(212) 722-5133
1695 2nd Ave
(88th Street)
New York,
NY
10128
40.7791
-73.951
Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Midtown
Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30am-3:30pm, 5:30pm-11pm
Fri 11:30am-3:30pm, 5:30pm-12am
Sat 5:30pm-12am
Sun 5:30pm-10:30pm
Price:
$$$
Last updated 8.16.11
Category:
Cafes, Restaurants, Certified Green Restaurant(R)
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Notable Beer List, Local Favorite, Brunch, People Watching, Online Reservations, Date Spot, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Notable Wine List
Cuisine:
Hamburgers, French, German, Seafood
Notable Chef:
Philippe Roussel
What People Are Saying About Cafe d'Alsace
Featured Review
Contributor
Contributor
The Scene – A roaring scene of grownups fills this mustard-colored dining room adorned with a seltzer bottle collection, vintage French beer ads and distressed mirrors reminiscent of a downtown brasserie. Neighborhood dwellers pack the place, happy that high-caliber dining doesn't require a cab ride. – – The Food – The restaurant's namesake, Alsace, is the French region bordering Germany that favors hearty cuisine. Sharable starters include a warm, cheesy German potato salad, a pizza-like caramelized onion and bacon tart and a variety of sausages--veal, seafood and…
Editor's Tips
- What to Drink:
- The wine list boasts more than 400 bottles, ranging from $20 to $14,000; the well-educated sommelier can help you navigate it.
- The Extras:
- Visit owner Simon Oren's popular West Village restaurant, Sushi Samba.
| ambiance | 100.0% positive |
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|---|---|---|
| dessert | 94.44000244140625% positive |
|
| drinks | 95.0% positive |
|
| food quality | 84.72000122070312% positive |
|
| menu variety | 100.0% positive |
|
| overall | 100.0% positive |
|
| service | 70.2400016784668% positive |
|
| value | 100.0% positive |
|
| wait time | 60.0% positive |
|
Terrific Brunch
by SinNYC at Citysearch
Brunch is New York is a tough ticket. Oh so popular, but so hard to find a decent one.
Cafe d'Alsace has a fantastic brunch without the crazy long lines.
Good French for the UES neighborhood
by uesgirl73 at Citysearch
I live on the UES so of course I love to eat here. This is great...convient place to go. Brasarie atmosphere with small but cool bar to have a glass of wine or quick bite.
just OK--never returning
by carnegiehill115 at Citysearch
I wonder why I went back to this place a second time after having a horrible experience the first time? Because I'm a sucker, yes. Both times went late (there aren't that many options after 9:00pm in the area that aren't empty at that hour), ordered food that was either late in arriving (main courses spaced too far apart) or just not good. The place was half-empty both times and we were seated at the worst table, next to the kitchen. Where was our food? "It's on the way." People came, ate, and went. No apologies from the staff, just a "it was nice serving you" to make sure that we would leave a decent tip. We're desperate for a passable French place in the neighborhood, I'll have canned cassoulet next time I have a hankering . , ,
Not the Best Brunch in NYC
by Cali1010 at Citysearch
We went to Cafe d'Alsace for brunch because it was close to the Guggenheim. We had plans on seeing an exhibit at the museum and wanted to grab brunch beforehand.
Atmosphere - dated french cafe.
Service - terrible.
Food - average.
We both ordered egg dishes and it took at least 30 minutes for our food to arrive. People around us, ordered after, got their food, and left. When we asked the waiter he simply responded, "yes, its coming." No apology or explaination. He then turned and returned to the bar to chat with the other staff. This place is expensive for brunch $12 for omelettes, $10 for a mimosa, and $2.50 for coffee. NYC has so many wonderful brunch options and yes, many include at least one drink and coffee. When the food finally came it was ok, nothing special and not worth the 30 minute wait. Or the rude service!
I don't live on the UES so I wouldn't make a special trip here, but even if I did this would not be a neighborhood favorite.
Excellent French Cafe
by Athena Chang , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch
I got a Tour De France gift card and picked Cafe D'Alsace to dine at dinner. It turned out to be a great decision.
We started with their bacon salad with poached egg on top. It is excellent. The portion is just enough for two and the bacon in the salad is amazing. I don't know what dressing it is but it is refreshing, perfect for spring/summer.
For dinner, I got the skirt steak with pomme frites and my boyfriend got the duck breast. My steak came cut into pieces already and is marinated in red wine sauce and cooked to tender and flavorful. It came with a small bone marrow, which tastes interesting but in a good way. The fries came with garlic mayo which is delicious!
The duck breast on the other hand, is also tender and amazing. It comes with a side of steamed vegetable and meshed potato. I absolutely love it too!
We are really full by now but since the gift card is $50, I decided to go for dessert too! We got the flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of pistachio ice cream. Man, I think the whole experience is perfect.
I would like to come back for some French brunch soon.
- Pros: Excellent food and superb service
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 Cafe d'Alsace
Place Categories:
- mediocre food
- great horrible customer service
- great place
- attentive wait staff
- excellent atmosphere
- great whole experience
- excellent bistro
- helpful server
- extremely knowledgeable waiter
- great beers
- fantastic chocolate dessert
- great dessert date spot
- loved warm potato salad
- great cheese plate
- great burger
- sincere baristas
- absolutely delicious great recommendation
- very pleasant bartender
- beautiful chosen cheeses
- warm hearty dishes
- great drinks
- loved sausages
- fabulous upper west side restaurant nice matin
- bad experience
- worst service



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