ShareFrench restaurant in the Theater District with prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus; full bar, private party options.
(347) 748-1134
340 W 46th St
(Between 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue)
New York,
NY
10036
40.7603
-73.9891
Neighborhoods: Midtown, Clinton
Hours:
Mon 11:30am-9:30pm
Tue-Sat 11:30am-11pm
Sun 11:30am-10pm
Price:
$$$
Parking:
Street
Le Rivage - French Restaurant
Last updated 11.20.09
What People Are Saying About Le Rivage
The Owner
Le Rivage
Owner
Le Rivage is one of New York's most famous French restaurants. The Denamiel family has owned and operated Le Rivage for over 25 years. The current Chef, Paul Denamiel not only has the restaurant business in his blood, but brings culinary merit to Le Rivage as a graduate of CIA & experience as a sous chef in the City's best restaurants. As an NYC restaurant, Le Rivage changes over the years to stay with the times, but is consistently cozy & romantic serving authentic & expertly prepared French cuisine. Located on 'restaurant row' (46th St bet 8th & 9th Avenues), Le Rivage is a perfect…
The Editor
Josh Ozersky
Citysearch
Nobody looks to Restaurant Row for culinary innovation, and Le Rivage may have the distinction of being the most outdated place even in that gastronomic backwater. In fact, the place is a time machine--a glance backward at what French restaurants were like in the ‘60s and ‘70s, before the first whiff of nouvelle cuisine made its way to New York. The food, like the decor, is heavy--but also delicious. All the old warhorses are here--frog legs, escargot, coq au vin--back like hall of famers at an old timer's game, and still packing a wallop. Just don't come counting calories: There's enough…
11/16/09
Won't go there again
by mama12345 at Citysearch
Went to celebrate my mom's bday. We set there for almost 2 hours, were done with food and paid the bill. But the conversation was flowing and we didn't leave right away. We paid cash and included good tip. Waitress decided that tip was too much and brought the change. We left it and didn't take. The other waitress came along and asked why we left such a small tip... That was embarrassing for my dad as she asked in-front of our guests. He explained how much he left and this was just a change.... She went and confirmed this with our waitress, then came back and apologized...But the mood was already ruined and we were unhappy with such service. Ridiculous. Tip is always voluntary and should never be questioned!!! And sad part is we left such a good tip that our waitress decided to give some back!!!!
- Pros: Good location, interesting design
- Cons: Service
06/18/09
Maybe I missed something
by jjpmom at Citysearch
Maybe we experienced this place on an off night, but I did not have 4 1/2 star food or service at Le Rivage on my recent visit. I had the "Artichoke and tomato salad" which consisted of a few lettuce leaves, 2 slim slices of tomato and 4 pieces of artichoke that looked and tasted like they had come out of a can. It looked like a plate you would get at a roadside (and I mean highway) cafeteria in Europe- minus the cellophane wrap. The main course, Coq au Vin was terribly dry and accompanied by very bland and also dry, not to mention uninteresting red potatoes and a birds nest of some unidentifiable vegetable, perhaps parsnip. It came off as a meal that had either been long prepared (a la a hotel banquet meal that sat in the hot box too long) or it had been microwaved. My husband's salmon tasted as though it had been pulled out of the Hudson- last week. Yuck. Dessert held little hope for us and we weren't surprised by the quality of the creme brulee which again smacked of something pre-prepared/frozen/purchased through a vendor like Sysco and definitely not made on premises , nor made recently. It was the worst creme brulee I have had; and I have liked creme brulee ever since the first time I had it in Paris when I was 12. It seemed to me by the staff on hand that the proprietors are not French, nor are the cooks (and I mean cook and not chef), which could be part of the issue. I regretted choosing this restaurant as the location where I had my last meal in New York before I left the next day. Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth.
- Pros: Ambiance
- Cons: everything else
04/14/09
Not worth it
by hunter1gbr at Citysearch
Having read the reviews on city search my boyfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to a romantic night out. We were the only people in the restaurant which was concerning but we sat down and ordered. Although we ordered completely different meals it appeared we both had the same brownish sauce. Everything seemed to be made from this one sauce. We had the fixed price menu and they managed to get through all three courses in 40 minutes; this would have been fine if we were heading to a show but we weren't we were after a nice lesuirely meal. The service was good but it is certainly not a 4 and half star place and I wanted to let people know that perhaps this place has gone downhill somewhat and perhaps go somewhere else.
- Pros: Location
- Cons: Food and decor
The Details on Le Rivage
Fun Fact:
The proprietor, a suave elderly Frenchman, delights in conversing with patrons (especially female ones) and is one of the best things about the place.
Save Money:
A $25 pre-fixe pre-theater menu (which is what everybody gets) is one of the top bargains in the Theater District.
The Extras:
Don't pass on dessert, which includes such long-lost antiquities like the floating island (clumps of meringue adrift in a sea of creme anglaise).
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Visa, MasterCard, Travelers Check
Restaurant Special Features:
Outdoor Dining, Theater District Dining, Lunch Spot
General Info:
Open 7 Days
Cuisine:
Dress Code:
Casual
Message from Le Rivage
- Traditional French Cuisine
- Pre-Theater & Post-Theater
- Prix Fixe Menu
Le Rivage is one of New York's most famous French restaurants. The Denamiel family has owned and operated Le Rivage for over 25 years. The current Chef, Paul Denamiel not only has the restaurant business in his blood, but brings culinary merit to Le Rivage as a graduate of CIA & experience as a sous chef in the City's best restaurants. As an NYC restaurant, Le Rivage changes over the years to stay with the times, but is consistently cozy & romantic serving authentic & expertly prepared French cuisine.
Located on 'restaurant row' (46th St bet 8th & 9th Avenues), Le Rivage is a perfect pretheater and post-theater restaurant. Le Rivage is a fantastic lunch spot for the theater crowd and mid-town business. Along with an array of entres and appetizers, a $20 lunch prix fixe is also available & an after 8pm $25 dinner prix fixe. Call or visit the website to make reservations.
