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    Chez Josephine

    3.8 (724 reviews)
    PriceyFrench, Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

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    CHEZ JOSEPHINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Romantic
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Chez Josephine

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    Beef Bourgingnon
    david l.

    This is a 3.5 star review. Chez Josephine has great old school vibes. It is long time restaurant in the Broadway Time Square area. The food good but could use a bit more seasoning. Service was great.

    Mango Raspberry Mousse
    Grace F.

    I went to Chez Josephine during summer Restaurant Week for a Friday night dinner with friends before catching Book of Mormon on Broadway, and it was such a fun spot! The vibe inside is lively and eclectic--think old French style with big, bold art pieces (lots of dramatic portraits and yes, a few glamorous nudes). Add in live piano music with jazzy renditions of contemporary songs and showtunes, and you really feel like you're in a unique, spirited little pocket of NYC. For Restaurant Week, it was $45 for three courses. I had the Country Pâté to start, the Chicken Paillard for my entrée, and the Mango Raspberry Mousse for dessert. Country Pâté - Came with celery rémoulade and cornichons. The pâté itself was a little drier than I expected, but paired nicely with the tangy accompaniments. (3.5/5) Chicken Paillard - Nicely cooked and well-prepared, topped with frisée and red wine vinaigrette. I did wish the chicken had a bit more seasoning, and the vinaigrette-to-chicken ratio felt slightly off, but overall it was tasty. (4/5) Mango Raspberry Mousse - This was the star of the meal! Light but indulgent, with a gooey raspberry center and crumbly base. The mango and raspberry flavors balanced perfectly. (4/5) Overall, the food was good (not mind-blowing, but solid for Restaurant Week), and the atmosphere with live music really makes the experience. I'd definitely come back, especially for the vibe before a Broadway show.

    Bobby I.

    Ambiance, service and food was 5 stars. The onion soup was one of the better one's I have ever had. It had the right balance of flavor with deep richness expected from a French Onion Soup. The Duck L'orange was perfectly Medium Rare and the flavors were perfectly balanced with the wild rice. Absolutely a must have if you are there. Desserts where delicate, but packed woth flavor. Must visit when you are in the area!

    Anne F.

    I went here as part of a farewell/retirement party for myself and another co-worker. I was leaving the place to go to a new place and she was retiring. So our coworkers took us to dinner. They chose Chez Josephine and I thought it was a cute little place. The restaurant is named after Josephine Baker an American dancer who spent a great deal in France. She adopted and raised 12 children - quite a busy woman. The restaurant is surrounded by paintings of her in her au-natural form. It was restaurant week when we went (something we didn't realize), but several of us went for it. Why not right? I don't remember what i got or what everyone else got but I can tell you that we all loved the food and we all said we'd go back. Also there's live music: a pianist was there playing jazz songs and made the vibe feel like 1920s Paris.

    Lobster Bisque. $18. OK flavor. Needed larger chunks of lobster. Alright
    Glenn C.

    I went to this pretty popular pre-theater and post-theater French spot a good while ago with two others as they were seeing something soon and had an okay time overall. The ambience is very nice from the piano player in the background to the overall look and the staff was good as expected for an old school French place. They gave us some warm bread and butter to begin with which was decent quality. I had a cocktail and I honestly don't remember much outside of it having cognac and thinking that it was just alright though a bit unbalanced as there was a bit too much of a burn. To start I had the Maine Lobster Bisque for $18 which was alright. The stock could have been a bit richer and the pieces of lobster in there were decent though I wish they were larger chunks as that would have added more texture and more flavor. It was decent. I thought of also ordering the Lobster Cassoulet as my main but decided against it (which is why I got that lobster dishes as my appetizer.) My main dish instead was the Duck à l'Orange for $39 with orange glaze and wild rice. The duck portion was good though the meat itself was a tad too chewy. The orange flavor was a bit strong with the dish being slightly too sweet but thankfully it was not cloyingly so outside of the pieces of candied orange peel. The wild rice went with the dish. It was overall again decent. For dessert, I got the Bombe Glaceé Praline for $15. The dish had thin layers of ice cream with a layer of cake on the side which was a bit different than expected and was served with some whipped cream as well as a cranberry sauce. The ice cream was tasty with a good praline flavor while the raspberry sauce added some nice sourness. This was good and honestly the best dish of the night which for a French place is a big disappointing. I would write more but there's not much of note otherwise. If the food quality to any extent matched the ambience, this spot would be a home run but overall for the surrounding Theater District/Hell's Kitchen area, I would say this a lot worse than the pricier Chez Napoléon or Le Rivage and worse than the similarly priced Marseille or the other spots nearby. The description OK next to the Yelp 3 star rating fits this place perfectly unfortunately. Upper 2/low 3.

    Upstairs dining room
    Annette S.

    I passed by while walking down 42nd Street several times & it's such a cute space with an amazing prix fixe menu, so first chance I got I went in and I am so glad I did! The service was stellar, they brought my requested sparkling water & bread right away. When I asked if the pate was liver, they patiently explained that it wasn't liver, it was pork, and WOW it was amazing! The steak was cooked perfectly. I wasn't in the mood for the brown sauce on the steak, but it was very tasty so no biggie. The portions were just enough to leave me too stuffed to have the included dessert. I think I got a cocktail & liked it, but don't recall. The restroom , and actually the entire building, is done up very cute. I will definitely be back!

    Live music.
    Gregory C.

    Welcoming, unpretentious, classic. Just what we were looking for. The bar, led by Isaac, was lively and full of conversation. The food and wine did not miss. Would love to come back soon.

    inside
    Ashlyn G.

    I actually learned about this restaurant from my fashion history class at FIT, when we talked about Josephine Baker and my professor mentioned her family had opened a restaurant as tribute for her and I knew I HAD to go. I went for my graduation dinner with my family while they visited, and this is the restaurant they remember the most out of everything they tried. Live piano, ambiance, great food, and an amazing waiter really sealed the deal. For dessert they even hand-wrote "congratulations" on the plate for me, which out of the entire week's worth of fancy restaurants was the only one to do so. The beef bourguignon was my favorite out of the table, with the lamb being a second. Crème brûlée was delicious, and so was the chocolate mousse although the plating looked a little silly. I absolutely adore this place and definitely plan on going back as well as recommending it to others! Would be an amazing date spot as well!

    Lisa T.

    What a cute restaurant with good service for a pre-show dinner! We had the prefixe and it was nice. They have nice jazz music playing and a live piano player. The food was good and the wait staff was very friendly and gave suggestions on what to order. For anyone with mobility issues, the bathrooms are upstairs.

    Eggs Classic Eggs Benedict
    Amanda J.

    It's Restaurant Week, winter 2025. Allons-y a Chez Josephine! Pre-fixe or le prix fixe menu includes one appetizer, one entree, and a dessert for $45. Cocktails are $18 and offer a balanced, unique variety. Walking into Chez Josephine is a fever dream cabaret if Toulouse Lautrec was a designer and his sole muse was Josephine Baker. In the evenings there is live music. From roughly 9pm to 11 we had a pianist playing jovial and elegant recognizable tunes. He even through in What Is Youth, the theme song to the 1968 Romeo & Juliet - possibly a tribute to the late Olivia Hussey. This tells you roughly the expected crowd here, over 60 or theatre people. We started with cocktails. The Bakertini was beautifully decorated with a pattern of bitters on top of the egg white foam. This was light but had a decent kick. Absolutely a low sipper. For my meal, I went with the potato leek soup of the day, the steak frites, and paid an additional $19 for a lava cake, a la carte. I loved the soup and the lava cake, but the steak was way too chewy for my taste and challenging to cut. The sauce was perfectly seasoned and the right consistency. The plating was lovely. The sautéed onions added a nice texture to the dish. This was a perfect portion of fries for me. I find I'm always given too many fries and they end up being wasted. My friend actually took a few from the plate as well. A shareable is always enjoyable when in good company. The sauce was my favorite part of the dish. It absorbed right into my fries, which I love. My friend ordered the tomato mozzarella salad, the lemon sole, and a panna cotta from the Restaurant Week menu for ($45). The salad was a bit small for my liking. The plating was nice, but they could have added more greens. In comparison to the soup, this portion size was more amuse bouche. Unfortunately the waiter came over and let my friend know that they were out of the lemon sole. He substituted it with a trout instead. In the dim lighting her plate looked a bit flat and simple. I think they could do more to accentuate the lemon. She did enjoy the taste though. The panna cotta was rich and delicious. For a prix fixe meal $45 was a great price. The staff was also attentive and kept our water filled. They were friendly and made sure we had what we needed. I was even offered ketchup for my gravy fries, which I politely declined. This is located in the heart of the theatre district and around the corner from Port Authority. It's easy to walk to and it does give a wow factor when you walk in. I deducted a star for the texture of my steak and because they were out of the fish my friend wanted for dinner. Hopefully when we come back, the ingredients will have some improvements to make this a 5 star night!

    Jalapeño delight and my girl
    Joan M.

    The Oyster and Velvet Martini were divine! We had not been back since 2022. It has been a long time, but miss the vibe. The Duck A la Orange and wild rice, with a plentiful side of Asparagus was the best duck I have had since the Four Seasons closed! My girl had the prix fix dinner that was advertised as 35 that wound up being 45, and loved her steak. The bartender was impressive when making a martini dirty. Very creative with the garnishes abd geerous with the olives. Our waiter was from Ecuador and treated us well. Great romantic dibner after a swim at the gym.

    Will N.

    Came in with a reservation for four during a busy hour, was seated nearly immediately, but took a minute for our waiter to serve us. The Lobster Bisque here must be a purée soup, but I prefer this dish to include more bits and chunks. The French Onion soup runs on the thinner side as well. I was very impressed with the Skate Wing! Such a nice flavor palette. Bright, tangy, and savory. The Tiger Shrimp was overcooked though--about 2-3 minutes less cook time would've left it more plump and juicy. Love the interior. It sounded like there was a live performer in the back as well. Pretty setting for a date/intimate dinner, but I am not rushing to try again.

    Mais S.

    Service was 5/5, ambiance 5/5 but food 3/5. Very mid. The ambiance makes up for it. I enjoyed the seating outside. The weather was perfect.

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    Page 1 of 19

    Chez Josephine Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chez Josephine

    Is their a bar for a solo person to sit at?

    yes, there is a bar upon entering, seats about 12 people, tends to get crowded especially before broadway shows begin at 8:00 pm.

    Anything vegetarian on the menu for dinner?

    If you go to their website, their menus are posted. They have many vegetarian appetizers, salads, and pastas which could make an excellent vegetarian meal if you order from a la carte. We do that sometimes ourselves. It's French cooking at it's… 

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    Marseille

    Marseille

    3.9
    (1.3k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    Friendliest and nicest hosts and staff I've encountered recently!! We arrived right at our…read morereservation time and were promptly seated for a rare date night. Although I would've preferred to have been seated away from a family with 3 loud, ill-behaved kids, it was still a nice cozy table. On our table we found a nice Happy Anniversary card, which was very sweet! Our server Selma L. greeted us warmly and with a smile. Selma L. was very knowledgeable and helpful with the menu and remained very available and checked in on us often throughout our meal. I knew I wanted the Escargots en Persillade(my favorites!), and we paired them with Mushroom&Ricotta ravioli, and the Branzino. Every dish was perfectly paired with sauces and flavors blended well together. The Branzino skin was perfectly crispy, the potatoes were a little softer than I'd personally like but were still tasty. We made sure to save room for dessert and I'm so glad we did. We tried the chocolate lava cake and the cheesecake and were gifted two glasses of dessert wine and truffles. Everything is made from scratch, in-house. The New York cheesecake stood out ahead of the lava cake but I would order both again. This restaurant is perfectly situated to accommodate you for a pre-show dinner, and offer discounted meals starting at 8pm-close. We'd definitely return to try other menu items, and enjoy another date night, albeit not surrounded by kids!!!

    This place is around the corner from where i live, and the food is consistently good. Been here a…read moredozen times for their oyster happy hour (most evenings) The non alcoholic drinks are great. service was amazing. our waiter Henry was very attentive and made sure we had a pleasant dining experience.

    Photos
    Corner booths often used for group dining
    Corner booths often used for group dining
    Fresh Berries - yogurt & granola
    Fresh Berries - yogurt & granola
    Croque Madame - griddled bistro ham & gruyere on brioche topped with mornay and a sunnyside up egg, chips

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    Croque Madame - griddled bistro ham & gruyere on brioche topped with mornay and a sunnyside up egg, chips
    Steak Frites Bistro

    Steak Frites Bistro

    4.6
    (306 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    Finally. I've been on the search. City after city. 6 different French restaurants in Chicago. Not…read moreto mention Washington DC and other cities. But I finally found authentic steak tartare. Hand cut. Not run through a blender. The closest to the nest that I've had in Paris. Ambiance: 10/10 Steak tartare: 9/10 Pomme fritte: 7/10 Service: 10/10 Don't get me wrong these fries were good. Better than all the others. Not quite good as in Paris. It was a joy to eat here. And I feel like I've finally found a place that compares to Paris. The best of Chicago produced nothing to compare to Paris.

    While in the theater district I decided to satisfy my craving for steak and fries. I looked up a…read moreplace nearby and this one came up. It was a 12 minute walk from my original location. I played myself by getting the pre frixe menu. I did not care for the French onion soup at all. It has a sour taste to it..not savory. I asked for my steak medium well. It came exactly to mh liking. I had not had read meat in a while and I might have been low on iron. It was tasty. I ordered the creme brulee for desert which was yummy. I sat at the bar. I will definitely asked to be seated next time because the bartender hovered over me a lot. I didn't need much service. The steak was good next time I will have the salmon. I want to try other places that specialize in this fare.

    Photos
    View from our window table
    View from our window table
    Cute salt and pepper
    Cute salt and pepper
    At the entrance

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    At the entrance
    Chez Napoleon

    Chez Napoleon

    3.9
    (344 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$$

    Thursday night dinner for 3. Very charming, quaint restaurant with vintage artwork and a small bar…read more There is a front room with a small bar and another room around a wall on the other side. We ordered a traditional gran marnier soufflé with our dinner order as it takes that amount of time to make it. I came for the duck confit. It was tasty with the right amount of crispy skin. My sister ordered the Moules Marinieres which I think was the winner. It came with fries and a few small dishes of green beans. The Buf Bourguignon was rich and hearty. I've been craving a soufflé, and I'm not an expert but I wish I hadn't poured all the sauce in as the mariner was fairly strong and almost overpowered the soufflé in flavor. Overall, happy to support a small mom and pop business. You have to call for reservations. No resy or open table.

    I grew up nearby and been wanting to come here for over 30 years- since I was young- but was a…read morelittle intimidated. Im sad about that. Putting the food aside (which was VERY good), the place is beyond charming... like walking into your nonna's living room- and the staff was welcoming. As for the food: everything is "perfect" in a simple, old school, traditional way. No trendy twists. This is a GOOD thing in my book. It has been years since Ive had escorgot that I loved, but this brought me back. I had almost sworn off of it. My steak au-poivre was cooked to perfection and green peppercorn sauce was sublime. The fries were basic but in a good, I dare say perfect, way. My gf had the sole and, altho she says it wasnt earth shattering, liked it as well. The soufle was a bit of a novelty for me but worth a try. This place is Old School New York at its finest. P.S. I cant stand liver or pate but my gf ordered the foie gras (which ive never had) and tho i resisted trying it, I finally did and loved it. I think that says something about the place. She said it was perfect.

    Photos
    Chez Napoleon
    Salty crispy half duck with orange sauce and super wild rice.
    Salty crispy half duck with orange sauce and super wild rice.
    The Restuarant is filled with jigsaw puzzles. You can buy a box off of the Puzzle Menu.

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    The Restuarant is filled with jigsaw puzzles. You can buy a box off of the Puzzle Menu.
    S'Aimer

    S'Aimer

    4.6
    (81 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    We were able to get a last-minute reservation at 7p on the Sunday before Memorial Day and entered…read morewhat was a pretty empty establishment. There were only 2 other parties seated and we were seated immediately upon arrival. It's fairly dark inside and the decor reminds me a bit of New Orleans. I enjoyed the ambiance. The drinks were great! I had the cocobella while he had margaritas. The table bread was hot and fresh, so make sure they bring it to the table for you. We had the mussels for an appetizer, lamb chops and bass. EVERYTHING was excellent! The flavor of the broth for the mussels was Devine, so much so my husband used his bread to sop up all he could. The bass had great flavor and came with sautéed spinach that was well cooked. It initially looked like a small portion but turned out to be plenty. The lamb chops were cooked to the requested temp and seasoned well. We left no crumbs. This one is definitely worth a try!

    If you're going to see a Broadway show, plan on stopping here to enjoy some delicious food. This…read moreplace has such a smooth, sexy vibe. Staff are lovely. Decide is classy cool. The food is perfection. The pulled oxtails are delicious. Gave me goosebumps. The fish was cooked to perfection. The sweet plantains were perfect. The drinks were done very well too. It's a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for! YUMMY

    Photos
    Greenery in The Garden at S'Aimer NYC
    Greenery in The Garden at S'Aimer NYC
    The Garden at S'Aimer NYC. A place for quiet conversation in the heart of Restaurant Row.
    The Garden at S'Aimer NYC. A place for quiet conversation in the heart of Restaurant Row.
    Set up for private event at S'Aimer NYC.

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    Set up for private event at S'Aimer NYC.
    maman

    maman

    4.1
    (265 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Maman remains my favorite brunch spot whenever I'm in NYC, and this visit to a new location was…read morejust as lovely as ever. This space felt larger than the other locations I've been to, while still keeping the same cozy, charming, and beautiful vibe that defines their brand. We were a party of three, and each of us ordered different sandwiches and pastries. I got the Katie's Chicken Sandwich, which is one of my absolute favorites and something I order almost every time I'm visiting the city. For pastry, I tried the Cherry Croissant Cube for the first time, and I was honestly speechless. It was incredibly flavorful, delicious, and truly made my day. I 100% recommend trying it. For drinks, I ordered the seasonal Cherry Elderflower Spritz. It was just okay compared to everything else, but not bad. Overall, Maman continues to be my go-to brunch place in NYC, and this visit reminded me exactly why.

    Went here in the late morning on a Sunday and was hoping for a better experience. Had to wait…read moreseveral minutes at the cashier to get our order taken, and then immediately felt like a burden trying to order. The cashier just walked away upon us finishing our order and I had to wait another few minutes to get my receipt. The food was mid, nothing super exceptional. I got avocado toast and it was average, nothing to write home about. I also got an iced vanilla latte that was also lackluster, the espresso tasted burnt and I didn't taste any flavor. Ambiance was nice, wasn't super crowded and able to get a nice table I will say. Overall, food was okay, I would just order online pickup to avoid their customer service if I were to go again.

    Photos
    Menu. Had trouble deciding as so many great options
    Menu. Had trouble deciding as so many great options
    Maman's Breakfast Sandwich
    Maman's Breakfast Sandwich
    Creme brûlée croissant

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    Creme brûlée croissant
    La Bonne Soupe

    La Bonne Soupe

    4.0
    (311 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    If you're looking to escape the tourist crowds on the UES, La Bonne Soupe is the move. I was back…read morevisiting my old stomping grounds and wanted somewhere outside with a real neighborhood feel and this spot nailed it. I snagged a seat on their upstairs patio, surrounded by the kind of older, well-heeled UES regulars that give the place such a quintessential NYC vibe. I went with the $35 lunch special, which gets you an appetizer and an entrée. For my app, the Escargots de Bourgogne- absolutely the star of the meal, I could've eaten a second order. The Crêpe Forestière for my entrée was lovely too, and I washed it all down with a lemonade. Everything was genuinely delicious. My one small gripe: I got charged for two lemonades, which stung a little given that (a) it's lemonade, and (b) the glass was on the petite side to begin with. Minor quibble, though. Other than that, it was a perfect NYC lunch, exactly what I was hoping for.

    Came here a mere week after five-star my first visit, and this experience was significantly less…read morepositive. While the French Onion soup was still a stand-out dish, the painfully slow service detracted. There appeared to be a single waitress working. I didn't notice during my first visit if there were multiple servers, but the first time I did hear the waiter advise another table that the kitchen was behind and there would be a wait for food. (This didn't affect me since on my first visit I only ordered soup.) Same thing happened this time, and there was a significant delay between our soup/salad course and entrees. We were told the kitchen was backed up. this is apparently the norm. For appetizers, the French onion soup was a gold star dish. My friend had the goat cheese salad which she said was also very good. The Chicken Cordon Bleu was good, and a hard-to-find dish in NYC. While eating our entrees, the server never checked on how things were or if we needed anything. Once finished, we sat there for a long time waiting for our plates to be cleared, and finally had to "announce" that we were done and request our dessert (as we had ordered the prix fixe menu). For dessert we ordered the Dame Blanche and Profiteroles. I would recommend neither. The ice cream (in both) was poor quality, crystallized and not creamy. A real shame. In all, the meal too 2.5 hours due to the slow service. The soup remains fantastic. I'm downgrading my review to recommend this spot only for soup and salad and not a full, hours-long meal. For that, it's 5 stars, for a full meal a middling 3.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Dame blanche
    Dame blanche
    Outside dining on second floor rooftop

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    Outside dining on second floor rooftop

    Chez Josephine - french - Updated July 2026

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