Boucherie West Village — Restaurant in New York

I'm sad to write a less than stellar review for this beautiful restaurant. When we came three years ago still during Covid to celebrate my son's 18th birthday, we couldn't stop raving about the food, the gorgeous surroundings, the attention to detail, and the SERVICE. Wow. Even with partitions between the tables, masks, and other distractions of the time, the staff outdid themselves in making us feel cared about. So, fast forward, and we were choosing where to go to celebrate my son's 21st birthday. At first we thought to try a new place, but then thought, "Why mess with success? Let's go back to Boucherie for another great experience?" So, we did, this time joined by my son's girlfriend for our little celebration.

I'll cut to the chase: When I ordered my steak, I asked the waiter to substitute the french fries with another vegetable that was not fried. I thought it was a reasonble request, one I've made countless times in countless other places, and had it always complied with graciously. The waiter hesitated and said he would "check" about that. In the meantime, the appetizers arrive, which we enjoy. Then, other servers deliver the entrees to the table. I look at my plate that has a container of french fries on it, no other vegetable in sight. I told that server that I had requested to replace the french fries with other vegetables. He looked concerned and said he would "check."

A minute later our waiter came by. I pointed out to him that I had received french fries, not the vegetables substitute I had requested. He hesitated a beat, said he had checked and that the answer was no. However, if I'd like to purchase a separate side of a vegetable, of course I could do that. No, I didn't want to do that. I didn't want a whole separate dish of a vegetable, just a portion the same size as the french fries were. I also didn't want to wait to eat or have a vegetable arrive when I would be almost done with the meal. I didn't want to pay another $20 for something that should just be automatically given within a meal of this caliber. So, as all this was flashing through my mind, along with the feeling of disappointment, I said never mind. (Yes, my old stuff to work on, not anyone else's.) My son's girlfriend then saw the server who had originally brought me the entree approach our waiter, and gesture toward our table, clearly telling him about my substitution request--at which my waiter shook his head at him to let it go as taken care of.

I made light of it as no big deal, but it did rankle me. How much can it cost to replace a potato with three pieces of asparagas? Are their margins that tight? And we had even splurged on an expensive bottle of wine at this meal! In thinking back, perhaps I should have pressed the waiter further, or I should have asked to speak with the manager for the first time in my life. It was my son's special birthday celebration, and I just did not want to engage in any kind of confrontation or distraction from our good time.

Adding salt to the wound, at this $400-with-good-tip meal, everyone's entree was mediocre at best--my steak was tough, my husband's chicken was dry, and my son's girlfriend's halibut was not fresh. Perhaps the food was not as great as we had remembered it three years ago, but the "whatever you want to make you happy, our customer!" attitude they used to have had worked its magic and we had walked out completely satisfied then. Fair is fair, so one good note: The desserts we shared were excellent. If you only want to have dessert, you're in good hands.

In the meantime, fellow foodies out there, continue to admire Boucherie as you walk by--and keep walking to another place to eat. You are in Greenwich Village, footsteps away from thousands of other,...

I have had two dinning experiences here overall: the first one been 3 Star and the second one a fantastic 5 stars.

First: Came during the French Restaurant week and tried their prefix lunch menu.

First we were served with house-made bread with butter. Tasted good, nothing fancy but did the trick.

I liked their salad. It had the right amount of sauce and was blended well. It also has a little bit of sourness to it which kicked in pretty well. The soup of the day was very creamy. It was served cold, which was excellent for a hot summer day - cools you down really well. The soup also went well with the bread. Would recommend both the soup and the salad.

For the main, we all ordered the hanger steak medium done. The steak was quite juicy but the sauce was rather overwhelmingly. It overtook most of the flavors, though the sauce was good. Personally I would prefer less sauce. The portion was great though, would definitely feed well.

The service was attentive and the atomosphere was relaxing. It was lunch time so there were not many people, but it still took a while for our mains to arrive. We spent one and a half hour already but got only two courses, and still waiting for dessert. Overall an ok experience for the the prefix price of $25 lunch set but was way too slow.

5 Star experience: Second: Wine: they have a very good selection of wine and we ordered two rounds of wines.The white wine was light and tasty, goes well with the appetizers and bread. When we are considering pairings for our meat, they allowed us to try two samples of red wines when we cannot decide on which ones to take. My friend and I ended up picking different red wines after tasting the samples. It seems like I like the lighter ones and she prefers the rich ones. We both love them a lot! Bread: good as usual. No complains. Mousse De Foie Gras：A very special combination of the savory and rich foie gras and the sweet and refreshing thing. It almost feels like it were two dishes when you try them with the bread, and the combination of both is just fantastic. Mussels: A good bland of flavors. It is lightly seasoned so you can taste the freshness of the ingredients. Medium Hanger steak: the sauce makes the steak juicer and my friend loves it! The sauce was not salty at all, but just rich. It really gave a nice touch to my steak. Medium rare Filet Deboef: I personally love this more than the hanger steak. The medium rare filet is still juicy, and when you combine it with the vegetables they supply it becomes less heavy, making me want to eat more and more nonstop. I rarely find the combining the green vegetables with the steaks and I do believe this is a very good pair. Highly recommended! Services: very attentive and efficient. We got our appetizers and wines within 15 minutes and we finished all our food in...

If you're looking for the perfect location to impress on a first date, Boucherie is the place you want.

The ambiance reminds me of a Parisian brasserie along the Seine, with the perfect amount of lighting for a dinner date. Candle lit, soft, and with a good soundtrack that's not too invasive but creates a lovely mood.

From the appetizers to the desserts, you'll have plenty of choices, but there's a few items I'd recommend you to get - cause they're absolutely delicious.

As an entree do not miss out on the French onion soup, it's such a staple and you'll love the cheesy top, the sweet and flavorful onion soup, and you'll end up dipping more bread into it as not to waste a single drop.

The steak tartare is another one of my favorite: sometimes it can be a hit or a miss depending on who's seasoning it, but it will still be worth ordering. As per my last visit, my Tartare needed a bit more acidity and a tiny pinch of salt, but I'm literally nit picking here.

For the entree: if you're on a splurge kind of night do not hesitate and get the tomahawk steak. It's a 40oz rib-eye, with roasted bone marrow and a delicious bordelaise. Accompany it with a side of fries and creamed spinach and you're golden!

If you're more on of a first-date-not-sure-where-this-is-going-yet kinda night, maybe just go for the classic steak frites.

Let's go to desserts - cause you can't go to a French restaurant and not have dessert. One of my absolute favorite is the creme brûlée: creamy, velvety, with a perfectly crunchy caramelized top. If you're into something a bit more indulgent do not miss out on the chocolate mousse or try the classic profiteroles (that come with a side of chocolate to drizzle on top).

All in all, this is definitely a place I'd recommend to anyone, granted they're willing to spend a bit more than your usual restaurant. But the quality is excellent and everyone working there, from chef Jerome Dihui to everyone else, is absolutely amazing. Always polite, helpful, and very knowledgeable when it comes to the menu.

So whether you're on a first date, or you're on you 100th one, Boucherie will most certainly...