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Epicerie Cafe Charbon

170 Orchard St
New York, NY 10002
Phone: (212) 420-7520
Epicerie Cafe Charbon
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.

Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.

Insider Tips

What to Drink

Wines by the glass range from $5 to $10 and the bottle list includes many excellent French values less than $35.

When to Go

DJs draw a crowd on Wednesday through Saturday nights, though there's no dancing allowed--it doesn't have a cabaret license.

Know Before You Go

Epicerie 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

Citysearch (51), MenuPages (5 ), All (56)

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

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

2 Star Rating: Below Average

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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Editor's Review

Old-World France pays a visit to a trendy block on the Lower East Side.  See the full editorial review.

Insider Tips

What to Drink

Wines by the glass range from $5 to $10 and the bottle list includes many excellent French values less than $35.

More Insider Tips

Restaurant Information

Hours

  • Sun-Thu 11:30am-4:30pm, 5:15pm-12am
  • Fri-Sat 11:30am-4:30pm, 5:15pm-4am

Payment Types

  • American Express
  • Cash

Cuisines

  • French

Meal Price

  • $$

Amenities

  • Group Dining
  • People Watching

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