Brasserie by Niche

As is always the case, Brasserie never disappoints. I tried the burger here for the first time and it was amazing. Juicy, fresh, and perfectly cooked. Adding foie gras to it made it that much better. Service is impeccable as always.

Wonderful, wonderful food and service!

Brasserie by Niche is as close as you can get to a Parisian bistro this side of the Mississippi (if not this side of the Atlantic). The food is excellent. The wine list is well crafted, eclectic, and moderately priced. The atmosphere is charming. And the service is attentive. (Okay, so with attentive service it’s not exactly like a Parisian bistro. It’s more a like a Parisian bistro with Midwestern sensibility.) I often think that the test of a restaurant is its ability to make a simple chicken dish stand out. Niche hits a home run with its chicken. The bird might not be from Bresse, but the dish is out of this world. If you’re in the mood for fabulous French food without the fuss, Niche has you covered. You don’t even have to mess with that annoying trans-​Atlantic flight!

This is a nice place, good service but not a great value for money. Probably designed to deter rif rafs. Don’t go here for the food. But atmosphere. Measure of a place in my book is how they do
the simple dishes. I tried their $ 15 nurger with shoeatring fries. It came with no greens whatsoever. It was also too salty for my taste. Home made
Ice creams where good. I would not recommemd it.

Food: 3.5 (excluding dessert, which was a 1.5)
Service: 4.
Ambiance: 4
Things are looking up at Brasserie, especially if you direct yourself to their highlights.
The bread, when fresh out of the oven, can be heavenly. A great crispy crust with warming insides. This is the staple that brings us back here.
The steak tartare was perfect on our last visit. (And the accompanying toast/​crostini is no longer too salty.) The sweetbreads are a success: fried appropriately (not too deeply) with the actual sweetbread taste underpinning the dish. It comes with a creamy and delightful potato purée and cute little croutons that gave it just the extra airy light crisp it needs.
The roasted chicken with toast entrée is getting back to form. The chicken is tender, the crisp on the skin is good, the french toast is both crispy and moist, there are generous servings of flavor-​full mushrooms, and the jus is rich as ever. The only downsides might be that the dish can at times be a touch too salty and the toast still could be a touch larger and softer.
The mussels are great. They are uniformly cooked well. They are accompanied with fantastically simple and perfectly-​toasted pieces of garlic bread. The sauce is a perfect combination of white wine and crème fraîche.
The only abject failure is the tarte tropezienne. The brioche is way, way too dry. The vanilla mouselline is all wrong: there’s far too little of it, it’s not evenly distributed, and it lacks the essential sweetness and creaminess of the real thing. (And there are no sugar crystals sprinkled on top.) Perhaps it’s unfair that we are comparing Brasserie’s offering (in Missouri) to the fantastic original from the south of France (see:
), because replicating it is incredibly difficult. But Brasserie’s offering does a complete disservice to some of the otherwise fantastic dishes at Brasserie.
Service & Ambiance:
Reviewed previously. The last couple visits have been good. Courteous and professional, notwithstanding some miscommunications.

We went today for early dinner at the patio– great spot!
Food was delicious and spot on– we had cheese puffs, chicken liver pâté, house made terrine, mac and cheese, trout, burger and chocolate mousse as a dessert. Everything was really tasty. Trout was one of the best ones I ever, burger was amazing as well.
Service was good!
Will be back!

There is something casually glamorous and indulgent about spending a weekend patio brunch at Brasserie alone or with close friends… I’ve never been disappointed. That’s a pretty impressive track record. The absolute must-​order winners on their menu are the quiche, the fries, grapefruit brûlée, and the french toast (but mostly for that lemon curd).
I’ve also tried the hazelnut waffle (which is exactly what it sounds like… add chocolate and get back to me!) and the country breakfast, which is served charcuterie style on a board. It was absolutely delicious (especially with the croissant instead of toast and some kind of jam in addition to the butter) but it definitely feels more rustic and out of place on the menu (think of a commoner trying to hang out with Marie Antoinette).
Last weekend, they had a special steak tartine that was to die for… caramelized onions, arugula, juicy and tender steak… it’s still haunting my dreams, I hope it stays on the menu forever.
Note: when they ask, eggs on top of everything are a delicious must but always an extra $ 2, FYI. It’s been a tough year for me, economically. Just like my astrologist said it would be.
Stay awesome!

Once when I was a little girl, my grandmother brought me a present for my birthday. I was thrilled and pleasantly surprised with the dress in the box. It was wrapped in thin pastel paper, tied with a lovely ribbon. When I lifted the dress out, I was surprised to find a small box underneath… a second gift.
Yummmmm. At Brasserie I relived those same feelings.
My dish was put in front of me and it was lovingly assembled… perfectly cooked. Eggs en cocotte. A light cream sauce was the bed for perfectly cooked small red potatoes, spinach– and perfectly done eggs. (Am I overusing the word perfect? Yes I am, on purpose).
As if that wasn’t wonderful enough, a second gift. Light, crispy, delicious bacon lardes were tucked away throughout the dish giving it a fabulous heartiness and flavor while not spoiling the lightness of the dish.
Even though the portion was not large, my dinner partner (who ordered the same thing) and I were totally satisfied.
It was a beautiful day so the wall front was fully open, for an open air dining experience. Our Bloody Mary’s were rich and spicy, the table was dressed well with linens and heavy silverware (I love heavy silverware), our server was kind, attentive and knew the food offerings.
I’ll be back.

Today I witnessed the beginning of the end for Brasserie. Since the last time I was here, prices have increased across the board by 20−30% in the setting of decreased portions. Quiche slice seemed smaller today and there was less ham on my eggs benedict. On busy weekend days the place can get very loud, so I could barely hear my company.
Our waiter was also rude and not personable. We will not be back as there are way better options for brunch in St. Louis for this price point.

Brasserie is one of our favorite restaurants in the Central West End. And because we come here so often, not new pictures because we have already posted some of the same things we eat. I swear next time, I will try something else on the menu. I had someone ask me what type of French food was it? If you were born in France and went to your Grandmother’s house for Sunday dinner, this is what she would serve you. Some of the best old French dishes.
As usual, we started out with the cheesy poofs (gougeres cheese puffs). Then we split the steak tartare as usual. Majordomo got the roasted chicken which was delicious. This time, I went outside the box. I ordered the onion soup. In all the years I have been coming here, I have never ordered the onion soup. I have tasted it when Majordomo ordered it, but have never gotten it for my own. It was fantastic. My only regret was not asking for a fork and knife to eat the cheese with. It is piled on. I will have a hard time not ordering this again, it was so good.
Would I come back here? Absolutely!!!

Yummy brunch! We did not have a reservation but they made an exception and we were seated immediately. Everything was delicious. I am writing this a little after I ate there and cannot remember what I got! But it was good, I remember that. Great place for brunch. Located in the Central West End.

Defining who you are in the restaurant world is key. B by N «get’s it»…
A relatively simple menu with flavorful French classics for the sophisticated palette. Combine that with impeccable service and voila you have an incredible dining experience.
I could go on and on about the details of each dish but it’s more about highly developed flavor profiles which are indicative of fine French cooking that are part of every dish at B by N.
Our server «Justin» was knowledgeable, and attentive but never «too much».
The complimentary champagne and desert were not only a nice touch but a strong indication that the diner comes first at B by N.
It’s a strong 5* experience that shouldn’t be missed if your in St Louis.

Brasserie is one of our favorite restaurants in St. Louis. First off, the atmosphere. You really can’t beat it, particularly in the winter around the holidays. My wife and I have never been to Paris, so it is tough to compare apples to apples, but you feel like you are stepping into a Parisian bistro. Fancy casual, I’d call it. The bread and butter is insanely good. It’s so simple, yet perfect. I think it is made in house.
The French Onion soup is my favorite I’ve had. It’s cheesier and thicker than other french onion soups I have had and not over the top with onions, which is to my preference. Steak frites are pretty good, but my recent favorite dish is the roasted chicken. The chicken has a ton of flavor, but we learned the trick. The chicken sits on a piece of bread, which I avoided at first, but recently realized has the oil and flavor from the chicken almost infused into it. So slice off a piece of chicken, bread, and a roasted mushroom and eat it all in 1-​bite. Fantastic!

Believe it or not, this place serves tastier food than some of the restaurants I dined at in Paris! Whether you’re getting brunch or dinner, you can’t go wrong with Brasserie by Niche. Service is great, the food comes out pretty quickly, and everything tastes divine. The ambience at night is perfect for a romantic dinner or for catching up with friends over wine and delicious French food.
For brunch, I really like their housemade fresh cheese + sweet beignets, brioche french toast, and eggs benedict. The cheese is soft and not overpowering in smell or taste while the beignets are deliciously flaky and airy. I’ve tried the croque madame but I found it a bit too greasy/​fatty for me. For dinner, I like the savory goat cheese tart, mussels, and the brasserie burger. The dessert menu is constantly changing, but I’ve never had a disappointing dessert here.
Brasserie is one of my favorite restaurants in Saint Louis and I’m sure I will be coming back soon.

Dined here NYE very tasty. Had escargot, beef tartare, mussels, cheese puffs, and pumpkin soup. Everything was very tasty def recommend the soup so good. Staff was super friendly and accommodating

We excitedly made reservations for a little pre-​NYE food and drink here… We just ordered starters — escargot, which was very good, 6 per order with crispy buttery bread, and steak tartare, which looked and tasted like raw ground hamburger. It was awful! We also got the pumpkin soup-​pretty good. Service was prompt and courteous. It was crowded, which can be a bit noisy in that space, but didn’t diminish the service. However the steak tartare marred my experience (and my group) here. It was that bad. Otherwise I would give it 4 stars based on the other food choices. If it was based on the tartare, it would be a 1.

I love brunching at this place. The breakfast drinks like mimosas and Bloody Mary will start your day with a kick. I always love ordering the Brioche French toast which has 2 slices drizzled with lemon tart and syrup on the side. You can’t go wrong with the eggs Benedict or a side of the beignets. I will happily go here every time I’m in STL.

The service level and staff are amazing here!
We shared a meal w/​4 other friends, sat in the middle of the dining room and had a wonderful experience.
* I had the «GOUGERES «- Cheese Puffs that I shared-They’re the perfect balance of butter, cheese, pastry and a salt flavor (Addicting & Delicious) Light & Flaky
* «Walleye Quonelles «- This is a wonderful and traditional French preparation w/​shrimp & mushrooms in a lobster sauce — AMAZING!
* «Floating Island «for dessert was an outstanding dessert to share w/​the table
I will bring people here again in the near future since the menu had multiple items I wanted to try.

After a long day of work, the team and I had dinner here. Our server, Grove, was very helpful and provided great service for our dinner.
I ordered escargot which was served with very buttery and crunchy bread. It was super good that I had to eat the snails without the bread to avoid getting full. We ordered cassoulet, steak and braised beef, roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots with mint. All of these dishes were very good and super tasty. Ofcourse I enjoyed my meal with Malbec and my coworker ordered Blood and Sand which were both very good. We were so full but we still ordered one dessert to share which was the chocolate mousse. I ordered an espresso as well and mentioned to Grove that if they had the churros next door, I would definitely order.
To my surprise, a young lady approaches our table and brings me dessert surprise… CHURROS!!! Thank you Grove. Thank you for great surprise. It really made my night. The churros reminded me of the ones I had in Mexico. They are so delicious. Thank you Grove. Thank you Niche. I shall be back… For sure.

The foie gras is extremely delicious!!! YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS IT.
We used to like the bistro steak, but they changed the sauce. The current béarnaise sauce is just not for us. Nevertheless, the fries are by far the best we’ve ever had!
The cassoulet of duck confit, braised pork belly, and garlic sausage is nice – worth a try.
Bread is very good. Service is good. You can’t go wrong eating here.

Dinner at the Brassiere is never disappointing to us. It is consistently good and every dish I have had here is wonderful.
As usual we started out with the cheesy poofs (gougeres cheese puffs). Posted a picture of them in the previous review. They are so light and flaky and we always get them to take the edge off while we have a cocktail.
Mike chose to have a bowl of the French Onion Soup. It is wonderful and he says it’s the best in town. You can also share a bowl if you like. We were given a portion of their cheese dip with toasties. Like a French onion dip only better.
For dinner, I chose the Salmon and Mike chose the Croque Madame. His is a fried ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top. Know what makes it the Madame? The egg-​get it? If you want it without the egg, ask for a Croque Monsieur. It looked wonderful and I think I will try that the next time. My salmon was so good and the potatoes that came with it were delicious. Everything was cooked to perfection.
For dessert we picked the chocolate mousse. So light and fluffy.
Of course I’m coming back. Bonsoir.

I came to Brasserie after a late night of working on a Thursday around 9:30PM with a coworker and our dates. It was the end of Summer and the PERFECT weather to sit outside on their street-​side patio.
We got a lot of different plates to share and everything was exquisite. They clearly use fresh ingredients and take time with all of their dishes. Here’s a list of what we shared: steak tartare, escargot, goat cheese, pommes frites and a couple other things I can’t remember. I mainly took the time to list those dishes just to make you jealous.
The tartare and escargot were seasoned perfectly and great examples of the amazing French cuisine Brasserie can whip up. I highly recommend coming for brunch or dinner if you’re looking to try out one of STL’s nicer culinary treats. I can’t wait to come back and try out some of their entrees.

I went here a while ago for dinner, but decided to check out their brunch today on recommendations from some friends. I have to say, I ended up walking out slightly disappointed and underwhelmed from the whole experience. Maybe my expectations were too high considering that I love Niche and this place was highly recommended. This review is based on my experience here today for brunch since my previous visit was a long time ago.
We got to the restaurant at 11 AM on a Sunday (arguably the busiest brunch time for this place), but we only had to wait 15 minutes to get a table outside. This made me excited as I thought I was going to be able to try their brunch sooner (I was very hungry at this point in the morning after a night out the night before). However, even though we ordered as soon as our server came to our table, it took 45 minutes to an hour to finally get our food. This was excusable, as every table was filled. However, the fact that our server never came up to us to reassure us that the food would be out shortly or to apologize about the wait, made us very uneasy and grumpy. Our server also only asked us if we wanted another drink one time during our whole time. Needless to say, we were both «GRUMPY CAT!»
As far as the food, this was another disappointment to me compared to my experiences at other brunch places in the area. Originally, I had my mind set on the «Eggs Benedict,» but our sever mentioned the special, (beef brisket on a baguette with caramelized onions and arugula on top, served with fries) and I decided to go for that. I guess one good thing our server did was describe the special well enough for me to change my mind. My girlfriend got the chicken «Quiche.» The beef brisket was well made and tasty, but it didn’t leave me with a feeling of having eaten something special or something that I wouldn’t be able to get at a less expensive or classy restaurant. The quiche was worse. It seemed very stale and not fresh. Me and my girlfriend shared our plates. We were both wondering if the quiche actually had any chicken in it. Finally towards the end when we almost finished it, I found a small piece of chicken. It was like hitting the GOLD MINE, but then when I tasted it, it just tasted like rotisserie chicken.
The food was just OK. Nothing special, and I came expected something more than just OK. The service was awkward, but I realize that this might just be a fluke on a bad day for a maybe «new?» server. I am willing to give this place a try another time, sometime in the future.

All things considered, I am pretty comfortable with a 4 (ish). This is a bit of a weird review for me. Typically, we choose where we eat because we have already been there and we dig it, or I read something ( Unilocal review/​Feast/​Sauce/​whatever) that really piqued my interest. Then I will check out the menu and decide if we’re into it. Have read about the Roast Chicken, and been meaning to eat here to give it a try, even though my general rule is not to order chicken at nicer restaurants (weird rule eh?).
Good stuff overall. Wife loved the burger. I dug it too. Reminded me of a super awesome version of a Big Mac. Loosely. And I mean that as a compliment! Roast Chicken was good, but didn’t blow my mind. Probably hyped it up a bit too much. Drinks were good. Mac and cheese was just ok.
Good, but we were not blown away.

I can’t believe I haven’t tried this place sooner!
Came here for a welcome dinner with some coworkers in which we had drinks at Taste prior. I was definitely rooting for this place since the majority of my coworkers live out in Jefferson and St Charles county and this is «my hood», as they kept referencing lol. But needless to say everyone had a wonderful experience.
We started with a few appetizers — steak tartare, escargot, and the foie gras. Everything was delicious! My favorite was the steak tartare — the steak was so flavorful with hints of Dijon mustard and herbs. The Foie gras was pretty tasty as well — very smooth and buttery and paired well with the peach jam on top.
For the entrées, they didn’t have any off the menu specials unfortunately, so I opted for the braised beef dish. When it arrived, it was presented so well. With the first bite, I thought I was in heaven. The beef was so tender and moist. The bacon lardons were a-​ma-​zing! I Iove bacon! The potato purée was absolutely divine — provided a great texture to the dish. And the carrots provided a nice, home style feel — reminded me of a beef stew. It was so delicious. I will definitely be back for that dish.
Another small, but really delicious touch was the bread. Good Lord it was so good! I usually skip the bread, but I had at least 4 rolls lol.
The restaurant is actually a bit more on the fancy-​casual side than the fancy-​dressy side. The atmosphere was really comfortable, while the patio is a great time if the weather cooperates. The prices were surprisingly reasonable for offering traditional French cuisine — no entrée was more than $ 30.
I took away a star for the wait. We waited quite a while for the appetizers and the entrées — not a huge deal, but it’s probably not the place to go if you or your guests are in a bit of a hurry. The service on the other hand, was great. The server was down to earth and made us feel comfortable — which is important.
In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, «I’ll be back!»

Stopped by for Sunday Brunch since the other restaurant Niche is owned by the same person I knew this was going to be wonderful. I asked the waiter what he recommended and he mentioned the Hazelnut Waffle, Eggs Benedict, and the Brasserie Burger. It was a tough decision but I decided to go with the Eggs Benedict since that was more of a brunch dish to order. It was excellent, I only love Eggs Benedict when it is done right and that was excellent. It came with perfectly cooked poached eggs, Toasted Brioche, Ham, Dijon Hollandaise, and Breakfast Potatoes and everything was phenomenal! The waiter also mention that dinner menu is a lot better so I will definitely be back for dinner. I will definitely be trying the other restaurant that the owner has. These guys know how to have amazing restaurants fit for foodies!

I am surprised we were able to get a table here on Father’s day. No we do not have children so my husband was not getting spoiled, we were just hungry and we wanted to try something new that morning. I do think we should have borrowed a baby/​child so we could fit in though…
The atmosphere is very charming and happy. It reminds me of Anthropologie but with coffee and orange juice everywhere. The staff was very friendly and I will also throw in that I am in love with there china!!!
I had the luxury of ordering the Hazelnut Strawberry Belgium Waffler… this is where you wipe the droll off your face… it was warm and sweet and dusted with powdered sugar. The strawberry was dripping in sweetness and the waffle was crispy and soft and had hints of hazelnut in every bite. I could have eaten 5 waffles I swear!
My husband had the quiche and it was delicious. I love feta and every bit had feta! His meal was very savory and filling. I should have asked for the recipe because it was that good.
This place was a bit higher on our breakfast budget but very well worth it because the food was amazing and cannot wait to come back for a second round.

I’ve been to Brasserie countless times over the years for brunch and dinner. This is the restaurant where I first affirmed and then refined my love for French cuisine. The ambiance is that of a rustic French eatery and perfect for catch-​ups with friends, celebrations, or date nights.
My favorite things to get here are the croque madame and brisket sandwich (a special that appears occasionally) for brunch, and the cheese plate, onion soup, braised beef, and cassoulet for dinner. For dessert, the floating island and pot de crème are excellent.
A couple things to note: the gougeres (cheese puffs) tasted exactly like Cheez-​Its to me, and the beignets seemed too strong on the oil flavor, though that might just be me not liking beignets in general.
Brasserie, like all of Gerard Craft’s restaurants, is such a gem in St. Louis, and I make sure to have a meal here whenever I’m back in town.

We were one of the first to arrive for breakfast at 9:53am. After walking in the hostess advised that they still would’nt be seating for a few mintues so we sat outside on the patio (where we intended to stay and dine). At 10:00am sharp and 4 guests ahead of us later we were told that the patio was closed because, «it looks like it’s gonna rain in an hour or so.» uhhhhhhhh ok, but it’s not raining NOW and this is where I want to eat damnit! (I didn’t say this aloud)
The menu options were very limited. No oatmeal, no pancakes and the lightest item was the quiche; delicious by the way. They serve Kaldi’s coffee which I like and the server was nice. I think a dinner experience here may be a better option for me, so I’m willing to return (after 6pm that is lol)

Everything is wonderful at Brasserie, but for me, brunch might be the best. Especially this past weekend when there wasn’t a wait at 11am on a Sunday (what?!) We grabbed a two-​seater towards the front of the restaurant and had a really great time.
I order eggs benedict on the regular pretty much everywhere I go, so when I saw it on the menu at Brasserie, it was a no-​brainer. I’m so glad that’s what I went with, because oh my God, it was definitely the best plate of benedict I’ve ever had. The dijon-​hollandaise was so perfectly tangy and seasoned, and the smashed potatoes were out of this world as well.
The only so-​so part of brunch was my bloody mary — it was just way too salty. I still was able to enjoy some of it once the ice melted a little.
I’ll be back soon to try more, or just to get the eggs benedict again.

My wife and I have been here almost a dozen times and have always had a flawless experience from start to finish. We love Brasserie for their dinner but their brunch is a treat too. We took our inlaws last week and they agreed as well!
Of the items we’ve had, the braised beef is my favorite and has a awesome sauce with super tender beef. The glazed carrots that come in this are a blessing as well — really amazing!!! In addition to this entrée, the bistro steak, Coq au vin and brasserie burger are all very solid as well. Also, we had a good sampling of cocktails and each one was expertly crafted.
The staff is very friendly and service is top notch. Equally as good, you get a great portion of delicious food for a very modest price. I have no reservations when I say this is my favorite restaurant in STL — check it out if you don’t already agree!!!

I love this place for brunch. Beware this place gets busy, so brunching early around 10am is ideal if you don’t want to wait. And dare I say it, I think this is better than the beloved Half n Half in Clayton.
Pros:
1) Beignets. If you get nothing else, get this for the table. The homemade Jam with this powdered sugar is amazing
2) Chicken Quiche with a side salad. Delicious and the cheese was not overwhelming
3) Waffles (not large enough to share but good)
4) Side of bacon is very large (but there is no turkey bacon here for the non-​pork eaters)
Cons:
1) The cocktails are just not up to par. The Bloody Marys are a pre-​made mix and it’s a little peppery for me.
The atmosphere is nice and the food is great, but I would past on the brunch cocktails here.

NOM :)