Casanis Bar & Restaurant

The Scene – Another graduate of the Balthazar School of Faux French Bistros: Red awnings, oak-paneled interior, black-and-white tiled floors, tulip lights and a zinc bar lined with leather stools create the perfect Left Bank illusion. The crowd at this quaint corner is slightly edgier than at popular neighbor (and Balthazar sibling) Schiller's. Though the bulk of the Euro-style patrons like to linger, the staff could use some follow-up skills for those on New York City time. – – The Food – The meats aptly embody bistro tradition, especially the tender roast chicken…

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Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:: The spacious outdoor patio is the perfect place for people-watching.
What to Drink:: Try the house namesake, Casanis, an anise flavored liqueur.
When to Go:: The lively bar hops until 2am Sun-Wed; 3am Thu-Sat.

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User Reviews (20)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“Forget Clinton Street and their overprice decor and menu, Casanis has great ambiance, great food and great prices.” “great ambiance, delicious food and the kind of place that lets you linger after your meal.” “The atmosphere is great, more elegant than most of the places in the hood.” “The ambiance is great- laid back, trendy and relaxed.”
dessert	100.0% positive	“The food was not bad and desserts were particularly good but it is not worth it.”
drinks	40.0% positive	“won't even go into how disgusting our cocktails were--made with the cheapest sweet mixes even though we specifically requested fresh juice.” “Terrible drinks, food, service” “and I were warmed by the friendly reception and the quick attention, but when we complained about things -- we asked for drinks with no rose's lime juice and got nothing but rose's lime juice, the smiles continued as the same flawed drinks were brought ” “With small drinks, mediocre food, and a rude host, I will think twice about returning to this restaurant.” “Check out there wine list to,overall casanis is my new favorite restaurant on the les.”
food quality	54.34999942779541% positive	“The service was extremely slow and inattentive and the food was only mediocre.” “great ambiance, delicious food and the kind of place that lets you linger after your meal.” “delicious food” “and charged us full price for everything ($15 for a raw burger--not a bargain!)” “There are many other French restaurants in the city that serve excellent food and have good service.” “Great tuna tatare and i highly recommend steak.” “Horrible customer service, OK food” “Excellent steak au poivre, steak tartare eatable but doesn't taste at all like a steak tartare you would eat in France, same for the escargots” “The food was not bad and desserts were particularly good but it is not worth it.” “Forget Clinton Street and their overprice decor and menu, Casanis has great ambiance, great food and great prices.” “won't even go into how disgusting our cocktails were--made with the cheapest sweet mixes even though we specifically requested fresh juice.” “Terrible drinks, food, service” “With small drinks, mediocre food, and a rude host, I will think twice about returning to this restaurant.” “last night was my first night at casanis,really outstanding restaurant from the service to the food.” “surprisingly terrible meal” “food is awful, service is worse” “huge steak au poivre and burger.)” “This new french restaurant has the most amazing food.” “Rude host, overpriced food” “We were so disappointed and remarked that the two cuts of meat were so bad, we would not cooked them at home, much less expect to be served such an awful piece of meat at a new restaurant which should be trying to make a name for itself.” “Food was very fresh.” “The food is consistently decent (the mussels were better than decent and the tuna steak was one of the best I've ever had.” “While the food was not bad, the host was quite offensive, making the whole evening not worth the trouble.”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“Forget Clinton Street and their overprice decor and menu, Casanis has great ambiance, great food and great prices.”
overall	100.0% positive	“great ambiance, delicious food and the kind of place that lets you linger after your meal.” “Check out there wine list to,overall casanis is my new favorite restaurant on the les.”
return potential	100.0% positive	“not only went there for dinner on Friday night, but Casanis is so good that I had to go back for Sunday brunch.”
service	46.66999816894531% positive	“The service was simply horrible.” “With small drinks, mediocre food, and a rude host, I will think twice about returning to this restaurant.” “The service is good, and attentive.” “The staff was friendly and attentive.” “Horrible customer service, OK food” “By the way, the service is excellent.” “Service was attentive but not annoying.” “and I were warmed by the friendly reception and the quick attention, but when we complained about things -- we asked for drinks with no rose's lime juice and got nothing but rose's lime juice, the smiles continued as the same flawed drinks were brought ” “food is awful, service is worse” “first: service was rude and patronizing.” “The service was extremely slow and inattentive and the food was only mediocre.” “Terrible drinks, food, service” “last night was my first night at casanis,really outstanding restaurant from the service to the food.” “There are many other French restaurants in the city that serve excellent food and have good service.” “Overall, we spent over 3 hours in the restaurant where the service was horrible.”
value	64.28999900817871% positive	“While the food was not bad, the host was quite offensive, making the whole evening not worth the trouble.” “An amazing find in the lower east side that, up till now, has lacked great restaurants at affordable price.” “Rude host, overpriced food” “huge steak au poivre and burger.)” “The food was not bad and desserts were particularly good but it is not worth it.” “and charged us full price for everything ($15 for a raw burger--not a bargain!)” “Forget Clinton Street and their overprice decor and menu, Casanis has great ambiance, great food and great prices.”
wait time	50.0% positive	“The service was extremely slow and inattentive and the food was only mediocre.” “and I were warmed by the friendly reception and the quick attention, but when we complained about things -- we asked for drinks with no rose's lime juice and got nothing but rose's lime juice, the smiles continued as the same flawed drinks were brought ”

09/17/08

Excellent French bistro

by henrysoohoo

Fantastic! The staff was friendly and attentive. Prices are reasonable. Order the Steak Bearnaise! And they have Leffe Blonde on tap!!

Pros: great food, friendly & attentive staff, reasonable prices
Cons: not large enough for big parties

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09/09/08

not wowed AT ALL!!

by Atenea

this is my first review but i had to say something about this terrible experience. first: service was rude and patronizing. second: food was barely edible; i couldn't eat my dish and was hungry half an hour later. third: place was deserted. fourth: everyone at my table was disappointed. i wanted to leave the restaurant immediately and i will never return.

Pros: none
Cons: everything

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09/09/08

food is awful, service is worse

by squidward1000

We live in the neighborhood and decided to give it a try for lunch--BIG MISTAKE! Two out of four orders came out wrong (the place was not busy at all) and the french, poser waiter stubbornly insisted that it was our fault. The ravioli was almost raw and the rest of the dishes ranged from mediocre to horrible. Atmosphere is pathetic. You're better off going to Jin, the Japanese place down the street or Barrio Chino if you don't mind the crowd. You're even better off getting a sandwich at 88 Orchard, the coffee shop across the street.

Pros: Picturesque view of the parking lot
Cons: Just about everything

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06/15/07

Terrible drinks, food, service

by bohopo

M and I were warmed by the friendly reception and the quick attention, but when we complained about things -- we asked for drinks with no rose's lime juice and got nothing but rose's lime juice, the smiles continued as the same flawed drinks were brought back to us three times. The food was underprepared to say the least. And expensive!

Cons: service and food

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06/15/07

maximum icky

by allecram

I grew up in NYC and have had my share of horrible meals, but last night truly ranks up (or down) there with the worst of them. It was like the cooks had never cooked in their lives before. I ordered a grilled squid salad only to discover that the squid heads had not been cleaned and still had all of their mushy innards. Then my friend and I had ordered a hamburger to split. The hamburger was RAW. The inside wasn't even warm! We sent it back and my friend said, I bet they give us the same burger. Sure enough, they had piled all the bits (that we had cut apart) back in the skiddle and gave it back to us haphazardly piled on a new bun! When we complained, the waitress snapped at us "You expect us to throw away FOOD?" and charged us full price for everything ($15 for a raw burger--not a bargain!). I won't even go into how disgusting our cocktails were--made with the cheapest sweet mixes even though we specifically requested fresh juice. We sent them back only to get the same exact drink again. I will never eat there again.

Casanis Bar & Restaurant

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What People Are Saying About Casanis Bar & Restaurant

Kathleen Squires

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Editor's Tips

09/17/08

Excellent French bistro

by henrysoohoo

09/09/08

not wowed AT ALL!!

by Atenea

09/09/08

food is awful, service is worse

by squidward1000

06/15/07

Terrible drinks, food, service

by bohopo

06/15/07

maximum icky

by allecram

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