My mom and I made reservations here for an outdoor girls' dinner. I had seen videos of the patio space at Cafe Mulberry and it seemed like the perfect setting for the lovely summer evening. We arrived at 6pm at which point the restaurant was pretty empty but by the time we left at 7:40pm it was completely packed. This cute little restaurant is in the very busy Mulberry Street (hence the name), and serves a French menu. There is a dimly lit, intimate, simple, yet elegant indoor dining room that is perfect for a date, and then there is patio seating in an open courtyard in the back, which is perfect for outdoor dining-- it feels bright and open, yet private enough out of the public eye from the crowds walking on Mulberry. Our waitress was super pleasant and helped make the dinner go very smoothly. She was very attentive of our needs without being overbearing. I tried their Garden Lemonade which was refreshing and tasted more of cucumber water than anything else. It was not sweet at all (in a good way!) I wish it had been more lemon forward though but good nonetheless. For food we shared what I think was really the absolute perfect meal here: - tuna tartare: they bring this out unmixed and mix it up for you tableside. It was fun to see how few ingredients go into it and that makes the dish feel almost homemade. The flavors were perfectly tangy, citrusy, bright. Perfect light app to share between two people. I appreciated that it came with both little lettuce cups and crostini. Not the most mind blowing tartare I've had but was pretty good. Would order again! - shrimp cocktail: 4 jumbo prawns with this super delicious cocktail sauce that did not skimp on the horseradish. While this was very good, I don't know if the portion size justifies the price. Would skip next time. - green salad: the only salad they offer for dinner so most tables had ordered this. Super fresh mix of butter lettuce with several herbs like dill and parsley, very lightly dressed so that the flavors of the produce really came through. Simplicity in all its beauty! It was perfect. - poulet roti: this dish was actually mind-blowing. The portion was more generous than I imagined. The chicken was so tender, it fell off the bone. Also, the skin was crispy and flavorful. The chicken came over the most delicious mashed potatoes I've had at a restaurant, that were covered in chicken jus. The umami flavors, with the fat of the chicken, and the creamy mashed potatoes were absolutely dreamy. If you get one thing, get this! Shared between two and it was perfect! - coquillettes aux champignons: we also shared this dish which is basically an elevated Mac and cheese with mushrooms, chives, and truffles. They use Comte cheese so it has a perfectly nutty, sweet undertone. This came au gratin with a crispy layer of cheese on top of the pasta shells that was perfect. The pasta could have been a bit more al dente. Loved the mushroom and pasta combo! Very satisfying, - roasted carrots with marcona almonds: we got this as our last side and it was also delicious. The carrots were roasted perfectly with the right amount of caramelization, paired with the salty and nutty Marcona almonds. Chef's kiss. Really nice side dish! - dessert: we were initially pretty full so skipped ordering dessert. However, the staff was really nice and brought out some complimentary gelato for my mom's birthday with a candle! The vanilla flavor was rich (it was probably more of a French vanilla with an egg base), and it was soo creamy. Perfect for a summer afternoon! The gelato tasted very fresh and homemade! We enjoyed it a lot and I forgot to take pics of it. Overall, super cute ambiance, great service, and strong culinary work. While there are some dishes I would skip next time, I would come back for their chicken alone. The staff is very warm and welcoming, and the patio is such a nice vibe. I will certainly be coming back to have more lunches or dinners here this year, especially try their dining room as well because that was super cute! read more

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Gorgeous interior--I would go back just to sit in there again. Sometimes ordering a French onion soup feels like a gamble because most often I am really disappointed, but here I feel like I was finally able to enjoy a delicious one. The soup texture is a perfect consistency, neither runny nor thick. Not tangy. Not too much cheese. Just perfect. Also loved the truffle pasta that was a huge stand out. I wish I could've had the whole dish to myself. read more

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Garrett suggested Café Mulberry on our second date, which told me one of two things: either he'd Googled "impressive restaurants Nolita" like a man studying for an exam he was destined to fail, or some woman before me had programmed it into his Resy and he was coasting on her taste like intellectual property theft. Either way--Garrett. From Wisconsin. Oshkosh or Kenosha or one of those towns that sounds like something you'd name a golden retriever. On date one he pronounced bruschetta with a hard CH and I had to call Reilly from the restroom to whisper "He just murdered Italian in front of me and the waiter saw." She said, "Order a Roulot Perrières, the '19, and let him see the bill. Consider it a toll for your suffering." Now date two. He wants French. A place with foie gras torchon and tableside tartare and an ornamental fireplace that has absorbed more culture through proximity than Garrett has in thirty-one years of life in a state whose primary export is cheese and quiet resignation. Reilly said, "Wear something devastating so the hostess knows you're not together by choice." So: black Khaite slip, The Row sandals, Cartier Panthère--because at least one thing on this date would have precision Swiss movement. He was already there. Quarter-zip. My first thought was charitable: maybe he didn't have time to change after his romp around the bullpen at whatever middle-market PE shop has him running comps in a WeWork with a Nespresso machine they call "the coffee bar." Maybe it was Loro. Gift of Kings cashmere. Maybe I was being judgmental. I leaned in for the hello hug. That's when I felt it. Synthetic cotton blend. Polyester-adjacent. The kind of fabric that doesn't breathe because it has nothing to say. My forearms made contact and I swear my skin cells began filing a complaint. I pulled back and immediately excused myself to the bathroom--genuinely concerned I was developing contact dermatitis from whatever Brooks Brothers clearance rack that quarter-zip crawled off of. Thankfully Café Mulberry has Byredo in the bathrooms and I stood there massaging my forearms like a woman in a medical drama while two girls reapplying lip liner stared at me. "Synthetic blend," I said. They nodded. They understood. The space is extraordinary and wasted on Garrett. Marble tables, brass that glows like old money, deep banquettes that cradle you like someone who went to boarding school and means it when they ask how you are. Sey Coffee in the morning, La Bicyclette pastries, a to-go counter for women with taste and somewhere to be. Garrett would never come here alone. He doesn't even know what a financier is. The pastry or the profession. The bread, butter, and radishes arrived and I clung to them like emotional scaffolding. Garrett ate a radish and said, "Oh nice, like a veggie tray." I took a breath so deep my Panthère moved. The egg soldiers--soft-boiled in silver cups, toast batons, chive--made me briefly dissociate into a fantasy where I live alone in the seventh arrondissement and never explain comté to a grown man. The jambon beurre is a sandwich with a bloodline. Heritage. Restraint. It will never show you a fish it caught. Garrett ordered the croque monsieur and said, "So it's like a French panini?" and the table next to us went silent. The tuna tartare, prepared tableside, had ceremony Garrett reserves for fantasy football drafts. The foie gras torchon arrived and he asked what foie gras was and I told him and he said "that's kind of messed up" and ate the entire thing in two bites. The coquillettes aux champignons--shiitake, comté, black truffles--rendered him silent, which should be studied by scientists. Then he said "this is elite mac and cheese." Most romantic thing he's ever said to me. The strip steak with sauce au poivre is the best thing in Nolita. Garrett cut into it and did not speak for six minutes. I timed it. Six minutes of a man from Wisconsin simply respecting what was in front of him without narrating, comparing, or pulling out his phone. Closest thing to intimacy we've had. I texted Reilly from the bathroom--moisturizing again, preventatively: "Restaurant is a 5. Steak might be a 5. Man is a 2 but the steak is doing heavy lifting." She replied: "Keep the restaurant. Burn the quarter-zip." Café Mulberry: 4.9. Garrett: 3.2 until he figures out how to buy natural fibers. I can only imagine his sheets. Blue. T-shirt material. The kind you find at a Bed Bath & Beyond that no longer exists, which tells you everything about the market for men with his thread count. read more

Café Mulberry is one of those gems that I don't tell everyone about because I'm afraid they'll mess it up. It's the best atmosphere you can get in NYC. The service is impeccable. The staff is helpful, patient and quick on their feet. I was with my friends and am very grateful for their patience as we had no idea what we wanted. Everything we ordered was perfectly cooked and left us full. I don't even think I ate for the rest of the day. 10/10 always recommended this place on any planet. read more

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Really enjoyed my lunch here . I sat in the back garden space. It's super relaxing. Food is good. I had the tuna Niçoise salad. Dessert was a raspberry pastry with delicious coffee. Menu is small but ample. Plenty of French dishes to choose from like French onion soup and croquettes madam, tuna & steak tartare. Highly recommend. I will be back read more

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Went for a Saturday brunch with two friends. Service was absolutely wonderful. Everyone's so kind. The food was divine and the outdoor patio makes you feel like you just teleported to France. Highly recommend this spot for brunch/lunch. read more

Most god awful cold brew I've ever had. Sweet and sour. Had to throw away after just a couple of sips. Even gas station coffee is better

I had the most amazing dinner service and staff were so personable! They helped me with my dinner choices - French onion soup -with a wonderful puff pastry top; the To-Die-For Poulet - the best chicken I have had in who knows when - with the most delicious velvety sauce and creamy potatoes; a light and tangy side salad and after having a conversation with the owner I I enjoyed a creamy house-made foie gras with a vibrant, tangy lingonberry reduction! I was a group of one without a reservation and the staff graciously sat me at their small but quaint bar that had a nice view of the romantic restaurant! Thanks for the amazing service and delicious food! I will be back! read more