Frere de Lys

Gets one star because our server was nice. Mediocre French food… Definitely wasn’t worth the $ 90 we spent for dinner. My steak was tough and fatty for $ 28. I couldn’t be made better food myself. The quality of food was disgusting. A couple of the service staff were drinking at the bar and taking turns smoking outside. I understand it was a slow night but it’s not very professional in my opinion… Better off going to another French spot…

Made reservations TWICE for an early dinner when they were supposed to be open. In both situations we couldn’t go because the chef was missing. Last night was most recent. There was an employee in the restaurant. He was very nice but had no clue where the chef was. I’d like to suggest to the chef he get to his job on time!

Worst meal ever.
I do not understand where the positive reviews come from.
But for the Groupon, I would have left.
Upon entering the restaurant, Chef Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares flashed in my mind. «The chicken is raw! RAW!» In fact, the lamb I ordered was cooked at least a day in advance and finished in the microwave. That is what you call fast service, right? They also serve something they call «chicken cordon bleu.» I cannot swear that what I tasted was chicken, however, certainly far from raw. The item was fully cooked days in advance and reheated in the microwave before making it to our table. The side dishes feature a bizarre texture and a distinct lack of seasoning. I would say stick with the drinks, but Frere de Lys is out of stock of most wines and liquors.
YUK! Stay away!

Love love love the service. You can tell the brothers really love and are passionate about the food they bring out on the plate.
Came here with my boyfriend who surprised me with a reservation here for dinner. It’s dimly light at night with candles at each table. We had steak and rack of lamb with the wine that one of the owners recommended to us.
Love it. Would def come back here !!!

This review is only for dessert through
. My wife and I ordered the flourless chocolate tart and the apple & honey cake, which according to
are both served with vanilla ice cream and whip cream. We received a Rosemary tart instead of the apple & honey cake. The tart was not edible due to how much Rosemary it was covered in. The ice cream and whip cream were substituted with one scoop of raspberry sorbet, which was also a disappointment. Update your menu online or contact your customer before delivering sub-​par substitutes.

I was craving a croque madame and found this place. I dined in by myself and it was relaxing. The service was excellent (maybe because it was empty but regardless it was good). My croque madame was just okay but overall the place felt like an easy-​going neighborhood gem so I would go here again, just order a different dish.

Actually ventured out during the blizzard Jonas to grab brunch here. Surprised they were open but so glad I got to try this place. I ordered the frittata of the day. Delicious!
Given the snow, my friend and I were the only ones in the restaurant but it looks like the place could fit about 20ish. With maybe an additional handful at the bar. Will be back.

Being French I would say this doesn’t feel like a french restaurant, more like an americanized version of it. I am just not a fan and I would skip for an other place.

Frere de Lys is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. The food is excellent (particularly the chicken and salmon dishes, but I also tried the zucchini pasta on a whim and it was very good!) but it’s the service that will keep you coming back. The two brothers are excellent hosts, full of positive energy and passion for their restaurant. I love coming here, and wish them continued success!

I have breakfast’d here 3x in the past 6 weeks… and it R O C K S
…honestly about to hit a 4^th in two days
Steadily becoming my breakfast-​y go to for weekends.
Not crowded; reasonably priced; friendly service; great coffee; delicious well portioned food!
Not Crowded & Ambiance
I hesitate to write this review for fear that this will overhype the spot which would be great for the Bros but bad for the Marisa :(Ambiance is casual and relaxed — the perfect place to have a leisurely weekend breakfast and good conversation
Pricing
Makes this perfect for a go to casual spot — good value; last weekend the POS system was down and they were cash only. The bros were so sweet in letting customers know ahead of time — thought that was really nice.
Great Coffee
good body — frequently refilled –for me, this is a gating item for any prospective go to breakfast spot
Delicious Food
I love their goat cheese crêpe with a little bit of honey
I love their egg sandwich on corn bread
I love their frittata which changes
It’s French so food is certainly on the rich side but portions are manageable

+/​-​THE FOOD
I personally liked my salmon dish a lot. I’m not entirely sure what the sauce they used on top, but it complemented my fish very well! I requested for the salmon to be cooked to medium and it was prepared perfectly. Other than the salmon, I wouldn’t really recommend any other meats. The lamb chop was pretty good as there wasn’t a gamy flavor to it. However the portion sizes were pretty tiny so it’s not entirely worth it. Also, I wish there was more selections of steaks on the menu!
+ THE SERVICE
Our server was so friendly and funny! I believe he was one of the co-​owners of the place and he treated us like we were family. He checked up on us often to make sure we were doing okay.

Good service, limited brunch menu. I ordered the crab cake benedict on cornbread. I requested my eggs over medium-​over hard due to being immunosuppressant and easily can get sick from salmonella and food-​born bacterial illnesses and it came out raw and runny. The server was great at getting them returned and cooked to a safer temperature. Ambiance was cute, restroom clean (a must rt?!) My husband ordered the New Orleans drink and a Croque Monsiuer. I had a pear bellini w/​the crabcakes. The total for two for brunch was $ 67… a bit pricey. Their brioche french toast looked good so maybe we will try that next time.

Maybe brunch is not their forte (better dinners?), but our experience was meh. On a Sunday around noon, the place was half full. The food took forever to come for the three of us — 2 omelettes and 1 french toast. I understand it’s the two brothers running the show, but I saw at least one cook in the back so they do have help. As for the omelette, my spinach & mushroom (no substitutions allowed/​available and I can’t eat cheese — goat cheese is the final ingredient) was under-​whelming, both in size and flavor. For $ 11, I couldn’t help but think I could’ve gone somewhere else, or made one myself that was more satisfying. I’m a small Asian girl, but even I had to grab a big snack afterwards to last me through early afternoon.
My friend liked his French toast, hence the 3 stars not 2. The service was spotty to non-​existent; he was quick to dismiss our questions even though they weren’t that busy.
Having grown up in Canada and visited relatives in France, I pretty much love everything French. This, unfortunately, was an exception.

This review is LONG overdue!
By sheer circumstance back in April I ended up on the UES for dinner with a friend, craving French cuisine. Enter Freres de Lys.
We begin our meal a little wary. The heat is on way too high, the place is fairly empty (maybe 2 – 3 other tables besides us), and the paint color palette makes the whole interior look almost unfinished it’s so bland. But we take a seat near the window, where it’s coolest, and look at the menus.
Our server (who may have also been management?) informs us that most wines on the list are unavailable due to the upcoming Passover/​Easter holiday disrupting their deliveries. The only options available are a $ 54 bottle and a $ 60+ bottle, so we try the cheaper one. I know that restaurant markup means that bottle probably only retails for $ 20 but I don’t even care, it was delicious! I was actually kind of grateful they ran out of everything else because I’d never have tried it otherwise. The staff told us they switch out their wines regularly for the season and to pair with the menu as it updates. Love that!
They had a warm mushroom and frisée salad on special that night which we ordered to share as an appetizer. Far too often kitchens go overboard with the truffle oil, but the seasoning on this salad was just enough to add the scent of it without overpowering the natural flavor of the mushrooms. The dish was pulled together by bits of goat cheese baked to the point of having a great semi-​crunchy texture so good we thought there were breadcrumbs involved!
We each ordered the lamb ribs for our mains. They were as flavorful as could be, cooked perfectly, and served with crisp haricot verts and carrots, plus almost an entire sliced and baked sweet potato. Delicious! We were both so incredibly satisfied.
We skipped dessert, having splurged on the wine and being full from the meal. The total for two was about $ 130 with tax/​tip all included. Definitely not cheap, but the wine was over $ 50 of that and I’ve spent more on far less happy meals. I hope to come back!

I’m never one to let the service drive my review of a restaurant, but the service my friend and I received from the two brothers here was just phenomenon.
The two of them run around and do everything but the cooking! They’re so personable while attending to everyone and I don’t think there was a second where I wasn’t looked after. Cracked black pepper? An extra table to give you more room to dine? Why not? I honestly can’t think of the last place I’ve been to that treats their patrons like that.
In terms of the food, I came for the paleo zucchini pasta (since Whole 30 ‘s got me exploring all sorts of new things), but fell in love with the rack of lamb. It was only after I took a bite that I realized they used a red wine reduction, which isn’t allowed in Whole 30. Oh well! It was worth it. Every last drop.

I cannot rave about this place enough. When looking for a good French place for Shea D. and Margot G.‘s bachelorette weekend, my wife was recommended Frere de Lys when a different place we first tried proved too small to accommodate our party of 12.
We made a reservation for a Saturday at noon (read: PRIME brunching time), and as is the case when you’ve got a large party, some folks were going to be late. We were concerned we might lose our reservation, but found out from three of our party who were already there that it wouldn’t be a concern. When we arrived, we saw why. The place is super relaxed. This isn’t a hyper rushed, get in, eat, get out, NEXT! type of place. This is a come, relax, eat, drink, chill. Very European, thanks to the French brothers who own the place.
After everyone arrived, we were treated to maybe the best champagne I’ve ever tasted, followed by phenomenal french pressed coffee, which was nice and bottomless!
The menu isn’t huge, but everything you want from brunch is there. Want sweet? Go with the french toast. It looked unbelievable. Savory craving? I had the Double Decker. The scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection, crisp bacon, tasty cheese on an english muffin await you. I *loved* it. The side of potatoes were incredible too.
When we finished up our meals, we were invited to sit and relax until we were ready to leave.
Definitely come brunch here. I will most certainly be back.

I was planning a bday brunch for a dear friend on the UES. After making a reservation at Frere de Lys online, I called to ask about details (can I come early? can I bring a cake? etc). The owner sounded hurried and occupied, then said he had a «more important call» and that I had to call back another day. WHA??? I’m busy too, friend. But fine. I called back a few days later hoping to speak with someone nicer, but it was even worse. The owner said «I’m busy!!!» and HUNG UP on me. Without even asking why I was calling.
Fielding phone calls from customers is a standard part of running a restaurant. If you can’t handle that because you’re too busy, HIRE SOMEONE TO HELP YOU. Who wants to dine at a place where you’re treated like a pest? Customer service suuuuuucks.
You’ve been warned.

Eh.
If you live in the neighborhood… Maybe you love this place. I traveled a bit to meet with a friend and I really was not impressed. I admit I am not a Beef Tartar connoisseur so I do not know what I am about to say is actually true. I was really turned off by the brown bits of beef tartar. It felt like it was sitting out for awhile or bad. I have always had beef tartar served to me in red-​ish meat color all around but this pâté looked like they made the tartar and had it sitting out for a long time. My salmon was good but not spectacular enough to go back. I am not saying it was bad but I have had it better.

Came for brunch on a Saturday morning. Good crowd, decided to sit at the bar. Excellent service from french brother-​owner duo Alex & (Tim) Tebow. Quick to get a glass of water or refill on coffee.
Ordered a cappuccino and «double-​decker» bacon, egg & cheese sandwich. Cappuccino was solid. Scraped that foam like it was my J.O.B. Double decker was surprisingly tall in a good way — great english muffin and tasty bacon.
Croque Madame. Brioche was unbelievable. Sunny side egg cooked to near perfection in terms of runny-​ness. Came with a real side salad. Excellent balsamic vinaigrette. And side fries were actual slices of potatoes, not some overly thick sloggy homefries with weird /​gross oil clumps and spices.
Also the Bloody Mary was notably good. Asked for it without olives & a little extra spicy. With a few extra dashes of tabasco it blew the doors off some other local establishments like JG Melon (good burgers, but one of the worst bloody Mary’s I’ve ever had)

Amazing Brunch! Came here last weekend with my brother and we had an awesome time. The guys who run this place are amazing. Awesome service. The food is incredible. For $ 28 bottomless brunch –holler!
I had a scramble stack, which was great but a lot of food. My bro had a hamburger that must have been made in heaven. This was and I quote «The best burger I have ever had». I had a bite and had order envy! I
Really cute spot, great food, great service. I’m def coming back for dinner and that burger!

J’ai goûté hier soir la soupe de champignons, les asperges aux amandes ainsi que les côtes d’agneau, le tout accompagné d’un excellent Riesling! Absolument fabuleux!!!
L’ambiance est chaleureuse et le service impeccable. Très agréable façon de célébrer «Bastille day». Merci