We arrived in New York City early on a Friday morning, figuring we might not be able to check into our hotel yet. I already knew that Les Halles was near the hotel and thought we could get breakfast there. I had not been there before but I was cognizant that the famed Anthony Bourdain used to work there as a chef.
Lucky for us, we were able to immediately check into our hotel. So, after a quick unpacking our of luggage, we went off to breakfast.
"Les Halles is a typical Parisian Brasserie bustling and lively serving the fresh and simple dishes of France's everyday cuisine, in a relaxed environment. Brasserie Les Halles has long been known for informal French fare in a warm and convivial setting. Les Halles evokes the atmosphere of the brasseries in the old market district of Paris, where the cream of society, stopping for a bite after a night on the town, would sit next to workmen having their breakfasts, truckers finishing their shifts or artists drafting creatively."
"Les Halles is a typical Parisian Brasserie bustling and lively serving the fresh and simple dishes of France's everyday cuisine, in a relaxed environment. Brasserie Les Halles has long been known for informal French fare in a warm and convivial setting. Les Halles evokes the atmosphere of the brasseries in the old market district of Paris, where the cream of society, stopping for a bite after a night on the town, would sit next to workmen having their breakfasts, truckers finishing their shifts or artists drafting creatively."
I found Les Halles to be a nice, casual bistro with an outside patio. It is a medium-sized restaurant with a bar and plenty of small tables. It was not too busy this Friday morning though the patio area was almost full. We chose to sit inside, to get out of the rising temperatures.
The menu is split between Parisien and New Yorker selections. The Parisien selections are more breads and pastries, as well as French toast and crepes. The New Yorker choices are mostly heartier dishes, many with eggs. Prices are generally reasonable (especially considering NYC prices) such as $2 for a croissant, 43 for an apple turnover, and $7.50 for Brioche French toast.We chose the Duex Oeufs a Votre Facon ($8.50) which consists of 2 eggs with Les Halles home fries, toast, and choice of bacon, sausage or ham and the Omelette Savoyarde ($12.50), a Gruyère cheese omelette with Les Halles home fries and toast. Both were very good breakfasts. The home fries are tiny squares of fried potatoes with a few onions. The toast were slices of French baguette, with a crusty exterior and light, fluffy interior. The omelette was loaded with creamy and flavorful cheese. The bacon was thick and crispy, just the way I enjoy it. Their French Press coffee was also very good.
Service was good and we had no complaints. I would return here for breakfast and would like to check it out for dinner as well. This was a good way to begin my weekend in NYC.
Les Halles
411 Park Ave South
New York, NY
Phone: 212-679-4111
Funny, I had the worst experience at Les Halles and I've heard so many horror stories. We had drinks spilled, pieces of plastic found in dishes, long pauses, it was a disaster. Maybe they've improved since then?
ReplyDeleteErika:
ReplyDeleteWere you at the Park Ave. location? Maybe they have improved. I had a good experience though it was not as busy as I expected it to be.