Cafe Joul

Recommends

kbta

Joined 6 years ago

Cute French Bistro. This was a cute, quaint bistro and the food was spectacular. We went this past Friday night and the lemon sole and salmon were fantastic. We didn't originally want to try the burger (yes, burger!) but it was very gourmet and tasty. Service on the other hand, was horrible. The girl who originally took our food and bar order was good, but the guy who was our waiter was awful. He dropped off the food and never checked on us because he was too busy chatting with other tables or eating his own dinner at the bar. The busser stopped by more times than he did and we finally had to ask him for water refills and then coffee after dinner. The waiter FINALLY came by and just asked us if we needed anything else...didn't even offer dessert. He almost ruined what could have been a flawless dinner.

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bonj123

Joined 6 years ago

INCREDIBLE FOOD AND OUTSTANDING SERVICE. This is the perfect restaurant for anyone wanting an authentic French bistro experience with a wonderfully friendly waitstaff. Each customer is treated with respect and warmth. We are fast becoming regulars and are planning on taking our French friends when in town. Don't forget to order one of the superb desserts.

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gpnewyork

Joined 6 years ago

Romantic, charming and always delicious. I discovered this place thanks to my girlfriend, treated her to a birthday surprise here, and now we're married (and come back often). I'm not suggesting the place will make you fall in love with each other, but it's a great romantic date spot. Or come on your own and sit at the bar - the staff is charming and friendly, they're always pouring generous glasses of good wine, and the food is excellent. Recommended: endive salad with manchego, white mushroom salad, top-notch burger with caramelized onions, and a cheese-and-quince plate that is always a favorite.

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abby727

Joined 6 years ago

My Neighborhood Favorite. I have been living in the area for about 4 years and I can always count on Cafe Joul for an excellent dining experience, whether it's a quiet dinner for 2 or a with larger group of friends. The food is consistently delicious and the staff is always extremely friendly and accommodating. Also a tasty spot for weekend brunch!

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geniaw

Joined 6 years ago

You will want to come for more!. Every time I dine at Cafe Joul I can't believe how good the food is. All the ingredients are very fresh, and the combinations of them are so elegant. It doesn't matter whether you are having some oatmeal with baked apples and cranberries, or a beet salad with amazing house dressing, you will want to come back for more.

Many wines are organic, and taste great. The service is very good, the waiting staff is always there when you need them, the atmosphere is very relaxed, and romantic. I'm taking my friends there next week!

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meisenberg

Joined 6 years ago

Vive Cafe Joul!. Great service, great food, warm and causal atmopshere. Best burger and bouillabaise in New York City, Kids shared a lobster ravioli dish that had them asking for more all week. Reminds me of wonderful, small restaurants in France that you find everywhere where the food is always relaible and service always good. Not to miss for a special occasion or everyday dining.

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winkstudio

Joined 6 years ago

consistantly great food at good prices, fabulous wine list and cheese course, always a pleasure. I have been a steady customer since the first night of Cafe Joul's opening. I know that when I walk in I'll get a warm welcome, a table as fast as possible, or a place at the bar. the chef has a fabulous knowledge of the freshest ingredients. The combinations he creates are never scary or bizarre, and comfortably filling. I love the movies that are shown on a big screen on weekend nights, and salute the owners for their creative thinking. I wish that they would restart the book club, because the warm and homey atmosphere makes it so comfy to drink great wines, nibble on some great cheeses, and discuss interesting books. One of my favorite places.

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leepmiller

Joined 6 years ago

My Absolute Favorite!. Perfect menu, perfect ambience, delightful and attentive service and always wonderful food. I go often as a local and love to bring out-of-town friends, who are impressed with my pick. Wine selection is good - - decently priced and generally very interesting and thoughtfully chosen cellar.

When in need of a hamburger fix, this is the one to have. There is no better. Excellent meat, there's a chutney on it, and perfect brioche/roll. Fries are unforgettable, but Cafe Joul is also more than willing to substitute a vegetable and the sauteed spinach is my favorite.

Also a good place to go solo and sit at the bar for dinner.

Doesn't Recommend

urbanstrata

Joined 6 years ago

Average Food Made Worse By Awful Service. EXTREMELY BAD SERVICE! Five friends and I went to Cafe Joul for Sunday brunch on 3/11/2007 and were disappointed with both average food and extraordinarily poor service. Our orders were very slow to come to the table, which would have been perfectly acceptable given the size of our party and the Sunday brunch rush, but the waitress also made a mistake with one of the orders and said the kitchen would have to re-cook it. She barely shrugged off an apology, and certainly didn't offer our friend any extra bread or another drink while he waited, so he sat there with an empty place in front of him while the rest of us had our food for over 15 minutes. At the end of the meal, we decided to leave a 10% tip rather than our usual 15-20%. Stunningly, the waitress and her manager actually confronted us on our way out, exclaiming that they "tried their best given how hard it is to wait tables," and "even if we didn't have a good experience, it's still not right to walk out without leaving a tip." Of course, we *did* leave a tip, just a smaller tip than usual, but the waitress and her manager didn't count the bills on the table correctly. After pointing out their error, however, the manager still felt the need to confront us about the size of the tip, and in front of other patrons, no less. It boggles the mind that these are people who make their living in food service, and that they assume 20% tip is given and not earned. We will certainly never be back.

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eatorrun

Joined 6 years ago

Great place that is not consistant. So many thing to love about this small place:great wine list, food, a value, ect. What to watch out for are busy days. We'd gone there for brunch, after going many times looking forward to having eggs benidict w/ smoked salmon. They refussed to do it that morning telling us that the kitchen won't substitute that day. Four of five people in our group wanted that dish, so we left. None of that group wants to return.