Review Chez Josephine - New York City

Chez Josephine offers an incredible culinary experience! The food is undeniably delicious, surpassing anything I've tasted in the city so far. However, our dining experience was slightly hindered by the service, as they seemed more focused on refilling water than taking our order. Nevertheless, the exceptional flavors make it a restaurant worth savoring.

Great low-key French restaurant. Everything we ate was delicious - escargot, pate, steak frites, spaghetti. Okay that last one was Italian but it was still good! The servers were nice and attentive. The space is a bit narrow and dark; intimate but loud voices can carry. Live piano player was there when I had dinner - it was fine and not too overbearing. Recommended.

We made reservations ahead. I got there a few minutes early. Our table was available and they proceeded us to our dining experience. The restaurant, took a team approach to ensure that we were attended to and had everything we needed. Overall great experience. Warning, scandalous paintings in the restaurant area, not for little children.

I’d like to value this restaurant 4 stars one as French cuisine restaurant, food 3 stars plus live piano performance 1 star. I ordered pre fixed course, but anything is not sophisticated given French cuisine. The taste/flavor was pretty normal, it was not beyond my expectations. If you pay $100 for here, it would be better to go another place than to come here. Moreover some staffs are insufficient to pay attention to customers.

First walking in I absolutely loved the warm vibe of this restaurant. Honestly with the comes and the dark wood it reminded me a bit of when I was in Paris. I didn't expect there to be live music but there was a lovely musician playing piano and singing very gently, just loud enough to add to the ambiance but still have conversation at the table. The service was just right. They were attentive but not naggy and our waiter answered any questions with a pleasant, dare I say even happy, demeanor. He plauded our choices which whether true or false was nice to hear. Now for the food. I heard this was a good spot for French food and I am happy to report that they did not disappoint. My friends have a tradition of eating it family style. *Appetizers* French Onion Soup - I am not usually a fan of French onion soup because there onions are burnt resulting in a bitter taste. However, this is honestly the best French onion soup I've ever had because I actually really really liked it. Not only was there no bitterness, but the cheese they used was divine (I believe it was gruyere, one of my favorites). Escargots à la Bourguignonne - My friends and I had it in Paris and like to get it as a treat to reminisce about studying abroad. Here it is served pre-shelled and sitting in garlic and herbs so no need to fear accidentally catapulting snails at other diners. (Pro tip: soak up the sauce with the bread they give to the table, you won't regret it!) Tuna Tartare - I love tuna tartare and theirs was top tier. It is served over an avocado salad and features a ginger sesame oil sauce and it paired with toasted bread cut into triangles. *Main Course* Roasted Breast of Long Island Duck with an orange glaze and wild rice - I chose this French restaurant specifically because they had a duck breast dish and they did not disappoint! I'm bias but if the 3 mains we got, this was my favorite. The duck was perfectly cooked, the orange glaze was a lovely compliment to the duck, and the wild rice gave it dinner great texture. Absolutely delicious. I would come back just for this dish Veal special with truffle mash potatoes - My friend ordered this one and if you're a fan of veal or mash you'll be hoping they bring this special back Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with green asparagus, potato purée, and champagne sauce - Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of scallops. I will say, they were made very well and I enjoyed it when the pastor puree and asparagus. *Dessert* Crème Brûlée - We split this dessert and it was on par with the rest of our meal. I feel like the best way to describe it is that the custard seemed perfectly set. Not water, held it's shape but still melted in the mouth. The perfect end to a delicious meal! I will definitely be coming back here again!

I tried this place for Restaurant week,( I dont know why they still call it that) I wanted to get the fixed menu. I think of it as an introduction to the restaurant. We had the salad, the soup the steak, Quail and ice cream cake. The salad was good nothing too special. The soup was perfect I enjoyed every drop. The steak was skirt steak so I didnt have too much expectations on that but the sauce taste really burnt as did the Quail. The risotto was pretty good I enjoyed that part. The ice cream cake couldnt have been cut thinner they may have well shaved a piece to searve. Maybe its just the restaurant week menu. After eating here at restaurant week I wouln't be inclined to go back. The restaurant has a very romantic vibe it is perfect for a date night. They had live piano and a singer and the walls are adorned with photos of Josephine Baker. I wouldn't recomend to bring children but that is up to you. The staff were very pleasant and attentive I felt welcomed as soon as I arrived.

5-Star Review Dear Chez Josephine Management and Staff, I am writing to express my utmost appreciation and gratitude for the exceptional experience my family and I had at your esteemed restaurant in NYC. I am thrilled to gift you a well-deserved 5-star review, as our visit was truly outstanding in every aspect. From the moment we stepped into Chez Josephine, we were warmly greeted by your incredibly friendly staff. We were specifically looking for a kid-friendly restaurant with a piano, as my son Nicholas is passionate about music and takes piano lessons. You provided the perfect ambiance for him, and he was overjoyed to hear the beautiful piano melodies throughout our dining experience. I want to extend a special thank you to your staff for their attentiveness and thoughtfulness. When my son felt a bit chilly, they promptly offered him a sweater, which I had forgotten to bring. This small gesture made a world of difference and showcased the genuine care and hospitality that sets Chez Josephine apart. Now, let me take a moment to express my admiration for your drinks. The pineapple sensation, in particular, left us speechless. It was a delightful and unique experience, and I cannot find the right words to describe its incredible taste. I must confess, it even helped me get out of the "dog house" with my wife, who was equally captivated by the drink's flavors. We truly appreciate the creativity and mastery behind your beverage selection. Overall, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the entire team at Chez Josephine for providing us with exceptional service and an unforgettable dining experience. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and we will undoubtedly be returning in the near future. Thank you for making our time in NYC so memorable. With warmest regards, Elkin Colorado

This is a beautiful dining room that looks like it was grabbed from Paris of the 1940s. The food is classic, simple, and done with care. The service was spot on. It is located near the theaters and serves early to accommodate those that want to eat before a show.

Great food! Very good service. We loved the onion soup and the Tuna tartar. The Trout was great as well. My partner enjoyed the steak tartar. Service very good and nice atmosphere with live music (Saturday night).

Great night at Chez Josephine! We enjoyed the duck, escargot and the endives, as well as a couple of rounds of cocktails and desserts. The endives were a pleasant surprise. The duck was tasty as well! Panda cotta could have been fluffier and more flavorful but we didn’t mind it anyway. Would go back for cocktails, romantic atmosphere and live music.

Chez Josephine is always SUPERB! If you're looking for a beautiful, charming, chic, warm, fabulous, classic French restaurant, this place is it. It is a treasure. Food is perfection and so are their specialty cocktails. The evening also had a piano & clarinet player which added to an already lovely evening.

We made a late reservation love the ambiance, the decoration and the older pianist playing classics and modern pieces made it better. We had an oysters and prosciutto and fig appetizer. The prosciutto felt domestic more like a good ham. But overall taste and balance was perfect. For entire we had the skate fish which was very well presented and seasoned with green beans and smashed potato. Our servers were great but the host was a bit strange or maybe he was giving us the “french” experience 😂 We had an old fashioned for this restaurant it was very subpar. Overall I love the food and the ambiance.

This place was very lively and beautifully decorated. The atmosphere was awesome with live piano music and singer. This is definitely a lovely spot for date night. Overall the food was pretty good and the wine selection was decent. The service could have been much better. Our waiter couldn’t answer many questions about the menu or the wine list and wasn’t very attentive. This was not the best French food I’ve ever had but still a good meal. I eat escargot anytime I see it on a menu and this one tasted pretty good. The issue I had with the serving was the way they served it. The dish was too shallow and didn’t have much buttery goodness to dip bread. I had the lamb shank special and it was moist and very tender with a nice flavor. My friend had the steak and fries and thought it tasted good and was cooked nicely. It was a decent experience and I would consider going back for the atmosphere and some drinks or apps.

This was a pleasant surprise. I happened to be walking by and it looked interesting so I stopped in. So glad I did. I come to Manhattan a couple times a year and I have enjoyed some great places, but this place is now my favorite. The food was great, the service amazing and the ambiance was perfect with the candle lit tables, a pianist playing beautiful music of yesterday and almost today… I really can’t give this place enough props. Thank you so much Alfredo for the best meal experience I have ever had in NYC.

GREAT atmosphere, really good food! We had Thanksgiving dinner here. The pianist was amazing. I am a bit disappointed that we had to pay full price for the prix fix meal for someone in our party that couldn't eat due to a stomach medical restriction.

Last night my sister and I received a horrible service at a different French restaurant in Manhattan, so we were a bit worried about visiting this place but it turned out that was no necessary at all! The atmosphere was stunning with nice live piano music, and most of all, our server, Ray, was super nice and attentive! Although my sister is not fluent in English and we had so many questions, he was being very kind and sweet. We are really happy to bring good memories from here not some unpleasant memories from the other rude French place(La Grande Boucherie FYI)

I adore this place! If you love charismatic decor and a fun, refined atmosphere it’s a no-brainer. The staff is accommodating, genuine, and kind. It has been my most frequented restaurant for years!

I am sorry to say, but I did not care for Chez Josephine at all. There was live entertainment - although the performers were very talented, the restaurant is too small for all that loud music; made it impossible to have any kind of conversation. The food was not very good either. The fried chicken looked and tasted like a Swanson Frozen TV Dinner; chicken was very dry. The Sweet Potato Fries were tasty though, and the Apple Cake desert was good. I would not go there again, and would not recommend it to anyone else.

Loved loved loved our pre fix! Celery apple soup was delicious. The chicken dish to die for and my vanilla raspberry dessert fabulous! Not to mention the lovely white wine! Service fantastic as well. I will be back!!

Visiting from Ireland. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Fantastic service, beautiful food and great music. Such a lovely atmosphere, friendly staff. Stunning prewar decor.

Chez Josephine is a NYC institution. The staff now are the owners and it has never looked better or felt more like home. The live music & artwork make for artistic & lively experience. A must.

Everyone seemed so friendly, from the Wait staff, to even the patrons. We had great convo, fast and friendly service, and of course great food. I ordered the Pre fix dinner, all was great. That seabass..OMG. buttery!

The perfect place for pre theater dining. The decor is a bit French Bordello but the piano player doing Broadway and French tunes gets you in the mood for NY Theater. The theme is all about the great Josephine Baker one of the greatest performers in history. The food is excellent and in spite of the crush they will get you out of the door in time. The wine list is up to snuff without over charging so you can enjoy a Sancerre for $58 per btl. You just need to book it far enough in advance. Your chances of a walk in are pretty dismal.

This place was magic! Like stepping into Paris really! Andy and the staff were so nice and welcoming and knowledgeable. The food was delicious. What a gem. Already booked my next visit.

This was our third visit to Chez Josephine, great place, excellent food, nice ambiance, impeccable service and not too expensive. You should give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

We only had drinks on the patio but the staff was so kind. They treated us very well. The lemonade and coffee were excellent. The restaurant is decorated coolly.

A must on a visit too NYC. Not just the Food which was excellent the ambiance was beautiful and the welcome. Received was wonderful. By all the staff. Also the chat with the chef regarding le. Milande was very enjoyable. Thank you all for a great lunch

Wonderful music and atmosphere! Such chic decor. The food was beyond excellent and the staff was very nice. Can't wait to come back.

Found this place about 3 years ago with my mom when in the city to see Phantom. Had cocktails and listened to Joey D. play the piano for about 3 hours. Since then, we try to come in 2-3 times a year. Just went there Saturday night, 1/20/18 with my date. Had the duck and pork chop. Service, food and atmosphere were incredible. Joey D. on them keys again!!! Loved it!!!! Will be back a few more times before the end of the year.

So yummy, so fun! I particularly enjoyed their salmon dish and their lentils were super tasty. Beautiful atmosphere, great spot! 👌🏼

Chez Josephine is one of Nyc's iconic dining and jazz piano environments. Bathed in the beauty of Josephine Baker's life and times, this soulful bistro offers marvelous food, strong libations and an array of talented musicians. The interior, both downstairs and upstairs creates a time capsule of Paris and New York city. Service attentive and quite helpful.My Mom and I experienced a wonderful Christmas Day lunch. We truly look forward to our return!

I always enjoy this place! They live up to the standards of life that Josephine Baker embodied! The owner and other staff are very nice and welcoming! I have been here about 4 times and enjoy it often when Im in NYC!