Tout Va Bien

This was an excellent place to go before the theater. The food is quite good for the price – particularly if you order from the prix fixe menu as we did. It was very tasty but not astounding. For instance, while the beef stew was very good, it was a little monotonous without vegetables. And the chocolate mousse was tasty but didn’t have the subtle texture that a great mousse would have. Space is very tight, as you would expect from a midtown restaurant.

We come here whenever we visit NYC from the West Coast, and find it consistently satisfying.
French onion soup was as usual excellent as was the escargot. Wife had raw clams that were fine but rather small. Rognon de veau (veal kidneys) for main course was outstanding with wine/​mustard sauce. Surprisingly, the sweatbreads came without any sauce (it needed a sauce!) — we had it dipped in the sauce that came with the kidneys and it was fine. Wife had bouillabaisse, which unexpectedly had a lot of potatoes she does not like but had generous amount of lobster. The floating island dessert was wonderful. Service was excellent. The noise level was energetic as the restaurant was very full at dinner.

My wife & I had a wonderful dinner last night. Very leisurely time to enjoy food & a bottle of wine. We both had the prix fixe menu (good value $ 27) my wife had mussels in garlic sauce, beef stew & crème brûlée. I the salad, hanger steak & mousse. We have been coming here for years & always enjoy the meal. Remember the owner’s Mom when she used to sit at the bar. If you are looking for fancy this is not the place for you, but for a piece of history & a good meal I suggest you try it

Popped in for dinner last night. The welcome was warm and the servers were very nice. We had the escargot, onion soup and baked oysters. Everything was tasty. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed. Will go back again!

After three meals at Tout Va Bien, I am finally getting around to reviewing it. Honestly, I am not sure why I took so long because I have loved each experience there. The restaurant is small and unassuming. The entry has a coat rack (it can get rather cozy inside so deposit big winter coats there) and you enter to find low lights and low ceilings with tons of tables arranged in rows. The servers are french speakers and are always very nice and accommodating while serving us. We usually are satisfied with the house red wine for our family meals and order two bottles through dinner. If you are lucky, at the end of the meal, they will bring you a serving of their house punch. A great end to your meal and I suggest you do not pass it up if offered.
They offer a prefix meal for 26 $. Soup or salad of the day with a choice of various entrees and a delicious dessert. I got asparagus soup, Coq au vin and the apple tart. I was thrilled with all three options. The asparagus soup was creamy and delicious. The entire table dipped a piece of bread in to taste it and everyone enjoyed their sample (but the rest was for me so one taste was enough!). Next up was the coq au vin served with potato. The sauce is absolutely divine. I may have had equal parts chicken and bread to dip in it. The chicken fell right off the bone and was perfectly cooked in a red wine reduction filled with carrots and onions. Thankfully, it is a smaller dish because I would not have been able to enjoy the apple tart for dessert otherwise. It is delicious and I will leave it at that. Now for the other meals at the table. One family member always gets mussels. If it was not delicious, there would be no reason for her to constantly repeat on each return trip. The other got a huge plate of bouillabaisse. It was a special and apparently rarely served so she was thrilled. It smelled lovely. I, however, dislike shell fish so I cannot attest to either dish. On our previous visits, I have tried and greatly enjoyed the french onion soup and filet mignon. Their french fries are very good as well so make sure to get them for the table to share! Go give this place a try. It is a very nice way to enjoy french food in NYC.

I’m so sorry. Some diners have better French onion soup. I’d expect a French restaurant to know the recipe. The mussels were pretty unappetizing. Whereas I’m usually digging at the bottom of the bowl for any extras… I was tossing some of these aside because they were so small and of such poor quality. Many of them just didn’t taste right. And the proportion of white wine to butter in the sauce was totally off. Not planning on going back.

Five stars for the food, negative four stars for the service.
Came here for dinner before an 8pm show. Arrived at 6pm with a reservation. Our order wasn’t taken till 6:30pm, appetizers weren’t on our tables till 7pm, entrees didn’t arrive till 7:30pm. This left us with no time for the desserts included with our prix fixe orders. And to top it off, we were late to our show.
I completely understand that every restaurant has good nights and bad nights (this clearly was a bad night), but our waitress was completely unapologetic and unwilling to make it right. Instead she blamed her colleagues in the kitchen for the terrible service. Unacceptable.
I’ve been here many times, so it pains me to leave them a 1-​star review, but I simply can’t recommend a restaurant that treats its clientele like this.

This is my go-​to restaurant near the Theatre District. There are aspects of Tout Va Bien that won’t appeal to some folks, but to me those are a big part of its charm. The main draw is its authenticity – this is real French cuisine, real French music, real French waitstaff, but without the infamous attitude. At Tout Va Bien, they’re happy with your imperfect French or «Franglais.»
As in France, plan for a leisurely meal. The pre-​theatre crowd shows up promptly at 5:00 (3 hours before curtain) to be sure to get a table and eat before show time. The waitstaff are hustling all night, so they’re not hovering around awaiting your commands; catch ‘em as they breeze by your table. They have a sense of humor about this– the menu even says, «we apologize in advance for the service.» Take it as an opportunity to slow down your pace and relax. As in France, they bring «l’addition» (the check) only when you ask for it.
I like to order things I can’t get elsewhere and don’t cook at home: escargots [snails], frog’s legs, sweetbreads [brains], rabbit fricassee. But there are plenty of more conventional dishes. I’ve never had a disappointing dish. All are prepared fresh and well and served hot.
Who won’t like it? People who want trendy and hip décor. People who want super-​attentive service. People who want to rush in for a quick pre-​theatre meal. People who want everything spicy instead of savoring the subtle flavors of sauces, herbs, and the meats and fishes they enhance. People who expect their food arranged on the plate like a mini sculpture.
I’m happy to do without all that and sit back for delicious, real French food with friendly, hard working waitstaff in a cozy, unpretentious place.

Upgrading back to 5 stars based on a recent warm, authentic French experience with foie gras where the slice was thick enough and some carbonara that was simply to die for.
Now we need to get Escalope de Veau a la Crème added to the menu — heck, they already have Tripe a la Mode de Caen (which does not mean tripe with ice cream on top), and while we’re at it we need to add Mamie’s Pot au Feu in Winter and Raclette on snow days and then they’ll qualify for 6 stars.
Meantime, bon appetit.

We came for lunch as a small group, and were all happily surprised with this place. The food is on the traditional side, with a very homey and rustic feel to it – it’s definitely not a new age French place in any way. I actually believe this place is the oldest French restaurant in the Theater District.
In terms of décor, this place was very much what you would think a small restaurant in France would look like – brick interior walls, red checkered table clothes, and lots of vintage posters and signage. The tables are kind of close together, so I imagine if you went at a very busy time it would be hard to get in and out of the booth tables along the wall.
The food is all pretty good, maybe not the absolute prettiest in terms of presentation, but still very tasty and priced well. We got the charcuterie platter, scallops, escargot, and prosciutto as appetizers. The pâté from the charcuterie platter was pretty tasty as well as the escargot, but our favorite was definitely the scallops. As for entrees we got the shrimp scampi, mussels and frog legs. The mussels are a great deal, $ 14 for a gigantic bowl, and they will refill the bread basket a lot which is perfect to go with the white wine broth.

This is a quaint restaurant with a very homey, mom and pop feel to it. The owner and the employees all speak French fluently which enforces the scenery. The food was delicious but expensive in regards to the portions (per usual with French cuisine).
The bathroom was ridiculously tiny but at least it was clean. One of my friends had too much wine earlier and kept messing with the waitress/​server and she handled him graciously. Overall, I would recommend this to someone that wanted a relaxed, authentic French environment.

I am from Las Vegas so I know great food! I was thoroughly impressed!
The pre theater menu is full of great choices and the price, under $ 30.00 (26) is very reasonable!
I ordered mussels as my appetizer and my friend ordered the house pâté: both were outstanding! For the entrees, I ordered the Coq au Vin and my friend ordered the salmon… Wow!!! The Coq au Vin was absolutely delicious, easily one of the best I had. The salmon had an incredible garlic sauce and was cooked perfectly. Finally, dessert: my friend ordered a crème caramel which was good. I payed an extra 2 dollars (overall still under 30 dollars for the whole meal) and had the Tarte Tatin… It was perfect, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a little fresh team. The wine we ordered, by he glass, was excellent. The wine is not included in the pre theater menu. Overall, it was a pleasant surprise!
The service was friendly and fast in a small little restaurant with a few tables. It is perfect for dates! It is located around the Hell’s Kitchen area and only 3 minutes from Studio 54, where we were off to see a show. It is close to most theaters in that area. I was impressed by the fact that it has been around since 1949. It is here to stay!

Would come again, but my wife says she’d like to continue to explore all of Manhattan’s lower priced French restaurants.
The restaurant is pure French. The waiter, the owner, and the cook were all French and spoke it to each other. The owner was friendly and even brought us some flowers and told us «Good luck.» Every dish we ordered was delicious. This been said, my wife says she enjoyed everything but didn’t think it was phenomenal. We arrived a little before 8 pm on a Tuesday night and were served our food within 10 minutes.
When you walk into Tout Va Bien, you feel like you stepped into a true French family restaurant in the country side. I’m originally from rural Colorado, so I enjoyed the relaxed pace of this restaurant. We brought our own Veuve Clicquot Champagne bottle and the waiter waived the bottle opening fee. The only thing is that if you’re looking for a trendy place, you might want to check some other joint. Happy dining.

I have been coming here for at least five years and have always found it consistently good. The food and service are both solid. I stick mostly to the traditionals – snails, pâté, steak au poivre, coq au vin, etc – and am never disappointed. The pre-​theatre prix fixe at $ 27 is a good bargain. Nice people working there and good wine by the glass. If you go on the weekend, definitely make a reservation because it is a local favorite. During the week, they can usually accommodate walk-​ins. Lots of French locales go there as well as tourists. It has a good reputation.

I’m not sure why people are treating this place’s reviews as an «Upscale Fine Dining» French restaurant, cause it’s not. It is PERFECT for what it is, a mom & pop French bistro. I have been there at least 5 times, and have always had great service! I guess being a Local in NYC is different than a Tourist. you APPRECIATE homey places like these. Escargot, Cheese Plate, Beef Bourguignon, Pâté Maison, Mussels, are all my fave! We always get a bunch of plates & share. The family staff are always so friendly, & give a massive chalice of Sangria to end the meal, always. We have even been treated to some great live French bands! Try it again with an open mind, NOT while trying to run to a theater show. The basis of European dining is not to rush, but to linger, laugh, & drink :)

I took my girlfriend here for dinner during our first NYC visit based on positive reviews.
PROS:
Close to times square.
Staff were polite.
CONS:
It was severely hot inside. Despite brining this up with the waiter, my gf and I were both sweaty after dinner.
There were only 2 waiters that night and no host.
The food… LEAN CUSINE (microwavable frozen dinner) AT BEST. Orderd the coq au vin and Boeuf Bourguignon. Both were below satisfactory.
Extraordinally short wine list.
This place looks more of a sports bar than a proper restaurant. Old furniture.
SUMMARY:
Youre in NYC. Theres a million and one restaurants around. Literally almost anything is better than this. Dont waste your time. We know we did.

This was our first stop on Christmas day. Did I mention they were open on Christmas Day? My dad wanted mussels, so I Unilocaled a place nearby and came up with this tiny gem. He ordered mussels and they were awesome. I had the french onion soup which was simply divine. And my step mom had the goat cheese salad which was also divine. The goat cheese was warm!!! OH MY GOD!!! It was so good!!! If I lived around here, I would definitely come here. The waitstaff… well…not the greatest – kinda rude — but that’s the French way, non? LOL …but it WAS CHRISTMAS DAY! LOL… So, I’m cutting them some slack.

This is a place several of my friends once were taken for business lunches.
We decided on a nostalgic visit. The lunchtime 3-​course meal is just $ 14.99, which is a bargain for a place like this. The salmon I had as my main course was delicious.
The service is good and the atmosphere takes you back in time to when this type of place was more prominent in Manhattan.

I’ve eaten in a lot of unassuming French bistros in NYC so I was hoping to add Tout va Bien to my go-​to list of theater district eateries.
Well that’s not going to happen. I went there last night and that will be the last time. They have a very enticing 26.99 pre theater prix fixe, and their prices in general are very reasonable. That’s made up for $ 12 wine by the glass, which isn’t very good. My wife couldn’t finish half of hers.
The place is woefully understaffed. We got there at 5:35 and barely made a 7:30 show. (Tables on either side of us were seated after us but finished before us.) The waitstaff is clearly overwhelmed and was unable to be attentive and forgot simple request. My neck was twisted around for about half the meal. I had to remind them of requests at least three times.
The country pâté was a cold slab atop an uninspired salad with tasteless tomatoes (and this is the height of tomato season). My main course of mussels was pathetic. The mussels were tiny and overlooked. The frites were half cold by the time I got them and they didn’t bring me any condiments even after I asked. The tart tatin was fine. My wife thought her food tasted fine, although her hanger steak was covered with a sauce that made it look like Salisbury steak. About the service, she had one comment: laissez-​faire.
Everything was an effort: getting our wine, getting water, getting the dessert, getting the check. I got the sense that this place survives on tourists which may explain why they close in October.
One last note: in one spot on the menu, it even says (and I thought I was hallucinating when I saw this) something like: «sorry about the service»
I couldn’t figure out what they meant by that. Did I take it out of context? Do they intentionally understaff to keep prices down? Am I indeed hallucinating?

This place is perfect.
I love the atmosphere. It is authentic. They actually speak French here for starters.
The snails, mussels, coq au vin… My favorites. They are generous with their wine pours and always bring something special after the meal.
It has become a tradition of sorts for us to not only bring our family but our friends as well. It just feels like a place you can sit at a table for hours and hours and just have good food and good conversation.

Ce’st bon!