Pastis

Cousin to Balthazar, Pastis is a West Village staple. The French fare is respectable and the celebs can be spotted on a regular basis. For some reason these two restaurants keep busy and remain relatively cool. The staff is always a bit aloof and the food is decent, but not great. I guess it's all about the attitude. The eggs are always a nice lunch option. And the salads are a nice alternative to red meat. Hard to resist a glass of wine at such a traditionally French spot. more

It goes without saying you eat at Pastis to check everyone else out. Imagine yourself walking on a runway while you're being led to your table. That's the only to walk within the hallowed halls of this bistro over in the Meatpacking District. Once you're sat down, you will find the food to be very good. Brunch options included eggs and a salmon dish that I inhaled in a most unsophisticated fashion, garnering stares from my impeccably mannered neighbors. But even the fashionably chic are very noisy, as evidenced as Pastis. You can barely hear yourself think and upon leaving, I discovered I had Man's Biggest Migraine from the decibel level inside. more

Even the beautiful people have to eat. And when they do, I bet a lot of them eat here. The decor is similar to Balthazar - even the water glasses are identical. The Pastis staff has a more friendly attitude than the SoHo outpost but they are less efficient (there were a couple of minor service stumbles that the Maitre'd handled nicely). I had their take on French Toast - 2 huge slabs of cake-like bread with a side of fruit. Served with real maple syrup it was quite good with lots of flavor. My companion had 2 eggs over easy with home fries and toast. The report on the eggs was that they were "slimy" - meaning cooked a little less than she liked (not as bad as it sounds). The potatoes were, however, wonderful. Done perfectly - quite tender and you could taste the onions, and other spices. Yummy. We had coffee and hot chocolate. Their coffee was served in a small cup but it was very good. The hot chocolate was as good as it gets but, it too was delivered in a small cup. While we sat there I saw some of the most beautiful people up at 10AM on a Sunday. A guy across from our table had the most perfectly waxed eyebrows and chatted away on his Razr cell phone. The crime was he was sitting next to one of the most beautiful women in the zip code. Go figure. Pastis is a nice place for breakfast - brunch starts at 10(we arrived to a half full room at 9:30AM) and by 10:15, it was packed. We will try again for brunch in the warmer weather and try to score an outside table. 3 stars for now. more

It took years of living in this neighborhood before I actually ate at Pastis, believing it would be all scene and no substance. I'd say it was just okay and not for the reasons I was concerned about. The nicoise salad was good EXCEPT the tuna was bad, and this defintely seemed the kind of place that is mean if you sent something back. Also I though it was going to be filled with scenesters and fashionistas, instead it was filled with tourists from the Midwest taking their cue from Sex and the City, I guess. more

No one who lives in this neighborhood goes to this oh-so-hipper-than-thou abomination. If the waiters don't make ya feel little enough, just consider the white tile surroundings: hmm, a subway station? A bathroom? Oh, that's it! A slaughterhouse!!! How appetizing!! Sorry, did you say something? I'm always so proud when my dog poos on this corner! more

So what if everyone flocks to this restaurant? There's good reason to do so! Keith McNally (Balthazar, Schiller's) has created the perfect faux French bistro in the oh-so-hip-it-hurts Meatpacking District. It's not uncommon to see models and celebrities having lunch or dining here. There are also lots of other celebrity hangouts in this neighborhood. The food is actually not bad if you stick to no fails such as steak au poivre avec frties. But the service can be spotty; most of the servers look good but can be snooty or just plain dumb. Of course, everyone wants to see and be seen here so expect massive crowds especially on Thursday through Saturday nights. It is quite a pick up spot for singles. This is one of those cool NY restaurants where the buzz lives up to the hype. Even after opening more than four years ago, this bistro shows no signs of slowing down. Go to Pastis for dinner or just have a drink at the zinc bar and experience a true NY moment. more

Pastis is the unrivaled bistro-of-the-moment in the Meatpacking District. The service is breezy, down to earth and professional. The food is good, but far from great. You'll enjoy your meal most if you stick to bistro staples. The wine list boasts predominately French wines by the bottle, but also refreshing wines by the carafe. The restaurant is split into two rooms. The front room hosts a bar - Walk-ins and those who were not lucky enough to get reservations eat in this room. The rear dining area, away from the milling bodies, has nice touches like mahogany trims, wooden tabletops, and tea towels for napkins to complete the old-style brasserie feeling. A great place to go to for great fun and good food. more