Chez Josephine

Greats do beautiful atmosphere! Went on a Saturday night… Was packed around 10pm with live performances in the piano and singing… the folks were extremely nice and made every accommodation for us to get a table. The lobster bisque was delicious!

Outstanding service delicious food great ambiancewe stayed at the restaurant for over three hours and the service was amazing the time flew by the piano player and the horn player were great overall definitely loved it we all loved it and they were eight of us

I love a restaurant with a good story. Intrigued by the story of owner Jean-​Claude and his love for Josephine Baker, we finally came for dinner at this gem next door. Everything was great, especially the Filet Mignon au Poivre. Escargots were tender and well flavored, and the Blackened Salmon was very well done. I also really enjoyed the Belgian Endive. Not your typical French menu, we did find the Crab Cakes on the ok side, but it doesn’t take away from the overall rating because everything about this restaurant — the pensive piano player, the antique Josephine posters, the nostalgic air paired with good wine simply immerse you in a yearning for the good ol’ times and leave an aftertaste of joy and class. 5 stars for the experience and the story.

Delicious!
Atmosphere is incredibly entertaining.
Heard a cello & piano, live.
I had pasta & a rich Merlot wine. Fabulous, large portions and very well plated.
The service was efficient and relaxed, not stuffy or rushed.
What a fun place.

Been here on several occasions and came here last night again with my parents.
I love Chez Josephine because of the ambience most of all and the delightful piano player, making the whole dining experience most enjoyable.
The waitstaff is always gracious and professional and the food is always solidly executed.
Last night, we had the crab cake to start and then the angel hair pasta with truffle oil, sun-​dried tomatoes and wild mushrooms and the fried chicken.
The crab cake was succulent and perfectly executed with a nice sauce to complement the crab.
The fried chicken is always a delight with yummy pickled cabbage, sweet potato fries and blueberry cornbread. The blueberry cornbread I have found to be hit and miss, but, its such a small component of the dish.
The pasta dish is simple, yet, very flavorful. The truffle oil bathes the pasta and gives it a wonderfully earthy aroma and the sun-​dried tomatoes provide a nice contrast.
All in all, when looking for dinner options in the theater district, Chez Josephine is always a good choice.

Moulin Rouge — I felt like I was dining on a theater stage for Moulin Rouge. Sitting in this cozy and romantic brasserie featuring live piano bar, red-​velvet curtains and many wall frames of a female dancer, I became curious about the owner and a background story about this restaurant and questioned myself who ‘Josephine’ is.
*Chez Josephine was opened in 1983 by Jean-​Claude Baker, a French American restaurateur and the owner of Chez Josephine. He named the restaurant in honor of his adoptive mother, Josephine Baker, who was one of the most popular dancers/​singers in France in the 1920s. Josephine, also known as «Black Pearl,» was the first black woman who gained fame globally and was notable for her contribution to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. With a belief that children from different ethnicities and religions could become a good family, Josephine adopted 12 children (she named «The Rainbow Tribe») from various countries, including France, Morocco, Korea, Japan, Columbia, Philippines, France, Israel, Algeria and Venezuela. Mr. Baker was one of the adopted sons. In 1993, he also published a biography of Josephine, titled «The Hungry Heart.»
*Since its opening (In the 1980s, the 42^nd street was known as the city’s red-​light district), Chez Josephine has become the beloved pre/​post-​show dining & bar by many theater goers. Its regular included several celebrities including Billy Joel and Jacklyn Kennedy Oasis. It was said that Mr. Baker came to Chez Josephine at least 5 days a week to greet new customers and charm his long-​time friends. Unfortunately, we can’t see him at Chez Josephine anymore. He was found dead in January 2015 in an apparent suicide, after many years that he had suffered from depression.
I should have visited this place earlier so that I could meet and say hello to Mr. Baker. Glad that Chez Josephine remains open after the death of the owner. I might re-​visit sometime soon again and enjoy the interior and live jazz music, in memory of Mr. Baker.

This restaurant is a hidden gem!
My friend and I were visiting NYC last weekend and we walked past the restaurant, glanced inside it, and then turned around and walked in. We had to check out the inside! It’s so intriguing, looking in the window. The décor is fabulous! You are instantly transported back in time! Lush, red velvet curtains, chandeliers and beautiful paintings!
The owner was eager to tell us the history of the restaurant and even treated us to a cocktail! He was very nice and welcoming.
The food was good! We had angel hair pasta with mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and truffle oil! Yum!
The chocolate mousse desert was delicious and our cocktails were perfect!
There was a man playing the piano and singing. It was a great vibe!
Jack, the bartender was great! Nice guy!
Can’t wait to visit again, next time we’re in the city!!! We felt at home there.

Wir sind spätabends noch in das Lokal reingefallen und der superfreundliche Kellner hat uns beraten, was er uns denn noch aus der Küche bringen könnte. Es war einfach nur köstlich. Und die Nachspeisen waren so gut, dass meine zwei Mädels gleich noch eine nachbestellt haben. Die Weinempfehlung entsprach dem Preis/​Leistungsverhältnis.
Wenn ich wieder in NY bin, gehe ich gerne wieder hin.

Nice ambiance, very cozy place and piano bar, food not so good but atmosphere is great