226098 Sun Sep 04 16:36:18 -0700 2005 15 18 Manhattan 0 1202316 Went to Pastis today for Sunday brunch. It was very crowded by the bar area but no wait for an outside table for 2. Waitstaff was very attentive, but not pushy. Me & my boyfriend went here for the burger, since I've seen reviews about it on here & it was featured in the Best Burger (from TONY). I opted for the french toast ($12) which was just okay - I've had better at a diner or IHOP for half the price . The hamburger arrived with a pile of grease on the top bun (which he had to swath off with a napkin) and the french fries were also covered in grease. The burger was just okay & as he puts it "similar taste to Wendy's". I did order a side of fries on my own and they weren't as greasy as the ones with the hamburger (still not the greatest). MY boyfriend did like his cesar salad though! Total price $60 ($50 +$10 tip) and we didn't order any alcohol just 2 iced teas. I'm sick of going to places like this: all hype and no substance - now I need to concentrate on going to the smaller not talked about places Sun Sep 04 16:36:18 -0700 2005 0 brandy76 1 1202336 i agree heartily...too many restaurants in this city feel justified to serve average-at-best food at normally high NYC prices...vote w/ your wallet and don't patronize them, as they are giving NYC a bad name...the last time i went to Pastis (maybe two years ago) i had a similar reaction: my salad was good and my sandwich merely fine and i paid four times as much as an equivalent meal at a diner... Mon Sep 05 02:09:22 -0700 2005 1202316 0 Simon 2 1202418 I have been feeling the very same way lately. I haven't been thrilled with the service levels in NYC either--service is in slippery slope downward in NYC currently. In the last few months I have mainly hitting great "prepared food to go spots" and small ethnic eateries. I've been skipping the hype, saving $$ and I have been lots happier with my dining experiences. Tue Sep 06 13:11:25 -0700 2005 1202336 0 Ora 2 1202474 Do you mainly go there for the scene? There's no way you can feel satisfied after just a salad - just curious. Tue Sep 06 20:42:23 -0700 2005 1202336 0 brandy76 3 1202486 Me?...i don't go there at all...i went a couple years ago to meet a friend for a late lunch and remember that the salad was decent...and i think i went one other time during off hours w/ my laptop...was underwhelmed both times and never returned...not my scene... Tue Sep 06 22:05:10 -0700 2005 1202474 0 Simon 4 1202495 I meant to reply to "mrnyc" who said they go there alot just for the narcoise salad?! Tue Sep 06 22:53:06 -0700 2005 1202486 0 brandy76 5 1202625 hi brandy. i go there because i live nearby and really do love that salad. i have a big appetite but as abt said they give you a good bit of tuna and as it also has chilled boiled potatos it is in fact very very filling. i can avoid the crowds as i am able to go in off hours and usually sit at the bar to eat my 'ol nicoise salad. sometimes i go with my spouse -- she feels pretty much like the other posters on here as far as the food. on wkends if its too crowded at brunch we just go to PARADOU or FLORENT nearby. i never go to PASTIS at night (but i do the other two places). Sat Sep 10 02:14:33 -0700 2005 1202495 0 mrnyc 3 1202497 Actually, the nicoise salad, one of Pastis's best dishes, comes in a large bowl and includes a good-sized tuna steak, cut up into pieces, as well as hard boiled eggs, etc. It's meant to be an entree, not an appetizer, and is very filling. And they're happy to barely sear the tuna, if you like yours rare. Other than that salad, I love the fries, which are still stellar. Everything else, especially the egg dishes at brunch, seems to have suffered over recent years. Tue Sep 06 23:02:34 -0700 2005 1202474 0 ABT 1 1202372 i live nearby and go to PASTIS fairly often. however, i whittled it all down to one item long ago. the fantastic nicoise salad. Mon Sep 05 21:28:03 -0700 2005 1202316 0 mrnyc 1 1202435 It's better to stick to the rec's on these boards for burgers or any dish/restaurant for that matter. TONY, NY Mag etc... have "best of" lists based solely on Public Relations reps and advertisers. Sadly, it works and we go for it hook, line and sinker (at least once anyway). Tue Sep 06 15:01:40 -0700 2005 1202316 0 LES Resident 1 1202437 I've always thought the food at Pastis was just OK. And, that said, I love Balthazar. I don't go to Pastis often, but when I do I always find myself commenting that I don't understand why they can't do the basic stuff as good as Balthazar. However, I've often eaten with folks at Pastis that think it's good. Tue Sep 06 15:04:57 -0700 2005 1202316 0 Michael 1 1202609 Well, the consensus seems to be that the food isn't very good. I've never been -- it always seems overwhelmingly crowded. On the plus side, though, I have a female friend who hangs out at the bar there with her boyfriend a lot. They tell me it's a great place for couples to meet women... Thu Sep 08 14:10:36 -0700 2005 1202316 0 JGS 1 2167035 Really liked our experience at Pastis. Loved the atmosphere. Did not have reservations so we ended up seating in the bar area Mon Jan 08 23:14:28 -0800 2007 1202316 65123 The Foodie 1 2167262 I love going to Pastis. The staff couldn't be friendlier and we always have great food. This said, we only go when it's warm enough to sit outside. They have always found a way to seat us in fairly timely manner, and are lovely when we bring the puppy ( who goes right under the table and ignores all -including Salman Rushdie and Julian Schnabel!) Tue Jan 09 00:02:33 -0800 2007 1202316 24576 MRS 1 2167379 I recently posted about my sorrow at the lackluster food I got at Pastis. I ordered the same meal I love at Balthazar - onion soup and steak frites. But what I got was nowhere near as good on all counts and it cost just about as much. I would rather walk to Balthazar if I had to from there than eat at Pastis again. Tue Jan 09 00:36:54 -0800 2007 1202316 16028 seal 1 2168231 Key word here: brunch. Brunch is one of the great food risks in the world. New York brunch is like Russian Roulette. Read Kitchen Confidential and see what Tony Bourdain has to say about brunch. You'll stay at home with toast and the Times from now on. Why anyone bothers is beyond me. - Sean Tue Jan 09 05:02:07 -0800 2007 1202316 11294 Sean Dell