Address: | 15 John St, New York, NY 10038, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-285-8585 |
Site: | leshalles.net |
Rating: | 3.8 |
Working: | 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 3:30–9PM Closed |
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A Private User
Our evening did not start well. The first member of staff we met seemed more preoccupied with shuffling menus than greeting us or showing us to our table. Our waitress was an improvement and at least cordial. We ordered a bottle of their house sparkling water which was flat, which was then replaced with another, similarly flat. The waitress explained it was only lightly carbonated (is that a euphemism for flat) and after some persuasion replaced it with some Perrier. So far, so so. We ordered snails for starters and both they and the bread were good. I ordered a glass of wine as my wife was not drinking. By the glass can always be risky but this was appalling. Supposedly a Burgundy it was thin and watery. Our main course arrived. My wifes hanger steak was fine, but warm rather than hot. My food, a mixed grill, was either uncooked or cold. I sent it back and it was returned but still little better than tepid. At that point I lost the will to live. We started talking to our neighbours. They told us their steak was the worst they have ever had. For a place who owners prides himself in his care and attention to the quality of meat, this in inexcusable. I asked for the bill and the two bottles of water we sent back were still on it. Thankfully they was promptly removed. We paid up -no tip- and left. At no time did any one ask us if our food was OK or if we were enjoying ourselves. From what I could see all the other members of staff were either surly or uninterested. I like Anthony Bourdains writing. I had lunch in the Park avenue branch a few years back and enjoyed it but standard have dropped and I will never return to Les Halles again. There are plenty of other restaurants in Manhattan that do a much better job of bistro style cooking. Thankfully our evening was salvaged by some desert,drinks and good service at a nearby cafe.
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Amanda Langill
Our reservation was lost and the host seemed clueless. Bathrooms were in disrepair and untidy. Menus are tired and consist of seemingly made-up French. Spirit & wine list as well as cocktail choices are uninspired. Escargot smelled wonderful but was rubbery and virtually tasteless. Chartucerie board was meager and the pate smelled of cat food. Duck dishes were unavailable as they did not have the proper sauce...or any duck. Coq au vin was dry as a desert. Mussels Normande were passable except for the bacon, which consisted of thick chunks of bacon fat instead of actual bacon meat. Fries are similar to those obtained in a fast food restaurant. Staff spilled drinks when delivering to table and tried to clear plates while we still had forks in-hand. Dissatisfaction was not limited to our table, as we overheard the table to the right of us complain of a steak ordered medium-rare delivered well-done and a $52 bottle of wine being delivered only upon the third request. Don’t waste your time or money unless you’re looking for a bourgeoise diner.
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A Private User
A word to the wise - if you ever go to a restaurant and are served a warm mesclun salad covered in fry-o-Iater grease, the odds are pretty good that the rest of the meal will be terrible, so just politely get up and RUN! I really cant believe that Anthony Bourdain had anything to do with this restaurant. Our server sold us on the evening specials, unfortunately what he described to us was not even close to what was served - for example, the black bean soup with goat cheese duck con fit without the cheese or duck (or any flavor) and the Lamb Loin was actually a fatty Lamb Leg. The Macaroni and Cheese was watery, brunt and tasteless - no seasoning, no salt, no cream, no breadcrumbs, nothing! In addition, the table next to ours sent back their steak after it was not cooked correctly - was this restaurant having an off night or is this typical? hummmm... After eating at this restaurant, I dont think I can ever watch Anthony Bourdains travel shows again. I am truly disappointed - its very unfortunate!
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Ayesha Rasheed Boulware
Les halles park avenue has been my families go to place since 1994. Service and food never failed to amaze me. I had mixed experiences downtown and last night was the worse and I wont be going back to this tourist trap. It was my nieces graduation dinner and we drove from Long Island for her favorite steak frites. It too 20 minutes to even get service. Table of 8 and everyone ordered steak, medium to medium rare. All the steaks came out Charred, practically burnt! When I complained they nicely agreed to pick up the check and asked us to pay for dessert. And when the bill came Jean misheard the manager and it was the desserts that were comped not dinner. We totally got played. Disappointing special occasion dinner. This may fly with the tourists but they just lost a regular client. The les halles legacy died with park avenue and the legendary steak frites has ceased to exist. Sorry Anthony Bourdain! Les halles downtown must be avoided.
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Julie Xiao
I came here for brunch with friends after finishing the 9/11 memorial run/walk. The door was locked and they only let people in who had reservations since they were short staffed. I had made a reservation beforehand but no one called me about this and there wasnt a sign on the door at least. They seemed overwhelmed by the crowd coming here after the race. They changed management recently so you cant really blame the workers, its really the managers fault. The hostess said we could sit at the bar and shell get us a table as soon as possible. This never happened so we just ordered food and drinks at the bar. I would give this place no stars but our bartender was really nice despite the circumstances and managed to get us our food/drinks in a reasonable amount of time so the 2 stars is really for him. The rest of the staff especially the hostess and the manager seemed clueless and unprofessional.
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ren shi shen zhui qiu
Really loved this place. They offer nice Tapas Menu very reasonably priced. Patatas Bravas were fantastic as were there generously filled Lobster Empanadas. The Paella had an amazing flavor but the only miss of the night was that the rice in the Paella was so over cooked it was mush. Was very surprised at this given that everything else was absolutely amazing...Paella definitely deserves another try(everyone has an off moment from time to time) and I will go back again in the hope the rice will be perfectly cooked. The Sangria was very good and was offered in a variety of flavors- my favorite was the White Peach. The service was amazing and the owner is very welcoming and friendly. Looking forward to my next visit!
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Rachel Antonio
Okay restaurant if youre craving simple French food and have a penchant for Anthony Bourdain. This Financial District location is quiet at night so if you are looking for a slightly more lively atmosphere, head uptown. Good choice for business lunches. We ordered the Moules Frites Mariniere style. The frites were on the thick side and tasted a little like McDonalds. We also got the Gratinee Des Halles and Macaroni and cheese so we could try it. The French onion soup was very good and the macaroni and cheese covered was in coagulated gruyere. I did add the Serrano ham to the mac and cheese and it helped to add a little oomph to the dish which was bland without it.