Le Cirque Cafe
“The great thing about LCC, aside from the reasonably-priced food, is the Monday night jazz.”
“My father got the farfalle minus the shrimp…he liked it very much.”
“But also, the creme brûlée (sans truffles) is still legendary.”
Le Cirque Cafe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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The atmosphere of this place is really nice. As for the drinks, my cocktail was pretty good and it was definitely expensive- approximately $20 for one. For the appetizers, the summer pea risotto was pretty good and not too creamy. The salmon tartar was alright despite that it was only three little pieces and had more of a sour taste to it. For the entrées, the trout was amazing!! The skin was crispy and the meat was moist!! However the lamb was a disappointment. As for the desserts, the buttermilk panna cotta and crème brulee were both alright. Overall, the trout was the highlight of my dinner. Oh yeah, the plates used to serve our appetizers and desserts were really childish. It had a monkey on it and made us feel like we went to a restaurant for children. Definitely never expected that.
I went here for Restaurant Week because I am dirty working class scum who could not afford such otherwise. I'm fairly certain they smelled it on us as well, as the hostess was basically a rude [biotech] but that's to be expected, right?
But enough about that, I really am not a person to judge a restaurant based on the staff– if the staff is great then it stands out, if they're not great I literally don't care as long as the food is good. That said, Cirque Cafe had a great staff and really great food but… unfortunately nothing really stood out!
The place itself is super swanky and looks great in a stodgy white people kind of way. Everything is shiny and the plates are cute and the wait staff is super accommodating. (One guy mistakenly bumped into me- mostly my fault really-and even followed me back to my table to politely pull the chair out for me to make up for it. Now that's service!)
As far as the food went, everything looked gorgeous and the portions were great. The chestnut soup was mostly just mild and sweet, not bad but not outstanding. The pork belly was a great ratio of fat to meat but a bit tough to cut in my opinion- tasted fine though, again nothing outstanding. And then the creme brûlée was amazing- I'll give ya that.
Soooooo I don't know. It was a great deal for restaurant week, but nothing really wowed me enough to want to come back again. Alas, I shall continue my search for the best unaffordable restaurant in New York….
This is one of the best deals in the area. They do a prix fixe at lunch for 25 and at dinner for 38: an appetizer and entree. These are not restaurant week portions. A few things are +5, but most not.
The tuna tartare is not good. The fish is tasteless and the flavoring/preparation is very weird; I do not recommend. I had eaten both breakfast and lunch, so I didn't want a big dinner and went with the vegetable cassoulet. It was atop polenta, I think, or a very unusual and rich but not plentiful mashed potato. I'm not a vegetarian but it was very good. I love the bread basket and the sweet butter is addictive. My friend had the steak, which was tender and well-flavored.
The great thing about LCC, aside from the reasonably-priced food, is the Monday night jazz. Matt Baker, a deservedly well-known jazz pianist, arranger, and sometime cabaret musical director, appears with his band–the Matt Baker Trio– one Monday a month. Nicolas King, a singer in Florida, flies up. They're wonderful and well-worth a disappointing tartare.
I also like that the list of wines by the glass features a cheap red and cheap white. When you're watching the bill, it's nice to have a 12 buck glass in a city where 16 is now average at a nice restaurant. Bottles are comparable to LA and other major cities (and now LA is beginning to adopt this maddening practice of charging 16 for the decent wines and 19 for the better ones).
The service is, well, what you would expect from this New York institution in the Bloomberg building. The cafe is overdue for a renovation. The red is dated but classic and sort of reassuring in a city so changed over the last 15 or 20 years. The service is old school (in a good way).
It's fun to see the wall of photos by the bathroom: Martha Stewart pre-jail, Trump's first ridiculous wife, Pope John Paul, and so many others.
The martinis are strong and large. I don't mind paying 17 for a martini if it's substantial. Another irritating trend in Manhattan restaurants is the downsizing of martinis served in a Sidecar glass. So wrong. Martini glasses are cone-shaped triangles. Not itty bitty Sidecar glasses.
But if you go on a night with music, it's terrific. There's no cover and Matt has played Carnegie Hall. He is receiving a Bistro Award this year. And it's the best entertainment deal in town for jazz.
The fact that it's only 4 blocks from my apartment doesn't suck.
Husband-wife duo Michael Garin and Mardie Millit have just joined the Monday music team. Their CD, "Hey Look! It's Michael and Mardie" is on iTunes and both perform separately and together around the city.
If you like chocolate, they have a giant chocolate "bar" words really cannot capture. But it's a chocoholic's dream beautifully prepared by their well-known pastry chef.
Nice place to sit, have cappuccinos and chat. Not too crowded and live music on some nights. We ordered calamari and grilled octopus to share. They were ok and the cappuccinos were tiny. I will try their restaurant then really decide if I like them or not.
Came here for Restaurant week ($25 for three course lunch)
Salad "Le Cirque"
The biggest portion of food, the salad was fresh. Slightly too acidic but I really loved the toasted pumpkinseeds.
Farfalle
Tasted like a generic bowl of pasta, but the crispy zucchini was what elevated it.
Merlu
Nothing really stood out. The 8oz piece of hake was cooked ok. Butternut Squash, Parsley Puree was also just ok.
Braised Pork Belly
Very yum. Rich. Crispy and just the right amount of meat to fat ratio. I could eat 5 of these, but alas also only 8 oz. (French people sure love tiny portions on big plates!)
Crème Brûlée "Le Cirque"
I was told that their signature dish was once double the size. Still tastes very good my partner says.
Mango Frangipane
The best part of this dessert were the tiny chunks of mango and the ice cream. Otherwise the cake was too dense for my liking.
In summary, a great lunch. But not $25 great.
I have been here a few times with friends. The food was very good. The problem that I have is the menu is very limited.
It is a great place if you are looking for a fast meal. The dress is casual and it is cheaper than Le Cirque's main establishment.
Give it a try
Restaurant Week '14.
Came here for lunch with my Mom and Karen earlier today. Was amazed by the interior decor, lots of wine showcases and beautiful lights. Our table was directly in front of a wine showcase that was filled all the way to the ceiling and inside, a ladder to climb up for the ones located on the top rack. We were also under the upside down umbrella like lights, which felt quite romantic with the fresh orange colored flowers right on our table.
The restaurant week lunch menu had plenty choices to choose from, 5 different items for both the appetizer, and main, 4 items for dessert.
To start, both me and my Mom chose the Summer Pea Risotto. Was kind of funny we both chose rice, number one because we were Chinese, number two because rice can fill us up. My Mom is tiny but she can eat up a storm. Back to the risotto, green colored creamy goodness. Rice had a nice bite to it, just great, and definitely made with lots of peas.
Next up, we shared the Chicken and the Garganelli. Chicken is made two ways and served on a bed of warm cherry wheatberry, then the white cream sauce is poured right on when it gets to the table. The Garganelli is a fish ragu and served with carrot foam. My Mom has never seen foam sauce before so she was super excited and snapped away many many pictures to show off to her friends. Both dishes were outstanding, but potions were a bit on the small side, luckily we got the rice as a cushion.
To finish off our lovely lunch date, and despite the tiny dishes, of course we had room for dessert. Mommy never had Creme Brulee nor Panna Cotta so got us one of each. Both were executed well, the lemon sorbet was surprisingly fresh and had perfect amount of tart.
Another thing I would like to point out, from the minute we walked in, from the hostess to the waitors, all were friendly and attentive, one even offered Karen a cute little box with chocolates inside, just because! Also take your time and look at the plates of the dishes, they follow a cute monkey theme!
My reviews of Le Cirque will ALWAYS be 5 star as this is truly one of THE BEST places to dine, relax & enjoy a wonderful time. It's an EXPERIENCE, not just a meal. The staff ALWAYS makes you feel so welcome & comfortable. The atmosphere is one of my favorites & ahhhh, the food! We always look forward to our next time there. If I could give it SIX stars, I would. An ABSOLUTE MUST for tourists while in New York & for natives as well, but I hope my reviews don't make it too popular that we'll have issues getting a table!! Gloria to Le Cirque & The Maccioni Family! You deserve it!