Casimir Restaurant

(212) 358-9683

103 Ave B
New York, NY 10009 40.7248 -73.9812

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Neighborhoods: Alphabet City, East Village, Downtown

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express

Cuisine:

French

ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. Everyone seemed to know each other, and added to the warm ambiance.
  2. If you want to try french food, this is a cheap place with a nice ambiance.
  3. What a cozy little place.
  4. It's got great classic bistro atmosphere, but lately i feel like they've gotten sloppy.
  5. Nice atmosphere; it's dark and European.
  6. loved the ambience.
  7. picked casimir my favorite bistro for its chilled ambiance on week days (week ends are usually crazily packed!)
  8. great atmosphere, great food, a definite with the significant other
  9. with a friendly staff a big menu and a beautifull decor.
  10. the atmosphere is nice.
  11. There is usually a good, buzzy atmosphere at night and there has always talent.
  12. this restaurant serves consistently yummy food, the wines are very good, the ambiance is mellow and sexy, and the service is just fine.
  13. Nice ambience, good food.
  14. the ambiance is amazing, the french waiters are extremely cute and charming, the food is great and the prices are to match-plus in the summer the courtyard is wonderful.
  15. ...the place would be perfect for groups, romantic nights, or simply a casual drink and burger.
  16. the food,the atmosphere the music and of course the service were great.
  17. ambiance/atmosphere. And the escargot was good.
  18. Though you will undoubtedly be seated at a table with what seems like barely enough room (no matter what the size of your party), the warm atomosphere is worth the cramped quarters- you'll have fun and forgot about the tight spot you're in.
  19. really love this little French bistro because of its friendly atmosphere and the great food.
  20. amazing decor.
  21. Great romantic place for a date (try to get the corner booth table for a little privacy and to sit close!)
  22. we had a very casual inviting drink by the dimly yet perfectly lit bar while romantic music was piped in as perfect background.
  23. tasty wine and friendly service in real atmosphere.
  24. Casimir is a great place for groups of 4-8 as the jazz lounge atmosphere lends itself to hanging out.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. then we shared a dessert (chhocolate cake) and port wine listening to my favorite song "wish you were here
drinks
90.7699966430664% positive
  1. this restaurant serves consistently yummy food, the wines are very good, the ambiance is mellow and sexy, and the service is just fine.
  2. The wine was also very good and only $7.
  3. Anyway, the food is good, the price is right and they have a decent wine list.
  4. we had a very casual inviting drink by the dimly yet perfectly lit bar while romantic music was piped in as perfect background.
  5. ...the place would be perfect for groups, romantic nights, or simply a casual drink and burger.
  6. made us cocktails with fresh ginger juice we had 2 each!
  7. enjoyed another drink on the outside paito
  8. we had very good service, delicious filet mignon, a cute & friendly bartender, a very good, but inexpensive wine.
  9. good hearthy wine buy the glass under $8 no wonder casimir is still a must with a big brasserie menu and always good daily specials.
  10. Their mixed drinks weren't so good, but they have nice selection of wines.
  11. tasty wine and friendly service in real atmosphere.
  12. then we shared a dessert (chhocolate cake) and port wine listening to my favorite song "wish you were here
  13. after a pastis at the bar, i had the boudin noir with a good red wine from the rhone valley.
food quality
82.60000228881836% positive
  1. The food it was so bad we ended up hungery untill we wint to Maia across the street Turckish Food is the Best we loved it service it was great muisc is good for part groups check it out
  2. Well it seems that the previous review writer who was not happy about the fois gras actually got another dish: the chicken liver salad which is completly different than the fois gras but one of my favorite dish at casimir.
  3. Below average food - worst service
  4. The chicken was dry, the mash was cold, the fish tasted old and every dish was drowned in a ridiculous overwhelming balsamic sauce.
  5. very small food is Bad not worth the money
  6. the ambiance is amazing, the french waiters are extremely cute and charming, the food is great and the prices are to match-plus in the summer the courtyard is wonderful.
  7. Pretty good food for a neighborhood place.
  8. The food is just ok, not at all worth having to put up with the disgusting staff, the manager/owner in particular.
  9. Anyway, the food is good, the price is right and they have a decent wine list.
  10. If you want to try french food, this is a cheap place with a nice ambiance.
  11. Be specific: Generalities like "lazy service" or "tasty pizza" leave people wanting more detail.
  12. the food,the atmosphere the music and of course the service were great.
  13. This is a nice restaurant with good food.
  14. Nice ambience, good food.
  15. think they just need a fresh perspective in the kitchen.
  16. ...food is great.
  17. It's a shame you can't even sample the food or sit in what is a very nice space.
  18. made us cocktails with fresh ginger juice we had 2 each!
  19. Our order was taken immediately; the food was excellent and served quickly.
  20. tasty wine and friendly service in real atmosphere.
  21. never liked that place, from the early years, I never found the food was good and I was always shocked how rude the staff is
  22. It has the relaxed feel of a great lounge, good service and excellent food.
  23. this restaurant serves consistently yummy food, the wines are very good, the ambiance is mellow and sexy, and the service is just fine.
  24. we had very good service, delicious filet mignon, a cute & friendly bartender, a very good, but inexpensive wine.
  25. really love this little French bistro because of its friendly atmosphere and the great food.
  26. good food.
  27. great atmosphere, great food, a definite with the significant other
  28. we decided to bail on south of the border and engaged in a delicious meal of salads, big burgers, and outstanding grouper in a delicious heart of palm type broth.
  29. will recommend this restaurant to anyone that want good food with no pretention.
  30. And the food isn't even that great.
  31. charming, attentive and good bistro food.
  32. french good food
  33. had the Thai Salmon and tried my friend's Filet Mignon, amazingly tasty.
  34. and the habitual great food.
  35. The specials are usually delicious, the chicken liver salad is really good, the fois gras is home made and very tasty, the filet mignon is super tender, the lamb is too die for and all of the side orders are highly rcommended (I have a preference for the
  36. the food is good and inexpensive.
  37. The food is fresh and delicious.
  38. We were 7 at the table and NONE of us liked their food.
  39. Everything, from the soft bread, soggy salad, and 50 minute wait time, with an incredibly rude service to deliver below average food.
  40. had the seafood dish, kind of the famous meditterannean "bouillabaisse" which was very tasty, and my friend had the lamb chops which were excellent.
  41. Of course the reason its so packed is because the food is so delicious!
  42. delicious food, good specials
  43. Good food so-so service
  44. We were seated in a beautiful patio/garden area where we started enjoying a quiet meal of grilled lamb (quite good) and a bottle of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (decent value).
  45. not too crowded, great music, and exquisite food.
  46. great tasty food.
  47. ...the place would be perfect for groups, romantic nights, or simply a casual drink and burger.
  48. the food was pretty good, although i think that the food was over flavored.
  49. everything was delicious i love the tartare there and the duck was phenomenal I didn't try the fish stew but my friend really enjoyed it!
  50. One of my friend took the special duck pan roasted glazed with a dry cherry sauce the other one the fish stew "la frioule
menu variety
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. with a friendly staff a big menu and a beautifull decor.
  2. Their mixed drinks weren't so good, but they have nice selection of wines.
  3. good hearthy wine buy the glass under $8 no wonder casimir is still a must with a big brasserie menu and always good daily specials.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. great place for a relaxing brunch.
  2. Pretty good food for a neighborhood place.
  3. Casimir is a great place for groups of 4-8 as the jazz lounge atmosphere lends itself to hanging out.
  4. best place to be if you are in east village
  5. This is a nice restaurant with good food.
  6. nice place
service
63.33000183105469% positive
  1. On top of it, the service was really bad, especially from the pathetic manager who should seriously consider taking Prozac.
  2. The food it was so bad we ended up hungery untill we wint to Maia across the street Turckish Food is the Best we loved it service it was great muisc is good for part groups check it out
  3. we were promptly served (I have to mention that we had early diner, 7pm) and the service was great.
  4. the ambiance is amazing, the french waiters are extremely cute and charming, the food is great and the prices are to match-plus in the summer the courtyard is wonderful.
  5. Bar service is always great.
  6. The service is poor during peak hours, but overall it is a place that I will visit again.
  7. beautiful people!
  8. Good food so-so service
  9. this restaurant serves consistently yummy food, the wines are very good, the ambiance is mellow and sexy, and the service is just fine.
  10. The backup service (runners, bussers, etc.) was great though.
  11. Our waitress was exceptionally friendly and attentive.
  12. The host/maitre d is so unapologetically rude that it's not worth even walking into this place.
  13. The food is just ok, not at all worth having to put up with the disgusting staff, the manager/owner in particular.
  14. the wait staff was helpful.
  15. Brunch time is also great for families because the people working are very friendly to the kids (obviously as long as they behave!
  16. Below average food - worst service
  17. Be specific: Generalities like "lazy service" or "tasty pizza" leave people wanting more detail.
  18. our waitress was very friendly and funny so we enjoyed our experience very much.
  19. never liked that place, from the early years, I never found the food was good and I was always shocked how rude the staff is
  20. charming, attentive and good bistro food.
  21. When we called them on their unprofessional behavior, they acted like rude retarded teenagers, basically telling me to buzz of.
  22. Wait service is good and bad.
  23. we had very good service, delicious filet mignon, a cute & friendly bartender, a very good, but inexpensive wine.
  24. see that some others reviewers were complaining about bad service, but I have to say that our service was very nice and attentive, with no signs of the rude management.
  25. really love this little French bistro because of its friendly atmosphere and the great food.
  26. It has the relaxed feel of a great lounge, good service and excellent food.
  27. Everything, from the soft bread, soggy salad, and 50 minute wait time, with an incredibly rude service to deliver below average food.
  28. The waitstaff are all very busy, it's not outstanding service, but I've never been dealt with rudely.
  29. must admit, though I have never been the object of it, I have observed consistently rude (sometimes even appaling) behavior mostly from management.
  30. When she mentioned the above problems (and left out the fact that our waitress was rude and condescending), he told her she didn't know what she was talking about.
  31. the food,the atmosphere the music and of course the service were great.
  32. with a friendly staff a big menu and a beautifull decor.
  33. tasty wine and friendly service in real atmosphere.
  34. The staff has been nice, but they seemed really stressed and the unisex bathroom needs to be cleaned more often.
  35. However the manager, who refused to come to our table to discuss it, said we were wrong (through the poor waitress) and would not replace our bottle.
  36. maybe one too many of the beautiful people there.
value
73.33000183105469% positive
  1. Plus the reasonable prices won't give you indigenstion afterwards or make bill splitting that much of a chore.
  2. If you want to try french food, this is a cheap place with a nice ambiance.
  3. Anyway, the food is good, the price is right and they have a decent wine list.
  4. Though you will undoubtedly be seated at a table with what seems like barely enough room (no matter what the size of your party), the warm atomosphere is worth the cramped quarters- you'll have fun and forgot about the tight spot you're in.
  5. very small food is Bad not worth the money
  6. The host/maitre d is so unapologetically rude that it's not worth even walking into this place.
  7. The prices are very reasonable and if you're looking for a place to become a regular, this one's a smart choice.
  8. The food is just ok, not at all worth having to put up with the disgusting staff, the manager/owner in particular.
  9. We were seated in a beautiful patio/garden area where we started enjoying a quiet meal of grilled lamb (quite good) and a bottle of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (decent value).
  10. we had very good service, delicious filet mignon, a cute & friendly bartender, a very good, but inexpensive wine.
  11. the food is good and inexpensive.
  12. the ambiance is amazing, the french waiters are extremely cute and charming, the food is great and the prices are to match-plus in the summer the courtyard is wonderful.
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. Everything, from the soft bread, soggy salad, and 50 minute wait time, with an incredibly rude service to deliver below average food.
  2. Brunch time is also great for families because the people working are very friendly to the kids (obviously as long as they behave!
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/05/11

great value for great quality

by cassidyN at Citysearch

5 Stars for the food, particularly the salmon tartare, the moules farcies, the monkfish brochettes and the fish stew.

5 Stars for the music and the ambience, and finally

5 Stars for the price!!!!!!

Thank you CASIMIR

4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/30/10

Best dating spot!!!!!

by la cicciolina at Citysearch

Great little bistro on avenue B... i went there for my first date with my now husband so casimir has a special place in our heart . It has not changed, still charming and romantic. They now have mini plates of their dishes... good idea... spend less try more!

Hope you'll love it!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/17/10

CASIMIR of my dreams

by finebouche at Citysearch

Fantastic! Ravishing! I was positively amazed by Casimir.... People talk about Balthazar but people should know about CASIMIR. I am french and i find it hard to find a good bistro in nyc that do not take you for a sucker! Most bistro are expensive and not particularly good. Trust me it is true! It is much easier to find a good italian , japonese or korean than a good french place.

Well it seems that I found mine! CASIMIR.....

First, a great bistro decor with no particular pretention but a lot of attention.... I love the Napoleon painting and the one of the mysterious mischevious red headed woman portrait staring in the lounge. Best of all is their ability to make you feel confortable with the lighting,soft yet you can see what you're eating!

Music in accordance with the rythm of the evening (I arrived at 6.30 to leave at 9 and it passed from classical jazz to ethnic music to more soft rock'n'roll with some impromptues like gainsbourg or some corsican folklore (i asked about that one it was so pretty!!)).... Even without being a big music connaiseur I had pleasure in listening perfectly adapted tunes!

Now casimir's strongest asset is the food. We were 5 people at the table and decided to all share the mini plates...... exquisite! thanks to that new feature we could all have a taste of something delicious. Casimir's new trend of the french tapas! GREAT IDEA!!!!!

We had 3 mini salads, one with fennel asparagus and green beans (very crunchy and tasty), one with goat cheese and roasted peppers (superb!)and another one with chicken liver and greens (fantastic with the balsamic vinegar) and an order of their homemade fois gras (astoundingly tasty with the cognac flavour) an order of escargot (always a must ) and some moules farcies (to die for!!!!!! pastis is spread over them and gives an marvelous flavour to the mussels)..... For the main course, we went for only mini plates and tried almost everything! We passed on the steak frites to favor it the filet mignon (great meat), passed also on the mini burger (eventhough we knew it is one of the best burger in NY) and the mussels since we had them as an appetizer. Our best meal in ages! Such a variety for not so much money.

Casimir is a must go!!!!!!!

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/06/10

I'll pass next time.

by LocalNYer at Citysearch

My GF and I arrived here appx 7 PM on a Sunday evening. We were seated in a beautiful patio/garden area where we started enjoying a quiet meal of grilled lamb (quite good) and a bottle of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (decent value). Then during the middle of our meal, the wait staff decided to seat a family with an infant and a toddler just adjacent to us (despite the availability of many other more practical places to seat them). The shrieking and screaming of these poorly attended children attracted another patron with a toddler for a “play date” table-side. Once the 2 toddlers started darting around and paying visits to all the other patron’s tables, the previously serene garden took on all the ambience of a McDs playground. If you’re looking for a peaceful, sophisticated dining experience, look elsewhere. There are much better choices in this neighborhood.

  • Pros: Authentic bistro menu, good wine/beer selections.
  • Cons: Clueless staff
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/25/10

review review review.................

by julie3107 at Citysearch

It is so much easier to write a nasty review than a good one...People seem to enjoy writing trash on their lonely computer since they are usually incapable of saying anything at the time they are unhappy. I eat about twice a week at casimir.... it became my cafeteria for the days I do not wish to cook.... Well it seems that the previous review writer who was not happy about the fois gras actually got another dish: the chicken liver salad which is completly different than the fois gras but one of my favorite dish at casimir. So when you write a review, make sure you are well informed about what you are writing about or you sound "horrible".

  • Pros: tasty food and great atmosphere
  • Cons: tasty food... you want to try everything!

The Details on Casimir Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • good bistro food
  • great romantic place
  • bad wait service
  • very nice bar service
  • rude waitress
  • nice buzzy atmosphere
  • favorite little bistro
  • good daily specials
  • very good hearthy wine
  • beautiful leave people
  • nice ambiance
  • great music
  • bad small food
  • helpful wait staff
  • loved ambience
  • recommend restaurant
  • very tasty bouillabaisse
  • great nights
  • delicious filet mignon
  • big brasserie menu
  • not recommend place
  • cool everything
  • enjoy tasty dinner
  • romantic garden
  • rude staff