Orsay
“I think Orsay might be an under-appreciated little gem on the Upper East Side.”
“The outdoor seating on a nice afternoon is a treat too with just enough privacy away from the sidewalk but still great views to people watch.”
“Both the maitre'd and one of the waiters were French speaking.”
Orsay
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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We walked in on a whim. I had heard the name of this place but nothing more. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. There was construction going on across the street so I decided we should dine inside. The inside had a nice airy feel with 14 foot ceilings. The tables were mostly filled mid afternoon. We were seated at a small table for 2 that was a bit wobbly.
I noticed the menu was a bit pricey. Most items were between $15 and $40. This included everything from appetizers, salads, soups and mains. They have a 3 course price fixe menu which we both ordered. We each had a salad (mine was tomatos, mixed greens, goat cheese and mint leaves — hers was watermelon, mixed greens and nuts) both good. I had duck ravioli, she had duck shank…again very good. Hers fell off the bone nicely. Mine was in a mushroom sauce. For dessert she had a sorbet tart and I had an almond creme tart.
I quickly scanned Yelp as we sat down and someone wrote that the sangria was good so we each had one. It was excellent! The downside is that it's $15 per glass.
Overall a nice place. Service was very professional. We saw a couple of the Desperate Housewives of NY eating at one of the outdoor tables.
Orsay is a semi-secluded Upper East Side French brasserie that serves hit-or-miss French inspired American food.
I came with some co workers on a Tuesday evening.
We had charcuterie, gougeres, crab cake, hanger steak with sauteed mushrooms, macarons, and chocolate ganache cake.
The cheese platter had 4 different varieties of hard and spreadable cheeses. The blue cheese and brie were soft, non pungent and perfect with the toasted crunchy bread. The gougeres were light airy cheese puffs with a hint of truffle inside. Delicious. I wanted to eat a third or fourth one!
The crab cake was standard fare but the green apple salad with horseradish was unpalatable. The salad was sour and tasted like a spicy sour bitter sauerkraut. Yech!
The well-crusted seasoned hanger steak was disappointing. Half of the steak was cooked medium rare and the other half was medium well and tough to cut. I wish we had a steak knife. The buttery sage-sprinkled mushrooms were perfect. I finished my plate and considered asking for more mushrooms.
The potatoes au gratin was perfect! Creamy rosemary and truffle flavors with a crisp top layer. I wanted to bring some home to my husband but I ate all of the top layer already.
I didn't get to try the macaron, but I had the cannele de bordeaux. Orsay's version was slightly sweet, airy sponge cake but lacked the caramelized crust.
And the chocolate ganache was rich, very sweet. I couldn't finish it.
I would definitely want to come back and try other items on the menu. The service was perfect!
went for brunch. they have a 30-35 $ brunch Sundays to choose from a an appetiser, a main course and juice.
What was the surprise…they brought us a bread basket with butter after we ordered ( usually in other restaurants it's complementary ) but at the end we found it on the bill … 10$ . OK.. never mind.. I ordered duck liver mouse and they brought it with HALF a slice of toast bread..not, one, HALF. Asked for additional bread ( 2 slices of bread to be more precise ) and i found them on the bill .. 5$ … come ooooon …. I think that if you breathe more than usual in this restaurant they will charge you extra.
It's a pity because is a nice place, but they advertise a fixed price brunch and for every little additional thing ( like bread) they charge way to much.
We had a lovely lunch today at Orsay. I have been eyeballing this place for years, not wanting to go in because it looked like a "Ladies who Lunch"/Housewives of NY hang-out. Today, I got over my issues and had a great (expensive), quiet lunch with the hubby.
We had:
2 glasses of Cote du Rhone – lovely
Frisee salad – very tasty
French Onion Soup – the hubby enjoyed
Beet Salad – Delicious
Steak Tartar – very good. Heavy on the mustard but tasty
Rhubarb tart – very tasty
Cappuccino & cafe latte – very good
We would definitely come back.
I'm surprised I haven't reviewed Orsay already but here it goes! Orsay is a quaint French Bistro on the UES that I've been to twice with my family. The food is excellent–both times I got the salmon and I highly recommend it, the service is attentive and it's the kind of place I recommend for a pleasant dinner with your parents or a similar occasion.
Came here for Restaurant week and was really impressed with the service and food. The waiter kept filling our glasses with wine, it was fantastic. The duck terrine was alright, but the star was the steak. It was perfectly cooked and came with the smoothest velvety mashed potatoes. I just wished it was a bigger portion. The creme brulee was a delicious finish.
Popped in here for a drink last night. Love the space and the atmosphere – feels very authentically French. Maitre'd and bartender friendly. We only had drinks (the cocktails are delicious and the wine pours are very generous), but all the food looked and smelled delicious. Would definitely come back for dinner.
The lamb chops were really good. The meat just melts in your mouth.
I came here for Valentine's Day, so I forgot a lot of the details, but it was pretty good.