Excuse My French

This place is absolutely beautiful. Such an incredibly cute space. Everything from the wallpaper to the seats were thoughtfully picked out and arranged. Love it.
There isn’t a ton of space here, but it’s awesome for couples. Cuddle over a yummy meal. Prices are reasonable and the food quality is really great.
The owners are very attentive — you can quickly see why this place has so much character.

Great place, especially for French people looking for good French food and wine.
The chief is really nice, always wondering if things are going well. The red wine was very good, we also had a cheese platter which was generously served as we were able to share it with a friend.
I highly recommend the place !

Came here for drinks and apps last night and it was so awesome. I live nearby and had gone to the bar that used to be there before and wanted to try out the new spot.
Décor: Super cute, and surprisingly spacious. Could actually hear my friends talking and have a few drinks without feeling cramped or like we were shouting.
Staff: Really nice, helpful, and attentive. A+ for service. Courtney was awesome and gave us a complimentary crêpe after our food just because…
Drinks: Cool menu with fancy and creative cocktails that are french themed. I got the French 75… which was delish even though I am not a gin person, and my friends got L’Aviateur, which they highly recommended.
Food: didn’t know what to expect food wise, but everything we got was amazing, and a surprisingly large portion considering what a great price it was. Got the stuffed portobello, salmon entrée w/​ratatouille, and a small cheese plate.
Would 100% come back here for food, drinks, or both.

So thrilled they are now open for BRUNCH! Absolutely delicious croque madame, and lots of other options that I can’t wait to try next time. Bloody Mary’s, mimosas, great coffee, but also the specialty cocktails that are available at night too. Come now before the lines start getting long.

Came in on sunday night. We had an amazing time very friendly bartender Carlos! Also meet the owner. Food was really delicious. Highly recommended this place! Really cosy good food good drink

The cheese plate is to die for! And the baked camembert! I also had some of the charcuterie with it. So good. The fig jam and cornichons are a perfect compliment! Beyond the food, the signature French drinks are delicious. Highly recommend the L’Antonieta, a house French/​Mexican concoction with mezcal. And it changes color in front of your eyes!
The décor of this place is spot-​on, so cozy and warm. There are beautiful paintings and the exposed brick, made for a perfect evening to chill and catch up with some friends. Also, the music is fantastic and not loud. I so appreciate that.
Will definitely be back!

I really hate to give this place a negative review, as the manager/​owner and the chef were very sweet and accommodating, and the place really is as gorgeous and cozy as others have mentioned. Maybe it was just our selection, but I have to be honest, we were very underwhelmed with the food. Menu seems promising, but lacks in delivery. Drinks on the other hand were good, leaning toward the fizzy variety.
We ordered:
foie gras lollypops — appeared as a piece of liver on a mini skewer, not resembling a lollipop at all, and was cold in the center.
Scallops — served raw, bad choice as they were somewhat spoiled.
merquez sausage toastine — tasty, but basic.
breaded portabella — they must have forgotten the tomato as it was just portabella topped with too much overtoasted breading.
dessert — nothing caught our attention (think Nutella crêpe for $ 9).
$ 140 later (for two) and still very hungry, we left to go feast at Antibes (try their foie gras for comparison). EMF is a great place, nice staff, but needs to liven up the menu. They are after all competing with every other french place in NYC.

Beautiful little bar on the lower east side. Amazing cocktails very friendly warm — tres francais!

Beautiful décor, attentive bartender, great food, and in addition to coat hooks, there are outlets under the bar to charge your phone. This place really gets it right. The food also came out quickly, which was nice.
Cons: Bar options were a little limited, but then again it’s not really a specialty cocktail place. The bartender was helpful with suggestions, though.

Just tried out this new place. The vibe is dark yet welcoming. Definitely a little gem. The staff was very friendly when I got there. Ended up having two side cars (not too sweet and plenty strong). The bartender actually offered to make me something off the menu if I didn’t like it. We ordered four cheeses that came with unlimited baguette as well as porchetta (3 hefty slices) that came with cornichons. The snacks were good quality and a nice balance to the sweetish drinks.
I will definitely be back and would love to try the larger plates.

Love the new/​old 19-​century décor… I expected to walk in a casual and cozy place. Although pretty cozy, Very Beautiful. The music gave the place a real laid back vibe. The waitress was real sweet and attentive. The food was amazing!!! My Friends and I had the Classic Tajine, steak Tartar, and Few Crostinis. To die for. I also would suggest any from the Royal Family sparkling cocktail selections and the mescal-​and-​Cointreau L’Antonieta. The crew is very hospitable and nice. The Chef is French and uses a very sophisticated technique building the small tapas. Amazing service!!! We will be back here again…

Enjoyed the time at the chefs table. Lovely décor and food is imaginative but the wine was like your at a French bistro in Paris. If you could only be so lucky.

Stopped by here after a gallery opening next door at Castle Fitzjohns (If you haven’t seen Erica Simone’s Nue York show, don’t bother. You should instead crack open a Playboy to get your nudie fix). The place looked too cute from the outside to resist and I’m a sucker for claiming «first!» to new places. My group of four was a tad hesitant to stay, however, as the layout is not conducive at all to anyone larger than a couple. That said, I very much want to come back for a solo drink at the narrow, snaking bar. Still, we managed to take over the corner all the way in the back.
You will want to start with a cocktail off their extensive list of classics. I had the L’Antonieta, dedicated to the Mexican writer who killed herself inside Paris’ Notre Dame in 1931. Our waiter (owner?) hauntingly recounted the story as he mixed my cocktail right before my eyes. It was great. And delicious. Like a smoky margarita, not to trivialize it (I f*king drink margaritas at the club). As for food, we split the baked camembert and fresh crab and avocado tartine. The former was pure ooey-​gooey bliss (shout out to a free refill on bread!). I could have sworn the crab on the tartine was still kickin’, it was that FRESH, fresher than Kanye’s clique. I need to come back and try more plates (looking at you foie gras lollipops).
As an aside, I’m 99.89% sure this place has no affiliation to Pardon My French in Alphabet City, but it still leads me to wonder… are there really no other francophile idioms out there? French kiss? French letter? French leave? French fries???

An amazing spin on tapas, french style! A true gem not to be missed, from the details of the charming décor to the exhilarating cocktails to the delectable tapas! Chef Johann Giraud has truly brought a great flair to the art of tapas.

This new place is fantastic. You should try it. They even have vegan tapas. Also non vegan is amazing. The ambiance is great, cozy and make you feel at home. Great service, delicious food and great selection of cocktails and wines. I will come back for sure.

Love this place. Definitely a place for grownups, as another reviewer mentioned. The staff is fantastic and they know their stuff behind the bar. Drink prices are good, especially for the LES. Music isn’t too loud, either. My new regular after-​work martini stop.

Too much of a good thing is AWESOME!!! LOVE this new spot! First, it’s so dang pretty in there! I stared at the ceiling alone for like, twenty minutes. Beautifully chosen art on the walls, every detail, just right. The staff was perfect, attentive with NO attitude! And they know what they’re doing. The barmaid was top notch on the delicious cocktails, Great wine selection, too.
And then there’s the cheese. I ate my own body weight in cheese and I’d do it again, and you should, too!
Tapas is everyone’s favorite way to eat, isn’t it? I mean when you go to a wedding, isn’t the best part the cocktail hour? Well, this is like the cocktail hour at the wedding of the coolest people you know.
Viva La Excuse My French!

Beautiful new bar — a welcome grown-​up spot on the Lower East Side. Great selection of meats, cheeses and French-​influenced small plates. Classic cocktails are fantastic.