Near the end of my New York chapter, Joseph Leonard became the neighborhood place we returned to…read moremost often, and it still captures so much of what I love about the Village. I've loved Gabriel Stulman's restaurants for years, but Joseph Leonard may be the purest expression of his particular sensibility: warm, earthy, slightly eccentric, and unmistakably New York. The aged wood, vintage details, tiny footprint, and effortlessly cool staff make the place feel collected rather than designed. It has personality everywhere you look without ever seeming like it is trying to prove it. Stulman is, in some ways, the Bon Iver of New York restaurants: his sensibility was shaped in Wisconsin, then sharpened by New York into something much more distinctive. Under all the coolness I associate with the best of the Midwest, there's an earnestness and lack of pretension, paired with enough downtown edge to make it deeply desirable. It captures the same improbable chemistry that makes kids raised on the Upper East Side fall hard for Madison or Ann Arbor. Somehow Joseph Leonard can feel wholesome, progressive, sophisticated, and completely unforced at the same time. The burger is excellent, the Bloody Mary is great, and this is one of those rare places I'm equally happy visiting for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Service has always been terrific, and the people working there seem to embody the restaurant itself: interesting, kind, and genuinely cool. It's tiny, so plan accordingly, but that intimacy is part of why it works so well. Joseph Leonard was a meaningful little fixture at the end of our years in New York, and I still think of it as one of the city's great neighborhood restaurants. Très bien!

My cousin and I stumbled across this cozy spot after Ubering back from a concert at the Barclays…read moreCenter. Our bartender was super friendly and nice. I ordered an Espresso Martini which was very tasty. We hung out for a while and were not rushed out. Overall, seems like a cute little spot in the West Village for a night out! Espresso Martini: 5/5

Had 7pm reservations, on a Saturday, in celebration of my sister's wedding. We knew we weren't…read moregoing to be able to make it in time so we called in 2 hours ahead to push the time back and the ladies up front were so kind to make it happen for us. Upon arrival we waited a few minutes for our table, just enough time to stop by the restroom and order a drink. Bar tabs have to be closed at the bar btw. Our server was a sweetheart. I wish I could remember his name since we had to ask him for it. Seating is very intimate. How the servers are squeezing in between tables I have no idea.. We ordered, Appetizers: Hamachi Crudo; fresh, balanced. A little more citrus would have been fine. A very good bite. Wagyu steak tartare; fresh, had a great chop and mouthfeel. I enjoyed the textures. The olives were places all on one side and that could have made for a big bite of olives if I didn't notice. Flavors were enjoyable but did overpowered the wagyu. Grilled hen of the woods brochette; "Maitake" mushroom. One of my favorite fungi and I was not disappointed. Looking at the presentation I was worried the mushroom would be overpowered but everything came together perfectly. Entre: Rôtisserie Chicken a la Moutarde; Honestly the chicken was dry and the shoestring potatoes was a weird pairing. I assumed (my fault) the watercress would be cooked but it was more of a raw garnish. Seasonings on the chicken were very well done. Atlantic Halibut; Perfectly cooked. Gorgeous plate. Corn was indeed sweet. Maine Lobster Rigatoni; Props for the noodles being cooked al dente. I was rejoiced when I found out they were. 22oz Prime Aged Ribeye; Should have asked the age of the ribeye though it was tender with a hint of age. Cooked perfectly even with my sister requesting medium temp. Gorgeous crust. My only complaint would it being served on a sizzling plate with no extra plates to plate the steak on. w/ Migliorelli Asparagus side; well prepared. Cooked perfectly. We also ordered two bottles of wine which I cannot remember which ones. Sommelier did a great job presenting and pouring our bottles, keeping our glasses full. Our server also asked if we were celebrating anything, we told him and after our dinner he surprise us with complimentary champagne and an ice cream cake in congrats to my sister. It was all very sweet and was a great ending to our dinner. Would not hesitate to come back and/or recommend.

Came here on a Thursday for a girl night dinner. The food, drinks, and atmosphere were phenomenal…read more The bar area was so cute and it had amazing ambiance. We got a bunch of apps- the omelette, octopus, steak tar tar, tuna, and beef salad were honestly ALL delish. and THE SALMON DINNER. SO SO GOOD. Same with the lamb and truffle pasta. Our waiter Jessie however made the experience wonderful. He was so professional and explained everything in depth. Any questions we had he immediately answered. We ended up taking back a drink since it was not made right and they were so so kind about it. Desserts were SO delish. Half of our group LOVED the parmesan gelato (the other half wasn't a fan) however i loved. Mousse, beignets, soufflé all amazing. Have no complaints. This dining experience was phenomenal and would definitely come back here!!

Great burger! I'm on…read morea mission to round up all the best burgers in NYC and Raoul's was one of the remaining ones on everyone's list. Raoul's burger was becoming increasingly more difficult to get, with many restrictions (12 total for dinner at bar only, must be in your stool by 4:55pm, LOL), so I made sure to make a brunch reservation which had less constraints. I was first through the doors at 11am on a Sunday, and that ended up being the right idea as the restaurant filled up quickly after I sat down. Before going I knew in advance that Raoul's version had a strong peppery bite. I was well prepared and welcomed an avalanche of pepper flavor and whole peppercorns on my burger. While the pepper flavor was front and center, it wasn't overpowering. The St Andre's cheese, limited greens, and cornichons added balance. The Au Poivre sauce, most likely made from a combination of peppercorn cognac or brandy, cream and stock, accompanied my burger on the side. That Au Poivre was a difference maker in my opinion, if I could get a bottle of this I would. When I come back to Raoul's, I'd like this sauce on top of a steak! The second fiddle on the plate, the pomme frites, were very disappointingly and surprisingly cool. That was unacceptable given the price of the plate to be honest. Service was incredibly attentive and friendly. My water glass never went past 1/3 empty. On a summer hot and humid day, that ice water hit the spot. Raoul's gets that fifth star for my water being ice cold!

Would be VERY careful about booking a table here…read more Yesterday I had booked, confirmed and then enquired about the possibility of securing a burger for the table given limited run each night and had out of town close family friends in. The GM emailed back and instructed to do a walk in at the bar, but also explicitly said the following: " We ask that you please cancel your dinner reservation (via Resy) if you will not be using it for table service. " So I did so, and the kicker, that table disappeared/was booked and they actually stung me for $50 a head on the deposit. Not to mention to a customer who has been going there for years as a local. Now I could take the hit if we hadn't had any communication but the explicit wording and then snakey actions of the restaurant here are wild. Have lived in NYC for almost a decade and this is the FIRST and ONLY spot that has done this or ever charged me on the deposit. I have been here many times before and frankly, after last night I will never return. The food is average at best, people talk about the history of the joint but frankly there are so many better spots out there that are far more deserving of your time, effort and hard earned money...especially when the staff don't value or interact with customers well. Besides, if it's a cheeseburger or steak au poivre you're after...downtown Manhattan is saturated with options.

Walking in, you're immediately transported to Paris - the restaurant has a very European feel to…read moreit. The food was all very good - the tuna crudo was pretty thickly cut, but was tender. The cheeseburger had a really nice balance with the cheese and onion. The fries were nice and crispy and I appreciated that both ketchup and mayo were provided. The Ravioli had a creamy sauce, but wasn't too overly rich, with the right amount of cheese and creaminess to it. The chocolate souffle was so delicate and decadent - we ordered ice cream with it and also asked for a side of whipped cream which added just a touch of sweetness. Overall, it was a great dining experience, I would definitely come back.

Delish historic spot. The architecture is divine. As is the French infused menu…read more The chickpea fries are unexpected. Basically chickpea prepared in a tiny square and fried with lemon on top. Moist and delish. The tuna tartar was divine with olive oil chimichurri type base. The bread and butter is standard sourdough vibes. The fried cheese balls with honey was the best! Salmon was on point as was the rotisserie chicken. Parking is NY impossible. Take public transpo or walk. The bar is cute, make reservations.

My friend and I came here for brunch. The interior was charming, cute, and cozy…read more For some reason, I was craving bacon so I ordered a side of that, as well as the Croque Madame and requested the fried egg to be cooked over hard. The sandwich consisted of white ham, aged cheddar, and served with fries, as well as mesclun greens. When I was served mine, the egg arrived runny, so I had to sand it back to be properly cooked all the way. Overall, the Croque Madame was nice and crunchy, rich with satisfyingly melty cheese, though it could've used more ham, especially considering how thick and dense the bread was. Egg was pretty tasty and flavorful. The fries, however were way too soggy and not appetizing. The Bacon came crushed into smaller pieces, which I found a bit weird, but it was delightfully crispy and well seasoned. Service was decent. Our waitress was welcoming and everything came out in a timely manner. However, when it came time to pay, we were informed they accept cash, but only the exact amount... Meaning they did not give out change. I don't really like restaurants that operate that way. I would not most likely not return, though might try it out for dinner someday.

I came here for brunch this past weekend with a friend from Yelp. I always forget little side…read morestreets like this exist in the city. But it's legit around the corner from the Northwell Hospital on 7th Avenue in the Village. Cute setup and interior with little booths and fake lavender popping up behind you, lovely floral twined around a pillar. It's giving cozy cute french cafe. They do have an affordable-ish drink menu for brunch that I was tempted to indulge in but I restrained myself. It's a 2-for-1 on $16 cocktails. So $8 a pop I guess. But they are more unique sounding cocktails like the Mimosa Royale, Cafe Framboise, and Brunch Au Paradis, and Lavender Margaritas all sounded very tempting. For my entree I was torn between the Filet Mignon sandwich, truffle mac and cheese, and the Croque Monsieur or Madame. Ultimately went with the Croque Monsieur, which I kind of wish in hindsight I ordered something else. It was decent. There was nothing overtly wrong with it. It just wasn't kicking. I've had better Croque Monsieurs/Madames. Maybe it was the cheese or bechamel. Maybe it was the white ham or bread that just didn't taste fresh as I got closer to the edges. Who knows. The fries were also seriously soggy. My friend got the same thing but the Madame version and asked for an overcooked egg since she does not eat or enjoy runny eggs. They also couldn't substitute bacon for ham on the sandwich but convinced her that she could still buy a side of bacon. The egg with no surprises arrived completely runny and they had to recook it and I was surprised that the side of bacon came to the table in bite sized bacon bits instead of you know. . . . like strips of bacon. Small things. But I wasn't wowed by the restaurant. I'd return to try something else at brunch or maybe try their happy hour some day. But another thing that kind of veered me away was their anti cash attitude. They accept basically only card but will accept cash if it's in the exact amount. That's the tricky word around way of saying we generally don't take cash with making it still legal.

What an absolute vibe. My guests and I visited on Valentine's Day, and from the moment we arrived,…read morethe energy was incredible. The atmosphere was vibrant, the music was on point, and the entire evening felt effortlessly chic. A special shoutout to the staff, especially the management team, who made the experience even more memorable. One thoughtful touch I loved was that they handed every guest a rose to take home after dinner. As the night went on, people were dancing on tables, singing along, and completely immersed in the music. It genuinely felt like being transported to the South of France on a summer holiday. Such a fun, high-energy experience. We'll definitely be back.

I was disappointed with my experience at Maison Close…read more The food was overpriced and mediocre. Nothing we ordered stood out or justified the high prices. What bothered me the most, however, was how the restaurant handled the water service. At the beginning of the meal, the server asked, "Still or sparkling?" without mentioning that the water was bottled and would be charged. I assumed it was complimentary table water. Fine--I accepted paying for the first bottle. But after that, they kept opening and serving new bottles without ever asking us or getting our consent. We weren't told they were replacing the bottle, nor were we given the option to decline. By the end of the meal, we had been charged an extra $40+ just for water. This is not the right way to do business. If customers are going to be charged for additional bottles, they should be informed and asked before each new bottle is opened. It felt misleading and left a very bad impression. Unfortunately, because of both the mediocre food and the questionable service practices, I would not return or recommend this restaurant.

This is a really nice spot in the West Village that has a classic feel to it. We were seated in the…read moreMain Dining Room upstairs for brunch on a Sunday. The service was pretty slow - it was over 30 minutes before we were able to order. Luckily the food was worth the wait though. The pancakes are a must order - they were nice and fluffy, topped with butter and syrup giving the perfect sweetness. The burger was cooked really well. I appreciated the fact that the fries were served on the side so they maintained their crispness without the burger juice seeping onto them. Overall, I would highly recommend this place, but not if you're in some kind of rush.

Stop by for Golden Hour in Wallace Room. Host and bartenders…read morewere very friendly, love that for a small cozy place. Cocktail HH was boozy and delicious. Artichoke Dip for $22 and Fish & Chip $22 more like regular meal pricing, not bad to snack on!

Excellent food- Caesar, NY strip and cheesecake. Service very good. Noise level high. We will come…read moreback.

I recently went here with a group of friends for a weekend celebratory dinner and had a fantastic…read moreexperience. Great ambiance, outstanding service, and amazing food. We shared several things, with the highlights being the duck lasagna, the tomahawk, and the porterhouse steaks, although everything we ordered on the menu was delicious. Bowery also has an awesome cocktail and wine selection. I would highly recommend Bowery Meat Company for a very nice celebration!