Cafe Charbon--Epicerie

Claim
marker

170 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
New York, NY 10002

marker
(212) 420-7520
Incorrect info? Correct your listing
Main categories:

Restaurants

,

Cafes

Related categories:

Food & Dining

Reviews
( 23 )
( 33 )
( 22 )
( 14 )
( 24 )

Best

My boyfriend and I came here and we had a really great dinner and the service was swell. The food was pretty cheap, compared to other French places I'd been too. We left here feel...

Worst

My bf and I went to dinner on a cold & rainy Tuesday evening. I was hoping for a warm & cozy atmostphere and what we got was hard wooden chairs & tiled kitchen floor hidden by the...

Mixed Service 6/23/2004

I came here a couple of times at night and had a good time. Food is decent but nothing special, but I liked the warm atmosphere of the epicerie. I came here for brunch and had the worst experience ever. The waitresses were clueless french girls who ran around panicked but still managed to give no service to most tables. Many tables were looking around angrily, waiting on something. We waited AN HOUR for food. We asked for mustard repeatedly and it came when my friend had two fries left. Go when it's not full. Pros: Warm Atmosphere more
Reply | Report abuse |

Mixed Service 6/23/2004

I came here a couple of times at night and had a good time. Food is decent but nothing special, but I liked the warm atmosphere of the epicerie. I came here for brunch and had the worst experience ever. The waitresses were clueless french girls who ran around panicked but still managed to give no service to most tables. Many tables were looking around angrily, waiting on something. We waited AN HOUR for food. We asked for mustard repeatedly and it came when my friend had two fries left. Go when it's not full. Pros: Warm Atmosphere more
Reply | Report abuse |

Awful Service 5/23/2004

Ingredients were fresh and food was OK but definitely not worth putting up with the terrible attitude of the waitstaff. Pros: good for groups, food is good Cons: , confusing hours, dumb doors more
Reply | Report abuse |

Awful Service 5/23/2004

Ingredients were fresh and food was OK but definitely not worth putting up with the terrible attitude of the waitstaff. Pros: good for groups, food is good Cons: , confusing hours, dumb doors more
Reply | Report abuse |

Servers need to get a clue 4/18/2004

Had brunch there on Sunday afternoon...as expected, it was a bit crowded, but we were seated promptly. The food was quite good, but the experience was ruined by the service. A couple who arrived 5-10 minutes after we did ordered the exact same brunch, and were subsequently served our food. No one bothered to come over and explain the fiasco, let alone refill our tiny $8 bloody marys or tiny $4 cappucinos. We finally asked what the problem was and how much longer we'd have to wait, and the reply was a shrug, and "Sometimes this happens, OK? You know, it is very busy." French or not, you're in New York, sweetheart. Pros: Food, Cute dining room Cons: , Over priced drinks more
Reply | Report abuse |

Servers need to get a clue 4/18/2004

Had brunch there on Sunday afternoon...as expected, it was a bit crowded, but we were seated promptly. The food was quite good, but the experience was ruined by the service. A couple who arrived 5-10 minutes after we did ordered the exact same brunch, and were subsequently served our food. No one bothered to come over and explain the fiasco, let alone refill our tiny $8 bloody marys or tiny $4 cappucinos. We finally asked what the problem was and how much longer we'd have to wait, and the reply was a shrug, and ""Sometimes this happens, OK? You know, it is very busy."" French or not, you're in New York, sweetheart. Pros: Food, Cute dining room Cons: , Over priced drinks more
Reply | Report abuse |

Not fun on Monday Nights 12/9/2003

Went there on a Monday night. They had a cd playing in repeat mode the whole night ! lol ! And it was UB40 !!! I like reggae but come one, UB40 !!! The duck cassoulet I had was way too salty. The waitresses were pretty friendly, and most of them could speak french. Nice selection of beer and wine. I would never go back there on a Monday night. I heard this can be fun on nights when they have DJ's. Pros: French speaking, Beer/wine selection, Dim lighting Cons: Food , Music on Mondays more
Reply | Report abuse |

Not fun on Monday Nights 12/9/2003

Went there on a Monday night. They had a cd playing in repeat mode the whole night ! lol ! And it was UB40 !!! I like reggae but come one, UB40 !!! The duck cassoulet I had was way too salty. The waitresses were pretty friendly, and most of them could speak french. Nice selection of beer and wine. I would never go back there on a Monday night. I heard this can be fun on nights when they have DJ's. Pros: French speaking, Beer/wine selection, Dim lighting Cons: Food , Music on Mondays more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great food 4/15/2003

Enjoyed my meal here. The fries are great, cheap, and rival those at Les Halles for quality and taste. I had the charcouterie and my partner had monkfish--both were outstandingly prepared. Starters were good; the desserts were good but nothing surprising. The atmosphere was appropriately boisterous; the service was typically French as well--just like I like it, unhurried and not overly attentive. They were around when needed--what else do you need? Pros: iDine points/miles more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great food 4/15/2003

Enjoyed my meal here. The fries are great, cheap, and rival those at Les Halles for quality and taste. I had the charcouterie and my partner had monkfish--both were outstandingly prepared. Starters were good; the desserts were good but nothing surprising. The atmosphere was appropriately boisterous; the service was typically French as well--just like I like it, unhurried and not overly attentive. They were around when needed--what else do you need? Pros: iDine points/miles more
Reply | Report abuse |

How do we enter? 1/4/2003

Very clever designed atmosphere makes you feel as though you are in France. The food was a bit slow to come out, but definitely worth the wait. Prices are decent for food, but pricey for drinks as there is an extensive beer and wine list. Try the chocolate souffle and all-you-can-eat mussels and fries on Mondays. Pros: atmosphere, beer/wine list Cons: slow service more
Reply | Report abuse |

How do we enter? 1/4/2003

Very clever designed atmosphere makes you feel as though you are in France. The food was a bit slow to come out, but definitely worth the wait. Prices are decent for food, but pricey for drinks as there is an extensive beer and wine list. Try the chocolate souffle and all-you-can-eat mussels and fries on Mondays. Pros: atmosphere, beer/wine list Cons: slow service more
Reply | Report abuse |

Dreadful dining experience 12/10/2002

I cannot remember a worse dining experience than this. The food was not as expected, but far from a total disaster. What ruined a nice night and dinner was the atmosphere in the restaurant. The waiters did their best in being polite and smiling, but with managers who were constantly on their back with messages FOR THE ENTIRE RESTAURANT, thing had to go wrong. Trying to find out why and what was happening I was told that the owner of the place was the one making life hard for his employees, and thus for the customers. When then asking the owner if he could keep his voice down, he didn't respond- but continues his harassment. We finished our mediocre meal and left the place as soon as we could. A glass of wine at the nearby Pink Pony was our rescue for the night! more
Reply | Report abuse |

Dreadful dining experience 12/10/2002

I cannot remember a worse dining experience than this. The food was not as expected, but far from a total disaster. What ruined a nice night and dinner was the atmosphere in the restaurant. The waiters did their best in being polite and smiling, but with managers who were constantly on their back with messages FOR THE ENTIRE RESTAURANT, thing had to go wrong. Trying to find out why and what was happening I was told that the owner of the place was the one making life hard for his employees, and thus for the customers. When then asking the owner if he could keep his voice down, he didn't respond- but continues his harassment. We finished our mediocre meal and left the place as soon as we could. A glass of wine at the nearby Pink Pony was our rescue for the night! more
Reply | Report abuse |

Francophones for Bacchus 11/23/2002

Even though some reviewers have complained of having better wine in a bigger glass for less money, I suppose if a person had enough knowledge of wine, like the members of the staff at Cafe Charbon, they would realize that certain wines belong in certain glasses. Otherwise, this is a great place to celebrate Nouveaux Beaujolais along with other wine lovers and even some francophones! The staff knows well when a couple would rather have a romantic meal together without an intrusion, and the food is great... Overall, this is a wonderful establishment. Pros: excellent wine list, private conversations, Ils parlent francais more
Reply | Report abuse |

Francophones for Bacchus 11/23/2002

Even though some reviewers have complained of having better wine in a bigger glass for less money, I suppose if a person had enough knowledge of wine, like the members of the staff at Cafe Charbon, they would realize that certain wines belong in certain glasses. Otherwise, this is a great place to celebrate Nouveaux Beaujolais along with other wine lovers and even some francophones! The staff knows well when a couple would rather have a romantic meal together without an intrusion, and the food is great... Overall, this is a wonderful establishment. Pros: excellent wine list, private conversations, Ils parlent francais more
Reply | Report abuse |

Not my fave 11/13/2002

My bf and I went to dinner on a cold & rainy Tuesday evening. I was hoping for a warm & cozy atmostphere and what we got was hard wooden chairs & tiled kitchen floor hidden by the fact that the place is only lit by a few candles on the tables. The food was OK, but I could have had pasta with tomatoes anywhere. Not much variety for vegetarians. My Chardonnay was OK but I have had better & in a much bigger glass for less $$. The waiters were dressed in jeans and t-shirts and seemed to get irritated when the place started to fill up. We may have gone on a bad night, but I won't be rushing back anytime soon. Pros: Service when empty Cons: Floors, Cold more
Reply | Report abuse |

Not my fave 11/13/2002

My bf and I went to dinner on a cold & rainy Tuesday evening. I was hoping for a warm & cozy atmostphere and what we got was hard wooden chairs & tiled kitchen floor hidden by the fact that the place is only lit by a few candles on the tables. The food was OK, but I could have had pasta with tomatoes anywhere. Not much variety for vegetarians. My Chardonnay was OK but I have had better & in a much bigger glass for less $$. The waiters were dressed in jeans and t-shirts and seemed to get irritated when the place started to fill up. We may have gone on a bad night, but I won't be rushing back anytime soon. Pros: Service when empty Cons: Floors, Cold more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great concept 11/4/2002

The decor in this place is great. The entrance, the bar area and the dining room all have very unique and well-done decor. The night that I went, it seemed very busy. This, teamed with an impatient and unattentive waitress (odd combination) made the service lackluster. The food was decent, but not great (possibly because of how busy they were). Pros: ambience, decor, appetizers Cons: service, attitude more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great concept 11/4/2002

The decor in this place is great. The entrance, the bar area and the dining room all have very unique and well-done decor. The night that I went, it seemed very busy. This, teamed with an impatient and unattentive waitress (odd combination) made the service lackluster. The food was decent, but not great (possibly because of how busy they were). Pros: ambience, decor, appetizers Cons: service, attitude more
Reply | Report abuse |
< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >
Menu for Cafe Charbon--Epicerie


Summer SALE!!!:
15% OFF all yearly plans
Use year15 at checkout. Expires 1/1/2021
Owner Message

  • Elite Microwave Deals, carries an extensive line of microwave products, mostly countertop microwaves, from 700 watts Microwaves to 1250 watts , from black or white microwaves to full stainless steel microwaves. For help choosing the best microwave for your kitchen, office or dorm, give our sales specialists a call at 407-262-005

Editorial

  • The Scene
    The owners of Flea Market, the French-bohemian haunt in the East Village, have recreated a Parisian street scene, Epcot-style. Faux storefronts lead into Cafe Charbon, a...

  • 7/28/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, Lower East Side
badge