Pigalle

Au-haw-haw...I am French!

OK, I'm not...I know it's politically incorrect, but when I enter such a traditional French bistro, I think of that scene among the peasants during the French Revolution in Mel Brooks' "History of the World, Part One"..."We are so poor, we do not even have a language! Just this stupid accent! ...We all talk like Maurice Chevalier! Au-haw-haw!"

Well, au-haw-haw...such faux-Gallic brio would be met with the edge of the guillotine, I'm sure. I remember Rachael Ray spotlighting this place in one of her "$40 a Day" episodes in New York, and it was enough of a touchpoint for me to try it. Besides which, despite the chaotic hustle-bustle of the Theater District, there is an amazing dearth of quality eateries that can satisfy a not-that-picky palate before the curtain.

Since I had a little over an hour before the beginning of "Grey Gardens" down the block, I decided just to sit at the large bar to eat. I ordered a traditional dish - the $16.50 Duck Confit. Au-haw-haw. It had a nice crispy skin over a particularly tender duck leg and came with sauteed potatoes (which were really just home fries) and tomatoes provencal (sliced in half and cooked to a soft consistency and topped with broiled bread crumbs). It was a hearty portion, pretty tasty and served lickety-split by one of the bartenders.

Sure, I got the occasional splash of vodka and whiskey on my plate by a passing bartender speedily making cocktails for the tourists. Not necessarily a bad thing. And the servers were buzzing by so quickly that I became the forgotten man by the time I needed the check. But it all worked out and I made it to the theater in plenty of time. So just remember...every leetle breeze seems to wheesper "Louise"!...au-haw-haw.

FOOD - 4 stars....good, hearty French country dishes
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars....it has the Parisian bistro look down pat
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...gets crazy-busy just before the curtain rises, but friendly when you do get attention
TOTAL - 4 stars...with few options in the Theater District, this gets a thumbs-up from me...au-haw-haw

I finally came here a few months ago for a mid-week brunch/lunch on my way to the airport with a friend. By finally I mean that one of my friends goes here at least once a month on a fairly regular basis. They do have some excellent perks. It's not your typical Manhattan boozey all you can drink brunch but they do have an unlimited food buffet for $21.95 up until either 11am or the afternoon. So there's that downfall. If you want a trough full of food, rise and shine early. Their cocktails are a bit pricey. $9 for a mimosa or bellini. Though, they have more interesting things on their alcohol menu like one of the most extensive absinthe lists I've ever seen in the USA and a huge list of Belgian Trappist Ales (there are only 8 breweries in the world).

The space is open and brightly lit. Really nice and torn away from the mayhem of nearby Times Square. I ordered the Croque Madam for breakfast/lunch. Nicely cooked eggs, a lite slathering of gruyere cheese (Give me MORE cheese) and bechamel, crispy fries. My friend had ordered their Morrocan burger that consisted of ground lamb and goat cheese with harissa aioli. Both meals were good but not outstanding. A solid meal. The staff was excellent and that's where this place shines. Though, with my friend being a regular I think they recognized her and kept pushing for her to order more brunch cocktails or coffee. Torn between giving this 3 and 4 stars but I think the pricing is a bit steep on their drinks for just being a french american cafe/bistro. But the area will do that to you.

The nervousness you get when you are already sitting at the table, check-in on Yelp and realize that the ratings leave much to be desired. It's a fear I can't describe, you have to experience it!

Luckily, on this day, I was surprised:

- Quiche is phenomenal, but a small portion. I'd order it again without hesitation
- Excellent tea selection of lose leaf pouches
- Typical Manhattan prices, in other words, expensive food for what it is
- Attentive Service. The server was great and helpful.
- Good atmosphere. Tables are very close together, but then again, it's Manhattan.

Paris's seedy Red Light District comes to New York (the equivalent to New York's Times Square).

I stopped here briefly to rest and a cool down from summer's humidity. Sunday afternoon pre-theater mood lures me for a drink but it was only 1PM. Without hunger pangs I opt for Mimosa $9.00 which was refreshing and the restaurant was not entirely busy nor crowded.

It's OK, but certainly nothing special and certainly rather low end on the scale of French cuisine. However it is clean, roomy, has good window views, a good wine list and cocktails served at reasonable prices. It also has a good location on the Theater/Hell's Kitchen area of New York.

It isn't the type of place that you will lucky encounter an outstanding meal but it is also the type of place in which it would be very unlikely that will encounter a bad meal. Mediocre but consistently so, and I happen to be one that always looks for consistency in a food service establishment.

A rather nice touch is that they generally offer a "Prix Fike" (Fixed Price) menu. My suggestion would be to stick with that menu and the items on it.

Nice ambience, good location, good sized dining room and decent service... food is, um, ok.

OK, first off, what up NYC? Why are you so cheap that you don't give free refills on soda (aka pop to Minnesotans)?? I LOVE NYC, but man, a glass of soda costs a restaurant about 5 cents and not to give free refills is ridiculous.

I'm done ranting. The food at Pigalle is nothing special. They have a nice menu of "Frenchy" faves, but they are average. We had brunch and my friend had Eggs benedict. It was served on sourdough toast (WRONG) with ham (WRONG). Ou et le jambon Canadien? The English muffins?

OK, the rest was ok and I have to go now. There are thousands of other better restaurants in the area. Go somewhere else.

The first time I had ever come here was the reason why I keep coming back year after year. Back in 2009, I had fractured my foot and found myself on crutches never feeling comfortable enough to go into a bar or restaurant. My #FancyDad was in New York and insisted that we go out for brunch because ordering in and eating was unacceptable - I agreed. We wanted to go somewhere nearby where I live and he suggested that we go to "this lovely little French place" he saw on his walk over to my apartment.

When we got there, they gave us a table for four people so my #FancyDad could sit diagonally from me and I could place my fractured foot up on the comfy couch adjacent from me. I was so comfortable and glad they were so accommodating, my #FancyDad initially suggested this situation and Pigalle was happy to do it. It wasn't until 2010 when Le Boyfriend and I were first going out that we started to come here and til this day, we consider this to be our spot for brunch. Funny enough, we can't pronounce Pigalle properly so we call it "French Connection". Haha.

Le Boyfriend and I come here at least once every couple months or so to indulge ourselves in their delicious bellinis and mimosas. I just love the feeling of bubbles dancing on my tongue before (and after - ha!) 12pm. The service is outstanding and the waiters are incredibly polite and attentive - especially Jose, MIchael and Marco, they're terrific! I have learned that coming here you must be patient with the food. Why is because if you order apple juice, for example, you will wait about 15 minutes. Not because they're slow but because they're not giving you that fructose corn syrup crap and they're actually taking their time to fresh press the apples! You're going to get legitimate apple juice!

As for the food, I have had their sandwiches, eggs, sausage and french toast and they take a bit to come out but honestly it's worth the wait. Each and every order is hot, fresh and tastes like it was custom made just for you. My one piece of advice is to be careful how much you order because the tables are kind of small. Depending on what time Le Boyfriend and I come here, we usually make use of our neighboring table to place extra food on there or we take our time to eat so that our table isn't bombarded with food.

One time, we came incredibly early and got to experience the buffet! This buffet starts in the early morning until about 11:30am. They set up the hot and cold food on the bar and you take as much as you like. Before you take on the buffet, waiters will give you a menu to inform you of what is in the buffet and to give you a choice of the food that is a la cart. The buffet is lovely and is only about $19.00. One time I came with friends and we ordered a la cart skipping the buffet entirely. Not because we were turned off by the buffet but I knew I only wanted french toast and by ordering that alone I saved $7 from the buffet price.

Honestly, this restaurant is like a treat. It's hard to believe this place gets mixed reviews as I have never once had a less than 5 star experience here.
I'm so glad I live within walking distance and it's always a pleasure to come here. The service and quality of the food and drinks never fail and the ambiance and atmosphere is just lovely. Apparently they have live music here which I haven't yet heard but until I do, I enjoy the upbeat, french music they play.

See you soon, Pigalle!

I see a cluster of two star ratings and wonder why. I've eaten at Pigalle at least five times. The food is always good, the menu is better than ordinary, the decor is fun and the value is quite good. Considering the location is in the Times Square area, where good food is hard to find, it probably deserves another star!

In fact, I've had two co-workers suggest that we meet for lunch in the past week - and they're both quasi-foodies. So, a second-hand endorsement.

I've eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner meals here that range from croque monsieur, mussels, frisee salad, onion soup and artichoke ravioli. The beer selection is Euro influenced and the cocktails are $12.

I would knock the service simply as inconsistent and perhaps bumbling.

Overall, this is a very stable and reliable meal at any time of day.

The morning of our very first Yankees game, my sister-in-law had one requirement for our breakfast destination: must serve bloody marys to start a day of drinking off right.

That's what ultimately led us to Pigalle this past Saturday. Booze.

We sat at the bar while we waited for a table, but were seated fairly quickly for a party of 6 on a busy Saturday. Our server was pleasant and friendly, and we soon received freshly squeezed orange juice, really spicy bloody marys (that I personally thought were on the small side) and a really excellent cafe au lait.

Breakfast was good--after almost an entire week of "vacation eating," I stuck with organic yogurt and granola... nothing special, but just fine. Justin had a delicious omelet with spinach, tomatoes and goat cheese, and everyone seemed to enjoy their meals.

I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but if you've got a bloody mary stipulation and you like 'em spicy, Pigalle is your place.

Dear Sean,

I hope that's how you spell it. My siblings and I came in Pigalle last night for some dinner. We might have needed some special attention. There were a lot of questions and needs. You took care of us crazy kids and I want to say I appreciate it!

I only had two small plates, a beet salad and a crab cake. They were good but not the best. My sister and brother loved their croques. My sister really enjoyed her blood orange cocktail with fig vodka. I had a sip and it was fantastic.

My siblings also ordered coffee. My brother always gets soy milk when possible. One of the other waiters grabbed him some.

And I couldn't leave without the creme brulee. It sealed the meal beautifully. And my siblings got some coffee refills. After dessert my sister and I went to the bathroom, only to return to see my brother had some how knocked over a glass. He's a handful. It was taken care of right away.

All in all a great time with my siblings. And your service moved this place from 3 stars to 4 stars!

- Carolina

Come for a strong cocktail and maybe a nibble!