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I have been eating at Chez Napoleon for over thirty (yes, thirty) years and have never had a bad meal. The rack of lamb is the best I have ever eaten, seconded by the venison which is served only in November & December. Whether dining alone or with a group of family and friends, I have passed many a leisurely hour filled with good, warming comfort food.

I arrived at the restaurant to meet my wife and I was a bit early. We were grabbing dinner before going to see a show. There were literally zero people there. I hung up my coat and politely requested to the hostess (if you could call her that) "Would it be okay if I sat at the bar until my wife arrives?" She scolded me and smugly responded, "No, but you can take this table." Not the best first impression, but I would have laughed it off had this not been a trend of the night. We sat down and realized we had a lot of time before our show (about two hours) so we wanted to enjoy our bread, wine, etc. This was clearly not okay with them clearly. After being pestered every minute to order we did. I started with the onion soup, and she the artichoke hearts. Literally 3 minutes later they came out. We asked if she could give us a little time before bringing out our main course so that we didn't have to wait for a long time outside to go to the show. (It was about 5 degrees out on this night). Sure enough, the both our main courses came out as we were still eating the appetizers. The main dishes were pretty good, but the overall experience was very unpleasant. A nice woman at the table next to us asked the server if she could possibly substitute onion soup for the soup of the day on the prix fixe menu. "NO!, No!, No!, No!," exclaims the waitress. A simple, "Sorry miss, unfortunately we don't allow substitutions" or something along those lines would have sufficed. We finally just asked for our check and decided to cut our losses. There elitist attitude isn't worth it.

Overall, decent food with brusque but competent service. My appetizer of baked mussels was tasty, but then again so would just about anything that was breaded, baked and topped with melted garlic butter! The leg of veal special was delicious, but WAY overpriced at $19 considering the plate consisted of two very thinly sliced (deli-style...like cold cuts) pieces of meat and a small portion of french fries. When I complained to the waitress she said that she had heard the same complaint on other occasions and would pass it along to the kitchen. I don't think the kitchen is paying attention! My dessert (coupe marrons) was just the opposite in size...so big it could have easily been shared by one or two others. I'm not destined to go back any time soon.

This place is like a time machine and going back into old NY when French restaurants 1st popped up in the US. The service is quite rude and not gracious at all. Told us we could leave when we were disappointed that an item was not available the night we ate. The food is unadorned but very good and the real deal, old school french. The french waitresses who I assuyme are family are quite friendly and charming. Would I go back? Possibly.

Yes, as many have written, it is a nice family-type place. Of course, that's better if you are part of the family. (And my mother was at least as good a cook.) Madame (or whoever it was, I could not find her although I looked-perhaps she took the night off and that was the problem) prepares a large number of different dishes for such a small dining room and kitchen. No mean feat. And many are classics of French cuisine, prepared in a satisfactory, journeyman-like way. But nothing seemed lively, mentally fresh, inspired. It all seemed a bit tired, a bit boring.

We never visit New York City without stopping at our favorite French restaurant, Chez Napoleon, for at least one delightful meal. You feel like you stepped into a Parisian Bistro when you walk through the door. The 3 ladies who serve, take your order and commisserate with you are delightful. And the food!!! It can't be beat!! Everything is delicious. And as in Paris, your bill only appears when you request it. No rushing you out to fill the next table as in many NY restaurants. We highly recommend it.

This place is the real thing...like walking out of NYC for a while into a cafe in Montmartre. The food and service are both excellent and I can't recommend them highly enough. As for the couple below who complained of "rude treatment," my husband and I are longtime residents of this neighborhood, and we have seen an influx of young "business types" who are spoiled and have an immense sense of self-entitlement. I have no problem imagining that they were treated appropriately for their behavior. As for people like us, who are theatre people who lived in Hell's Kitchen long before it was "trendy," we are extremely thankful to keep Chez Napoleon forever. It is our family's favorite dining establishment - and the more of the rude "trendy set" who stay away the better. For those of you with manners, an appreciation for true French cuisine and impeccable service with perfect wine recommendations, Chez Napoleon is a treasure.