(212) 873-6423

201 W 79th St (at Amsterdam Ave.)
New York, NY 10024 40.7833 -73.9784

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Neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Midtown

NICEMATINNYC.COM

Years in business

Established in 2003

Hours:

Mon-Sat: 7am-12am

Sun 7am-11pm

Price:

$$$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Certified Green Restaurant(R)

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Outdoor Dining, People Watching, Online Reservations, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene

Cuisine:

Mediterranean, French

Notable Chef:

Andy D'Amico

What People Are Saying About Nice Matin

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Chintzy Victorian wallpaper covers one wall, psychedelic patterns decorate another and massive chandeliers--minus crystals, plus bare bulbs--hang above elevated dining platforms. Despite the dizzying decor, tableware is sleek, service is slick and the "Sex and the City"-type crowd seem happy to endure sometimes-long waits at the front bar. – – The Food – Chef and co-owner Andy D'Amico interprets Nice's breezy Mediterranean cuisine with more style than sophistication, and the crowds applaud. Take the fun track with relatively inexpensive hors d'oeuvres like…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
The lengthy international list has many options less than $40, but start with one of the 30-plus wines by the glass. The Babich sauvignon blanc from South Africa or the Castle Rock pinot noir from Sonoma (both $8) are great choices. Cocktails--including margaritas and a pernod-laced abomination called Creamy Southern--are less pleasing.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. Nice Matin has a wonderful ambience, good service and clean.
  2. The staff is friendly, the food is FANTASTIC and the atmosphere is lively and hip.
  3. Yes, it has a fabulous location and enticing outdoor seating in the summer.
  4. The one thing I will say is that the wine list is impressive, and so is the wine service - and the bar scene seemed pretty fun.
  5. found the place to be really romantic and the staff was attentive but knew when to back off.
  6. The place is fun, the service attentive and the wine list complete and most important, fairly priced.
  7. Last night some friends and I were looking for a place with good food and a fun feel.
  8. The place was so fun and romantic.
  9. When I first walked I really liked the atmosphere!
  10. It was a great cozy place to spend a cold saturday morning -- will definately be back soon!
  11. Inviting, airy room, comfortable seating and great ambiance.
  12. The ambience is beautiful, however, it feels like you're in the spotlight while you dine.
  13. The service, food, and atmosphere were perfect.
  14. The atmosphere is nice but not too fancy or too casual.
dessert
80.0% positive
  1. Desserts, a bitter chocolate cylinder filled with chocolate mousse on an intense orange reduction, and a dish of exotically flavored ice creams, were a fine finish.
  2. We had appetizers, entrees and desserts and the entire meal was delicious.
  3. Fresh fruit for dessert with a nano-scoop of lavender ice cream finished off the meal.
  4. Not enough self-respect to serve us a fresh dessert.
  5. The dark chocolate dessert awesome.
drinks
94.73999977111816% positive
  1. loved the specialty cocktails they offered and the sommelier was very helpful to navigate their wine list.
  2. The bar staff truly knows how to make a fine coffee beverage and the cocktails are fabulous!
  3. was looking for a new drink and I love Scotch, so the bar tender told me about this drink.
  4. After being served lukewarm coffee, cold creme brulee arrived.
  5. The place is fun, the service attentive and the wine list complete and most important, fairly priced.
  6. As for wine, we tried a variety; they have a great by-the-glass selection, from which we got some excellent recommendations.
  7. this place is hot and so like anywhere else that's is HOT - be prepared to wait enjoy a drink, relax and enjoy the nite out.
  8. The one thing I will say is that the wine list is impressive, and so is the wine service - and the bar scene seemed pretty fun.
  9. There is something about a fine bottle of wine and good old fashioned dining that is part of the New York Autumn experience.
  10. The servers are excellent; friendly and eager to please as well as knowledgable of the food and wines.
  11. it was cool because the Maitre d asked to see proof of residency and we both laughed-i guess he hears "but i'm a neighbor all the time" the bartender was so sweet and made the best cocktails in town.
  12. He helped pair all of our courses with the perfect wine.
  13. Had a wonderful dinner at the bar.
  14. Helpful wine.
  15. They offer great service, consistency and delicious drinks and food.
  16. am really happy having nice matin around great place, very impressive wine list, on d the service very pleasant.
  17. Brilliant food and impressive wines
  18. The beer section was not bad.
  19. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, thanks to two talented and charming bartenders, both named Alex, for their delicious cocktails and food/wine recommendations.
food quality
92.93000221252441% positive
  1. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, thanks to two talented and charming bartenders, both named Alex, for their delicious cocktails and food/wine recommendations.
  2. My younger brother who was with me loved the steak.
  3. The price is reasonable and you really get a great meal for your money.
  4. whent to nice matin for the firts time in the midle of summer 2008, by recomendation of a friend , she told me about some thing called 'the daobe of short ribs' , she said they were out of this world, so when I got there I already had a mental picture o
  5. Nice Matin is the perfect place for friendly, excellent service and delicious food for any meal of the day.
  6. The accompanying salad was nice, fresh and abundant.
  7. It was my birthday and I was hoping it would be good food.
  8. initially went for brunch and loved everything from the delicious bread basket to the fantastic Guava mimosa.
  9. Good food, bad service
  10. The food was flavorful, European influence.
  11. ordered their crabmeat sandwich and when it finally arrived it had mostly mayonnaise and a piece of octupus and a piece of shrimp on a delicious large bun.
  12. They offer great service, consistency and delicious drinks and food.
  13. Can't get past the attitude of the servers and cold food.
  14. would suggest NEVER going there unless you want to leave completely frustrated with your overpriced meal and horrible service.
  15. The choices on the Prix Fixe were great and we enjoyed every dish we had.
  16. Too bad because the food was great, and the UWS is starved for good restaurants.
  17. We asked our very nice waitress to please bring it back; she returned in a few minutes and informed us that the creme brulee was intended to be cool.
  18. We had appetizers, entrees and desserts and the entire meal was delicious.
  19. Not enough self-respect to serve us a fresh dessert.
  20. The food was delish.
  21. We have been to this restaurant only once but the food was very good, we would definitely go back again.
  22. That said, the food is fabulous and the prices are just right!
  23. The spinach salad was especially wonderful as well.
  24. ..the food is SO GOOD!
  25. Has such a great taste, not as fishy as I thought it would be, because the salad and dressing mixed with the fish tastes perfect!
  26. They have great steak, juicy and delicious.
  27. The food was great (Lamb Ravioli, "5-Napkin" Burger), so was the service.
  28. The sauteed shrimp was a great appetizer and the sweet breads were the bomb!
  29. We enjoyed bellinis and their bread basket had scrumptious carrot muffins that are not to be missed.
  30. Our last trip was a Saturday 2pm - one of us wanted the GREAT burger, the other, in a brunch mood, had the outrageous salmon benedict.
  31. Tried Monaco across the road great food friendly staff
  32. The food was very good in general.
  33. Last night some friends and I were looking for a place with good food and a fun feel.
  34. We ended our meal with their huge cafe o lait bowls and rolled ourselves out.
  35. Great for after-work, a first date, a casual bite, before or after a show or anytime you want a great meal!
  36. Although the Bloody Mary's are great and food is generally OK, the service is bottom of the barrell.
  37. Great food, friendly service and nice general suroundings.
  38. Our attentive waiter came soon after, followed by the busboy carrying excellent bread and herbed butter.
  39. excellent french food
  40. eat here on a regular basis and always find a smile at the front door, great service and food that is sure to please.
  41. highly recommended for a excellent meal without all the fuss!
  42. Anyone who "loves food" would be crazy not to dine at Nice Matin.
  43. highly suggest Nice Matin for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I myself frequent as often as I can for every meal possible.
  44. The staff is friendly, the food is FANTASTIC and the atmosphere is lively and hip.
  45. Desserts, a bitter chocolate cylinder filled with chocolate mousse on an intense orange reduction, and a dish of exotically flavored ice creams, were a fine finish.
  46. The service, food, and atmosphere were perfect.
  47. My friend ordered the 5 napkin burger which was a perfect burger!
  48. Good food
  49. The starters (leeks vinaigrette, artichoke hearts in broth, an impeccably fresh salad of various lettuces), placed gently, were innovative in concept and presentation.
  50. The bitter greens salad was large enough to be an entree and my salmon was delicious.
  51. The food is pretty good if a little overpriced.
  52. ok food not bad service
  53. The egg dishes were very tasty and filling.
  54. The service is fantastic, food is awesome, and the place is wonderful.
  55. The croissants were perfect (soft, flaky, slightly doughy) and my boyfriend's burger was to die for: huge, comte cheese and caramelized onions.
  56. The hace a great steak.
  57. At dinner, my food was great but my companions had fish that had been burned on the grill and tasted like hamburgers.
  58. food was good, service DEFINITELY needs a few weeks to iron out the kinks.
  59. Fresh fruit for dessert with a nano-scoop of lavender ice cream finished off the meal.
  60. The food is wonderful, but you must be willing to put in your time at the table.
  61. Everything you loved about the original Nice Matin is here, the beautiful setting, the food; Best of all the staff is gracious and professional but more laid back than before.
  62. Brilliant food and impressive wines
  63. The service is excellent, the food is the best I've had -- of ANY entree it is the best I've ever had.
  64. Amazing people who make you feel welcomed and the food was terrific!
  65. was there for dinner but I also have enjoyed their delicious breakfast.
  66. Ravioli filled with chopped lamb, which could have been more aggressively spiced, arrived in a nice tomato reduction.
  67. Amazing French food on UWS!
  68. The onion soup was the proverbial meal in a bowl- delicious and filling.
  69. Can be hard to get into be cause you always have a great meal.
  70. After being served lukewarm coffee, cold creme brulee arrived.
  71. The service and food is superb!
  72. Unfortunately, while the leeks at Nice Matin was delicious, it was not the big fat leeks that you get in Paris.
  73. The burger how ever was good but not great.
  74. The service was very accommodating (and we can be loud,) and the food was quite good.
  75. Great experience, service good, food was great
  76. enjoyed some of the best salmon I have eaten in New York.
  77. am so glad I finally decided to make the journey uptown because the food was absolutely delicious and the service I received was the perfect touch of attentiveness without trying too hard.
  78. If you're looking for some good food and great service!
  79. Everyone who worked there was downright pleasant (shocking, I know) and the food was excellent.
  80. was just there this past weekend for dinner and their delicious grilled salmon.
  81. The food is generally good but the service is revolting.
  82. Great customer service and food was amazing.
  83. Overall, though, the food is quite good, and we will return.
  84. am a regular at Nice Matin and enjoy every meal -- breakfast, brunch on weekends, lunch and dinner.
  85. You get exquisite food and comfort all in one.
  86. Consistently excellent food.
  87. The whole place reeked of snobbery, quite frankly - if you weren't ordering more than $200 worth of food, they weren't going to treat you like a decent customer.
  88. We shared a bunch of delicious appetizers (all reasonably priced- the eggplant was my favorite) and then She had the steak and the best fries ever; I had the cod- amazingly good.
  89. This was my first time and it looked as though they would have good quality food that would be a nice late lunch.
  90. The servers are excellent; friendly and eager to please as well as knowledgable of the food and wines.
  91. the special shrimp app was to die for and the lamb ravioli kills pair it all with a good btl of vino, finish it of with a trife and your hooked.
  92. Food hightlights: sea bass, codfish, speck salad, heirloom tomatoes, all in perfect portions.
menu variety
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. They had a great restaurant week menu which my guests really enjoyed.
  2. Great menu, sort of expensive for what I perceive to be a neighborhood place.
  3. just came here over the weekend to try their brunch since i heard it was quite good and the menu online looks interesting.
  4. The choices on the Prix Fixe were great and we enjoyed every dish we had.
  5. As for wine, we tried a variety; they have a great by-the-glass selection, from which we got some excellent recommendations.
  6. would recommend this restaurant to anyone because the diverse menu allows virtually any taste to be satisfied.
overall
96.66999816894531% positive
  1. My favorite restaurant.
  2. It was a great cozy place to spend a cold saturday morning -- will definately be back soon!
  3. Nice Matin is a great little restaurant that knows how to treat its patrons.
  4. To many great restaurant in Manhattan that cost a lot less with halve the pomp and surcomstance.
  5. They had a great restaurant week menu which my guests really enjoyed.
  6. It's the best restaurant in the upper west side
  7. Ok, so Amsterdam Ave. is not along the Cote, but it is a great place to have a Sunday Brunch.
  8. The Nice Matin is one of the best place I have been too.
  9. am really happy having nice matin around great place, very impressive wine list, on d the service very pleasant.
  10. This is by far my favorite restaurant in the city!
  11. It is unfortunate that such a great place is taking that slow slide into the Manhattan abiss.
  12. had the best restaurant experience on my date there a few days ago.
  13. What a great place!
  14. There are so many new great places I think this place has got to work alittle harder at making there guests happy.
  15. stumbled in with friends while looking for a good place to eat and were pleasantly surprised.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. It was a great cozy place to spend a cold saturday morning -- will definately be back soon!
  2. We have been to this restaurant only once but the food was very good, we would definitely go back again.
  3. Overall, though, the food is quite good, and we will return.
service
86.3599967956543% positive
  1. am so glad I finally decided to make the journey uptown because the food was absolutely delicious and the service I received was the perfect touch of attentiveness without trying too hard.
  2. Hosts, waitstaff and management are all welcoming, professional and provide service above and beyond expectations.
  3. Although the Bloody Mary's are great and food is generally OK, the service is bottom of the barrell.
  4. The service, food, and atmosphere were perfect.
  5. The bar staff truly knows how to make a fine coffee beverage and the cocktails are fabulous!
  6. Nice Matin is the perfect place for friendly, excellent service and delicious food for any meal of the day.
  7. Our waiter was incredibly pleasant and made helpful suggestions.
  8. The waiters are cute and nice, the bartenders are great as well.
  9. it was cool because the Maitre d asked to see proof of residency and we both laughed-i guess he hears "but i'm a neighbor all the time" the bartender was so sweet and made the best cocktails in town.
  10. TERRIBLE service- in search of a place for brunch, we happened to walk by this place and noticed some empty outside tables.
  11. Staff was friendly and quick.
  12. Can't get past the attitude of the servers and cold food.
  13. found the place to be really romantic and the staff was attentive but knew when to back off.
  14. The service was terrible, and not just for us but for just about every table I could see.
  15. The one thing I will say is that the wine list is impressive, and so is the wine service - and the bar scene seemed pretty fun.
  16. really happy environment - and a smart and friendly staff.
  17. If you're looking for some good food and great service!
  18. Everything you loved about the original Nice Matin is here, the beautiful setting, the food; Best of all the staff is gracious and professional but more laid back than before.
  19. The service was very accommodating (and we can be loud,) and the food was quite good.
  20. They offer great service, consistency and delicious drinks and food.
  21. the service is really wonderful too.
  22. The service here was awful.
  23. Great service.
  24. The waiter was actually quite good and almost made up for it, but this was infuriating; I am definitely spreading the word about this nonsense.
  25. Nice Matin has a wonderful ambience, good service and clean.
  26. We asked our very nice waitress to please bring it back; she returned in a few minutes and informed us that the creme brulee was intended to be cool.
  27. We both noticed the service was a little slow but will always give a place a second chance.
  28. eat here on a regular basis and always find a smile at the front door, great service and food that is sure to please.
  29. The service was very good!
  30. The service was excellent here!
  31. The hostess was very nice and remembered our party's name when we checked in on our table.
  32. Tried Monaco across the road great food friendly staff
  33. The service was amazing.
  34. whent to nice matin for the firts time in the midle of summer 2008, by recomendation of a friend , she told me about some thing called 'the daobe of short ribs' , she said they were out of this world, so when I got there I already had a mental picture o
  35. food was good, service DEFINITELY needs a few weeks to iron out the kinks.
  36. In fact, each member of the service staff was friendly and prompt, yet unobtrusive.
  37. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, thanks to two talented and charming bartenders, both named Alex, for their delicious cocktails and food/wine recommendations.
  38. Service was very attentive and friendly, they even provided coloring sheets and crayons.
  39. Good food, bad service
  40. The servers are excellent; friendly and eager to please as well as knowledgable of the food and wines.
  41. Great experience, service good, food was great
  42. Our waitress was super pleasant and made great suggestions.
  43. Great food, friendly service and nice general suroundings.
  44. ok food not bad service
  45. The prices are reasonable and the service.
  46. The server was very nice, and made the lunch date enjoyable!
  47. would suggest NEVER going there unless you want to leave completely frustrated with your overpriced meal and horrible service.
  48. The service is horrible, waffling between mismanaged and inattentive to incompetent and downright rude.
  49. It is hard to find somewhere so kid friendly in nyc so I look forward to returning!
  50. Great customer service and food was amazing.
  51. Our attentive waiter came soon after, followed by the busboy carrying excellent bread and herbed butter.
  52. The place is fun, the service attentive and the wine list complete and most important, fairly priced.
  53. The service is excellent, the food is the best I've had -- of ANY entree it is the best I've ever had.
  54. The food was great (Lamb Ravioli, "5-Napkin" Burger), so was the service.
  55. You gotta love the bartenders at this place.
  56. live on the east side where everything closes a 9pm, but will trek over the park again and again - thank to all the staff for making it a great experience.
  57. Edith, our server, was attentive, knowledgeable, friendly, without any snobbery.
  58. The staff is friendly, the food is FANTASTIC and the atmosphere is lively and hip.
  59. Amazing people who make you feel welcomed and the food was terrific!
  60. The food is generally good but the service is revolting.
  61. The waiter was wonderful but the management certainly needs improvement.
  62. am really happy having nice matin around great place, very impressive wine list, on d the service very pleasant.
  63. Too much chat made for terrible service
  64. The place is nice, service is nicer.
  65. The service is fantastic, food is awesome, and the place is wonderful.
  66. The service and food is superb!
value
63.33000183105469% positive
  1. The portions were big enough, but not to big.
  2. That said, the food is fabulous and the prices are just right!
  3. The prices are reasonable and the service.
  4. would suggest NEVER going there unless you want to leave completely frustrated with your overpriced meal and horrible service.
  5. Great menu, sort of expensive for what I perceive to be a neighborhood place.
  6. ok-so it's crowded-a bit noisy-can get pricey.
  7. The croissants were perfect (soft, flaky, slightly doughy) and my boyfriend's burger was to die for: huge, comte cheese and caramelized onions.
  8. The food is pretty good if a little overpriced.
  9. The whole place reeked of snobbery, quite frankly - if you weren't ordering more than $200 worth of food, they weren't going to treat you like a decent customer.
  10. This place is so pretentious it is funny and overpriced!
  11. The price is reasonable and you really get a great meal for your money.
  12. Way overpriced.
  13. We ended our meal with their huge cafe o lait bowls and rolled ourselves out.
  14. Definitively worth a try -- I hope the usual UWS restaurant-goers won't turn it into a mediocre restaurant as the trend has been.
  15. Food hightlights: sea bass, codfish, speck salad, heirloom tomatoes, all in perfect portions.
wait time
60.0% positive
  1. It is unfortunate that such a great place is taking that slow slide into the Manhattan abiss.
  2. Staff was friendly and quick.
  3. We both noticed the service was a little slow but will always give a place a second chance.
  4. We asked our very nice waitress to please bring it back; she returned in a few minutes and informed us that the creme brulee was intended to be cool.
  5. Service was good in nature but slow to deliver.
3 Star Rating: Average

07/04/10

great bar - bad pomme frits

by tov

Fun spot but the pomme frits are not even as good a s frozen fries!! What happened? Sweet hostess.

  • Pros: great bar!
  • Cons: scaffolding outside now, few vegetarian options
4 Star Rating: Recommended

01/24/10

Best brunch

by prlgirl , Citysearch Contributor

Enjoyed brunch here on a recent Sunday. The hostess was very nice and remembered our party's name when we checked in on our table. We had to wait 20 minutes, but such is brunch in the city. Our waitress was super pleasant and made great suggestions. We enjoyed bellinis and their bread basket had scrumptious carrot muffins that are not to be missed. We shared an egg tartine, french toast and scrambled eggs with lamb sausage. The egg dishes were very tasty and filling. The french toast was a tad too sweet. We ended our meal with their huge cafe o lait bowls and rolled ourselves out. Overall a great experience!

  • Pros: food, servers
  • Cons: long wait for a table
4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/28/09

excellent french food

by keriitarr

Everything you loved about the original Nice Matin is here, the beautiful setting, the food; Best of all the staff is gracious and professional but more laid back than before. You get exquisite food and comfort all in one.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/27/09

French Cooking at its best!!

by DianeK49

I recently stopped by one of my favorite stomping grounds to try out their Apples, Sausages and Beer festival. Once again I was blown away. I loved the cocktail, some apple martini that was perfectly balanced to my favorite french fare. I think the advertisements I have seen said the festival ends soon, so I will try to stop by one more time, and I suggest you do to!

  • Pros: simple, delicious
  • Cons: impossible to beat!
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/28/09

nice matin matin, soir ou nuit

by xasperated

I meet my friends here every time I stop in. No matter morning noon or night. It is a neighborhood haute cuisine sort of wining, dining or breakfasting comfort zone where the service matches the food (always good). And you never angst if your dollar is being mispent. Very boulevard in the best sense of the word. Always my first suggestion when people ask where we should share a meal.

Green Restaurant All Certified Green Restaurants® meet the minimum certification criteria of the science-based standards of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national non profit dedicated to Greening Restaurants since 1990. Certified Green Restaurants® implement transparent and verified environmental steps in seven environmental categories: Energy, Water, Chemicals, Food, Packaging, Waste, and Building. Learn more about the GRA's standards and how to Dine Green.

The Details on Nice Matin

Place Categories:

  • good french food
  • great customer service
  • great cozy place
  • favorite little restaurant
  • terrible service
  • great restaurant experience
  • friendly food friendly staff
  • great entire meal
  • great little dinner
  • eager servers
  • loved specialty cocktails
  • worst dining experience
  • great napkin burger
  • great steak
  • incredibly pleasant waiter
  • great bartenders
  • just perfect everything
  • really liked atmosphere
  • nice accompanying salad
  • great brunch
  • great hors doeuvres
  • delicious grilled salmon
  • delicious breakfast
  • nice matin
  • delicious mussels appetizer
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