Let me start by saying I grew up with Cafe Edgar. It was (and is) just off of Broadway on 84th street heading toward West End. Though visitors to New York rave about Cafe Lalo (I think mostly because it was in You’ve Got Mail) this place in my mind had the best cheese cake. Dimly lit and boasting its literary theme, Cafe Edgar never appeared to attract the tourist crowed but rather the locals (to a kid from the neighborhood that’s how it looked). So that being said, I have not been back since high school so I do not know how the original may have or have not changed. But this review is not about the original which I plan on getting reacquainted with soon. This review is about the surprising sequel of a cafe to appear on Amsterdam Avenue between 91st and 92nd street.
As mentioned in an earlier review and what soon will take focus for many of my posts to come, I am now on a strict diet and thus could not ideally indulge the way I would have liked when visiting this café. But note this as well, that the café experience is not necessarily about the food, though it can’t hurt to have a good menu. It is more about the environment, the attitude of the staff, and the accessibility for independent activities (i.e. outlets for comps, wifi, or simply comfortable chairs). Also this café features waiter service, an expectation when patronizing a café in Europe but a rarity on the Upper West Side. For this reason I am linking this review to our restaurant review section and not our café section, it is my opinion that an establishment with a full menu and service is essentially a restaurant despite its name.
That all being established lets dig into Edgar. The menu is fairly interesting, and by interesting I mean nothing familiar to fall back on. The salad and sandwich options are all infused with an abundance of ingredients (I reminded of my posts on the gloriousness of simplicity in pizza) perhaps suggesting the higher price range of all their culinary options. Though the salad I ordered I had changed to accommodate my diet (dressing on the side and no cheese) the ingredients were all fresh and the combination (well the healthy parts of it at least) worked swimmingly. Also I should note that the staff was very accommodating to my dietary needs and provided me with plain balsamic vinegar in replace of the vinaigrette.
Beverage wise they fit the European café profile much better. Though I am convinced my iced, skimmed latte was served with whole milk (I could easily be wrong but my stomach said otherwise, that or their espresso is strong stuff) it was an excellent iced latte complete with foam and a dusting of chocolate powder (which should I have known I would have asked to be left off, but in the end was a pleasant surprise). Their selection of specialty espresso beverages was near a page long and consisted of some familiar items as well as some unfamiliar items such as espresso tranquillo (calm) and espresso corretto (add a shot of a liquor). These aren’t necessarily new to a café, in fact just the opposite, but it is nice to see the language and the care given to the creation and presentation of it (that or I’ve been spending too much time in Starbucks).
Last but never least with a café is the atmosphere and staff. As it still has its roots as a café I came with the full intention of staying and reading once finished. The staff is in no hurry to turn tables and is near encouraging for long relaxed stays. In that sense it is extremely European, when you do want the check you will have to call them over for it. But I don’t see this as a problem; this is how a café should be.
Overall I will say this; I have finally found a place close by to replace my Starbucks trips.
The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):
Food: 2 straws (I was not impressed by the menu and its combinations. Furthermore my meal was overpriced, even for New York. But I am aware that I did not try the dishes as they were imagined and I do plan on going back to do just that).
Beverages: 3 straws (Again here the espresso selection is significant and the latte I ordered was strong and bold in its flavors, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary).
Price: $$traws, Expensive price ($20 will only cover one beverage and a main course. The menu selections are mostly over $10 and their drinks are comparable, if not more expensive, than Starbucks).
Atmosphere: As mentioned above this place fits the bill for the café scene. It has the indoor/outdoor feel as the interior is decorated to remind you of the aged piazzas of the Italian Renaissance cities. The seating too fits the outdoor café persona but ironically they do not actually have outdoor seating, just the quaint, metallic, and uncomfortable icons of the European café. The staff is very amiable and almost too eager to meet your requests.
Overall: 3 straws (I am going to give it that extra straw because the atmosphere really does go that distance and for what it is designed for it does well. As a restaurant I would bypass its culinary options but as a café for a lengthy period of time it is perfect. No extraordinary experience but an excellent neighborhood choice for revisiting.
The Details:
Website: N/A
Location: 650 Amsterdam Ave (between 91st and 92nd street).
Phone: (212) 595-6261
Reservation: No need, I went during lunch time and it was half to mostly empty.
Dress: Casual.
Hours:
Sunday- Thursday: 8:00am- 12:00am
Friday & Saturday: 8:00am- 1:00am
huysmans
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