Raoul's
French restaurant · SoHo ·
Classic French bistro with a bustling, authentic Parisian vibe
Classic French bistro with a bustling, authentic Parisian vibe
"At old-school SoHo institution Raoul's, the white tablecloths, pressed tin ceilings, and $58 steak au poivre belie a long history of button-pushing and rule-flouting. The top item? The burger au poivre, available only on the brunch menu. Burger hounds obsess over it and its drippy, creamy St.-André cheese topping. For desserts, the banana coconut bread pudding has its devotees. Come here when you’re curious about old, hard-living New York—when the SNL cast would roll out for dinner at 1 a.m., and people might end up dancing on the tables—and to see a slightly more sedate version today." - Charlie Hobbs
"If Raoul’s has a cocktail list, we couldn’t tell you what’s on it. The classic downtown NYC bistro, open since 1975, could probably do a very decent gimlet, but that’s not what you get here. Martinis are mandatory. Helpful, even, especially when you get trapped in a conversation with a Miami-based life coach or need to find the courage to ascend the narrow staircase that leads to the bathroom. As soon as you’re through the door, get some gin in you. It’ll enhance your appreciation of the peppercorn encrusted burger, nude portraiture, and A-to-Z-list scene." - bryan kim, team infatuation
"In Soho, this restaurant is cited among places known for secret, off-menu burgers in New York, part of the city’s longstanding hush-hush burger tradition." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Receives a 6.4 on the same heatmap generated from scraped Google reviews." - Melissa McCart
"The most important reason to book a brunch reservation at Raoul's is because it's the easiest way to snag one of their elusive, incredible burgers au poivre, which have limited availability on weekdays. The second-most important reason is to order a soufflé pancake. It's like the offspring of a pancake and a tarte tatin, with a pleasantly salty toffee sauce and a beautiful caramelized exterior. The soufflé pancake at Raoul's takes about 25 minutes to prepare, so plan on enjoying your burger first." - molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, kenny yang, carina finn koeppicus
