Memorable | One of the Best
Les Halles
Review by: billyboy
** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED **
I’ve been eating at Les Halles for over three years, and have eaten all across the U.S., and this one is still in my top ten; wonderful all the way around. Most people know of it because of Anthony Bourdain. He is the Executive Chef at their other location in NYC.
One particular evening, we started with the white bean and wild game soup. It is a rich, savory, creamy dish that contains boar, hare, carrots, and dill; very hearty and very delicious. My girlfriend had roasted cod with fried leeks and garlic mashed potatoes. This moist, flaky fish is pan-roasted and served on a bed of creamy, rich mashed potatoes infused with plenty of roasted garlic and topped off with a pile of crispy fried leeks, all in a flavorful pool of white onion sauce.
The hanger steak with frites is one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Requested medium, it arrived with a good amount of pink in the center; very juicy, tender and just right. It is served with a red wine shallot sauce, good but completely unnecessary; this beef speaks for itself. The frites are the best I have ever had, bar none. Hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and perfectly salted, and not at all greasy. I won’t eat fries/frites anywhere else for weeks, lest I ruin the memory of these babies. The steak is also served with a side salad of mixed greens lightly dressed with a shallot vinaigrette; a perfect complement to this dish.
Other noteworthy dishes are the French onion soup, macaroni and cheese (with Gruyere), the mussels mariniere and the bitter chocolate mousse.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner, Dessert |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Les Halles Recipes
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What do you think of Les Halles?
One Response to “Les Halles”
Patricia Beninato
August 19th, 2008
Les Halles is best known as the home base of Tony Bourdain, he of the Food Network and Travel Channel who calls out “celebrity chefs” and eats weird things in front of cameras. However it holds up well on its own, a French bistro in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district (the main location’s in midtown) but with far less stuffy manners and excellent food.
Despite its smart black and white tiled floor and elegant molded ceiling Les Halles is very casual, as evidenced by their t-shirt and jeans-clad waitstaff and the rock music on the sound system. If you are a carnivore this place should definitely be on your list of places to go.
My husband and I chose the planche de grillades (mixed grill) to share, and we were presented with a veritable mountain of meat. Thick cut bacon–literally, the slices were about a half-inch thick–spicy Moroccan lamb sausages, another sausage that was reminiscent of kielbasa, hanger steak, and a rather large pair of lamb chops, all done to perfection. This was accompanied by a heaping bowl of Les Halles’ famous frites, and they’re famous for a reason. If you love French fries you’ll go face first in the bowl and beg for more because it’s unlikely you’ll ever have better ones outside France or Belgium. Even the homely bread basket comes with undeniably French butter, almost cream cheese-like in texture and taste. And save room for dessert. My husband raved about the homemade strawberry ice cream while I deeply enjoyed a flawless tarte tatin (upside down apple tart, a staple of French dessert menus).
There is an extensive wine list that covers every budget and taste. It’s very possible for two people to eat here for well under a hundred dollars, rare for a decent New York restaurant. It may not be true Roadfood, but Les Halles is definitely worthy of a visit if you want good French home-cooking at a reasonable price.