Le Grainne Cafe

One of my favorite places in NYC to grab a cold drink on a summer day and read or grab a French meal.

Warm cozy atmosphere inside for one or a group. Not crazy expensive for the area with solid breakfast/brunch menu.

Excellent mussels and nice ambience. A bit on the small side and noisy but great place for nice French dinner.

While not the best lobster roll I ever had, pound for pound it might be the best deal. For the stiff price of 18 bucks, I think there were 18 lobsters in the round sandwich (not a traditional roll.) I also missed a salty crunch to complement it - fries or chips would have been great but the beets it came with while odd were good. The home fries we're soggy and tasted like a camp fire. The chocolate mousse was divine, especially when paired with a slice of strawberry or sliver of candied orange rind. With a menu I can't wait to work my way through (crepes both sweet and savory and gourmet sandwiches in edition to classic French entrees), a cozy bistro feel inside and 3 sidewalk tables out, I see repeat visits to this neighborhood spot in my future. Oh, and they will let you eat outside with your dog if you put it outside the little "enclosed patio wall." For those in need of wheelchair access, it's very small and tight, but they have a sign in the window that says to ask for assistance (I imagine they put a ramp out to accommodate the step up and inside.)

Stumbled upon this place in Chelsea before a lunchtime cruise at Chelsea Piers. It looked like a nice little French bistro with ample seating inside and a few tables outside.

I ordered a large latte to start. Little did I know that it was a BOWL of espresso and steamed milk. I'm not complaining, but people should be aware. I loved it.

For breakfast t, I ordered a croque madame. It was one of the best ones I've had. The bread was toasted on the surface, but soft inside. The cheese melted perfectly over it. The ham that they used was just flavorful, like a good prosciutto. Throw an overeasy egg on top and you made my morning. The one negative was that my egg was a bit over cooked. I like a runny egg yolk. The side mesclun salad with dijon vinaigrette was a great compliment to all the rich aspects of the madame.

I already recommended this place to a friend who lives in the area. I would come here anytime for breakfast/brunch!