Tucked away in the East Village, Didier Pawlicki’s Le Village is a culinary gem awaiting to be discovered. Pawlicki, the man behind La Siréne and Taureau in Soho, has brought to the East Village a classic French bistro that will even have Parisians saying “c’est magnifique!”
The small space can easily be overlooked in the bustling village, but once inside you will find that the tiny interior exudes charm and comfort. Mood lighting, exposed bricks walls and unique photographs that adorn them set the atmosphere at Le Village, making New Yorkers feel like they’ve stepped into a reprieve from the busy city.
Pawlicki acts as both owner and chef of the establishment, demonstrating his superior skills with gluten-fee, vegetarian and vegan dishes that comprise 80% of the menu, all at extremely affordable prices. During our evening at Le Village we were able to try a plethora of dishes from the menu, each better than the next. Standouts included the French Onion Soup — definitely one of the best you’ll get your hands on, Gnocchi Parisian au Gratin — or simply put, an out of this world mac n’ cheese, complete with the fresh taste of truffles, and Choux-Fleur Roti, a unique roasted cauliflower dish served with sauteed greens, sweet potatoes, quinoa and red bell pepper coulis. Everything from the Coq au Vin to the Foie Gras was delightful. Chef Didier has a gift for making often mundane things dance upon your palette…his Sauteed Bruseels Sprouts with balsamic glazed strawberries is a one-of-a-kind dish that is not only inventive, but the stuff dreams are made of.
His talents don’t stop at main dishes, either. Desserts at Le Village are equally devour-worthy. The chef shows his creativeness again with his Banana Brulee, and steps up the game for all other Fondant au Chocolats (or chocolate lava cakes) in the business. Even his Vegan Apple Tart hit a homerun.
All in all, this small venue packs big flavors in its dishes and we will definitely be heading back. Le Village is BYOB and has no corkage fee so make sure to take advantage and bring a bottle of vino to dinner. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 5-10pm and Friday and Saturday from 5-11pm and is closed on Tuesdays.
Le Village is located at 127 E. 7th Street.
Twisted Talk: What’s your favorite French restaurant in the city? Have you been to Le Village? Discuss below!
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