host events such as wine and cheese pairings sessions and cooking classes. They also sell pretty cookware and accessories
Online:
Le Panier Français: French online supermarket.
Authentic French food, cosmestic and more.
More than 700 products.
Obvious Wine: A collection of high quality wines sourced directly from sustainable vineyards in California and France Obvious Wine collaborates with family-owned wineries with sustainable farming practices to create a “unique collection” of high-quality wine, with unique, descriptive names and user-friendly labels.