26 Seats
“- Magret de Canard à la Framboise ($28): Sliced duck breast in a raspberry reduction with mashed sweet potatoes and asparagus.”
“TL;DR: Great intimate and unpretentious French restaurant a little out of the way with amazing service and food.”
“The lamb shank I ordered was tender and served in a delicious red wine sauce along with a tower of perfect mashed potatoes enveloping a layer of vegetables.”
26 Seats
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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It looks like everyone had a bad experience for Valentine's Day, but I came here on a Saturday night and it was pretty much empty except for 3 other parties. So don't be deterred by the reviews that spoke of the really long waits, because I didn't wait at all.
I'm constantly on the search for reasonably priced French places, and this is reasonable enough, with ~$23 per dish. I got the breaded rack of lamb (Carre d'Agneau a la Dijonnaise) – which was so good. I've never had breaded lamb before and it was a great texture in combination with the saltiness of the sauce and paired well with the sweet ratatouille that comes with. I wish there had been a bit more ratatouille or starch though, in order to balance out the saltiness. The helpings were very large and I was so full afterwards.
The service is ok and I was able to stay as long as I wanted without being rushed by the waitress. The decor isn't super cute or anything, but I'd probably come back again.
My boyfriend and I came here for dinner a couple of months ago and were absolutely blown away. I was one of the best dinners we've had out together. The place is unassuming both outside and in, to the point where my very particular boyfriend was a bit skeptical when I assured him it was actually a great restaurant — but it was him in the end that reminded me today that I HAD to post this review to share the wealth, so that tells you something!
We arrived with a reservation for 2 but it wasn't needed; the only others in the establishment were the staff and a table of about 6 people in the back. Our server was very friendly and attentive throughout the meal. To start, we ordered the French onion soup and the Salade 26. This French onion soup is hands down the best I've ever had. We might have been fighting over it a bit. The salad was also very good, but of course you can't really go wrong with brie, tomatoes, and balsamic. For our mains, he ordered the lamb shank while I ordered the duck breast. Tough as it was to admit, he picked the better dish. That lamb was so incredibly good, tender, juicy, and falling apart. The duck breast was also tasty, but as previous reviewers have mentioned actually a little too fatty/chewy. I think it would have benefitted from slightly thinner cut slices. The raspberry reduction is delicious, though.
I don't remember what the total bill came to, but I know it was a pretty penny (probably $70-80pp?) as these entrees weren't exactly cheap and we'd also split a bottle of wine. But it was well worth it to us both. Very lovely dining experience and we would definitely come again!
The East Village is a trove of intimate restaurants that boast a unique, quirky twist. 26 Seats is a local gem that fits that East Village flair.
The BF wanted to impress me with dinner, and he did a great job in selecting 26 Seats. It was a Saturday night in October, and we were coming from the 80s on the UES. He called from the cab and made reservations for 7:15pm. Luckily, for a restaurant with only 26 seats – presumably 26, because Peter D disagrees with the number – there was an open table. To dinner we go. When we arrive, the restaurant is still relatively empty. I'm not sure if this was an anomaly, but for this restaurant I'd advise making reservations – always. We were seated at the table for two, with the chair that resembles a throne.
AMBIANCE – Extremely intimate; quiet enough to hold an actual conversation. The restaurant is a long, narrow room, with tables lined against the painted brick walls. Red is the dominant color, from the lipstick red walls to the burgundy light fixtures on the ceiling.
DECOR – no two chairs are alike. You could be dining on a three seater sofa, a leather studded armchair, a kitchen chair with grass seating, or in our case, a wooden throne. I'm picturing the restaurant's owner carefully browsing thrift shops and garage sales in his/her quest for 26 unique chairs. The artwork and knickknacks around the restaurant seemed similarly mismatched.
FOOD – he ordered the lamb shank (Lamb Shank Slow Cooked in a Red Wine and Herb Sauce, with Mashed Potato Forestière). I ordered the hanger steak (i love me some fatty steak). I've eaten my fair share of NYC, and I have to say, my steak was finger-licking good. Since we were both having red meat, we got a bottle of red wine to share.
In conclusion, 26 Seats is a great find. For all the gentlemen who want to woo your ladies, this place is great for dates. I could also envision this bistro as a place I'd take my parents when they come into town, or for a one-on-one dinner with a friend.
We may have caught this place on a semi-off night a few weeks ago.
quality of apps – solid though small except for the mussels. The escargot is delish. The scallops were good but not great. For mains, the salmon and snapper were good, the steak and lamb chops also decent.
They skimp on bread which is a shame because it is possibly the best part. The service was strange and the steak that was requested rare to medium rare came out nearly well and the server was less than apologetic, borderline rude. It was not replaced and no gesture was even made to rectify the situation.
Such a cute little cozy spot!
This French spot could not be anymore authentic with the intimate setting and the French waiter who was beyond polite and helpful. Although its small theres a very cozy vibe so you dont feel too crowded. I ordered the hanger steak which was full of amazing flavor but it was really
tough to chew which was awkward. I ordered the steak medium so it should not have been that tough. I also tried a piece of the duck which was phenomenal. Everything including the sides were bursting with flavor! They also have a lovely wine selection as well if you'd like to grab a bottle of red! I definitely recommend!
On a Friday night, my date had decided to choose this restaurant as a surprise dinner. Tucked away on an unsuspecting street, this little gem is easily overlooked if you're not looking for it.
We arrived at 7 P.M on a Friday. I was expecting a long wait after brushing aside the red curtain but surprisingly there were only two other couples there, with the largest table reserved for another dinner party.
Immediately we were greeted by an extremely friendly waitress, her English tinged with the most adorable of accents. I was taken aback by the intimacy of the restaurant and how unpretentious it was. French restaurants usually leave me feeling inadequate — like I'm not good enough to be eating there.
We started with an amazing bottle of wine that the waitress suggested after our initial choice was no longer available.
Slightly inebriated, we started our dinner with "Moules Marinieres" (mussels) — a large portion for just two people. It was perfectly cooked and the sauce was heaven in my mouth.
As the dinner progressed (along with our consumption of the bottle of wine) our individual entrees arrived — I chose the "Poitrine de Poulet Au Porto et Champignons" (chicken) with my date selecting the "Jarret d'Agneau".
My chicken was cooked perfectly, the sauce was perfect, and the gratin dauphinois was delicious. In short, my meal was not a disappointment.
While my date and I were too full and I was too drunk to divulge in the dessert menu, the options seem tempting.
TL;DR: Great intimate and unpretentious French restaurant a little out of the way with amazing service and food. Please go.
Went on Valentine's Day and it was in a word… Awful. The waiter (while very nice) took forever and a day to even offer us menus. My girlfriend and I ordered 2 different steak dishes that came out looking absolutely identical. The meat was tough and chewy. To make matters worse they clearly didn't take into consideration that by offering 3 main dishes (2 of which being steak) that maybe, just maybe it would make sense to have enough steak knives for everyone! The wine was good otherwise.. Truly awful and I felt embarrassed for having picked it. Never again.
My friend and I were actually on our way to another neighboring French restaurant but they had an odd "service break" for two hours that their website didn't mention so we did leave and were wondering around until we stumbled across this fantastic restaurant: Hidden Gem of New York City!
The décor is absolutely darling inside and just like a pervious yelp review mentioned, it is basically 26 seats. The tight fit really matched the cozy and intimate feel of the restaurant.
I ordered the Cassolette d'Escargots aux Champignons: (Snails in Mushrooms and Garlic Cream) which is by far the best escargot that I have ever had! The appetizer was served with a crispy bread pastry on top, which was a nice touch. Soupe à L' oignon Gratinée (Onion soup) was outstanding. The cheese on top was slightly crispy and the broth was white, which I never saw before in an onion soup but it tasted excellent. My friend ordered the Magret de Canard au Vinaigre de Framboise Reduction : (Sliced Duck Breast in a Raspberry Reduction with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus). I was I was hungry enough to order an entrée but I did taste a bite of hers and it was phenomenal! Personally, I am not a duck kind of girl because I do find that duck has an odd texture (strange, I know) but I would definitely order this dish the next time I retune. The Raspberry sauce was thick, like a glaze and matched the duck perfectly. Overall, the dinner was outstanding.
We were the only ones there so the service was impeccable. The server, Lex was a total sweet heart! By far one of the most professional and polite waiters that I have ever met.
Two thumbs up for 26 seats !