Cafe Cluny

Great brunch, the eggs benedict was fantastic. The restaurant itself is really cute and cozy, great for a brunch date on the weekend. Mimosas were good.

Nice little neighborhood spot. My favorite is to sit at the bar – the full menu is available and I prefer the view and feel like there is a bit more space
Try the burger or some pasta.

Amazing breakfast but mediocre dinner.
I’ve been here 3 times already and have loved the breakfast club sandwich, the granola and yogurt, the grapefruit brûlée, and the lattes.
I’ve had dinner here too and found that the 3-​course dinner is not nearly as special, flavorful, or fulfilling.

I came for brunch after hearing a good recommendation from a couple of friends.
indeed, the food was excellent.
I had an omelette and hashbrowns. The omelette was skillfully and perfectly cooked. The omelette came with the choice of either hashbrowns OR toast (but not both). I thought that for the price of the omelette (17 $), both should come with the meal (especially given that the cost of toast and the level of production involved in serving toast is fairly minimal!)
The (filter/​americam) coffee was $ 4.50, which was more than I was expecting it to be (it does not appear on the menu and it kind of kills the buzz to have to ask for the price).
I would not call the service we received particularly friendly — it wasn’t unfriendly, but for a café, slightly warmer service might be appropriate. It was otherwise efficient and professional.

Had brunch today in this adorable, immaculate, and pricey local establishment.
Particularly enjoyed the grapefruit brulee (they should just go whole french hog and call it pamplemousse brulee because pamplemousse is just as fun to say as it is to eat), a slightly warm, sweet, and juicy fruit with a satisfyingly crisp wafer thin layer of caramelized sugar on top ($ 7). For the main had a unique variation on eggs benedict, only instead of ham or bacon, house smoked sable ($ 20). The fish was smokey and divine, and the hard nut bread underneath was perfect in balancing the subtlety of the sable and for mopping up gobs of poached egg. Meanwhile because it was my cousin’s birthday we toasted with mimosas and bellinis ($ 15/​a piece), but we skipped eating the cupcakes we brought from Magnolia because they charged an additional $ 10 *a person* «for cupcake-​age» (?!) fees. Instead we went cupcake commando style standing near benches in the nearby park. My cousin incidentally, ordered less well and got a very skimpy plate consisting of a single avocado toast with a wimpy side salad ($ 18). I tried my aunt’s short rib hash ($ 26) and thought it was decent, but a little heavy and forgettable, not extraordinary as advertised by our waiter.
The waiters all wore spunky St James breton shirts, and I spent a good portion of the brunch studying the female waiter’s shirt to try and discern which cut she was wearing.

Lovely little french spot. The place is warm and the food is delicious ! The table are a bit close together but the place is so cosy that it doesn’t matter.
I would definitely go back

I was in love with this place until I came one night, sat at the bar right behind the corridor and I opened up my laptop (safety screen on and minimal brightness). The manager came and told me that «laptops are now allowed, it’s our policy.» I asked, where is your policy written? She said, «it’s not written, I’m telling you.»
I don’t get what’s the logic behind this. I’m using my common sense and I want to use my laptop while eating by myself at the bar. It’s not disturbing to others (as brightness is low and I have a safety screen on). I’d argue that the guy next to me who is playing with his phone next to my face is more annoying. Maybe café cluny should ban phones too? People, relax.
It’s not about the actual laptop, it’s more about the rude, dismissive and condescending way that the staff communicated this to me. Very disappointing.

It is a very cozy ambience. Very relaxing vibe. The staff is very good service. The reason for the three star is the food wasn’t that great. I got the tuna burger which seemed like a great choice. Little was I informed that they added their own seasoning in the meat which I felt took away the flavor of the fish. Also way to much salt added. I am not sure if the cooks just graduated culinary school or is still in. But the owner needs to tone down the heavy seasoning and salt in that meal. Also they way over charge for a bottle of water. Charged me 8 dollars for water that realistically cost about 2-​$ 2.50. I would come back for the environment, but I wouldn’t get any food except maybe tea or coffee. Only thing they serve with a realistic price and thats hard to mess up on it.

So this place has a good vibe to it, and it’s a cute romantic little spot. I would probably come back, because I have a feeling that i had a one off experience.
That said, i gotta describe what happened. I was disappointed in the seating and the food.
1. I was seated uncomfortably in a corner table where a wall sort of T Joins you and your partner. It’s really awkward and just not worth it.
2. The food was just about okay. I liked the appetizer but my main was totally not okay. I got a burnt burger. And not just mildly burnt; Completely and totally burnt patty! the chef knew it was burnt before he put it on the plate. And it was rather unethical/​lazy on his part to have gone with it.
It’s like you go to work and turn in a shoddy piece of work knowing very well that it’s shoddy. You have to be pathetic to do that, because it’s a principled thing.
And hence the 2 stars.

Really cute space and the service was decent. We didn’t have a long wait despite there being a wait outside. The french toast I ordered was good as was the grilled shrimp salad my friend ordered.
So why only three stars? The portions are simply too small relative to the price. My french toast came with 3 slices (what happened to the 4^th) and I chased around the few apple slivers and what looked like a qtr fig diced around my plate. The salad contained 5 well flavored grilled med shrimp nicely plated on what looked like 8 pieces of Bibb lettuce. I savored my $ 6 ginger ale.
After finishing we looked at each other and realized we were both still hungry. While I don’t want a trough of food, for $ 30 pp with tax and tip i’d like to feel content after. Its unlikely I will be back. I’d recommend this for those who take a minimalist view on meals.

I always worry I’m not going to walk out full from french restaurants so I typically don’t go to them. I was wrong at Café Cluny. I was content when I left. I had the Baby Yellowtail Tataki as my appetizer and it was amazing and the Salmon for my entrée, magnificent!!! I have to tip my hat off to the chef because I finally know how I like my salmon cooked if asked. When the waitress asked me I had a dumb face on because most restaurants never ask and when they do I just say not dry. She told me the chef recommends it medium and that’s what I went with and boy am I happy I did. YUMMMMMMYYYYYY!!! As for the dessert I had the ice cream and the portion was such a great amount. Three scoops. I love, love, love ice cream. I enjoyed them, but I have had better.
The staff is way friendly and patient. The energy is great and it gets packed. If you get there on time get the prix fixe menu. So worth it! I’ll be back!!!
Thank you Café Cluny for changing my mind on french restaurants and educating me on how to order my salmon. Every place I’ve gone to after that I’ve been able to tell them MEDIUM!!!

Décor is warm and inviting
Service is friendly and good, although not highly attentive
Wine list is atrocious and extremely limited
Food is good, although not excellent (french onion soup was okay, but with an off, almost blueberry flavor; venison was quite good; both were too sweet for savory dishes; artichoke soup was quite good, although tart; the pasta dish was good, but very rich)
Perhaps try brunch here instead or come for dinner with your expectations preset

This West Village Brunch spot is pretty darn cute — and doesn’t take brunch reservations. Still, we were able to immediately grab a table for four at 11:30 on a Saturday. Brunch came out quickly and was pretty standard. A couple of notes:
— the difference between the A-​BLT and the breakfast club sandwich is that A-​BLT doesn’t have a fried egg and has avocado mayo instead of avocado pieces
— you can avoid paying $ 4 more for some entrees if you come in earlier or on a weekday for breakfast (aka the breakfast club sandwich)
— the hash browns that accompany brunch entrees are a bit like rosti but not as shredded or as crunchy. I’d probably try to sub in fries instead.

First off, I bookmarked this place on Unilocal BEFORE Seth Meyers publicized that this is his favorite restaurant…
Now onto more important things: BRUNCH! My friend and I came around 1pm on a Saturday and we were able to find seats without a problem. For drinks, we both had the Spring Awakening (the theatre nerd in me freaked out about this name), and oh my goodness, it was so refreshing and delicious! It’s a blend of St. Germain, grapefruit, and champagne and also $ 1 cheaper than the mimosa ($ 15). That dollar you’re saving is so worth it!
For food, I ordered the short rib hash and… quite honestly, I don’t know why it’s the most expensive thing ($ 26) on the menu. I feel like it’s the least filling meal out of all of them! (Even the Cluny burger is only $ 21…) Sigh. I got the short rib hash because it looked good and I thought it was worth the hype, but nope. All of this doesn’t mean I won’t come again, just that the short rib hash was not worth the price. One meal that does look worth its price (brunch prices, at least) is the French toast, so I might try that next time. But I’ll most likely try the Cluny burger or the breakfast club sandwich ($ 19) ha.
Service was normal — I mean, my waitress didn’t do anything out of the ordinary — she just left us alone for pretty much the whole time we were eating. Then once she saw our plates were clean, she came to our table real quick, lol. But it was all good.
I’d usually give it a ³⁄₅ rating because of the unnecessary high brunch prices, but the ambiance is really cute, so I’ve added another star.
Cailin’s Recommendations:
— Spring Awakening cocktail — $ 14
— Brioche French Toast — $ 18
— Cluny Burger — $ 21 (cheese & bacon +$ 2 each)
— Breakfast Club Sandwich — $ 19

One of my favorites in my neighborhood, great food and nice setting. Now, the problems include snotty, rude staff, particularly the maitre d s, scrawny women that irritate and condescend. For christs sake, you only work there, you don’t own it and you don’t hang out with any celebrities that eat there so get over yourself and just seat everyone.
Soups are often vegan and almost always great.

Hey, ask if this is way too expensive and not enough food! (The answer is yes.)
Ok, obviously not everyone’s budget is the same, but I came with some friends and we all agreed our meals were overpriced and undersized. I got the breakfast club sandwich, was a super tasty club with avocado for $ 19 that left me hungry at the end. Everyone else ran into the same thing, whether it was eggs or salads (not egg salad though). We all had to go get something later so we had enough to eat. I’d skip this place next time.
Only redeeming quality is that obviously the food was pretty good. That $ 19 small sandwich was at least a delicious sandwich.

This will be one of my shortest reviews since I only stopped by here for coffee.
The coffee itself was fine, nothing incredible but still solid and kept me awake. What I can say is the ambiance here is lovely. It’s a good place for a date or a quaint meal with friends. The folks at the bar were super friendly and all in all it feels like a really nice place.
I’d say based on my experience with the service and ambiance I’d definitely come back here again for a real meal.

If I lived in the West Village, this would be my go-​to breakfast spot!
This quaint restaurant offers amazing service (so professional), delicious food (quickly, but thoughtfully prepared), and a low key comfortable ambiance (that still somehow makes you feel glamorous).

One of the best brunches I’ve had and I do lots of brunchin’! As always with all brunch spots on a weekend, expect a long wait. This one took 1.5 hours but it was well worth it.
My go-​to favorite is always eggs benedict and I was very happy they had an option with cooked salmon rather than typical smoked salmon. The eggs were cooked to perfection, nicely runny on top of my english muffin and the hollandaise sauce was actually a bit tangy and worked so well with the flavorful seasoned salmon cake. My friend ordered the oatmeal topped with plenty of fresh banana and berries along with cinnamon on the side. The portion was bigger than I expected and she really enjoyed it!
Although the restaurant was packed, we weren’t rushed, service was quick and attentive and the food was fabulous. Only wish I had a big enough stomach to also have the phenomenal looking short rib hash that everyone around us ordered! Will be coming back here for that one!

Food: 4.5 Stars
Service: 5 Stars
We came here for brunch hearing about the great reviews and were not disappointed! We had a short wait, but I think it was because we came at a very opportune time. I ordered the Breakfast Club Sandwich and my girlfriend ordered the Smoked Sable Benedict. Both were amazing.
I will say that I was particularly hungry that morning and was craving something a little more heavy/​greasy so the BCS really hit the spot. Both entrees came with some quiche which was light, crispy and delicious. The eggs on my girlfriend’s dish was cooked perfectly.
Another notable aspect! The décor within the café is beautiful. There’s this feel of the safari mixed with nature historian. I think in some parts there are giant wooden carved ants?! Either way, would definitely recommend!