French Roast — Restaurant in New York

You guuuuyyyzzz I have a story. About 6 years ago, French Roast was becoming my favorite spot to get tea and journal. I usually had the place to myself (didn't think anything of how empty the place always was), and the ambiance evoked a cozy Parisian diner in the roaring 20s. I loved imagining Zelda Fitzgerald in her prime, journaling and taking her afternoon tea in a place like this.

One day, I took a friend there, raving to her en route about this low-key immersive 1920s diner experience. I ordered the mussels, which smelled and tasted... gross. Gross enough to say something. The server asked if I'd like to order something else, but when the cheque came, they hadn't comped the smelly mussels. I politely contested multiple times, but the chef just kept sending people (the server and, when that didn't work, the manager) to uncomfortably reiterate that the mussels had just been shipped in and were fresh. No comp or discount. With a knowing look, the server then encouraged me to write a Yelp review... This was a new chef, she told me, and they'd already experienced friction with him. I paid full price for the turd mussels, and we left feeling crestfallen and apologizing unnecessarily to each other the way young women do. I never got around to leaving a review, not wanting to relive the experience. Instead, I just never went back to my favorite restaurant and thought of the crummy experience from time to time for years after.

So yesterday, a friend suggested meeting at this place called French Roast. I was ready to offer a different suggestion, but it occurred to me that they might have a new chef after all these years. So I called and asked, "How long has your chef worked there?" Almost 6 years, the new manager replied. Was it the same person, or had the arrogant mussel defender only lasted a couple of months before being replaced? I explained my bad experience, hoping that if it DID sound familiar or relatable, she'd be able to relay the story to the shitchef, ruin his day, and give me (and perhaps her) some long-awaited closure (Scorpio, in case you wondered...). But the new manager very warmly invited me back, saying, "That doesn't sound like our current chef. He's very kind." I accepted her offer to try French Roast again, and within 5 minutes of our arrival, the current chef personally came over to our table and comped our entire meal before we'd even ordered. 😭 Apparently the chef right before him had had a bad reputation, and the usually empty restaurant had been on its last legs when new chef showed up in 2019 (I wonder why 😑). Now, in 2024, this much more charming chef was standing in a restaurant bustling with customers -- at 2pm on a Wednesday, no less. My friend and I received a delicious comped meal (get the goat cheese hors d'oeuvre and malbec 🤌🏻), I got my favorite restaurant back, the unresolved story got a delectable ending at long last, and I finally got around to posting my (much more optimistic) review!

Kudos to the new French Roast team for treatin a lady right. Excited to cross one grudge off my list (so bad for the skin!) and to have a favorite...

Living in New York almost 7 years and seeing so many places come and go , you never know what will stick around and thank goodness French roast is still going strong. It is one of those places I came before I moved here to have an enchanting experience after walking the Central Park with dreams of living here. Every season they somehow manage to make it feel more and more magical.

Sure can it be a little pretentious with some of the staff or bartenders who definitely seem to favor people who look more elite or like they will tip more $$ (yes, for sure) I’m in the service industry, so I get it lol! It’s a bit obnoxious but hey- whatever ! It’s expensive to live in NYC and we are all just doing our best to survive out here.

It’s the best space to people watch, to get tucked into a little nook and cranny or at a bar seat and have cozy well portioned and delicious French food. I would come here every day in the winter just for the French onion soup because it truly is the best in the city; not too sweet, onions aren’t cut too thick, the broth is not too thick and syrupy it feels lux but still light, great bread ratio to soup, cheese perfectly melted with toasty bits- a true Parisian French onion soup. The steak Au poivre is a hit, the burger, the croque madame of course..but beyond the food, the ambiance, the classic New York feel, the best part of French roast hands down is Juan the bartender . He is an absolute treasure beyond words. I would come every day for the French onion soup and to have a chat with Juan - he made sure to take extra great care of my parents who were visiting and especially since we were seated last minute by the dreaded back of the house by the kitchen (although we truly didn’t mind we loved seeing all the fragrant food coming out.) thank you Juan you made...

7-5-25 update 9:24am Again, I'm afraid I must comment on the music choice. For this hour of the day, it would be so helpful to have something softer, more elegant, to bring us into the day. I'd love to be able to enjoy the tasty food and wonderful atmosphere of your restaurant with music that is more peaceful. (Not so percussive and beatbox busy for this morning.) As it is now, it's just not relaxing for early morning breakfast. Unfortunately, this makes me think twice about considering FR as a favorite breakfast spot. Thank you. 2024- Time goes by... We still have "French Roast" on the UWS (85th & Bway). I remember when it used to be open all night long! Even though that's no longer possible, it is still such a "go to" for tasty food, great cappuccinos, and fabulous ambience. The service is also wonderful. Just a wonderful staff. The one thing that would make it even better for me would be.... Create a soothing and distinctive musical experience to go with the classic and classy venue. Here on the UWS, I think you could do great with upbeat classical music! No one else does that (except Zabar's, and it's obviously working for them! 😉) Truly, putting some thought into music that is sweet, uplifting, and tasty would be great. No rock and roll heavy duty stuff. Make it soft and sweet! It will help my digestion! And it will soothe my heart, as much as your delicious comfort food already does. Upbeat soft classical or tasty jazz (Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn, Bill Evans, Bill Charlap, etc.) would go a long way to create even more of a distinctive and unique character for your wonderful...