Places we’ve stood behind.

Upper West Side · Bakery

Barachou Upper West Side

$ · Reviewed September 2026

NYC's first French cream puff bar, open since 2019 on Amsterdam Avenue. Rotating flavors — pistachio, lemon meringue, red velvet — and fruit tarts that outperform their size. Seating for one party. Go right after the museum, before dinner.

Upper West Side · French restaurant

Amélie Upper West Side Bistro & Wine Bar

$$ · Reviewed September 2026

The smallest outpost of a French bistro group, and the best one for a date. Exposed brick, a snug bar, ninety wines, and a co-owner sommelier who will steer you to exactly the right Burgundy. Book the early slot. Linger.

Upper West Side · Wine bar

Cafe Luxembourg

$$$ · Reviewed August 2026

A proper French bistro, forty years in and still earning it. Ninety seats, zinc bar, antique mirrors, white aprons. Order the French onion soup, a martini, and the steak frites. Stay for the profiteroles. Come back next week.