Nestled between some of your favorite pre-theater restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen lies a relatively new French restaurant brought to you by restauranteur Sanjay Laforest. Le Privé boasts a welcome atmosphere, giving off elegant, Victorian-style decor, adorned with chandeliers, mirrors and red accents. While it’s cold and blustery outside now, come summertime, the space expands with its outdoor backyard oasis, which is sure to draw a fun crowd.
But for now, the hearty French menu lends itself to cooler temperatures, with staples like French onion soup and moules frites to warm you up. Beginning with a cheese and charcuterie plate is never a dull decision, and here, you won’t regret filling up on carbs and dairy.
While there is plenty to try here, we opted to go with a mix of traditional and lighter fare for the main course, sampling the Magret de Canard, a mouthwatering duck served alongside roasted parsnip and celeriac puree and drizzled with gastrique, and the Whole Grilled Branzino, served with Swiss chard, roasted sunchokes, cucumber and fennel gremolata. Pair your dishes with their starchy specialties like pommes frites or potatoes au gratin. It will be a hearty meal, but well worth it. Plus you can take home leftovers to relive the night. The duck is certainly not to be missed, with so many amazing flavors profiles that blend together seamlessly to create a winning dish. The lighter branzino is cooked to perfection and a perfect meal for those not wanting to go overboard on French cuisine.
While you can’t go wrong with their wine list, we recommend starting your evening off with one of their well-balanced cocktails — the Couleur du Sud (made with Bombay, cucumber, citrus and prosecco) is light and refreshing, while the Vieux Carré (made with Hennessy, Bulleit, vermouth and benedictine) packs a punch!
We closed out our evening with some of their tasty desserts, including the classic French beignets and Créme Brûlée. The brûlée was everything you come to expect from the dessert, a perfectly crisp and caramelized top, with a creamy filling. It was perfect. The beignets were tasty but don’t compare to our beloved Cafe du Monde’s, which are a bit lighter and fluffier. But with a few glasses of wine in you, who can really tell the difference anyway?
This charming spot is a no-brainer for any date night, post-theater dessert or just a fun lunch with friends.
