NYC Restaurants

In a city with thousands of food choices, rising rents and trendy restaurants opening almost daily, it's amazing that a little place like Cafe Du Pont has managed to survive as long as it has. But it has for more than a dozen years now.

What's the secret? Charm. The owner of Cafe Du Pont pampers his East Side clientele, offering homey meals to city dwellers, who in some cases may call a one-room studio home. In doing so, the restaurant has become part of the neighborhood.

Regulars are greeted by name. Questions are exchanged.
"How was that trip?" Or, " How's the apartment going?" Newcomers are welcomed with a smile. Candles offer a warm glow to a rather small space and compliment the
French cuisine.

Appetizers run the gammit from pan-roasted bluepoint oysters, to duck confit with a red wine and orange reduction, to a salad of fresh endive, apple, figs and toasted walnuts. We tried a crabcake appetizer that was simply delightful.

Entrees include traditional French dishes like steak frites, or oven roasted rack of baby lamb in a dijon and pommery mustard sauce. The special during our visit was thick slice of roast pork served atop a bed of roasted peppers and
potatoes. We found it to be a bit dry, but the gentleman
seated next to us loved his.

One thing is certain, Cafe Du Pont is proving that
sometimes smaller is better. After all, it's still here.
La Cote Basque is not.