Pigalle

We came in for a quick bite while roaming the city.
Two of us got the grilled cheese and with tomato soup, and another friend got the French onion soup. The soups were very tasty and we dipped pretty much everything in them. The drinks were just ok. We got a Bellini, a blood orange mimosa and some sort of cocktail, (can’t remember the name, it’s ok tho, it’s unmemorable, like the drink itself).
The Indian server we had was incredibly abrasive and blamed us when we informed him that two of our orders were wrong. After that exchange he proceeded to just avoid us.
Would we go back? With so many other dining options, probably not. Will that effect them? Probably not, it’s a turn ‘em and burn ‘em type of place.

Worst ‘service’-experience ever! Food was ok, but the service was unfortunately very bad.
As we left the restaurant and told the manager about our discontent, the answer was: ‘No worries, you don’t have to come back. We have enough guests.’ Never again.

Wow! A restaurant that serves a breakfast buffet! IN NEW YORK? WHAT??? I’m IN! I LOVE breakfast and I’m in New York City! Gotta dine foodies before all that walking! I particularly liked their waffles. Oh! The eggs were good too and they had bacon, sausage and other DELISH delights! Reasonable and yummy.

Looking for good place for brunch around Times Square and found this one. We just had regular breakfast like pancakes, bagels and omelette. It was good. Server was nice and attentive. Place is clean. They were very accommodating since I was using wheelchair.

I was with a friend for lunch; The waitress was very rude, the busboy start leaning our table when we were still eating and took our plates without asking if we finished.
We were before and had a nice experience, but this time we were very disappointed.
My friend ordered a white russian coctaill and she receive a small juice glass with a quarter something like a light coffee.
We will think twice before we will go there.
And by the way the restaurant was almost half empty.

Good food, the menu items are better than the buffet! We went for breakfast. It’s quite and a good view of you sit by the Windows, it’s attached to the hotel so there is nice clean separate men’s and women’s bathrooms.

Worst kitchen in NYC. It might be why they are closing next month. People treat their pets better than these guys treat their customers. Guess they are trying to keep the French theme going. Mission accomplished.

It wasn’t the greatest meal. The French toast was okay, it’s served with fruits. The pancakes weren’t good at all. My wife picked off my Frenchbecause she didn’t like the pancakes.
An item was missing from our order and we didn’t even bother asking again because of the dissatisfaction of our food. The waiter didn’t check on us or bring new water. Pretty sure everyone was receiving complimentary muffins and we didn’t.
Spent $ 36 for food and went to get more somewhere else. Wouldn’t go back or recommend it.

Came here for a work breakfast meeting. Solid place, plenty of room inside to sit, omelette and bacon were good. I wouldn’t say it’s a special place you absolutely need to try, but if you’re in the area and need a place to meet someone for a quick breakfast or lunch, you’re good to go here.

I finally came here a few months ago for a mid-​week brunch/​lunch on my way to the airport with a friend. By finally I mean that one of my friends goes here at least once a month on a fairly regular basis. They do have some excellent perks. It’s not your typical Manhattan boozey all you can drink brunch but they do have an unlimited food buffet for $ 21.95 up until either 11am or the afternoon. So there’s that downfall. If you want a trough full of food, rise and shine early. Their cocktails are a bit pricey. $ 9 for a mimosa or bellini. Though, they have more interesting things on their alcohol menu like one of the most extensive absinthe lists I’ve ever seen in the USA and a huge list of Belgian Trappist Ales (there are only 8 breweries in the world).
The space is open and brightly lit. Really nice and torn away from the mayhem of nearby Times Square. I ordered the Croque Madam for breakfast/​lunch. Nicely cooked eggs, a lite slathering of gruyère cheese (Give me MORE cheese) and bechamel, crispy fries. My friend had ordered their Morrocan burger that consisted of ground lamb and goat cheese with harissa aioli. Both meals were good but not outstanding. A solid meal. The staff was excellent and that’s where this place shines. Though, with my friend being a regular I think they recognized her and kept pushing for her to order more brunch cocktails or coffee. Torn between giving this 3 and 4 stars but I think the pricing is a bit steep on their drinks for just being a french american café/​bistro. But the area will do that to you.

Service was really good. However the food was disgusting we couldn’t even eat our meals. Eggs and home fries were cold.

Had brunch with some friends today. They picked here. Brunch was okay but not worth the price.
I got the duck omelette and a coffee. The potato side was yummy but the omelette was dry and meh.
There’s better restaurants in the area.

I will preface this: I am here on business. I stopped here before my show.
So now you know my circumstance and you can judge me for being a tourist.
I chose the restaurant week menu.
Lentil soup: pretty good. I have had better at Lebanese restaurants. But it was solid.
Scallops: here’s where things got weird. They smothered the garlic in a pesto type sauce. Scallops just need to be seared. Then it was in a bed of kale that was doused in butter and… Sweet potatoes? The combination was just so weird. The flavors didn’t seem to pair up. It was like something you whip up when you need to go to the grocery. And then you put scallops on top.
Cherry bread pudding: the star of the show. It was awesome. Except I found a cherry pit and about broke my tooth off :(
The staff was great. Not sure why everyone said the service was slow. I was in and out. Service gave it another star in my case.

The nervousness you get when you are already sitting at the table, check-​in on Unilocal and realize that the ratings leave much to be desired. It’s a fear I can’t describe, you have to experience it!
Luckily, on this day, I was surprised:
— Quiche is phenomenal, but a small portion. I’d order it again without hesitation
— Excellent tea selection of lose leaf pouches
— Typical Manhattan prices, in other words, expensive food for what it is
— Attentive Service. The server was great and helpful.
— Good atmosphere. Tables are very close together, but then again, it’s Manhattan.

Can’t believe I’ve never written a review about Pigalle before now, since I’ve been popping in over the past four years for cocktails and dinners. I wish I had, as my original review would have been 4-​stars.
TL; DR — This used to be a relatively decent French bistro, tweaked to draw in the typical pre-​show/​Hilton Garden Inn crowd, while staying true to the classic French cuisine they offered, with consistently good service throughout. Four years later, their website description needs updating, as Pigalle is now an overpriced mock bistro, designed to master the pre-​show rush, at the unfortunate expense of the cuisine and some aspects of service. They are, now, only quintessential New York dining in terms of being the typical Theater District we locals work to avoid. If the prices were lowered to reflect the current quality of their cuisine (while understandably heightened to match this area’s real estate costs), I might be willing to give them another shot, and order other items. When I leave regretting the $ 90 I just spent on my meal alone, I think not.
Full thoughts:
The bar is still quality. Well-​crafted beverages with enough boozy kick and flavor to warrant the price tag, which is comparable to area competitors. I may still pop in for the occasional pre/​post-​show beverage, when food won’t be needed.
While our runner and the other server in our area were both lovely, our server was void of any personality, welcome, or warmth, both with us and all other tables we watched him serve. To be fair, he did show the slightest bit of effort when it came time to drop the check.
All food used to come out at ideal temperatures, with a perfect balance between all flavor component. Now, they only have a 50% batting average in this field. It’s quite obvious they now have certain dishes which are pre-​composed (acceptable, to an extent) and stuck under intense heating lamps, or kept in ovens (unacceptable at whatever temperatures are being used in the Pigalle kitchen).
While my dining companion’s grilled octopus and skirt steak/​green beans/​frites arrived at proper temperature and cook (though the red wine reduction for the steak was so sweet she had to wipe it off — and she is a lover of most all things sweet), my escargot was so hot the butter was boiling. The dish didn’t cool down enough to start eating until 10 or more minutes had passed; even then it was a feat not to scald myself.
We both knew the cassoulet would be a disappointment when it hit the table. The entire dish was covered, not with bread crumbs, but with something resembling stuffing (as Benoit chef Philippe Bertineau — one of a few select ambassadors of the Academie du Cassoulet — is quoted to have said in yesterday’s publication of the New York Times: «Bread crumbs are to hide a bad cassoulet.»), and was so salty I had to push it aside to find beans and meats worth ingesting. To find said beans and meat, I had to puncture a dried out stuffing shell.
If we would have had more time, I would have sent this back after the first bite.
Lastly, they do not offer their own dedicated restrooms. You have to get a Hilton Garden Inn key card from the hostess, exit the back of the restaurant, and use the HGI lobby restroom.
Again, if the prices were lowered to reflect the current quality of their cuisine (while understandably heightened to match this area’s real estate costs), I might be willing to give them another shot, and order other items. When I leave regretting the $ 90 I just spent on my meal alone, I think not.

My girlfriends and I were in NYC for a weekend of plays and we came here on a Saturday morning before a matinée around the corner.
I was really glad to be able to make a reservation for brunch. The restaurant was fairly crowded, tables close and the waiter was initially pretty bored and a bit snippy. But he warmed up as the meal went on.
I loved my frittata, it was really fresh and all the ingredients really went together well. I had great coffee, juice and an English muffin to complete the meal.
Our waiter kept getting more and more friendly, we ended up liking him and the service so we tipped accordingly. He came back and thanked up profusely and personally.
I would definitely return and try a different meal or even breakfast again.

The Buddha tells us that the only thing in life that is permanent is the law of impermanence– that most, if not all, of human suffering is cause by clinging to an illusion that Nothing. Ever. Remains the same (sorry Robert, not even the Song ever really remains the same…)
However! I may have found an exception to this rule. The Eggs Copenhagen I had this morning were every bit as good as the ones I had here ten years ago when Pigale was the locale of my weekly Sunday brunches.
OJ is fresh, coffee decent– all in a warm ambiance of French Bistro.
They even make a decent Cir, according to My wife.

Didn’t eat a lot of food, salad was just ok, tomato basil soup was good, wish there were crackers or croutons to give it more substance and flavor.
HUGE win was the selection of Absinthe and the production in which they serve. If you are looking for a cool experience to drink Absinthe this is definitely the place !!!

I see a cluster of two star ratings and wonder why. I’ve eaten at Pigalle at least five times. The food is always good, the menu is better than ordinary, the décor is fun and the value is quite good. Considering the location is in the Times Square area, where good food is hard to find, it probably deserves another star!
In fact, I’ve had two co-​workers suggest that we meet for lunch in the past week — and they’re both quasi-​foodies. So, a second-​hand endorsement.
I’ve eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner meals here that range from croque monsieur, mussels, frisee salad, onion soup and artichoke ravioli. The beer selection is Euro influenced and the cocktails are $ 12.
I would knock the service simply as inconsistent and perhaps bumbling.
Overall, this is a very stable and reliable meal at any time of day.

This restaurant is attached to they Hilton Garden Inn. We ate here a couple of times out of convenience, and enjoyed the experience. For breakfast you can have a breakfast buffet, which is really good.
For dinner I had the duck, which was quite delicious.
I don’t think that I would go out of my way to eat here, but if you are staying nearby the breakfast is really good.

Das Pigalle ist ein typisch amerikanischer Dinner! Hier wird allerdings morgens Frühstücksbuffet angeboten. Natürlich auch a la Carte! Wenn man gerne Eier und Speck mag ist man hier ganz gut aufgehoben. Es gibt eine Pauschale, derzeit 22 $, die man bezahlt und man kann soviel frühstücken wie man mag. Für alle, die nicht so gerne Eier, geschweige denn Schwein essen, ist es etwas problematisch. Ziemlich laut ziemlich eng. Aber trotz allem eine sehr sympathische Bedienung und irgendwie nett ! Nicht schlecht für mal so zwischendurch.

Während unseres New-​York-​Aufenthaltes waren wir gerne zum Frühstücken im Pigalle. Das Buffet ist wirklich umfangreich, die gebotenen Speisen sehr lecker. Und 18 $ sind auch mehr als in Ordnung für New Yorker Verhältnisse.

nous avons connu ce restaurant par hasard (qui fait parfois bien les choses) et y sommes retournés plusieurs fois (avril 2011)