Yes the first impression of Le French Diner is that it is small. Even after reading this and then walking in the front door I suspect you’ll think to yourself, this is even smaller than I was led to believe (I tried to tell you).
That being said you can very quickly forget the size as you sit down, order a great glass of wine and realize you are exactly where you should be, a great French bistro, with a friendly staff that couldn’t be anyplace else but the Lower East Side of New York. And it’s a good thing they are friendly because like I said this place is small and you are all up in each other’s space.
The menu is simple with much of what you would expect from a French bistro. Escargots, tapinade, hanger steak, and monkfish are on there as well as more unique options like octopus and lambs neck. Every dish I ate or saw was very simply prepared. I had the hanger steak and a salad and they were both great (yes I chickened out and didn’t try the lamb’s neck). The menu rotates with the season but I believe a few of the items are regulars.
Sometimes freedom is the absence of choice, and when it comes to the wine list at Le French Diner I felt very free and was also rewarded with a great wine. The list is small so you don’t have to get into the awkward pretend to know wines deeply and choose one amongst a sea of options, just order the Bordeaux or Chablis and move on, there’s only one of each.
Despite being small there is a great ambience to the space. Besides it’s LES roots and getting to see the entire small kitchen right on display the staff are friendly and are always right there for whatever you need (they really don’t have a choice with the size of the place). The night I was there there was some 90s hip hop playing (Jurassic 5 and similar), loud enough to enjoy but not loud enough to distract.
Now the one downside to the small size and being so good is that the wait can be very long (and there are no reservations). We were lucky to arrive around opening time and get two seats at the counter. But not too long after we saw people coming in and adding their name to a list and they were told an hour. I’m sure after 7 or 8 it can be longer. If you find yourself in that spot I’d put my name on the list and go to The Ludlowe Hotel lobby bar or maybe Bar Goto and enjoy a drink or two and then walk back over. It’s well worth the wait.
