Café Chelsea

"Last summer, Café Chelsea debuted in the historic Chelsea Hotel at 218 West 23rd Street, just west of Seventh Avenue. It was a larger and more modern counterweight to the century-old El Quijote, just next door in the same hotel, which still served a fusty but charming menu of Spanish food centered on patatas brava and paella. The café, twice the size of the Spanish restaurant, was clearly intended as a hotel dining room – but also as a full-blown French bistro. From the start the place was mobbed; the Chelsea neighborhood hadn’t had a buzzy French bistro in a long time, and Hotel Chelsea itself was a popular landmark associated with celebrity tragedy, from Dylan Thomas to Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. The marble-clad new café, light and cheery, may have been styled to dispel the ghosts of the past. And the customers came. For the first few months getting in was nearly impossible, but even after the place came to be taken for granted, it was difficult to eat there in the evenings without a reservation. While the place is loud and crowded at suppertime, lunch is another story. This is when I’d recommend going. The vibe: There are three dining rooms, with the deep barroom on the right the most popular. As 1 p.m. approaches, it begins to fill up its plush barstools and comfy booths. The two dining rooms further back are more chill. But always during lunch service, which extends from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., you can find a quiet and secluded table. Half the customers are tourists and other travelers who appear to be hotel guests, setting a leisurely pace as they emerge from their rooms. The other half are mainly locals for whom this is an urbane lunch retreat. What to eat: The bill of fare at lunch incorporates egg breakfasts and pastries held over from the 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. breakfast menu, along with lunchtime French fare and raw seafood. You can grab a breakfast like those found in a diner ($24), only a notch better, with thick bacon, eggs any way, and potatoes that aren’t tired from refrying. Then there are also several options for eggs Benedict. If skimping on the calories, pass on the pallid fruit plate in favor of the Niçoise salad. Even during lunch, there’s no shortage of eggs. There’s a lovely frisee salad ($24) with a pungent shallot dressing that comes topped with a poached egg and seared lardons. And the croque madame, a gloppy toasted ham-and-cheese with a runny egg on top, offers enough protein for a day. Even the steak frites comes “au cheval,” with a pair of fried eggs atop a hanger steak with great fries. The steak is a bit small, though, and I’d recommend to order the hamburger ($32), which comes on a heavily seeded bun and is one of the best in Chelsea. What to drink: The regular coffee is awful, so order an espresso drink instead. The by-the-glass wine list ($17 to $42, the latter for Champagne) is strong in the French reds, with a Morgon Beaujolais, and Cote du Rhones from Franck Balthazar particularly recommended. There are beers and ciders, and non-alcoholic cocktails (including a lavender colada that could be a course in itself). Since Café Chelsea has a full liquor license, stronger drinks such as bloody marys and martinis are available, but consider whether you really want to go that route so early in the day. Tips: At lunch, the eggs Benedict dishes can be had in half-size portions, which means you can dine rather lightly and cheaply. The front of the café is concealed by a tall flowering hedge, which provides secluded and umbrellaed seating behind it. If the weather is warm enough, this is one of the most pleasant places to take a meal in Chelsea. The best seats are at the bar, where the stools swivel and bartenders provide prompt service. If you are dining with a group, there’s a niche in the front window with a table that can accommodate four to six, engulfed in a heavenly light." - Robert Sietsema