French Roast

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Always open and often packed, this Parisian-style bistro-bar-café fulfills numerous Upper West Sider needs, from hungover brunches to lazy coffee-laced afternoons to leisurely dinners. All the staples are accounted for—gratinées, croque monsieur and madame, pain au chocolat, moules frites, duck confit, burgers—with lots of omelettes, soups, and salads. There are also some less conventional dishes like tofu stir fry and Moroccan salad with eggplant caviar. Two of the best appetizers represent opposite ends of the spectrum. Cool and refreshing chunks of salmon tartare are smeared with a top layer of citrus avocado spread; a huge gob of melted and slightly burnt raclette is paired with hearty slices of sweet walnut bread and crunchy carrots, potatoes, and cornichons. The surroundings, however, stick with one approach—to replicate all that Americans expect from European cafés. Vintage enamel signs crowd the walls, daily specials are scrawled on mirrored columns, the floor is black and white checkered tile, and the room is littered with red leather and wood chairs, clusters of sunflowers, and antique chandeliers. Slats by the door stock magazines. The no reservation policy and high turnover make it easy to drop by on a whim, and ample outdoor seating allows for marveling at all those New Yorkers who manage to be out at any given hour of the day. — Kate Appleton

Sat.—Sun., 10:30 a.m.—3:45 p.m.

Croque monsieur, $11.75

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