UWS New Yorkers are spoiled by anything convenient, enriched with joy from within; & only expect the very best especially when it comes to food, service and the ambiance on any given day at a restaurant. Bonjour from a kindhearted, satisfying customer who just experienced beyond stellar customer service along with care at FRENCH ROAST. My pancakes melted into my nostrils, mouth, lips and tongue. savoring in buttery madness, soaked in warm maple syrup, that was oozing all over, dripping down the sides, all are joyously happy; even Moi. From the time you enter French Roast, your presence is roasted in perfection. Passion from the staff, manager and radiant atmosphere hosts. Toast it up! read more

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1) ambience - excellent. Small, friendly with a nice bar full of locals. Bartender was friendly and knowledgeable. 2) service was outstanding. 3) food - we had the escargot for an appetizer, it was excellent. 4) entrees - I ordered the Bronzino special, my friend ordered the salad. We shared and we both assessed the food as excellent. 5) we had decaf cappuccino (I had a sambuca) to finish our meal. All told, an excellent meal. We talked a lot and had an excellent time. 5 stars. read more

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Just moved to the neighborhood and have passed by French Roast many times. Coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner always looks good with a great crowd. Decided to go for dinner tonight, needless to say we will be back in the morning for breakfast. Vanilla latte was superb, French onion soup was a must, dinner specials were absolutely phenomenal; grilled chicken beet salad and Grilled hanger steak. Can't wait to try more of the menu and spend some time here. read more

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This place was great. Very tightly packed, so as a Floridian where you can spread out at every restaurant you go to, I had to remind myself "I'm in the city" and this is part of the vibe. Awesome food and superb service. Ambiance was fun too. A definite go to if you are in the city. read more

French Roast - French Near Me - New York, New York

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Such a cute neighborhood local spot for brunch or dinner before a movie. You can tell regulars come here often and enjoy their time with family. I loved my smoked salmon hash; it had great flavor and lots of vegetables. Also the latte was less than $7 which when do you ever see that anymore?? Great great service and super cheery. We could sit and chat for hours! read more

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French Roast is a quaint little French bistro on the Upper West side with both indoor and outdoor space. You truly do get a suave, French street-like ambiance here, which adds to the experience. This was be a particularly nice restaurant to sit outside at on a nice day. We ordered some lemonade and a piña colada ($18), which came in a fun tiki glass! This was one of the better piña coladas I've had. We took her dad here for Father's Day, and opted to share a number of dishes. We started with the Crispy Goat Cheese ($18). Which was creamy, crispy, and delicious, paired with smashed beets and blackberry which was a really interesting flavor profile. We really liked this, but would recommend it be shared by no more than 2 people because of the portion size. We also started with the burrata tartlette ($23) which consisted of creamy burrata, puff pastry, prosciutto, grilled peaches, and balsamic glaze. This one, while good, was less exciting than the previous. For entrees, we ordered chicken and waffles ($25) and the steak frites ($32), both of which were beautiful and we inhaled them. Unfortunately, the food did take quite a while to come out. Nothing worth freaking out over, and our waitress was nice enough to let us know it would take a little while longer. Additionally, it would have been nice if the chicken and waffle chicken was boneless. We had quite the laugh at us hacking and sawing at it to get to the meat! Cute place, we had a good time! read more

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My review is a love note to French Roast's thick omelette. Yes the vibes are fun and service is great, but this omelette is just amazing: it's made with three eggs and generously filled - I got mine with onions, bacon, and cheese. If you eat less eggs these days, stop here for brunch and treat yourself to one of their big and fluffy omelettes. read more

French Roast - French Near Me - New York, New York

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This was a disappointing dinner. The dinner. The highlight was the latte. Sadly the onion soup did not have Gruyère. It eas Probably mozzarella and awful. The Chicken pate was hard as a rock The scallop special which was special was nice but the scallops were cut in half so when I asked hang came in a oortio and was told 5 or 6 I was impressed. The profitables werenstale and not even warmed. Not a good night. Service was fine and ambiance was nice but very noisy at prime time. read more

I came to dinner with three friends on a Friday night in December at around 7pm and had a phenomenal time. This was my first time ever trying French Roast and I can see what the hype is all about. This corner restaurant is so cute and has an immaculate cozy/intimate neighborhood bistro feel to it. They put up some Christmas decorations which made it also feel a little festive! We had a reservation in advance which was a good idea since the place was absolutely packed. We got seated on time and our waiter quickly came by our table to get our order for drinks and explain the specials for the day. My friends all got different drinks with a favorite being their Negroni. For food I tried: -Soupe du jour: today the soup was a red pepper cream soup which was very good! The day was cold so this was the perfect starter to warm me up before the meal. The soup was creamy and had a deep flavor of roasted bell peppers balanced out by a light cream. Very nicely portioned for the price! -Black sea bass: tried this as my main and was very happy. The fish was cooked very well overall (although some of the side pieces were slightly chewy), but the center was perfectly flaky. This is a pretty substantial meal and comes over a bed of the most deliciously roasted root vegetables that just add the perfect caramelized and earthy base to this dish. There is also some mashed cauliflower that adds a little bit of texture without the heaviness of potatoes. This is drizzled with some lobster reduction which just ties it all together and elevates this dish x1000. Would order again. -crème brûlée: my friend and I split this! Price was a little high for the portion but the dessert was pretty delicious:creamy, a little sweet, and with a nice caramelized top that you can tap with your spoon. Nice portion of berries on top. - vanilla gelato: I ordered a scoop of their vanilla gelato since it was only $3. I did not have high expectations but their gelato is pretty good here! Super creamy and the vanilla flavor was really rich. Perfect to complement any dessert. -profiteroles: tried half of one from my friend and was not a huge fan. These were definitely a little stale and I did not love them. My other friend did get the bread pudding and loved it so this may be the way to go if you want a bread dessert. For other dishes, two of my friends got the burger which they both really enjoyed, and highly recommended. My other friend got the duck which she loved but she thought the risotto was a little bit insipid. Overall, the food was good for the most part but the ambiance is what really makes this place special for me. I usually don't put a lot of weight on that aspect of restaurants but I think this one has a particularly exceptional vibe for a very cute cozy dinner or brunch. The service was also so good and I really appreciated how they left our table to hang out for like an hour after dinner without pressuring us to leave, it really felt like we were in a European bistro. I can now see why this place is such a popular one in this neighborhood. I look forward to coming back to try their brunch! read more

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The food was phenomenal, the desserts were great. Morgan the manager was attentive and made sure our service was excellent. On a Monday night the atmosphere was nice even when busy you were still able to have a conversation and hear yourself. Would certainly recommend dining here. read more

So I was in the neighborhood and got a craving for a Cheeseburger and recalled seeing that French Toast has a Pat LaFrieda Butger.. So I figured why not see what it's about right? So I ordered my burger with Crispy fries! The burger was as requested.. Just cheese and an egg over easy.. it was good.. Honestly not the most incredibly delicious but it was good. They could use some flavor. Maybe some salt and pepper.. or some adobo.. Some type of flavor for the meat.. So I added my own salt and pepper.. meh.. the crispy fries were not so crispy.. Sometimes your request goes in one ear and out the other.. I dunno.. But I ate some nonetheless.. That's it.. I honestly don't think I'll go for the burger again.. It just didn't hit the taste factor.. At least not for me.. But their brunch is pretty hitting! And that's my report guys! -Ray read more

French Roast - Cheeseburger with an over easy egg and Hand-Cut Fries - French Near Me - New York, New York

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A lovely spot on the west side that was hopping with activity. We enjoyed light fare with the salmon cakes and iced coffee and iced drinks. The place was crowded yet staff friendly and attentive. I'll be back to check out staples of the menu. read more

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We celebrated my father's birthday here tonight. Huge portions, quality food, and they sang to him which made him feel special. The crab cake was my mvp of the meal! Yum! read more

French Roast - Crab Cake - French Near Me - New York, New York

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Really enjoyed the food a lot. We shared the burrata and the frisée salad which were both really good. The duck confit was so good. The meat was cooked perfectly and the duck skin was crispy. The risotto texture was a bit gummy but the flavor was there. I loved the brandied cherrys. The chocolate lava cake for dessert was good. Texture overall could've been smoother. The pomegranate reduction was nice. The service and ambiance was very nice. Would definitely recommend. read more

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We came in for Happy Hour on a frigid night. We went away happy, warm and filled with good cheer, drink and food. Wine offerings were good. My Malbec was jammy and dry. Our Happy Hour mussels were a surprise! Portion was substantial with beautiful whole grain peasant bread chunks served alongside a steaming pot of perfectly steamed mussels. The broth was flavored with white wine, garlic onions and fresh parsley. It was totally satisfying. Service was excellent. Server was efficient, gracious and kept an eye on us without intruding. Room was full but noise level was low enough for 4 people to chat without shouting. I love French Roast and will return for dinner, too! read more

Good, solid spot on the Upper West Side exuding a chill NYC vibe. There was another location downtown which I believe closed but I've been to both for a combined handful of times. French Roast sits right on the corner of Broadway and 85th Street with indoor, sidewalk and shed seating. Yes, some restaurants have kept the additional shed seating option. Service was friendly and quick. We ordered twin meals: Aperol Spritz and 3 egg omelet (choose 3 fillings). We selected mushroom, Avocado and spinach for the filling. Mine with home fries while my friend chose the French fries. As we waited for the omelet, Aperol Spritz was brought to the table and made satisfactory. In no time, our mains arrived looking inviting and delicious. The omelet was on the drier side which may be good for keeping healthy. On the other hand, it was a bit dry. Perhaps the lack of cheese contributed to it? The fillings were a bit skimpy as I couldn't taste much spinach. Avocado was sliced and sat on the top of the omelet. Overall, we were very satisfied with our meal and service. I've had better omelets but this was just fine. The home fries were more like sliced potatoes and a little odd to what I'm used to. Again, it worked. I'd say French Roast is about a 3.5. I'd return. read more

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[Edited to remove a mistake and with a response to the owner.] I am now in my late 60s and this fact may affect my view of the restaurant. It's a block from my sister's apartment and we'd been there long ago. We were there for Sunday brunch, a reservation having been made by said sister for noon. No problem being seated though it was crowded. But the core issue is the noise. It is LOUD. I could barely hear what those at my table said. Maybe it's because I'm old though I was recently given a hearing test and passed it! Most of those there were far, far younger and maybe they weren't bothered. But the place is loud. While I thought this was intentionally done to create a faux buzz about the place but the owner assures me that it is merely the natural noise of many patrons enjoying themselves in a small space. This I think is at least in part because of the ceiling, which reflects and doesn't absorb sound. Perhaps employing some noise dampening effects would help with the noise. The irony is that the noise is a product of its popularity and given what looked to be a largely local clientele, they don't seem to be deterred by it. In the end, it is something you should be aware of. The food itself was...mediocre. I had traditional Eggs Benedict. They were flat, almost tasteless. The fries were good, though. The staff was subpar, though this may be an issue of understaffing. We were made to feel that we should be thankful that they deigned to notice let alone care for us. It took three tries to get someone to refill my coffee; why no one is walking the room with a carafe to top people off at brunch is beyond me. Again, though, this may be a staffing (or staff availability) issue. read more

It's a solid place, food is always spot on, great brunch, perfect poached eggs, flaky croissants, proper French onion soup. The bar is great, the coffee is good. Only downside it gets really packed and very loud. Outdoor seating is unpleasant due to scaffolding and limited seating read more

I am not a fan of giving a non appreciative review, however, when a restaurant misses ALL of the key points of dining out, I feel obligated to share my experience. I went with some old coworkers for dinner on a Friday night. The restaurant was packed and so dimly lit I could not see the menu clearly. We had a reservation yet were seated in a space that should have been a 2 seater table but, unfortunately, they made into a 3 seater. Bad idea. I was uncomfortable the entire time as my chair was smashed against a Maître D/staff station. The waiters congregated there talking and laughing over me as I tried to eat my food. They were also constantly going in a drawer at the podium which caused them to brush up against me each time. This alone is enough for me to never come back. However, I did want to see how the food and service were. I should have left when I walked in the door. 1) FOOD: over priced and absolutely HORRIBLE! I am a vegetarian and they did not offer much on the menu for my diet. I decided to go with the Gnocchi Primavera which was AWFUL. It was gummy textured and overly sauced. I picked out and ate a few of my vegetables and left hungry. For $26, I needed a refund to go elsewhere for a proper meal. My friend ordered the Black Sea Bass and stated it tasted very "fishy" which is indicative of the fish going bad. We both have worked in fine dining before and understand the importance of FRESH fish. Her $34 meal was definitely a disappointment. Our 3rd guest ordered the Coq Au Vin and seemed okay with it. He said it was "not the best but edible". 2) SERVICE: in a nutshell it absolutely SUCKED! We were not given any attention, we waited a very long time to receive our bill, and I noticed the Maitre D/floor manager laughing and fraternizing with the staff instead of attending to guests. In his defense, he looked very young and inexperienced but this is not an excuse for being unprofessional. 3) BATHROOM: did not even try it as I was so disappointed with the food and service I could not bear a 3rd one. Really, I found nothing positive about this establishment and will not patronize it in the future. read more

French Roast - Gnocchi Primavera - French Near Me - New York, New York

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So my beloved, who is a Michelin Star trained chef who has mentored with Michel Guerard, Alain Senderens, Pierre Troisgros, Roger Verge, Anne Willan and Barbara Tropp decided to surprise me after a rare night to go to French Roast. We tried the Restaurant Week menu with a few add-ons. Our server was named Drago, who actually was very attentive and extremely personable. Our food was extremely well prepared, especially the salmon which my beloved likes it medium rare, so one can taste the freshness of the sea. Will definitely be going to them again and again, and if you do go look for Drago, he'll definitely take care of you. read more

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I was hoping to try a real chocolat chaud which is advertised on their menu, but I was highly disappointed. They served me milk with hersheys chocolate syrup (I know the taste I drank it my whole life). If this was a real French restaurant they should have authentic French food and drinks. Very disappointed will not be stopping by again. read more

French Roast - French Near Me - New York, New York

I have been coming here for years, always for dessert. I am so happy to see it has not changed. We ordered the chocolate brownie with ice cream and it was good. My friend ordered a cappuccino and he liked it. This reminds me of the New York; I grew up in and brings back memories of when I was younger. We would order dessert after the movies. The service was great, very friendly. The place is nice and takes me back in time, a perfect place for a date. read more

French Roast - Brownie - French Near Me - New York, New York

The pâté is stellar!!! Great short ribs on mashed potatoes. YUM. The mussels were enjoyed by my table mates. I thought the service rocked!! My husband actually thought they were too fast. We might have lingered longer if given the opportunity. The decor is very much like a French bistro. read more

I've been here a few times, and they do a good job, especially on breakfast/brunch items. Service is usually quick, with appropriately attentive servers - though you will likely need to get their attention. The only disappointments have been when I've ordered French fare like cassoulet, which looked good, but had muted flavors, though the portion was generous. read more

Such a classic UWS cafe with a comfy French diner menu, cocktails, and plenty of outdoor seating I had the brioche French toast, and it was delicious! Thick pillows of custard-rich triangles with crisp corners made perfect when bathed in pure maple syrup. I ordered a side of sausage, and they only had chicken links which were a bit tough for my taste. Service with a smile made for a pleasant breakfast on a sunny, chilly day. read more

French Roast - Brioche French Toast, Chicken Sausage - French Near Me - New York, New York

French Roast always offers a wonderful Soup du Jour. Everytime I dine here I get soup. The champagne is savory and crisp. However, the service needs improvement. The ambiance has an intimate feel with close-knit tables. read more

I personally never think of going here, but many of my companions on the upper West side suggest it and I always meet them there, and I always enjoy it, and I always wonder why I don't eat there or think of the place on my own. That said, very good food, very nice atmosphere, Very nice service... Checks all the boxes. Slightly expensive for what it is, but you don't feel like you're getting ripped off. read more

In the spirit of honesty. the truth must be told This establishment upon a few return visits Sorry to say has major issues with the quality if food presented A simple Hamburger with standard accompanying fries red onion small Boston piece of lettuce substandard tomato Disappoints We had to send the order back to the kitchen request Not To Burn Char Burger with ap preference for freshly cooked fries and a larger portion than barely filly the cone, etc// The waitstaff upon observation, is Hectic Scattered hard to get their attention Our waiter came to the table 3 times. too much, not a moments peace// Restaurant,strict;y for tourists and customers who don't care for value in their food Prices were Have Risen. Not Worth the Trouble read more

We just had dinner here on a whim since we dropped off our daughter at a nearby movie theater. Lina, our server was amazing! She had great recommendations and took her time with plenty of details. We've been going to L'express, it's sister restaurant, for almost 20 years and I have to say that this food was definitely tastier. I do like the mood of L'express because the lighting is dimmer, but this was ok too. Definitely coming back. read more

It's just okay. The food is all just okay, nothing that mind blowing. We got the eggs Benedict with fries and the French toast. I wouldn't really recommend either and there's definitely better brunch places out there. read more

French Roast - Eggs Benedict - French Near Me - New York, New York

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Ate here with a couple of friends. I got the special gnocchi dish. The sauce and shrimp was very good but the vegetables were overcooked. My friend's chicken was also pretty dry. Reasonable prices. read more

French Roast - Gnocchi - French Near Me - New York, New York

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Never disappoints, I had restaurant week and my finance had the regular menu. We ordered mussels,tuna tartare, seafood risotto and a tiramisu to top it off she had the burger. Everything was delicious, I've been coming here for years and it just gets better. Drinks are awesome as well ! read more

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While the food was mediocre at best, what really led to the bad review was our service. We got seated at 12:25 for brunch and put in our full order right away (one drink each and one entree each - not a complicated order). We watch several tables get seated after us and also put in their orders. At about 12:45 we see the main entree food come out for tables who have been seated and ordered after us so we check with our waitress and she says she forgot to put in my husbands order which was just the smoke salmon bagel (aka not a hot meal that had to be cooked - just assembly). She says she'll put it in asap and we should have our food shortly. 1:15 rolls around and we still don't have our food and our waitress is no where to be found and has not checked in with us. I finally get up myself and ask another staff member and our waitress finally brings the food. The smoke salmon entree is just a deconstructed bagel so unclear why it took so long even after the delayed mistake by our server. We eat quickly because we see a line of people waiting and want to be respectful of our table time since we know we've been seated for so long since it took an hour to get our food. Our waitress brings the check finally (after we had to ask twice) and I was hoping for her mistakes she'd take off my husbands entree from the bill or at least one of our drinks. I notice she hasn't so I just make a casual comment about it. She starts getting aggressive and saying why would we do that, the food wasn't even late, it wasn't my fault or the restaurants fault (after openly admitting she forgot to put his ticket in). At this point we were so appalled and dejected by her behavior we just paid and left but we will never be going back. read more

Visiting here is just like stepping into a lovely Parisian cafe in every sense. From the decor to the quality of the product to the unhurried nature of the service, French Roast is a lovely little treasure - and true to its name. Our coffees with amaretto were bold, strong and delicious - just what we needed on a bitterly cold night. The bread pudding with berry compote and vanilla ice cream was the ideal dessert to split - not too sweet, yet very substantial. Nelson took wonderful care of us, and thanked us for coming out on a particularly cold evening. Everyone was friendly, kind and efficient. When we left we saw some entrees come out that looked and smelled absolutely wonderful, too. We will certainly be back. read more

David our server was great!! All of the staff was great actually. I have been here numerous times and this time the food was underachieving. My wife said the Shushuka is usually great but this time her egg was not runny(which she requested) ..and the spinach did not seem sautéed ...my waffle was a bit on the "toasty" "Leggo my Eggo" style ..don't mean to be picky but want to offer constructive criticism. Still a great place to visit and will come back FO SHO ! read more

French Roast - Shakshuka Belgian Waffles - French Near Me - New York, New York

Legit French food especially breakfast and lunch. I miss their old East Village location that was open until 4am.

French roast has become my mother and mine's go to place when I come into the city to visit her. It's a short walk to her apartment and they are always considerate of the fact that she's in 80 plus year old woman in a walker. The service is consistently good and attentive. We generally get the same things but I have found that the food is very consistent and very good. The eggs are excellent, their sandwiches and burgers are equally great, and their fries are cooked to exactly the right level of crisp. It can get very busy here though and sometimes you would have to wait for a table. The only thing I would like to see is a better beer selection as that is always lacking. read more

My first time having a really good dinner at French roast. I loved the bouillabaisse I think it was a great deal and I think it's actually shareable for at least two people at $34 at ..It is a bargain and I highly recommend it.. we couldn't even finish it. Definitely get a side order of their fabulous. Amazing bread with butter. read more

Espresso Martini - 3.5/5 Very coffee forward, high caffeine, a bit acidic. Nice foam top and 3 beans. Would order this Espresso Martini again. read more

The cooks know their craft and the servers know customer care. Restaurant personnel combined warmth with speedy service. The food quality is superb & honestly, everything I've tried has exceeded expectations. The environment here deserves praise. This restaurant justifies its reputation. read more