08/11/09

Worse restaurant in town

by Lapa23

Went for late lunch this weekend and it was empty, however the hostess and the waiter had the nerve to "serve us" from the bar while reading the paper.....as if they weren't affected by a recession or a new and better French restaurant in the meat packing district. What once was a trendy restaurant is now an empty 15 table restaurant with rude service and an ok menu. We did not stay, of course, nor we intend to ever return.

• Cons: Horrible service and empty

05/24/08

Best Brunch in NYC

by AdamRaper

I have been going to Bilbo for about 9 years now - essentially everytime I'm in New York. It is such a great spot. Some things to consider - Don't come here unless you are interested in loud music, great food and heavy drinking. Its really not a place to bring your grandmother. However, if you want to have a great meal and a rowdy Saturday - you really need to check it out. It's one of those places that you can go for lunch and stay for dinner. A six hour meal is not uncommon. Its a fairly expensive, European style place. The Cajun Chicken is the best thing on the menu, hands down. Don't even try anything else. Order that, a bottle of Sancerre and get ready to have fun.

• Pros: Super fun, great music, delicious food and a no-rules type management attitude
• Cons: Takes a while to get seated

01/31/08

IS EVERYONE DEAF??????

by sensiblediner

AVOID THE BILBOQUET (at least) ON WEEKENDS!!! Unless you are willing to endure the aboslute LOUDEST most annoying euro-trash music you've ever encountered, super slow service, and shouting matches to order a diet coke in an ill-designed extra crowded space. You'd rather find yourself another brunch-lunch place.

Food is only so-so, tasty, mostly ordinary quite pricey for its quality and originality.

Honestly, not worth it at all. Maybe on a weekday you may have a less painful experience, who knows, maybe your waitress can even get your order right on the first try.

• Pros: GOOD LOCATION
• Cons: THE REST

08/20/07

Always an amazing dining experience

by likuid144

I used to frequent Bilboquet quite often, though had stopped for no apparent reason until last night's rememberance feast. To put it simply... I missed it so, so much. The tuna tartare is by far the best in the city and the cajun chicken is my favorite chicken dish... anywhere. Sure the bartender, waitress, etc. give off a sightly pretentious vibe, though the'yre going to treat you the way you treat them. Their wine prices need to decrease significatly, or they should atleast bring in a few bottles under $50. Looking forward to coming back, especially on a weekend night

• Pros: the food, thurs, fri and sat night
• Cons: wine list

02/14/07

Rude Rude Service and Terrible atmosphere

by muitolouco

This place used to be a quaint little restaurant that you could enjoy great food, good wine and a modern yet comforatble atmosphere. I have been going there for 10 years on and off and it has become a very different place lately. The staff is rude, the service lousy, music loud, and crowd obnoxious. They will with no problem sit regulars in front of people that have been waiting for a while. Recently i was there and ordered a bottle of white wine. Since it was one of the least expensive bottle on the menu ($60) the waitress looked at us as if we were pennyless people. The bottle arrived open, was immediately poured into our glasses without even asking us to taste it, and i do have to admit it tasted quite watered down. The food still remains quite unique despite all the above.

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: Rude service, obnoxious crowd

12/10/06

Used to be Grace Kelly, now is Paris Hilton

by pbrewster

I just returned to Le Bilboquet after a hiatus of a few years. What happened??!! Eww! This place used to be a charming slice of French authenticity tucked away in a postage-stamp-sized room, but it has somehow devolved into a depressing crowd of loud, flashy, Paris Hilton wannabes and their overly-hair-gelled suitors. If this is your scene, you'll have a great time. If you enjoy club music played at such a deafening volume (esp. in such a tiny space) that no conversation can be had, this is the place to go. It's so unfortunate, because the food is of high quality and the french staff is quite charming... but even they seem to be straining under the load of the noise and tacky crowd. RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS, LE BILBOQUET!!!

• Pros: The hope that it might become a good restaurant again
• Cons: Deafening noise, tacky crowd, no reservations for parties of 2

11/03/06

I have NEVER been treated SO RUDELY!

by lindsaycowles

After hearing so much about this restaurant from my roommates, I decided to go have dinner there with one of my old friends from high school last week. We are both attractive ladies working in the fashion industry, I at an Italian couture fashion house and she in pr for a major department store in the city--we are very well dressed and presentable women. We arrive at this restaurant and are told by the maitre d that we would be seated in 20 minutes. Others come into the tiny restaurant while we are waiting and he offers them wine while they wait. He never asks us. Then, he proceeds to seat about 5 tables--all who arrived at the restaurant after us. I end up running into another of my friends from college, who frequents the restaurant. He proceeds to try to seat her and her friend. Fortunately, they were nice enough to give us their table after over 1 hour of our waiting. So, my friend and I go and sit down at their table. After we are comfortable and seated, I look up and see none other than the maitre d staring at me in disgust as if i were a bum off of the street that just came in and sat at his table. He instructs the bus boy with evil glares and even more horrible jestures to oust us from the table. So, after 1 hour of waiting, being rudely ignored and utterly disrespected, we were so rudely thrown out of the table that we deserved!!! With that, we left the restaurant and went to have dinner elsewhere. I will NEVER go back there again. I wouldn't give them a PENNY of my money!!!!!

09/20/06

RUDE RUDE service - rushed us through our dinner! DONT GO HERE

by gdpcty

Meal was fine, however night was RUINED after the Maitre D' rushed us out there to use our table. We ordered a full three courses, including bottles of wine, spent almost $300. the time that lapsed from the moment we sat down to the moment we paid was an hour and half at most (again...several courses). The staff kept clearing away our plates when we werent even finished eating from them! i have NEVER seen anything like that before. when we commented to the Maitre D', he was not apologetic at all, instead tried blaming us - was FAR from a gracious host. Even the people around us were so shocked by what he was saying and his terrible attitude. I eat at very high end restaurants frequently - never has this ever happened before. Terrible service, absolutely rude Maitre D' - never coming here again. Horrible.

• Pros: none
• Cons: Maitre D' is incredibly RUDE and obnoxious

08/12/06

good food but poor service

by nino2005

too bad it is so eurotrashy! the food is great though! why cant the employees be a little more service-minded. the place would be great then!

• Pros: food
• Cons: style

08/05/06

MUSIC TOO LOUD!

by 1blondehottie

Friday night, Packed, way too loud. I asked the dorr man about the music..he stated,"it has been this loud for 20 years". I left! If I wanted to goto a club..I would!