Fedora
Restaurant · West Village
239 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014
Highlights
Dimly lit basement spot with creative cocktails & European-leaning dishes
Dimly lit basement spot with creative cocktails & European-leaning dishes
"A subterranean spot on West 4th Street with roots back to 1952 that was recently revived into a Gallic-accented bistro by the owners of a nearby natural wine bar; its feel-good, dimly lit dining lends itself to date nights and features comforting plates like tender sweetbreads and chicken cordon bleu." - David Farley
"Fedora takes its name not from the hat, but from its former owner, Fedora Dorato, who ran it as a red-sauce restaurant for decades. Restaurateur Gabriel Stulman took it over from her until his version closed during the pandemic. Now, it’s been reborn again — this time from the team behind wine bar St. Jardim around the corner. Given the West Village clientele, the menu could’ve just as easily trended towards basic bistro fare. But in chef Monty Forrest’s hands, the Le Rock alum put forth a menu of familiar items (chicken Cordon Bleu) with twists (like subbing out ravioli for pierogies). About half of the seats are bar stools, making it best for parties of two, but there are a few larger tables — moody lighting is fit for a date." - Emma Orlow
"In a zip code where “casual” translates to a Rolex Datejust with a modest stainless band, Fedora, from the team behind St. Jardim, is a perfectly impractical little neighborhood spot. The restaurant in the basement of a West Village walk-up is in its third iteration since 1952, serving melty sweetbreads and dainty slices of culotte roast to a crowd that was thinking about cooking tonight, but got sidetracked at work. photo credit: Nicole Franzen photo credit: Nicole Franzen photo credit: Nicole Franzen Pause Unmute Part neo bistro, part Julia Child, the menu leans French and makes great use of produce—but, aside from a steaming brick of chicken cordon bleu, the skimpy mains are hard to get behind. Arrive with more of a snacking mindset, and enjoy a sopping wet house martini or glass of Slovakian sauvignon blanc while you catch up with a few friends in the pitch black room with a ceiling so low you could almost bonk your head. RESERVE A TABLE Food Rundown Pierogies Always order these doughy pierogi tossed with the greenest, crispest produce in a tart lemon-butter sauce. We don’t know what will happen when peas and asparagus are no longer in season, and we’d rather not think about it. photo credit: Bryan Kim Grilled Squid with Quail Eggs and Parsley Fedora could have served a burger or kale salad. Instead, they take risks. We respect that, but we probably wouldn’t get these soft rings of squid with not-quite-runny eggs again. It’s a good dish, but doesn’t quite mesh. photo credit: Bryan Kim Sweetbreads Obscenely tender sweetbreads in a sauce so thick you could write your name in it. Add a glass of Burgundy, and you’re off to a good start. photo credit: Bryan Kim Chicken Cordon Bleu If you want something comforting and filling, this is the choice. Rather than the typical Alpine cheese, this dense cylinder of lightly breaded chicken is filled with mildly funky, liquified comté. On the side, a heavily dressed tangle of greens. photo credit: Bryan Kim Merguez Sausage It can be challenging to put together a full meal at Fedora. This $35 stick of merguez sausage, for example, is technically a main but reads like an app. The charred peppers and onions are nice, but the chicken is a much more satisfying route. photo credit: Bryan Kim Roasted Culotte Of Beef A certified miss. The thin slices of picanha are very pretty, but they have a strong chew and lots of unrendered fat. Soft as they are, the two skin-on carrots do not save the day. Apologies for saying this, but maybe Fedora should just serve a burger. photo credit: Bryan Kim" - Bryan Kim
"Reborn as a standout wine bar from the team behind St. Jardim, with wine direction by Basile Al Mileik and a menu shaped by former Le Rock chef Monty Forrest. The kitchen offers a mix of approachable and elevated dishes — pierogies with peas, spaghetti with clams, Merguez with peppers — and an old-school, luxurious sweetbreads plate that’s slightly creamy inside, breaded and crisp on the outside, served with mushrooms and a silky sherry sauce. Smaller portions are suggested to allow sampling across the thoughtful, wine-friendly menu." - Melissa McCart
"The restaurant's name comes from its former owner's first name; originally run for decades as a red‑sauce joint, it was reimagined in 2010 by restaurateur Gabriel Stulman and later closed during the pandemic. The 4 Charles team under the Hogsalt umbrella sought out the 239 West Fourth Street address but the deal fell through, and as of last month it has reopened, transformed by the owners of St. Jardim — Dete and Christa Alexander — and their wine director there, Basile Al Mileik. Under former Le Rock chef Monty Forrest’s direction, the menu resists the area's obvious trappings in a neighborhood that has become a playground for sorority girls looking to live out a certain Sex and the City fantasy. "We didn’t want to be a copy of another copy," says Forrest. "We’re trying to be genuine and true," he says; he wanted to make food he liked with some "refreshing" spins that "still make sense to the neighborhood." The space is set below street level — dark and cavernous with flattering lighting — and about half the seating is at a bar whose seats have backs, making it comfortable to linger; it reads as a very New York, atmospheric basement restaurant best suited for reservations after sunset or when you want to cozy up indoors. The menu is rooted in European cooking that doesn't stick to tradition: asparagus tempura ($15) sits alongside a chicken Cordon bleu (which uses Black Forest ham from uptown institution Schaller and Weber, instead of jambon de Paris), $40, and a $50 black bass is the highest-priced item listed. There are also pierogies treated as ravioli — which Forrest credits to his sous chef and "pierogi wizard," Kevin Rubis, who first made a version for their family meal at Le Rock — and on the visit they were served with spring alliums and peas and "managed to stay light." "I mean, it’s a ton of labor to make them, but we’re really happy with it. And if we find the right set [for summer], then we’ll keep the pierogi train rolling," says Forrest. A $24 grilled date salad with Mad River Blue cheese is recommended alongside them. There’s no pastry chef; Forrest and his team oversee the sweets, keeping the menu concise and unpretentious: the heartier $14 carrot cake has "banana bread vibes" (more a dense loaf than a traditional slice) — he reduces carrot juice and folds that into a "pretty traditional cream cheese frosting," which "resembles Cheez-Whiz (complimentary) with Parm-like shavings of walnut" — and there's a coconut rice pudding with a chocolate shell made using bomba rice you’d find in paella. The overall takeaway is that the pull here isn’t flashiness or awards chasing but simple, craveable cooking and a comfortable, date‑friendly atmosphere — qualities that feel more likely to help it stick around in a high‑rent West Village than a trendier, more disposable approach." - Emma Orlow
