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New York City’s original Brasserie Les Halles, made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain in his best seller Kitchen Confidential, operated on Park Avenue South for nearly 25 years before closing in 2016. The space hosted a sold out weekend-long Les Halles pop-up last summer that coincided with the release of Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain. And this week, the address will reopen as La Brasserie.
Owner Francis Staub, founder of the eponymous cookware company, is joined by executive chef Jaime Loja, previously of Brasserie Ruhlmann. The “French-spirited” new restaurant’s menu includes raw bar items, foie gras torchon, terrine de canard and steak tartare to start. Steak frites, duck breast, roasted chicken, bouillabaisse and a côte de boeuf for two are among the opening entrées. The wine list is almost entirely French, and cocktails and local beer varieties are also available.
La Brasserie’s 173-seat boasts a 20-foot zinc bar, red leather banquettes and booths and the dim lighting common to its dining category. Some design elements, like the floor and intricately carved wood details lining the interior, will be familiar to returning guests. A terrace with room for about a dozen is expected to open this spring.