Looking for place that serves good mussels

I've been to Cafe Bruxelles and have looked at the mediocre reviews on Citysearch regarding Petite Abeille. Any suggestions for place to go for dinner just to have a simple pot of mussels. Thanks!

[chiyoon]

I have been going to Florent in the meatpacking district for years. The trannies have moved out sadly enough, but I love the waiters (I've seen the same ones for a couple of years) and there are usually too many mussels and fries for me to finish. And I can eat A LOT

[jenniebnyc]

Pastis has great moules as does Jubliee and La Tour has a great AYCE

[MRS]

What about the moules frites at Markt in the Meatpacking District? Quite good, large portions and fairly reasonable. You can choose from a number of different broths, which is nice b/c if you like to try new things.
You can sit outside, too.

[js587]

The best mussels I've had have been at Carmine's in Times Square. They are huge, meaty and so flavorful. In general I am not a fan of the atmosphere of the restaurant, but I will go in and just get some mussles and sit at the bar and eat them.

[eattreat]

not to rain on your parade, but do you know there is a health alert out on mussels? A number of people in NYC have become very ill . . . be careful.

[pavo]

L'Absinthe, on the Upper East Side, which can otherwise be pretty pricey, actually always has a moule/frite entree for a very reasonable price...both the mussels and the fries are absolutely delicious.

I would recomend reservations, but again, don't be put off by the high prices for some entrees; the bistro dishes like the mussels are quite reasonable.

[kenito799]

Just had some good mussels marinieres at Le Grainne Cafe, 9th Ave at 21st St (used to be Le Gamin). They also serve them provencales (olives, tomatoes) and with a saffron cream broth.
There's a good muscadet by the glass to drink with them.

[coco_nyc]

You cannot go wrong for moules frites at Les Halles on 28th & Park.

[gaucho25]

Chez Oskar in Fort Greene has great mussels. And on Tuesday nights, it's all you can eat mussels with frites. Get the mustard kind, and ask for extra bread to soak up the broth.

[phflee]

i used to live in williamsburg and the best mussels i ever had were at diner. big big bowl of the stuff, great broth, and each one was perfectly cooked and plump. this only happened once though- on other occasions they have been good but not sublime.

[Schveinhund]

Artisanal, La Petite Abeille, Jubilee...all have great mussels..

[pkallan]

Gotta vote a thumbs down on the mussels (moules marinieres) at Petite Abeille. I've had them twice there now and was disappointed both times. I just had them this past Monday and the mussel meat was so skimpy, no bigger than my thumbnails, even though the shells themselves were decent sized. Maybe it's a seasonal thing, but I have also come to realize that the mussel broth at Petite Abeille is lacking too. It's thinnish and doesn't have the wonderful combined flavors of garlic, shallot, butter & white wine which mark a really good moules marinieres broth. The accompanying fries were very good though, but if you are strictly after some good mussels, I would look elsewhere.

There was just a very positive review of the mussels from La Petite Abeille on the Manhattan board.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

For me, mussels have to be small, sweet tasting and very clean (no sand), otherwise forget it. I'm not a fan of large, strong smelling mussels (sometimes called "wild mussels") - they're an acquired taste. So having set my likes and dislikes, I would recommend Jubilee, 347 E. 54th St., and Brasserie, 100 E. 53rd Street. By the way, both places make excellent fries as well. I have been disappointed by mussels at Cafe de Bruxelles. It's a nice place to have a beer.

Try Artisanal. Huge mussels!!! And really well prepared...

I had a dish of mussels at BXL Cafe in NYC once. They have several different varieties, and come with fries. You'll find detractors of the place, but it really hit the spot for me.

Azul Bistro - Lower East Side serves a great mussels appetizer.

Service isn't great for a full meal but it would be a great place for a bucket and a Quilmes (tasty Aregntinian beer) or Malbec. Very small bar, I'd get there early.

I love great mussels, and am always on the lookout for them in Gotham. Some of the best I've had here are at Casimir on Avenue B (better known as "Avenue Bistro") between E. 5th - 6th Street. The mussels are under $14 and are moist and sweet with a superb broth to sop up the delicious bread that is served with them.

Close your eyes and you can almost feel as if you are in a small cafe in Bruxelles . . . . Open them, and you realize you are in the funky East Village! Yeah!!!

[Pan]

How many times have you had moules marinieres at Casimir? I ordered them once years ago and at that time they were barely passable. It would be great to hear that they have become dependable.

[eastvillagegirl]

I meet friends there regularly and we have the mussels, and have not been disappointed. I would say -- give it another shot. Let me know how it went . . . .