Address: | 80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-965-1414 |
Site: | balthazarny.com |
Rating: | 4.3 |
Working: | 7:30AM–12AM 7:30AM–12AM 7:30AM–12AM 7:30AM–12AM 7:30AM–1AM 8AM–1AM 8AM–12AM |
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Bertrand Duperrin
Si vous aimez les grandes brasseries parisiennes vous ne serez pas dépaysé. Même grande salle, même brouhaha à lheure du coup de feu qui fait partie du charme de lendroit, même carte faite de plats traditionnels et dun excellent banc de fruit de mer. Lavantage de Balthazar cest que plus le temps passe plus il reste fidèle à lui même : le service très efficace (parfois trop...), lambiance bruyante, une carte quon aimerait parfois un peu plus inventive et qui na du accueillir que quelques changements en 10 ans. Mais cest ce coté traditionnel qui en fait un des restaurants "français" inévitables à New York. Par contre les tarifs sont parfois un peu (beaucoup) élevés pour des plats certes très bien réalisés mais très classiques. Le "bar steak" à $29 cest un peu limite quand même. Mais cest peut être ce classicisme qui fait quon y revient régulièrement Mon dernier repas : - seafood ceviche : rien à redire, fraiche et variée - confit de canard : classique mais efficace, rien à redire - Caramelized Banana Ricotta Tart : la seule partie vraiment inventive de ce déjeuner, très bonne. Service rapide et attentionné, comme à lhabitude. Parfois trop : si on y prend garde on peut terminer un repas de 3 plats en 40 minutes... Ah dernier point : leur pain et leurs petits déjeuners sont excellents...ils ont leur propre boulangerie....
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Krist Lime
I am very conflicted about this place! Came here on a Monday night with 4 acts presenting. THE BAD: Holy crap, is this place cramped! We had "great" tickets - and I say "great" because... we were a few tables from center stage and it almost felt TOO close. But more importantly, we got there a bit after the first act started, and as a result we were left with cramming into our seats that were sandwiched between tables on every side. I couldnt move my chair an inch without hitting someone elses. I couldnt whisper something in my friends ear or even pour myself a glass of water without receiving glares from others for being "too loud". I mean, we paid a lot for these seats, I didnt realize we would have only a box to sit in. Additionally, the acoustics were a bit off the night we went (10/19). If youre sitting too close to the stage, it doesnt sound that great. Also when the last artist came on to play, something funky was going on with the cords and there was static being heard during his act. It was clear that the musician was getting frustrated. Granted, I get the sound guy probably just had an off night - we all do, I understand. THE GOOD: Well, its a winery! Its got gorgeous decor inside, and it IS actually quite spacious - I just wish they would make better use of the space! The service was pretty normal and the bathrooms were clean. The wines on tap are decent (cheapest bottle is a SB for $40). Aside from the bad acoustics / sound difficulties, all the musicians were really great. This is a great place for a group and is just such a nice, intimate space with fantastic lighting. Big open windows lining the street. Avg. price for wine is $14-15, for an appetizer ~$12, and a dish ~$17. Honestly, my family is coming into town and honestly, given the location and space of this place, I would like to take them here. Likely so, but I hope we wont have super cramped seats!
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Em C
This place is HUGE! It kind of reminds me of Bouchon here in Napa/Vegas where its a nice restaurant but not intimate.. even the interior sort of reminded me of Bouchon.. kinda dark, European feeling with chalkboard specials and paper setting. As I took a moment to gather my surroundings, I just noticed how LOUD it was. Its literally like youre in Grand Central Terminal, maybe because the high ceilings amplify the sound.. so if you want a super intimate date, go elsewhere. We were seated literally inches away from two tables.. so close, I even felt bad to use the bathroom because we would have to move our tables! Awkkkkkkkkkward. HOWEVER, the service is impeccable and the food is amazing! I would definitely return to try more things on the menu =) - FRENCH ONION SOUP -- YUM, the best Ive had. SO cheeeeeeeeeeeesy (yusss), and the onion soup was savory and not too watery which I like. Onion soup may sometimes get sweet because of the natural sweetness of the onion but they do it right here. Spoonfuls of cheese to last for every bite. - DUCK CONFIT -- duck was fall off the bone tender and it was a huge serving! Came with tons of mushrooms and a few potatoes. I think the only thing that could make this dish better is if it came on a bed of mashed potatoes :) Theres not many instances where I like Western duck entrees because NOTHING can top Chinese roast duck.. but this is a good contender. Id like to return for the steak frites as that seems to be their signature dish, and the roasted chicken if its as good as the duck!!
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Bin Fang
Whether youre a native New Yorker or a tourist, Balthazar is one of those infamous restaurants that you just must visit, even if youre not a fan of French food. Luckily, I am a fan of French food so I have no fear of approaching Balthazar head on. Balthazar is located on iconic Spring Street in Soho (NYC fun fact: SoHo is an abbreviation for "South of Houston Street", it was not named after the British neighborhood of the same name) . Youll know youve reached it when you see the hordes of people sitting on the benches outside, hoping to snag a seat in one of NYCs most coveted French restaurants. I started with the Saffron Risotto with ruby red shrimp, charred leeks, mascarpone cheese, and espellete pepper. The perfect texture of risotto is often hard to accomplish, but Balthazar does not fail. Next was the Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart. I love cutting through the crunchy crust to get to the creamy cheese that lies beneath. After contemplating several steak dishes, I decided on the traditional steak frites. The steak was just okay, but believe it or not, the frites alone made the dish all worthwhile. They were crunchy, salty, and the perfect size. I made sure I finished all of them before finishing my steak. Priorities. I would have skipped dessert, but I am not one to turn down a banana dessert so I had the Caramelized Banana Ricotta Tart with banana ice cream. Balthazar is a must-visit restaurant no matter where youre from.
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Chris Betti
Maybe I did it wrong. I walked in to the dining area at noon, and immediately the atmosphere made be feel at home. I reminisced on the highly experienced staff and high quality food at Eastern Standard in Boston. Id come for carry-out. I was promptly directed to the bakery entrance next door. The bakery is beautiful. Gorgeous loaves of high quality bread and a beautiful interior. The service was quick to take my order. But then it started falling apart. The staff wasnt sure whether they had the sandwich I ordered "available." From a list of 6 sandwiches. So I ordered another to save time. And it hit me: these are pre-made, pre-packaged sandwiches. The dreams of delicatessen on divine slices of fresh Parisian bread faded. And then, confirmation: plastic wrapped, taped up, slightly stale, slightly soggy, cheap grocery store Ciabatta, with dried out nuggets of chicken breast. Well, at least the semi-caramelized onions were tasty. And Id ordered a slice of cheese cake, too. I was excited about this, because it came in a nice looking 3 by 5 inch box. Inside, I found a round mini-cake, with a mediocre glazed strawberry. It was just passable in flavor. Texture ok if you like fluffy cheesecake. For $6. I was disappointed enough to write about it. Walking by daily, beckoned by the inviting loaves of bread and warmness emanating from within, I thought Id found the place to fill the hole in my heart left when I moved away from E.S. Im still looking.