Nice Matin

Used to have the best nicoise salad on the west side. Something changed and now it’s like getting a cafeteria style tuna on a bed of lettuce. The seasoning on the breadcrumbs on the artichokes was too seasoned and drowned out the artichoke. The gluten free bread made me want to stop eating bread. Setting and service was nice though…

Not friendly– Had to wait for the unfriendly hostess to come to us, place was not crowded by any means. Food is blah.

Don’t go here for brunch! I don’t know if it’s much better for dinner, though the reputation is okay. But we had a «meh» brunch.
Started promisingly, with a nice corner round table for the 6 of us. The waiter came to ask what we’d like to drink; we wanted to look at the menu first and then decide. He was fine with that, but took a veeery long time to come back. Then, the hot coffees were brought over, but we had to ask for the iced beverages when the food runners brought some of our meals.
The last 2 dishes came out, and then, finally, our drinks.
My husband ordered the «Belgian» waffle with fresh berries and whipped cream. So it was one waffle, lightly baked, looked sufficient for a 5-​year-​old. And the berries came in a little ramekin that held maybe ¼ cup of berries. He was finished eating in no time, and hungry. My «healthy frittata» was decent in portion, but bland; could’ve used some salt and pepper, or a side of salsa, or something. I gave my husband a quarter of it! My iced cappuccino was tasty, but an awful lot of it was ice. Maybe my bad, should’ve specified not too much ice?
Two of my friends shared 2 omelettes, the Gruyère, which they said was good, and the mushroom & caramelized onion one that they thought was pretty tasteless. The other 2 in our party had the chicken sandwich, no complaints, no raves.
Overall, it’s a mundane menu, but the worst was the service. One member of our group had to ask 2 different people more than once just to get a glass of ice. And if we hadn’t asked 3 times for more water, we would never have gotten it. We could chalk it up to their being understaffed, but the waiter was definitely inattentive. This will be a place we will not go back to, for sure.

Friends visiting from Brazil were craving for seafoods. Having left the NYC years go to the burbs, I really did not know where to take them. We were walking in the UWS, when we saw a dish of mussels being carried to one of an outdoor table. It looked so good, and we went in. We did not regret! Mussels were nicely cooked, my tuna slices on the salad were rare and so well cooked. Friday night’s dish was bouillabaisse, which my friends enjoyed immensely.
So all the dishes we ordered were great.
Service was good — except one time when a server placed salad in front of one person, and bouillabaisse on another person, and placed the condiments on the far side of bouillabaisse. So obviously you scratched your head and wondered how you could use the parmesan cheese etc on bouillabaisse.
I have been enjoying latte all the time until I rediscovered the wonderful taste of regular coffee a month ago. So instead of latte, I ordered a cup of coffee. It was one of the best!
So from the appetizer (we shared the mussels dish as an appetizer and my son had risotto) to the desserts and coffee, we had no complaints!

Sometimes it’s super-​crowded during the brunch hours so me and my friend headed over slightly early, around 11:30 (2 people, Saturday) and we were able to sit right away. (Note: They don’t have a reservation for weekend brunch hours, it’s walk-​in only.)
I had lamb&scrambled eggs, my friend had frittata and both were great choices. The brunch menu comes out with small salad and seasoned (steamed?) potato. Portion is okay. What I actually liked the most was their breads! They gave us 3 different types of bread and the small muffin (sweet cinnamon, not sure) was my favorite.
The atmosphere was pretty nice and servers were friendly.

Went here for Sunday Brunch.
Perfect Bloody Mary and the large café au lait hit the spot.
Place had a great French breakfast bistro vibe.
I had the spicy lamb sausage scramble with cream on top of egg. Perfectly prepared and made me feel like I was in France.

Complimentary bread basket has tasty treats! For me, that meant the side of potatoes that comes with brunch entrees was pas necessaire! I’ve ordered eggs benedict here many times over the years. This dish is always perfectly executed and super delicious. You get a side of lettuces on the plate which is really nice to mop up the last of the Hollandaise sauce. This is a lively neighborhood french bistro on the UWS. It is probably not a good choice if you’re looking for a quiet, intimate meal because it can get pretty darn loud in the main room at peak hours.

I used to love this place but I’ve given it several chances recently and it’s fallen so short. Nobody refilled our water even once. Nobody asked if I wanted a refill of my beverage (didn’t have one after the appetizer for the duration of the meal). We won’t be back. Ever.

Such a great lunch spot!
The food and service is spot on for this busy NYer!
Lamb salad is amazing too!
Love this gem!

This is a really nice French bistro on the Upper West Side that is worth a visit if you are in the area. We split a really nice arugula salad to start and I had the hanger steak for my entrée. I was actually very pleasantly surprised by the steak. It was cooked perfectly, was very tender and had a really nice peppercorn sauce. Not to mention the generous portion of spinach that comes on the side.
Others at the table enjoyed the mussels and salmon and were very happy with both. The service was mediocre, but we were not in much of a rush and enjoyed the food.

Hopped in for brunch — no waiting — had good service, refills for coffee and good food. House granola had a good cinnamon taste to it and avocado sandwich was kind of normal if I may. Good experience — I recommend this place if you are on upper west side and hungry : – )

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner there are all comfortable. Their food is always tasty, bread is fresh, coffee is strong, and fries are superb. Service is attentive but not bothersome. Also love the outdoor seats when weather is nice; it’s a good people watching spot.

Food was very good, but I think this restaurant is slightly overpriced. The atmosphere is basic, kind of like an upscale diner. I am a huge fan of bloody Mary’s and I must admit that I was extremely disappointed. The drink lacked in every aspect of what I expect in a Bloody Mary and the worst part was that it was $ 12! It also didn’t come with olives! So I asked for olives… And they gave me 1! Not the worst place, just the worst bloody.

Big warning: The «chicken sausage» tasted like hot dog! Even when I picked the pieces out, my frittata still tasted like hot dog (NOT in a good way).
The place looks lovely; they seated us quickly; they took good care of us. Our server was a bit abrupt, but she did hear everything we requested of her.
My friend was delighted with her ham and cheese omelette, but the hot dog flavor in my frittata really turned me off, and I barely ate a third of it.
The fruit cup was excellent, though! Unusually varied — strawberry, pineapple, blueberry, blackberry, melon, mango — and all pleasantly ripe.

Interesting French restaurant that was open the weekend of the «worst blizzard in New York City in 4 years.» EXTREMELY loud — very echoey, so not great for intimate conversation, but great for a boozy brunch for five people. Espresso martini was by far the best thing on the menu. They were out of a lot of beers (although maybe due to the blizzard). Food was sort of forgettable: salmon and eggs came drizzled with some odd creamy sauce. Potatoes that accompanied all the egg dishes were mushy and cold and tasted like something from a middle school cafeteria. Perfectly adequate place to come (and very short wait), but I wouldn’t rush to come back.

Nice Matin is what I would consider an UWS neighborhood staple French eatery. I pass by it often and normally see hordes of people enjoying their meals in the patio area, but I never really thought to myself, «Hey, why don’t you actually go inside and try the food and drinks?»
So, I did. I went inside and tried and food and drinks. I listened to my own inner thoughts.
When you walk in, it’s huge. Lots of bright lights and it mirrors a very Mediterranean vibe.
I ordered a glass of the Pinot Blanc which is a white wine but flavored with deep Pinot fruits, hence the blending of the name. Because, we had already eaten, we shared an order of the duck liver mousse to nosh on and it was outstanding.
It reminded me of my travels to Nice, France. The French Riviera is one of the most beautiful areas in the world.
French food when done right is probably the most decadent food out there and the mousse did not disappoint. There was this layer of plumish, black coating on top of the mousse, which tasted like a balsamic reduction, and it cut through the richness of the liver. The mousse came with a side of salad, some walnuts and crusty bread.
We spent a considerable amount of time there, that’s what happens when the ambiance is that welcoming. When I looked up and took a gander around the restaurant it was packed, a clear indication that Nice Matin is not going anywhere, anytime soon.

I always have a positive experience at nice matin. I came here with my girlfriend and she has the mussels and soup for 23 from the prix fix lunch. I had my favorite app, which is the tuna tar tar along with the fresh and delicious chicken paillard for a main course.
Service is quick and environment is upscale casual. Recommended for any kind of event or meeting

Years ago, I remember stopping in for a late-​night salad and a glass of wine. Or was it many glasses of wine? Whatever the amount, the wine hit the spot.
The last time I was here, I brunched at the bar. Miguel served us with a smile; we enjoyed a Shakshuka Nicoise (eggs baked in tomato sauce and ratatouille, with pesto and parmesan; $ 16.75; credit accepted), and shared a well-​seasoned avocado toast (13.75) sandwich. Enjoyed a mango mimosa (it was weak, but just what I needed) and a respectable espresso martini.
Nice Matin is a pleasant corner spot — you could say it’s… nice[1] — naturally-​lit, with outdoor seating if you’re into that[2].
[1] See what I did there? See? Isn’t that terrible? Sorry.
[2] Unless I’m facing a park, I usually steer away from street-​side seating. But different strokes for different folks.

The omelet and potatoes was meh. The onions were carmelized but they did give a decent amount of cheese. The décor, plates and coffee cups were cute. Service was decent and the outside venue where we sat was the perfect people watching spot. If you stay at the Lucerne you get 15% off your breakfast. woot! They called to confirm the reservation the day before which was nice (you can make Open Table reservations). Am I wrong– no milk alternatives? I asked for soy milk or something other than regular milk and was told it was not available…

Carte de petits-​déjeuners fabuleuse. Je n’ai jamais mangé un Muesli Granola aussi bon. Excellent rapport qualité-​prix. 3 petits-​déjeuners hyper-​complets pour 49 $, c’est chapeau à NYC !

Came here with a bunch of friends for a birthday celebration on the last day of restaurant week! This is definitely a fancy restaurant but not to the extent where you feel underdressed in casual clothing. The waiter that we had kind of gave off a snooty attitude but it’s not the worst service I’ve experienced.
Appetizers:
Kale salad– Wow if salad always tastes this good I would eat it everyday! I really liked the kale and the vinaigrette dressing!
Goat cheese tart– A rather salty appetizer but I like salty food! The goat cheese had a sharp taste that I enjoyed and the bacon on top was good. It didn’t seem like they complimented each other that well though.
Ceviche– Very refreshing and definitely a great appetizer to open up your taste buds!
Entrees:
Ricotta gnocchi– The texture of the gnocchi was great and I also loved the mushroom/​parmesan sauce but the portion was so little! It’s listed under appetizers on the regular menu but for restaurant week its under entrees wtf?
Duck confit meatloaf– The duck was a little dry but the fact that its a meatloaf explains why. I did enjoy the taste though and I thought the veggies and mashed potatoes complimented the duck very well.
Desserts:
Cranberry walnut tart– This had a very rich walnut flavor which I liked but overall it was a bit too sweet for my liking.
Citrus panna cotta– The first few bites were delicious because the orange on top balanced out the sweetness of the cream on the bottom! But after the citrus was gone, it became a bit too heavy and sweet. It needs some citrus flavor on the bottom too to balance out the sweetness/​heaviness!
Fig bread pudding– I took a bite of this and thought it was pretty good!
Vanilla crème brûlée– Loved the brulee on top! The crème, again, was just a bit too sweet for me.
Overall I would rate this as a slightly less than average restaurant week experience. The food, while tasty, came in very small portions and were not exactly filling. Décor was great but service was only average. I would recommend trying out someplace else during the next restaurant week!

C’est un bon restaurant français situé dans le quartier de l’Upper Street, plusieurs plats atypiques, pas trop régional, plutôt des grillades, des tarifs moyens, au beau décor atypique français.