Chateau Royale
Restaurant · Greenwich Village ·
Classic French dining with tableside cocktails and escargots
Classic French dining with tableside cocktails and escargots
"Opened by restaurateur Cody Pruitt of Libertine, this Greenwich Village modern French spot pairs old-world glam with contemporary polish: velvet banquettes, white tablecloths, and minimalist blank walls. I like the split setup — a more relaxed first-floor bar, but the proper dining room upstairs is where you go to feel special — and it’s high-end, with entrees starting around $40. Order the duck à l’orange, crisp-skinned slices in a savory citrus sauce of calamansi, bergamot, and blood orange; the filet au poivre, a small yet substantial peppered steak atop classic au poivre (get fries to drag through the sauce); and the simple, rich foie gras au torchon with toast and a cherry condiment — also great smeared on those fries. Drinks run $17 to $25; the martini from the rolling cocktail cart is a fun gimmick you can feel rumbling around the room, and the very dirty gin martini is particularly intense. It’s fancy-feeling without being stuffy — the kind of place where a jacket and a baseball cap won’t feel out of place — and tall folks should mind the low ceiling on the stairway up to the second-floor dining room." - Nadia Chaudhury
"On weekends, this Greenwich Village French restaurant rolls out a luxe brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring caviar and egg yolk pain perdu, lobster croque-monsieurs, and a Benedict au Chateau with a choice of duck confit, smoked sable, or mushrooms." - Nadia Chaudhury
"This Greenwich Village restaurant from the Libertine team feels like a two-story time capsule sealed at the peak of luxurious ’80s Manhattan dining, with an indulgent menu of updated French classics so delicious you won’t really mind the size of your bill. Floral calamansi notes light up the duck à l’orange like Christmas lights, while an obscenely buttery piece of sable with dashi-laced beurre blanc achieves the kind of oceanic depth James Cameron builds submersibles to reach. In the more formal upstairs dining room, beyond-freezing house martinis are poured tableside by white-jacketed sommeliers. Downstairs, there’s a bar with a more relaxed menu—we’ll have to go back for their fancy hot dog." - Bryan Kim, Molly Fitzpatrick, Willa Moore, Will Hartman, Sonal Shah
"Pointing to where the trend may be headed, this bi‑level restaurant from the Libertine team pairs soothing design with classic French opulence: a sleek, wood‑clad first floor recalling brasseries, and upstairs a skylit cream‑toned dining room that nods to mid‑century French New York. Dishes like lobster thermidor and duck à l’orange meet entrée prices in the $40–$90 range, all in homage to institutions like La Grenouille and aimed at craveable, timeless comfort—a kind of rustic luxe." - Korsha Wilson
"I learned that the new Chateau Royale in New York features a martini cart that lets guests customize drinks at their table." - Jaya Saxena