OK, but certainly not worth the price.
Written: Jul 10 '05 (Updated Jul 12 '05)
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Pros: Historic location convenient to theaters. Romantic ambiance.
Cons: Ordinary, unimaginative food in small portions. Cramped seating. Not worth the price.
The Bottom Line: Nice architecture, but the food is ordinary. Not worth the price.
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| drfoodlover's Full Review: Cafe des Artistes |
I and a date arrived at 5 pm on a Saturday night. We had pate and salad as appetizers, sea bass as entrees, apple strudel and chocolate mousse for dessert (from the pre-theater menu prix-fixe).
I had seen the restaurant's impressive website, and thought it would be a romantic start to the evening's entertainment, which was only a few blocks away. The restaurant has a long, distinguished and famous history. How could I go wrong?
Some reviews had said the restaurant had lost its splendor and was not a good value, but I wrote them off as probably coming from whiney reviewers who happened to catch the restaurant on a bad day.
The greatest thing about this restaurant is location, location, location. Not only is it very convenient to the theater district, but it is housed in an historic building with a grand tradition of haute cuisine. However, as described below, location and name are the only things that the present establishment shares with the Cafe des Artistes of the past.
There was nothing wrong with the food, but nothing extraordinary about it either. This is said by someone who is often truly impressed with food, even inspired by it. Really, it does not take much to impress me. By comparison, I have had better food on several 5 star (not 6 star) cruises. The food is comparable to nice restaurants I have frequented in the Bronx, but the price is three times as much. The portions were adequate but rather skimpy compared with most restaurants. Someone with a hearty appetite would be disappointed.
Regarding the pre-theater menu prix-fixe: The salad is healthier and tastier than the miniscule tranches of pate that one can order instead. I found the apple strudel with ice cream much better than the chocolate mousse. The sea bass was OK but not fantastic. Perhaps the pork is better (I did not try the pork).
There was nothing special about the presentation. The ordinary food was served unadorned on a plain white plate. The menus were simple. There was no decorative centerpiece on the table. At a Cafe for artists, one might expect artistic original eating utensils or decoration that add to a unique artistic environment. But no. One might as well be at a $6 a plate diner.
The waitstaff were occasionally a bit difficult to understand, but behaved correctly. They certainly were not snooty or rude. They never intruded on the conversation. I never had to wave across the room to get their attention. At some other expensive restaurants the waiters can be so obsequious as to be annoying, but not at Le Cafe. In this and other ways, the restaurant strikes me as an ordinary neighborhood eatery transplanted into an historic location.
My date complained about the room being too QUIET when we arrived, but soon enough the pre-theater crowd brought some life to the restaurant. The noise was typical for a restaurant. The room was not excessively reverberant. Other posted complaints of noisiness were probably due more to noisy patrons on a particular night than noisy architecture.
The decor was attractive and romantic but not breath-taking. It looked like the images on the restaurant's website. There could have been more flowers.
The air conditioning system apparently lacks a humidistat. I say this because on the warm humid day we dined in the restaurant, both of us agreed that the temperature felt too warm. This could be especially troublesome for theater-goers in heavy clothing. On a dry day, the temperature would probably be fine.
Our seating was rather cramped. In retrospect, I could have requested seating at a more spacious table. I did not do so because it just was not that bothersome to me. To get out of my seat I had to move the table about 6 inches so as to create a crack between adjacent tables through which I could side-step. I had to be careful to not bump the tables and knock something over. Such gymnastics might be difficult for the elderly or a lady in high heels. Our neighbors were so close as to virtually be seated at the same table. I did not mind the crowding, but if you hate being crowded, you can always arrive early and request one of the more spacious tables.
I have come to the same conclusion as many other reviewers: The restaurant is OK, but it is not great. It certainly is not a good value. The high prices can be charged because there is a never-ending stream of people like me who are fooled into thinking (by the restaurant's slick website and the historic location) that it is something extraordinary. For the same price (or less) one can go to any of the many REAL purveyors of haute cuisine in this city.
See for yourself, if you must, as I did. But you would do yourself a favor by heeding this and other reviews; move along the learning curve by moving on to another restaurant.
Recommended:
No
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Wear a suit or don't wear a suit. It's up to you. If you must go, watch out for poor seating. Making a 5 pm reservation ensures the best seating selection. Also, you have more time to enjoy the romantic ambiance and talk with a date before a show. Another advantage of the earlier seating is a markedly discounted bill (although it will still be way out of line with the mediocre quality). Probably not the place to feed a pack of hungry kids, or take the wheelchair-bound. The nude paintings could be embarassing to some in some situations.
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
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Epinions.com ID:
drfoodlover
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Reviews written: 1
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