Le District

My fiancé and I serendipously found this location after visiting One World Trade Center. After the high rise sight seeing we wanted to get a cup of coffee before heading back to Jersey. We walked across the street to Brookfield Place mall. Inside was clean and lots of open space. We found Le District downstairs. We decided to give it a go and order some things since the prices seemed reasonable. We got a chai, latte, ham and cheese croissant and regular croissant. I must say, that combo was delicious. Especially the ham and cheese croissant, crispy, flaky and and cheesy. It went down well with the latte. After eating the croissants we wanted to try something else. I’m a suckered for crepes and we had a crêpe with banana, whipped cream, and caramel. Wow, best tasting crêpe I’ve had, and price wise it was cheap compared to those crêpe places at other malls. Check this place out, you won’t be disappointed.

I came here for french Tuesday night and may I say, it was well worth the $ 20. When you pay for a ticket, you get a complimentary campaign glass to start the night. This event runs from 5:30pm-7:30pm and throughout the district you can try different foods from different stations. Lol yes from bakery, formage, poisson, bière etc and you can get samples at a 10 limit. By the end of the night I left feeling stuffed, and satisfied not only because this place embraces french culture though foods and music but it introduces you to dishes we wouldn’t experience other wise unless exploring around the city :)

The smells of freshly baked bread and pastries are pretty great at Le District, almost infectious. That being said, finding something of good value at Le District is somewhat of a treasure hunt, which is why I very rarely come here for lunch. However, if you look closely enough, you can find decent deals. The parallels to Eataly are not unfounded: quality, unique French-​themed ingredients at exorbitant prices.
The produce, charcuterie (meats), and poissonerie (seafood) are extremely pricey here, so it’s kinda hard to see how people do their shopping at Le District. Given that Whole Foods is nearby and is actually slightly cheaper, there’s not really a reason to go grocery shopping here. Perhaps you can find something that only you can find in France, but even then, meh. They do have suckling pig which you can actually order by the pound, but at the prices they quoted, you might be better off going to Chinatown for something like that.
My first time at Le District, I went to the Boulangerie, and got a croque monsieur here that looked great, but didn’t taste so great. Super soggy, and as a result, I ate about half, and threw out the rest. Seriously, I NEVER throw out food, but it was soggy to the point that it tasted like mush. I was turned off for awhile, so it took about a solid half year before I returned for a business lunch. I did go back to try the Le District Burger, which was actually pretty unique and good. At $ 16, the burger is actually one of the better value plays, and it does come with some pretty great fries. Not to mention, the bar also has $ 1 oysters everyday from 3−6pm, so if you happen to get off work, or are having an afternoon stroll, you can go there for some good oysters.
I’ll come for some coffee, maybe a pastry or something sweet, or a business lunch that perhaps can be expensed, but after that, it’s hard to find a good reason to come here. A lot of people tell me that it’s just too hard to find something good for lunch at Le District, and at that point, it’s good to go with something you know will be satisfying, so just go to Hudson Eats upstairs, where the variety and value are overall better.

I really honestly truly wanted to like this place. Just on principle of having a French version of Eataly or something like that. But to start with, the DJ at bar playing really sugary French Pop had her volume set just a tad too high… Not a big deal, I guess, maybe they were trying to portray some hip-​ness.
Le Bar menu seamed appealing and the staff was very friendly and nice (the only reason for the second star)… and then came the food
The risotto truffle balls were miniscule and you could barely taste any truffle (or even fake truffle oil, which I’m guessing is probably more likely)
The mussels were ok, but covered in twigs and undercooked onions and garlic on top… my friend thought maybe it was supposed to be garnish — but who uses garlic slices as garnish?
To be fair, the mussels were fresh and the broth was decent enough for us to ask for bread and dip in…
Then there was the burger, asked for medium, which was a mistake — it was more like well done, but that wasn’t exactly it… it was just very bone dry, and the combination with the Tomme and the bun — was not working at all.
Thank God for decent fries — otherwise the meal would have really sucked.
p. s. wines by the glass were quite crappy as well, i mean, you’re a French joint — there are two things you can’t f up… wine and fries!!! come on now!

Lovely place for lunch or drinks. Cheese shop, bakery, fish, meats, pastry, ice cream, candies, wine, fresh vegetables and salad bar. Sit and enjoy your choices or get them to go.

The Americanized French version of Eataly.
I particularly like Le Bar, a convenient place for Happy Hour since I work in the building with a great view on the water. The drinks are reasonably priced and there’s a good vibe all around whenever I come in. If you go, try the espresso vodka– it looks and tasted amazing.

Hoisting the sobriquet of «French Eataly» doesn’t improve first impressions of Le District. Whereas Eataly is a marketplace celebrating the food and beverage of nearly every region and culinary tradition of that country, Le District is really a medium-​sized supermarket with a couple restaurants.
The complex is accessed either by descending into the bowels of World Financial Center or by an offshoot of the West Side bike path. From the bike path, you pass a rather unimpressive collection of fruit, followed by better looking counters specializing in cheese and sausage.
Past that is Le Bar, which has a full menu of small and large plates in addition to French beer and wine. I went with a colleague for a drink after work that turned into a couple too many. We didn’t eat too much — this was probably part of the problem — but the crispy fries evoked the very best of French bistro food. They come covered with flakes of cheese and garlic, wonderfully paired with the craft French beer that is available. Later we had some of the sausage that comes from the nearby counter.
The prices are pretty reasonable, and definitely provoked interest in a return journey. The space, however, which doesn’t have much light and is quite noisy, isn’t the best. It feels like you are trying to have a fine dining experience in Aisle 5 of a supermarket.
France is certainly Italy’s equal when it comes to food. They deserve a food destination that fully lives up to that tradition.

Pricey but nice spot to stop by if you are in the area or tired from shopping. Crêpes were good even the simple butter and sugar one. Wine bar and dinner options in the back, bustling at night. Brought a few Christmas goods at the sweets shop up front. They had 6 different Madeleine flavors for $ 10. Blueberry, raspberry, orange, original, chocolate chip, and one more.

So the mall at Brookfield place has a lot of spots, mainly Le District. I’ve stopped here out of convenience– from working events upstairs. I came with my friend before and she got a crêpe and I got a macaroon, I knew it was a tourist trap. ‘It’s an alright crêpe’ my friend said, disappointed. ‘It’s a stale macaroon’ I replied. After that, I’ve gotten coffee with some coworkers here, and it’s actually not bad, café au lait is $ 2.50. Convenient, but not really pocket friendly or practical.

What a absolute delight of a spot. Here’s the layout, it’s across the street from the memorial in Brookfield Place. If you’ve ever been to Harrods in London you will see were I believe the genesis of this restaurant came from.
The French inspired fare establishment has different action stations throughout including a full market. Everything from Pastries, fine meat carving, cheeses, fresh breads, creperie, ice cream, wine bar and fine prepared foods. Everything is top notch excellence in ingredients and presentation.
I enjoyed some steak tartar with quail egg for a morning snack that was fabulous! You have to just go here and spend the day eating. This is a true adventure in the way of dining. Bring family, friends there is something for everyone.

Needing a break between ⁹⁄₁₁ Memorial Museum and The Freedom Tower observation Deck, we decided to make the five minute walk to Hudson Eats at Brookfield Plaza (basically a food court).
Luckily we ran into this French food inspired hodgepodge of stores. What an awesome discovery. There was a crêpe bar, a cheesery, specialty sandwiches, gourmet french spices, and on and on. A fun mental break looking around this place to break up the levity of the ⁹⁄₁₁ site. A word to the thrifty, it is super expensive, even by Manhattan standards.

I really dig Le District. It is like a French Eataly type place.
We’ve eaten by the grill a few times and I’ve always enjoyed the food. If you’re debating between the steak frites and ribeye, go with the steak frites. It’s cheaper and in my opinion tastes better.
We’ve always dined here at night and there always seemed to be room for us.

I love how they keep adding onto Brookfield Place! I enjoyed hanging out in Le District, getting samples of apple cinnamon butter cookies from La Cure Gourmande (also went there in Spain!), checking out the grocery store, etc.
Anyways, we ate in the open space, and had the steak frites. It was tasty and the service was great (better than the ribeye, fyi, which we had at another time!). The botanist drink was delicious, too. We also got some cheeese bread warmed up, which was SO GOOD. I need to come back just for that, haha.

This is one of the new places in the newly renovated Brookfield place. Even though it is kinda far from dining mecca like tribeca, soho, etc, but the scenery from the building front is great on a sunny day
I have tried the macaron and coffee in the bakery. Coffee was alright, and macaron was not bad but not even close to my expectation. I would actually skip both next time I come.

One new Star. There have been some serious real efforts to provide some real french imported products.
Major improvements are: the President butter dropped from 8 $ to 4,50 $ which is certainly expensive, but clearly better.
On the list of what you can find now, I’m glad to add Mi-​cho-​ko and Carambars, tons of little Maille mustards (and even better brands) and some classic Béarnaise. Not many biscuits, but at least Barquette de Lu, Granola, and Mikado if you feel home-​sick.
Thumbs up for Le Petit Marseillais products (shower gel): what a brilliant idea !!! It’s such a big change from american perfums !!
I still can’t reach a 4 stars, because of two important things: the Crepes & the Pastries.
There is still no Galettes de Sarrasin (so disappointing for a french «district») and they still fold the Crepes this annoying way that makes them leak everywhere… and if you’re a big butter or Nutella fan, we definitely have a huge problem there. I can’t figure why they still act like there’s nothing wrong. Haven’t had the heart to give a new try on their very expensive Crepes, but they still look very dry and thick, so… I guess they stucked to their new bad recipe.
Second important thing: The pastries. Nice looking. BUT. If you’re familiar with the store «Financier» (everywhere in Manhattan, AND upstairs at Brookfield…), you’ll quickly notice that some products seem to be the exact same with slightly different packaging: pumpkin & chocolate Eclairs, Gluten-​free/​Flourless chocolate cookies, tiny Madeleines, Opera cakes… EXCEPT that they are more expensive here. If you follow me, this would means that there are not genuine pastries cooked by a «District Chef». And those would come from industrial providers… Hum Hum.
(see photo for comparison)

Walked through it when I was at Brookfield Place. It looks just like Eataly. It’s a lot larger than it seems from the outside because the interior extends pretty deep. Towards the entrance, you can find expensive packaged fudge. In the middle you can find a café and desserts. Towards the end, you can find savory meals like charcuterie and rotisserie chicken.
Generally, everything was overpriced. I got a green tea from here because I needed something hot. But it was definitely high quality stuff. Down to the plastic cup that they serve it in.

There are so many things to talk a out that it is hard to choose one, so I will try to give each a sentence.
–Restaurant: great atmosphere, can eat indoor or outdoors, excellent after work for wine and $ 1 oysters.
Delicious burgers, made fresh to order, and excellent bar foods.
–Salad Bar: One of the cheapest in the area, with super fresh vegetables, freshly made chicken, shrimp and beef and great choice of dressings.
–Coffee: Not bad, cheapest of all the coffee spots, but not my favorite coffee, byt good cheap breakfast sandwiches
–Charcuterie: Amazing choices for cheese and cold cuts, gives Murray’s and Fairway a run for it money
–Sandwich area: Delicious sandwiches and very filling, (rosemary turkey, porchetta, beef) but sadly don’t come with any sides.
Overall, one of the most eclectic food spots in Fidi, with tons of items to choose from for any palette. Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner and all fairly priced.

Le District, how do I count thee ways? There’s no other way for me to put this other than by saying… it was not very well thought out.
This is apparent when you consider that Hudson Eats is just upstairs, with quite a number of eateries. This section was filled in haste, to make the most use of this space to do nothing other than to maximize revenue. Everything on this level is sprawled out and an overall mess. Alright, an organized mess but a mess nonetheless. A Parisian café, a gourmet store, a candy shop, a restaurant all rolled up into one hot mess. What exactly is this? No one has an answer because if you ask a few people that passes by, you get dumbfounded looks, and random answers!
That said, office workers here understand one thing, and that is COFFEE. I sure do, but for me to get what I want out of this place, I have to go to one counter. Pay for it. Go to another, pay for that. It’s a really dumb setup and whoever planned out the retail flow should rethink it get it together.

Separate reviews for the food shop and the gastro-​bar.
As a shopping destination, 5 stars. The food shop has a wide variety of high quality ingredients for self-​Yelpers to prepare at home. Fruit, vegetables, fish monger, butcher shop, cheese shop, charcuterie, oils, spices and the like.
As an eating and drinking establishment, 3 stars. It serves a sophisticated palate and is a good destination but, should try to improve its service. We ordered a salmon tartare and charcuterie plate and were very happy with those as well as the fresh bread. The beer and wine choices are quite good.
We had two servers: one was excellent, the other was not. Mostly, it took a while for the weak one to take a drink order. Then it took a while for a glass of wine and a glass of beer to be served.
The décor is nice and located along the Hudson for a view. It was quite loud and they played a strange blend of music that (here I go again) just didn’t fit the style of the place. OK, I’ve aged and am out of touch with modern music thought (but I know quality and this aint that). I just don’t think fine wine and cheese go together with techno beat.

I was going to wait until I had seen more of this place to review, but as I’ve been here a half a dozen times for breakfast on the commute in, I might as well review that much.
It’s not that bad! Sure it may be a tad expensive for what it is, but you have to understand it’s at the nexus of a commuting hub and a tourist attraction. Given that heavy weight it’s saddled with, they do a decent job for breakfast. Every time I go, they seem to be trying something different. The first couple times I was there they had Parisian-​style hotdog au gratin, which I’ve never seen in the US and have missed since I came back from there… I extremely regret not getting one while they had them, but it would have been odd as a breakfast treat — I never got to sneak away from the office at lunch. :(
That said, their breakfast croissants, breads, and everything else is delicious. The coffee is top notch (I normally get cappuccinos), and the line always moves fast. I’ll update my review when I make it back to try one of the restaurants or the wine bar, but I’m relatively confident it’ll stay a 4.

Temptations thorughout this chic space: les charcuterie, les poissons, les fromage, du pain, les cornichons, moutarde, poulet rotisserie, …
Je suis definitely a happy shopper! …especially with next door neighbors named Burberry, Ferragamo, Tory Burch, Gucci, and Hermes…
**Le District photos for reference**