When I decided to write a review of Le Marais – the French style steak house, not the aristocratic district that is a center of Parisian Jewry – I thought to myself that I had to do something new. I couldn’t just go there for dinner and order a Tournedos steak (the tenderloin cut for which the restaurant is famous) or a Steak Au Poive (the Tournedos’ pepper crusted cousin) or even the Hanger steak, because I’ve had all of those things so many times before and already know that they are fantastic. It’s difficult to bring a critical eye to something you already love, so to mix things up I went to Le Marais for lunch – something I have heard is great, but have never actually experienced.
I met my brother at the restaurant at 3 o’clock and we were seated quickly. Despite the awkwardness of the hour (no longer lunch and not quite dinner) it was still pleasantly full – maybe it’s just me, but there is something unsettling about eating in an empty restaurant. I’ll take this moment – with me and my brother looking over the menu and dipping a bit of fresh bread in olive oil – to discuss the decor. The restaurant is well decorated and relaxed, with a retro feel that calls to mind New York in the 20’s – a tin ceiling and exposed brick, mirrors and a few posters on the walls. That said, something about the size feels constricting, as if the room is too small or the ceiling is too low. That problem is alleviated if you are lucky enough to eat in the upstairs section by the bar.
Looking over the menu, we noticed that it was identical to the regular menu with only two “lunchy” additions, the French Dip Sandwich (a steak sandwich served with a beef broth dipping sauce), and the hamburger, both priced at fifteen dollars, so that’s what we ordered. Since this was a review lunch and not just a lunch lunch we also ordered the smoked duck breast with roasted peppers as an appetizer, which was amazing. Our waiter brought our food out quickly enough; though I know from experience that when the restaurant gets to be more full the service can slow to a crawl.
The lunch items were simple and delightful, and both were served with a side of delicious French fries. The burger was a bit more than an inch thick (though I’m a food critic, not an engineer so I may be off) without an excess of toppings to distract you from the perfectly cooked meat. The French Dip Sandwich was tender without being overly chewy and served on crispy French bread (not pre-dipped and soggy as it is many places).
We were too full for dessert, but even without something sweet to cap it off, it was still an excellent meal and, price-wise, a fairly reasonable one. I knew that Le Marais was a great steak house and a wonderful place to go for dinner, so I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me when it turned out to be a great place to go for lunch as well.
Le Marais
150 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
(212) 869-0900
