Le French Diner: A Cozy Retreat for Flavorful French Cuisine in NYC

Amazing wine selection! Everything we ate was so simple yet gourmet. Get the soft boiled egg and the steak tartare for sure.

Tiny and intimate space for delicious French cuisine. The hanger steak was absolutely delicious and the grilled octopus was memorable too. Friendly staff. If you wanna secure a spot for the first seating of the evening, I'd recommend arriving 20-30 minutes before opening.

By far one of the best place I had. This assumption comes from me staying here for a year and exploring. The music in the resto is also amazing. Attentive chef and crews. Worth all the wait times!

This spot has been on my list of spots to try for a while. We two got there just before 5:30 when they open and missed the first seating - people had lined up before 5. They took my name and number and called us for the second seating at 7:30. We sat at the bar and enjoyed everything. The boiled eggs, socca, duck terrine to start, and steak and duck entrees with a lovely bottle of Rhône. The dessert was so nice too. Great spot overall!

Came in and was told to put my number down. Had a drink across the street. They called! I came back and had the seared cabbage which was wonderful! Then I had the Hanger steak in a red wine sauce with gratin dauphinois: Outstanding!!! The marriage of the steak, the sauce, and the cheesy buttery potatoes was exquisite! Couldn't get enough! To finish I got the Cherries in cream: salted cherries in a beautiful creamy base! All with a lovely Bordeaux by the glass! Forget Balthazar and come here!

Do not let the exterior fool you. Yes they could clean and wash their sign and make the entry more inviting-but this is part of their appeal. Very small restaurant-bar seating plus 4 tables. I choose to sit at the bar. The barkeep was friendly and knowledgeable of all menus. Started with the cheese board. Very very delicious. The chickpea crepe was delicious as was the octopus. I had ordered the steak and it was very good (loved the mushrooms) but the star of the night for me was the pork chop. The pork chop was cooked to perfection and the side of spicy mustard was the best I have had and worked well with the chop. Seriously-do yourself a favor and order the pork chop.

We arrived around 5:10pm on a Saturday night and were marked for the second round of seating (about 20 people ahead of us in line at that time). The restaurant called me around 6:35, we sat at 6:45. If I were to do it again, I would get in line around 4:45pm to be seated at 5:30. For dinner we ordered the steak tartare, foie gras, octopus and escargot. Most of the items come with some fresh, warm bread. The pana cotta dessert concept was salty and a little sweet - a nice off-ramp to the flavors of the rest of the meal. Aside from the bar, only 2 tables that can snugly fit four people. Otherwise you should expect to sit at the bar. It’s a special place, definitely worth visiting and returning to.

I've been wanting to try a french restaurant for a long time. I just loved the vibe. It's like experiencing a little piece of Paris in Manhattan New York. It's not a big space at all, but I didn't mind, it's part of the experience. I had the grilled Octopus and my husband had the steak. It's was all very delicious. Next time I will definitely be trying a new dish. I totally recommend coming to this little cozy french restaurant. It was a great experience.