New York has plenty of French restaurants, but Saint Denis NYC is bringing a particularly downtown version of the Parisian fantasy to Greenwich Village. Think oysters, escargots, steak au poivre, Burgundy and martinis—because apparently the Village has decided it needs another place where dinner can turn into drinks very easily.
Located at 490 LaGuardia Place, Saint Denis occupies the former Morgenstern’s space and comes from the team behind downtown favorites Le Dive and The Nines. The new bistro and wine bar is described by its hospitality group as a love letter to the classic New York French experience: intimate, low-lit and energetic.
The menu is unapologetically French without requiring a plane ticket.
There are oysters, escargots with garlic butter and Chartreuse, salade Lyonnaise with bacon and a poached egg, chicken paillard and steak au poivre with frites. For dessert, profiteroles get a crème de menthe ice cream upgrade. In other words, Saint Denis is not interested in reinventing French food. It is interested in making the classics extremely tempting.
Then there are the cocktails.
Every cocktail on the current menu is priced at $21, including the intriguingly named Village Brambler, made with tequila, blackberry, Roquefort and lemon. There is also the Fiorello Shandy, combining Guinness, peach whiskey and orange. Yes, Roquefort in a cocktail. New York remains undefeated.
The wine list leans heavily French, with glasses currently ranging from $19 to $26, while Guinness on draft and Miller High Life provide a welcome reminder that not everything needs to come from Burgundy.
Saint Denis is walk-in friendly, with a limited number of reservations available, making it particularly appealing for those spontaneous downtown evenings when “let’s grab a drink” mysteriously becomes dinner.
For anyone searching for Saint Denis NYC, Saint Denis Greenwich Village, French restaurants NYC or new restaurants in Greenwich Village, this is one address worth remembering.
Because sometimes you don’t need Paris.
You just need LaGuardia Place and a very good martini.
