Le Charlot

Very expensive for what we got. Lunch for two cost >$250!!! Food was average, nothing special, not sophisticated. Disappointing service. My friend had mussels and asked for a small fork to eat her meal. The response was: 'that's not how we eat mussels here, instead we use the empty shells'... really? So arrogant. I've known this place for years, they want to compare themselves to other restaurants like Bagatelle or La Goulu, but that's really not the case. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone, unless you want to experience French rudeness.

Not impressed by the food; the salad was dry, the duck overcooked and my fiancée didn't enjoy the Moules either. They included a 20% to the bill which I always find very shady.

If there’s one thing Le Charlot excels at, it’s making you question why you ever bothered stepping foot into their overpriced, underwhelming establishment. My family and I recently dined at this so-called "French" bistro, expecting a charming meal in the heart of Manhattan. What we got, instead, was a masterclass in rudeness, poor service, and utter disregard for basic decency. As we finished our meal and waited for the check, my sister needed to use the restroom. After a leisurely hour of dining, she got up and was immediately body-blocked by one of the waiters, who proceeded to aggressively escort her outside—because, apparently, the restaurant’s restroom is a privilege reserved for “paying” customers who are seated at their table. Keep in mind, she had just been eating in the restaurant for an hour, and her family was still sitting at the table, actively waiting for the bill. The sheer audacity of this action is something I’ve never experienced at a New York restaurant before—and I’ve dined in some of the city's most notorious spots. When my sister, understandably upset, tried to explain the situation, the manager—who witnessed the whole debacle—he finally intervened. The waiter was called over to apologize, but instead sarcastically bowed to our table and mutter a half-hearted "sorry," before scurrying off into the kitchen as if we were an inconvenience. This mockery of an apology was the final straw. The entire incident left us feeling humiliated and disrespected, and we left the restaurant absolutely stunned by how badly we’d been treated. To be clear, nothing about the food, the ambiance, or the service at Le Charlot warrants their lack of human decency. The food is mediocre at best, and the staff clearly has no idea what hospitality means. I cannot recommend Le Charlot to anyone. There are so many better dining options in New York City where your money and your presence will be appreciated. Save yourself the trouble and avoid this disaster of a restaurant. Rating: 0/5 stars.

The service was excellent. The food was amazing as well. Have been coming here for years and have certainly seen my fair share of pretentious behavior from staff but that seems to have abated making for a great experience.

Impressed how big the servings were here. The endive salad and Thai mulles frites were both stand outs. Great spot to grab a weekend lunch. Come hungry.

Overall an enjoyable time at Le Charlot. The service was a bit slow and quite loud indoors which we find typical with French restaurants. We enjoyed the appetizers more than the main courses, which we found to be a bit underwhelming. Overall a good restaurant for drinks and intimidate family meals.

Usually my favorite place but boy was this a bad night We come every couple of months when we are in town but never again Besides that they should check that the table doesn’t wobble when they set them up I asked for salt three times. It arrived after I finished my meal The place was clean with an abundance of staff yet they never managed to keep our water or that of our neighbors topped up. It was not 6pm on a Sunday evening and certainly not crowded. The sauce on the steak were excellent as were the fries but the steak was tough and mostly past the medium rare I ordered This comes on the heels of a Ceasar salad that had predominantly romaine that was so far past it’s prime the red/ brown could not be missed What’s going on in the kitchen? I don’t know and sadly I will not be returning I did point out the old salad to the manager on duty who stared at me blankly. Meaning not only did he not say he was sorry, he stood and stared at me as though in some way I was responsible Finally, the check arrived and they had not removed the 19 dollar charge for the tiny Ceasar. I asked to have it removed and they took the bill back and returned it unchanged Although it is sad to lay this at the wait staff. We refused to leave a tip

Delicious food and great service. Halibut and skirt steak was out of the world. Wine was great too!

Food nice, service nice, cozy ambience. amazing tartar, pasta, apple pie. I recommend a visit in the evening with friends.

Mahi mahi INCREDIBLE!!!!!! Endive salad always a 10/10 Love this place Can't go wrong with a glass of lilet blanc to pair

Surprised by how bad this was. Overcooked omelette. Could barely cut with a fork. Bland. Wilted salad. You can make a better meal at home. Don't waste your money.

Dingy, dirty, and a disgrace to French cuisine. Extremely cramped seating area, and by far the worst food I've ever had in NYC. The health violations listed here on Yelp definitely check out. It's nothing short of a miracle that this place can still manage to open its doors. In one emoji:

Damn I hate when you go to an establishment with good energy looking forward to a small experience and it's just annoying. Wasn't sure on whether me and my boyfriend wanted to eat something or not, but we sat for a drink and the service was like we weren't welcomed there at all. Menu wasn't intriguing and it was already weird just being there feeling uncomfortable

My 21 year old daughter and I stopped in for a late lunch on a recent Friday afternoon. It is a lovely little restaurant with a very cozy vibe. The waiter took our orders promptly. The escargot were wonderful, but the real star was the onion soup!

Nice Ambience, but the food is mediocre for the price that you pay. I had the tuna tartare and fries and it was nothing special for $30! We also had the chocolate torte which had zero flavor. 3 stars for the friendly service though.

Prices were on the higher side but the food was delish! I was a little surprised to see the restaurant had no cocktail menu whatsoever, but we enjoyed our meal. There wasn't much added flair but the flavors were spot on.

Been here a bunch of times food is enjoyable- indoor and outdoor seating- ( been in both many times) inside isn't super large to note- generally, the service is usually good. We all enjoy the bread on the table - steaks- chicken - fries- coffee etc. We Will visit again.

Went here on a warm autumn day. Sat inside and faced a wall. Lack of servers , because they were all outside. Therefore, one server remained inside and he did everything including working behind the bar. The food was very poor. Stale, warmed over, sad looking. Could have sold my first born for a tiny piece of bread. Won't be returning.

Truly terrifying this place exist in nyc. Great location but food is just sub par. Mussels tasted frozen in the fridge over 2 years. Had the specialty duck roll as one of the apps, which is like deep fried rolled sandwiches drenched in ponzu sauce ew Would never come back and stay away

It would get all five stars if it weren't so cramped in there. Do not take a bulky overcoat! Apart from that, it's a simply lovely, authentically French bistro, with good food and charming service.

This restaurant is just bad. Service is ok and the ambiance is ok but the food is just sub par. I had the halibut and it was dry and tasteless. My wife had salmon which was really awful. Her rice was dry. We won't return ever.

We had dinner outside (w heaters) with my fiancé last night and had a lovely experience. A shout out to Jimmy and Mauricio who gave us great recs. We shared all between the two of us, every single thing was great: - Caesar Salad: the dressing is superb, glad I didn't order it on the side as I usually do. - French Onion Soup: a classic, kind of my barometer for a French resto lol - Curry Mussels Frites: omg, I almost lick the last drop of coconut milk curry broth there! It was great! Next time I want to try their other mussels too (there are 3 types). - Halibut with truffle oil over sautéed zucchini, tomatoes and onions: it was perfection, a thick piece of halibut with the right amount of truffle flavor, drizzled w balsamic reduction and tasty veggies. - Tarte Tatin: amazing, very tasty apple tart with vanilla ice cream. As Jimmy told us, many items have been on their menu for many years, so they are all perfect and you know what you are getting if you come again. The place has been open for 36 years, quite a huge achievement for any NYC restaurant! It has a very neighborhoody cozy vibe, many customers knew each other, and many people are regulars too. We just moved nearby, definitely coming back, and hope to be one of those regulars too :) I was surprised to see the 3 stars here, but I know many places on Yelp get destroyed bc tourists come and think everything is expensive (Like this guy comparing the price of the tartare to one in Spain? Yes, I had $8 stakes in Argentina that were waaay better than many $50 stakes in NYC, but it's not fair to compare. Seriously?) In any case, dinner for two with a bottle of wine and a drink came up to $250 pre tip here. It is on the expensive side, but you get what you pay, everything was deliciously, thoughtfully prepared and top notch quality (not a single mussel tasted "weird"). And in this zip code you are not going to find much better deals either. Location is great too. You get a glimpse of CP and into the corner with Madison (which is lovely too). 5 stars in my book.

Everything here was so great! and service also very good, even do we were with 2 little children, and this is not a children place, they where great with us! We have: The endives saldad with pears: Amazing, fresh, great flavor balance. Steak tartare: very very fresh! simple and great! Lobster salad: Also fresh, amazing

Great mussels good service Julio was very good typical NY bistró reasonable priced accordingly for NYC

.perfect vibe and food. The service is really good and they are very friendly and nice

Food was pretty good but pricey. The chicken curry was delicious but a very big portion of food and was filling! Customer service was spotty though and the server did not come to attend to us at all after the first time getting our orders. He also input one of our orders incorrectly and a different dish was brought out and should have taken that item off of the check but instead still charged us when we didn't get the correct item. I would come back but it seems customers may not be the priority of this restaurant, or nothing was done when an error was made, not even a discount.

It was okay for a lunch spot. A little loud. Too casual for my taste. Probably will not return.

Hard steak , terrible table setting , terrible service, steal bread , old desserts , and waiters uniform is terrible too cocktails ok

Had dinner one gorgeous evening on the sidewalk. All was fine -food-drinks-service until we were assaulted by a vagrant who insisted we stop our dinner to hear his diatribe that took a few minutes, I asked him to leave us alone to no avail what bothered me most besides this invasion was the total lack of help from the restaurant staff. They just ignore the vagrant shame on them

Me and my coworkers had some lunch in this little lovely place in UES. It's super delish and we love the service. We love everything we had for lunch here. If you wanna have a French food around UES, this place is the answer!

Why? Why? Why? Do places like this exist? Took a friend here and the whole experience verified that no, I am not crazy. Food in NYC has simply gone downhill. Mussels with beards and sand in a large pyrex dish! Sadly couldnt even eat them. Crab cake looked frozen at best. Frisee salad was all the roots, yesterdays bacon and a tiny egg. Very sad. Kinda hilarious. The place is cute. The staff definitely could care less if you are there. 5 dollars for ice tea! Best part of the meal was the fries and I truly believe they did an uber eats for mcdonalds fries and threw them on a plate.

Went here for lunch during COVID, and had a great all around experience. The table on the sidewalk had a nice heater that kept three of us decently warm, and the rest of the setup allows for comfortable distancing from other diners. I ordered the mussels marinieres and they were wonderfully plump and flavorful. The broth was phenomenal, and I couldn't help but continue to dunk the crusty bread into it throughout my meal. Separately, Le Charlot has THE best French fries in the city. It's worth a visit just for them. Will definitely return!

We had a nice dinner with friends at this cozy and well established UES French restaurant. We started our meal with some excellent but expensive red wine from their large wine list; a salad which was good but not quite outstanding. As a main course I had the halibut which was fresh, delicious, and presented on a bed of assorted colored legumes. On the negative side, the entree was of very modest size and really needed some rice or potatoes to fill a lonely looking plate. My companions did enjoy their meat and chicken entrees. The chicken while minimally adequate in size was served with some delicious mashed potatoes . We asked several times for more bread to serve our table of four after quickly finishing a small half loaf of four slices but it never arrived. On a prior visit I had the mussels and fries which were quite good. On this visit we skipped dessert there since we planned to have said later in the evening. For this dining experience I would rate it pleasurable but quite honestly I don't like leaving a restaurant still feeling hungry; especially a pricey one at that, and for that reason alone reluctantly deduct a star from food that is of very good quality.

The most disappointing dining experience in 30 years. Starting with drinks-- house brands, glasses half full for $20 each. Appetizers - mediocre salads for $19 and there was a split charge of $8 added to that. Main courses- salmon came cold, mussels drowning in butter, cassoulet dry and duck was burnt. Then the waiter complained about a 15% tip on a lousy $350 check and accosted us on our way out of the restaurant Enough said.

Was able to sample a bunch of dishes. The Branzino special was yummy. The steak aux poivres was also yumms. Not so great were the crab cakes and the french fries. Les frites! You have to get moules frites right if you are a French resto. The moules were great. The fries were overcooked. The crab cakes had a strange taste. One person I was with thought it might be nutmeg. The chocolate mouse was yummy. My own meal came to well over $100.

Decent place, old world charm, great staff, good collection of wine, offer some off the menu dishes as well. Downside apart from 2-3 apps and salads there is mo wholesome meal for vegetarians which justifies the price equivalent to non vegetarian dishes!

Mediocre food. Small portions and overpriced. The maitre d' is literally unapologetically rude- or maybe he is the owner/manager? Not sure who he was, but the guy in the jacket checking people in made me lose my appetite.

VERY expensive. If you read my reviews, you will know how I feel about over priced restaurants with food you can get practically anywhere. This restaurant is no exception. However, the atmosphere has great French European bistro ambiance which is in the heart of all of the consulates in the upper east side. Le Charlot DEFINITELY has a lot of charm.

Love this little UES gem and the outdoor seating is wonderful! Service could be a tad better, but overall a local fav - excellent steak frites, moules and rose! What more could you want on a Sat afternoon xx

WASTE OF MONEY! Food here isn't fresh. The vegetables are old & far too salty. The menu is extremely overpriced for what they offer. Never coming here again.

We had a reservation for my husband's birthday on May 17 with a friend. They texted us several times, and we confirmed. We arrived 10 minutes late, and were told they had given our table away because we were 10 minutes late. I think this is disgraceful. They texted us many times, but not before they gave away our table. No one has ever done this to us before.

Saw this on Resy Initially trusted them But kind of failed me In the UES We were looking for some French And found this bistro Inattentive staff Took ten minutes for menus And even water Assumed we were young And could not afford bottles So we got house wine Food arrived at last Average but not so stellar Would go elsewhere next

Fabulous ambience, delicious food. The jumbo crab cake was especially tasty, and don't forget to try the chocolate mouse for dessert. Service is not exactly outstanding for such an upscale restaurant. At such an establishment, I would not expect to have to constantly wave at servers to get their attention and service. Management should take note. I'd come back for the food.

Our go-to French bistro. Food is exactly what you want, and their tarte tatin is the best I've had outside of France. Service is very good, but remember you're not there for fast food! The restaurant is small, but that's part of what we love. A bit of Paris here at home. We usually order some combination of: Moules Marinières, duck spring rolls, beet tartare, roasted chicken, or any of the fish main dishes. And always share a tarte tatin and two double espressos.

Sadly some restaurants are not what they were pre covid and unfortunately, Le Charlot is one of them. I was served a bowl of rancid mussels after an hour wait that were inedible. I put one mussel in my mouth and immediately spat it out. The smell was clearly off and no amount of curry was going to mask it. I told the waiter that the dish was off and he walked away. I went inside and gave my card so that I didn't have to sit in front of the congealing soup of doom any longer. When they brought the bill I told the waiter I was embarrassed for whoever cooked the dish, signed the check and left. No apology or attempt at rectification was made by the restaurant. I would be fine with a restaurant producing a bad dish but doing so and not taking responsibility is shocking.

This is known as a French bistro and they have an interesting variety of entrees including chicken curry, Cajun mahi mahi, steak and fries, and more. I had the lobster salad which came with arugula, pineapple and grapefruit pieces. It was quite good and I did enjoy it. The desserts looked good but didn't try them-maybe another time. The place is small and tables are close together but it worked. We were there mid afternoon when it wasn't too crowded. Service was pretty good.

Wondeful little french restaurant a couple of blocks from central park in a quiet setting. It had the european feel so it was lovely. Very busy place. Not sure if they accept reservation as we just walked in. It is definately easier to walk in as a couple rather than a big group. I has the mussles and they were amazing. Probably the best I have ever had. The portion was in abundance and they come with chips which were also well prepared. Although busy they did not rush you and I really liked that. Definate must if in the area.

Like most reviewers I too found that the prices were too high. It's not that I mind paying a lot though. I paid 80 dollars for 3 incredible mini burgers in Dubai before, but I just gotta be able to justify the high prices to myself to not feel ripped off. I've had the tartare (one of Le Charlot's most expensive plates) and it was "ok". I enjoyed it, but have had better tartare at "San Marco" (Dr. Pedro de Castro, Seville, Spain) for the same price. I think that what Le Charlot needs is 2 or 3 cheap plates. Maybe a "le hamburger minimal", a burger without fries for about 12 dollars. Or a cheaper chicken wrap. This way, people can choose from expensive and cheap plates. Also, don't pull anymore tricks. When I ordered coke, I actually meant coke and not a glass full of ice (see pic).

Asked if a friend and I could sit down for a bottle of wine. 10 empty tables. Wouldn't let us sit if we didn't order food. Awesome business model.

Awful waiters... rude and arrogant....terrible food. Terribly disappointed. Would definitely not recommend. Host isn't congenial....in addition to poor food.

Ok service. They were very fast whenever we ordered bread/wine, but the main dishes took a while to be prepared. I ordered the eggs benedict ($25) with salmon, and wasn't a big fan, but I don't like raw salmon that much so perhaps that's why. What really bothered me was how rushed the waiters were. They were very polite, but it's a small restaurant, and so they made me feel tense and anxious, which isn't what I'm looking for during Lunch time. Also, the bread was cold and bland, so kind of pointless to be served. Desserts are good. Recommend the chocolate mousse, but to share because it's very strong. The creme caramel is very light and tasty as well, perfect portion.

I have not been to the restaurant in ten years before today . It needs desperately a refresher /paint job . It looks beat up. The lobster salad is still perfect . But the tuna tartar was terrible . Normally I would have sent it back but I was with a friend and decided not to bother . The crowd is older then I remember. The ladies who lunch I guess are still in palm beach

It seems restaurants in New York are a lot like real estate. Its about location, not food. The place is small, and has a kind of modern french art deco vibe going. The service was fine, it could have been more attentive but could have been worse too. As for the food, it was good, but at those prices I expect excellence. I had the chicken wrap, and my fiancee had the mussels. Both were tasty and pretty well done, but nothing that would blow you away. Basically you are paying to be next to the so called high class retailers of Madison Avenue.

Halibut in truffle oil was overcooked. I couldn't even taste the truffle oil. The waitress was nice enough to let me order another entree. Got the roasted chicken to replace the halibut. Juicy and moist chicken with mashed potatoes. Definitely tasted better than the halibut. Thank you.

I love this place! My friend moved around the corner from here over a year ago and she brought me here, and I can't believe I didn't know about it before! For a small neighborhood bistro, they sure do know how to be friendly and fun. All the staff are great, we've had many great conversations with all the staff here, and sometimes even with the other customers. It's just a great atmosphere, and it's so casual and fun that I love coming here for dinner when I need to just have good food and relax with my friend. We've been here several times my last year in NYC, and I'm glad she introduced me to it. The food is superb! I almost always start with a Ceasar salad, and I don't know how it's possible but it's one of the best Ceasar salads I've ever had. I don't know what they do with it, but it's really good. My friend's had their soups, and I've had tastes of them and I always enjoyed it. We always order some kind of fish and they never disappoint, they cook the fish really well and the flavors are always unique and refreshing. The portions are huge and it is expensive, but the quality is amazing and you can really taste it. Never had dessert here as my friend is not much of sweets person, and I'm usually too full for it anyways. But they sure do look good! Overall, not an every week kind of place for me, but I love coming here when I visited my friend every couple of months.

I had a very good time and ate very good. The steak tartar is delicious and the service was fine. The mussels were also good. The place was packed on a Thursday night but we had a reservation so it was fine. I will definitely come back to eat that steak tartar again, is very good.

Stopped here on a rare foray north of 23rd St. Decent bistro fare in tiny room full of the whitest people on earth. Not bad if you have to be up there.