New York has no shortage of French restaurants. There’s one on every other block. So, it may be hard to get excited when yet another French restaurant takes over the space of the beloved neighborhood ice cream parlor. So, what makes Saint Denis worth your time? As a self-proclaimed NYC restaurant anthropologist, I sought to find out. 

While Saint Denis is new to the neighborhood, the owners are not newbies in the food and beverage space. With NYC favorites like The Nines, Monsieur, and Le Dive, Golden Age Hospitality is operating some of the city’s most vibrant establishments where patrons can expect a hard-fought reservation, or a line at the door.

Atmosphere

The majority of the Golden Age Hospitality spaces channel inspiration from different restaurants in Paris. Saint Denis feels most like time travel to the historic neighborhood of Montmartre. Having personally spent a significant amount of time living in this neighborhood, approaching Saint Denis felt like walking right past the cafes near the famous church itself. With year-round outdoor dining now in effect in NYC, the outdoor guéridon tables were immediately populated with groups enjoying steak frites. Of course, this is all under a blue awning with red light warmers, and the stereotypical rattan chairs. 

Walking inside, you’re enveloped in a stunning dark mahogany and dimly lit interior. The bar greets you upon entry with a beautiful, golden glow and several seats where you can order food as well as a beverage. Considering this space is in NYU’s backyard, I was pleasantly surprised to see a wide range of patrons. It was a mix of neighborhood locals, business dinners, a few dates, and also a couple of solo diners at the bar. 

The Food

The menu captures the essence of a classic parisian bistro. Typical favorites like escargot, and steak au poivre can be found on the menu. We opted for a light dinner that night.

While each dish was quite typical for a french bistro, everything had a tiny tweak that made it feel extra special. The baguette came hot with a side of butter. While baguettes are a staple in Paris (and most French spots in NYC), I can’t remember the last time that it arrived so hot, I almost dropped it. Neither the butter nor the baguette are made in-house (nor are they French). But, as the staff told us, they are freshly-made locally. 

We started with the gorgeous, huge shrimp cocktail, sprinkled with a bit of horseradish and a perfect sauce on the side. 

Then, the Salade Lyonnaise, which had the perfect amount of dressing — not too light and not too heavy. But it was the bits of bacon that were most notable. There’s nothing I hate more than dry bacon on a fancy salad. At Saint Denis, the bacon was soft and thick-cut.

Luckily, we saved some of the baguette for our main, the moules marinières. It was needed to properly soak up the deliciousness of the dish. What is usually served with simple white wine reduction, this was infused with saffron. An exceptional addition, truly taking the flavor to a new level for my unexpecting taste buds. 

For my french-fry connoisseurs, these were thin, long and the perfect middle of crunchy and soft. No notes. 

We ended our supper with profiteroles. It was a delightful swap from vanilla ice cream to mint with a healthy pour of gorgeous chocolate sauce on top. 

Service

We sat at the bar. My general rule of dining out when you’re face-to-face with your server is: what you put in, is what you’ll get out. We struck up conversation, asked questions, and undoubtedly were the favorites of the evening. The whole staff was friendly and kind — but it is also to be expected on opening week. 

Overall: 9/10

Nearly perfect, but I would have loved the butter and bread to be from a French bakery. Or, just French butter, since there are several brands that you can purchase in the US.

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FAQs

Q: Where is Saint Denis located?

A: Saint Denis is located at 490 LaGuardia Place.

Q: What are the hours of operation for Saint Denis?

A: Saint Denis is open Monday-Wednesday from 5pm to 12am; Thursday from 5pm to 1am; Friday from 3pm to 1am, Saturday from 12pm to 1am; and Sunday from 12pm to 11pm.

Q: Who is the chef at Saint Denis?

A: Marjorie Meek-Bradley, formerly the chef at Pastis, Saint Anselm, and Upland, is the chef at Saint Denis.