Epicerie Cafe Charbon
New York, NY 10002
Phone: (212) 420-7520
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Stanton Street
- Directions:
- F, V at 2nd Ave; F, J, M, Z at Delancey St
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 11:30am-4:30pm, 5:15pm-12am, Fri-Sat 11:30am-4:30pm, 5:15pm-4am
Editorial Review for Epicerie Cafe Charbon – by Dana Bowen
The Scene
The owners of Flea Market, the French-bohemian haunt in the East Village, have recreated a Parisian street scene, Epcot-style. Faux storefronts lead into Cafe Charbon, a veritable Gallic bar adorned with aged-wood tables, white tiled floors and Gauloise-puffing bon vivants. Next door, Epicerie's casual dining room is playfully postmodern: Stocked with everything from French laundry detergent to fancy foodstuffs, it looks like a Target advertisement en Francaise.
The Food
The daily changing menu, scribbled on chalkboards and translated by friendly, French-accented servers, features reasonably priced, unpretentious bistro fare. Rustic dishes outshine elaborate efforts: Creamy duck terrines and oversized bowls of mussels delight, but anise-scented escargot are under-seasoned. Crispy duck confit and bacon-wrapped mahi mahi are simple and succulent. The caramelized coconut-banana tart is worth the trip alone.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkWines by the glass range from $5 to $10 and the bottle list includes many excellent French values less than $35.
When to GoDJs draw a crowd on Wednesday through Saturday nights, though there's no dancing allowed--it doesn't have a cabaret license.
Know Before You GoEpicerie opens an hour early (10:30am) on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. On Friday and Saturday nights, the full dinner menu is served until 4am.
User Reviews for Epicerie Cafe Charbon
07/12/2008 Posted by stevebn
Stopped in around 9pm on a busy Friday night. Four of us were seated promptly and I had the best hamburger ever in NYC for $7.95 - served on a beautiful fresh brioche roll, about 1/2 lb, cooked to order, with excellent french fries, and a small salad. Waitress was friendly and very good and the big profiteroles with dark chocolate were delecious. Highly recommended.
Pros: Nice casual atmosphere, very good service
Cons: Open to the street, no a/c
06/11/2008 Posted by saratk
I went to Cafe Charbon last night with some friends. The service and atmosphere was fine and pleasant enough but the food was gross. The bread given as an appetizer seemed stale and airy and the olive oil smelled bad. As a main course, my friend and I ordered the vegetarian risotto which was the most schizophrenic dish I think I've ever had. Weird flavors and smells all thrown together to result in a big mash of gross gloop. Then topped off with some sort of balsamic vinegar strewn about. Ick. My other friend ordered the mushroom ravioli which she said was just ok. They're lucky they've got the location, ambience and adjoining bar going for them because relying on the food alone for success would take them under. Fast.
Pros: Cute decor, nice location, pleasant service
Cons: Gross food
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