Had a really weird experience here the bartender or manager was having a tough day and kept aggressively asking us if we were waiting on atoboy and seemed super erratic. Won’t be back
Reel Love Is Blind
Blake and Kate were awesome. Awesome drinks, card tricks, killer foie gras, awesome way to end the night. Keep it up. Neat>shot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pan Sear Foie Gras and Accoutrements
Amy Su
Maybe this is why people say french food sucks. Nothing was great, maybe a bit under mids. Server not attentive even though it was literally empty inside. Decorations also not great didn't feel like a comfortable environment whatsoever. I'm surprised there is business here, maybe just because they have a good location.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Serafin Rodriguez
Great foodGreat serviceGreat
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The host / waitress was quite rude. She told my friend we didn't have a reservation (even though I'd confirmed) and made her wait outside. We eventually were seated but the waitress was very rude.
Jon Harari
Great atmosphere
fernando menicucci
Best beef bourguignon and chocolate mousse ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Boeuf Bourguignon
natalia kniggendorf
I dropped my drink and they were kind enough to bring me
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Boeuf Bourguignon
Karl Anderson
Short menu but truly delicious food and drinks, friendly staff as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Knife Cut Steak Tartare
Tony Y.
Came here for dinner but was pretty disappointed. The service was very attentive and I have nothing bad to say about that. Our waitress came over to check on us numerous times throughout dinner. The foie gras was under seasoned and didn't taste like much of anything. Both the beef and chicken were very homey dishes but yet again, under seasoned. The mashed potatoes could use more butter and some salt in the food would've made all the difference. The place itself is pretty cute with a lot of local artwork. We probably won't be back
If you've read more than a few of my reviews, you have seen me write "this is MY New York." As I wander the city, I currently find new places that feel as if I BELONG there, that this is MY place. A few favorites include King of Fish in Brooklyn as well as Bandits Diner & Dive and Goodnight Sonny in the East Village. I now add the Lower East Side/Eldridge Street location of Lena to that list. I came for the first time on a Monday night. Not crowded at all. A couple of couples at tables and a few people came and went at the bar for a drink or two. The lights were low, the vibe casual, and they played classic rock--not the loud or upbeat kind--more of the relaxing, almost somber kind. My server--I think she's probably one of the owners--I know the bartender was an owner because he's the one who wrote the Yelp! restaurant description you see--was amazing! She was kind and welcoming immediately, even though I showed up in hospital scrubs and a puffer jacket. She was so attentive and somehow so smooth--she deftly and discretely arranged my table perfectly every time I ordered a new dish or drink to make my dining experience more comfortable. I had the brie with rosemary honey on crostini. It was delectable. Delightfully melted brie, perfect blend of sweet and savory, with a crostini that wasn't soggy, not too soft, and not overly crunchy. I'm out of synonyms for perfect. I also had the cauliflower gratin, with a creamy balsamic sauce. Again, cheesy and creamy and savory. Both the gratin and the brie were considered starters and were perfect small plates. Conceivably, a couple could share the brie crostinis, but the gratin was really made for one person. My main was the boeuf bourguignon, which was rich and fatty. It was a little fatty for my taste, but that's not a them thing, that's a personal preference. The mashed potatoes, mushrooms, pearl onions were all tasty, as were the carrots. And don't get me wrong--I ate all the beef too! It was tender and cooked as intended--but I probably would choose a different dish next time, maybe the mushroom risotto truffle. While they focus on wines that compliment the food (they are French after all), they have a satisfying cocktail list as well. They are a little under the expected price for Manhattan--15 dollars each. I had: The Delancey--tequila, passion fruit, lime, cointreau, and chili salt. Pineapple daiquiri--a little sweet because of the pineapple, but not cloying. Rum, lime, bitters to offset the sweet. Last word: Gin, flora green liquor, maraschino liquor, and lime. A tart little number with a licorice taste. And for desert, I had the caramel burned Basque cheesecake. Not your average cheesecake, but somehow complimented the meal well. The menu is small. But I think that adds to the experience. And the portions aren't giant American portions. Nothing drives me crazier than people complaining about portion sizes. This is a menu meant to be SAVORED. Food meant to roll around in the mouth and tease out every flavor. And it's great to have a few of the smaller dishes to make for a multi-course feast. I am not even a big fan of French food. I'm more of an Indian/Mexican gal. But Lena was dynamite. Unbeatable ambiance. Cool owners/staff. Not too busy or chaotic. So chill. Another diamond to add to my list. I'll be back.
Amanda Libero
Stumbled on here early Saturday night. Walked in but had no problem sitting in this small quaint restaurant. Happy hour until 7 with $10 wine to start. Order mussels for the table, delicious and make sure to ask for bread to dip! Limited menu but entrees were octopus and French onion soup. The octopus was a bit chewy and small portion in my opinion. Probably would only go back for happy hour.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jen S.
Ended up ordering two of the foie gras because we liked it so much. Everything else we ordered was solid. Dim atmosphere and not too loud. The Delancy cocktail was everyone at the table's favorite of the night. Staff didn't rush us to order and were attentive. Cost for value was good overall.
Regina S.
Classics done to perfection Cliff notes -- 10/10 would recommend, the atmosphere was fun, lively but not obnoxious. There was everyone from a birthday group, a date, and even singles sitting at the bar all enjoying their time and amazing drinks. Lively fun small NYC spot with great energy and amazing drinks. We were fortunate enough to stumble upon this place after seeing lines at 2 local speakeasys that we were not in the mood to wait for (this is right across the street for Attaboy) and honestly could not have been happier. We grabbed 2 seats at the bar, were quickly greeted and brought water. The bartender, Abraham, is AMAZING! He was polite, kind, gave suggestions and answered questions we had about the drinks. This man is a true artist at his craft. Every drink we had was spot on - they are all mostly classics just done to perfection. Favorites included the Delancey and French Martini (all cocktails are $15 which is pretty typical for the city). While not super hungry, we decided to split the Beer Bourguignon - wow so tender, falls apart on your fork. Abraham brough us some bread to soak up the amazing sauce. While we didn't have them the garlic butter escargot puffs ordered next to us looked and smelled amazing For dessert, we ordered the Caramel Burned Basque Cheese Cake. It was incredible! It had the perfect amount of sweetness which allowed the savory flavor of the cheese to come through. The slice was the perfect size, allowing us both to have 2-3 bites.
David Meyers
What a great spot! French food at its finest. Not only is the food incredible the service is impeccable and the atmosphere is really a vibe. Get the fois gras!
Had a really weird experience here the bartender or manager was having a tough day and kept aggressively asking us if we were waiting on atoboy and seemed super erratic. Won’t be back
Blake and Kate were awesome. Awesome drinks, card tricks, killer foie gras, awesome way to end the night. Keep it up. Neat>shot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pan Sear Foie Gras and Accoutrements
Maybe this is why people say french food sucks. Nothing was great, maybe a bit under mids. Server not attentive even though it was literally empty inside. Decorations also not great didn't feel like a comfortable environment whatsoever. I'm surprised there is business here, maybe just because they have a good location.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great foodGreat serviceGreat
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The host / waitress was quite rude. She told my friend we didn't have a reservation (even though I'd confirmed) and made her wait outside. We eventually were seated but the waitress was very rude.
Great atmosphere
Best beef bourguignon and chocolate mousse ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Boeuf Bourguignon
I dropped my drink and they were kind enough to bring me
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Boeuf Bourguignon
Short menu but truly delicious food and drinks, friendly staff as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Knife Cut Steak Tartare
Came here for dinner but was pretty disappointed. The service was very attentive and I have nothing bad to say about that. Our waitress came over to check on us numerous times throughout dinner. The foie gras was under seasoned and didn't taste like much of anything. Both the beef and chicken were very homey dishes but yet again, under seasoned. The mashed potatoes could use more butter and some salt in the food would've made all the difference. The place itself is pretty cute with a lot of local artwork. We probably won't be back
Restaurantji Recommends
If you've read more than a few of my reviews, you have seen me write "this is MY New York." As I wander the city, I currently find new places that feel as if I BELONG there, that this is MY place. A few favorites include King of Fish in Brooklyn as well as Bandits Diner & Dive and Goodnight Sonny in the East Village. I now add the Lower East Side/Eldridge Street location of Lena to that list. I came for the first time on a Monday night. Not crowded at all. A couple of couples at tables and a few people came and went at the bar for a drink or two. The lights were low, the vibe casual, and they played classic rock--not the loud or upbeat kind--more of the relaxing, almost somber kind. My server--I think she's probably one of the owners--I know the bartender was an owner because he's the one who wrote the Yelp! restaurant description you see--was amazing! She was kind and welcoming immediately, even though I showed up in hospital scrubs and a puffer jacket. She was so attentive and somehow so smooth--she deftly and discretely arranged my table perfectly every time I ordered a new dish or drink to make my dining experience more comfortable. I had the brie with rosemary honey on crostini. It was delectable. Delightfully melted brie, perfect blend of sweet and savory, with a crostini that wasn't soggy, not too soft, and not overly crunchy. I'm out of synonyms for perfect. I also had the cauliflower gratin, with a creamy balsamic sauce. Again, cheesy and creamy and savory. Both the gratin and the brie were considered starters and were perfect small plates. Conceivably, a couple could share the brie crostinis, but the gratin was really made for one person. My main was the boeuf bourguignon, which was rich and fatty. It was a little fatty for my taste, but that's not a them thing, that's a personal preference. The mashed potatoes, mushrooms, pearl onions were all tasty, as were the carrots. And don't get me wrong--I ate all the beef too! It was tender and cooked as intended--but I probably would choose a different dish next time, maybe the mushroom risotto truffle. While they focus on wines that compliment the food (they are French after all), they have a satisfying cocktail list as well. They are a little under the expected price for Manhattan--15 dollars each. I had: The Delancey--tequila, passion fruit, lime, cointreau, and chili salt. Pineapple daiquiri--a little sweet because of the pineapple, but not cloying. Rum, lime, bitters to offset the sweet. Last word: Gin, flora green liquor, maraschino liquor, and lime. A tart little number with a licorice taste. And for desert, I had the caramel burned Basque cheesecake. Not your average cheesecake, but somehow complimented the meal well. The menu is small. But I think that adds to the experience. And the portions aren't giant American portions. Nothing drives me crazier than people complaining about portion sizes. This is a menu meant to be SAVORED. Food meant to roll around in the mouth and tease out every flavor. And it's great to have a few of the smaller dishes to make for a multi-course feast. I am not even a big fan of French food. I'm more of an Indian/Mexican gal. But Lena was dynamite. Unbeatable ambiance. Cool owners/staff. Not too busy or chaotic. So chill. Another diamond to add to my list. I'll be back.
Stumbled on here early Saturday night. Walked in but had no problem sitting in this small quaint restaurant. Happy hour until 7 with $10 wine to start. Order mussels for the table, delicious and make sure to ask for bread to dip! Limited menu but entrees were octopus and French onion soup. The octopus was a bit chewy and small portion in my opinion. Probably would only go back for happy hour.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ended up ordering two of the foie gras because we liked it so much. Everything else we ordered was solid. Dim atmosphere and not too loud. The Delancy cocktail was everyone at the table's favorite of the night. Staff didn't rush us to order and were attentive. Cost for value was good overall.
Classics done to perfection Cliff notes -- 10/10 would recommend, the atmosphere was fun, lively but not obnoxious. There was everyone from a birthday group, a date, and even singles sitting at the bar all enjoying their time and amazing drinks. Lively fun small NYC spot with great energy and amazing drinks. We were fortunate enough to stumble upon this place after seeing lines at 2 local speakeasys that we were not in the mood to wait for (this is right across the street for Attaboy) and honestly could not have been happier. We grabbed 2 seats at the bar, were quickly greeted and brought water. The bartender, Abraham, is AMAZING! He was polite, kind, gave suggestions and answered questions we had about the drinks. This man is a true artist at his craft. Every drink we had was spot on - they are all mostly classics just done to perfection. Favorites included the Delancey and French Martini (all cocktails are $15 which is pretty typical for the city). While not super hungry, we decided to split the Beer Bourguignon - wow so tender, falls apart on your fork. Abraham brough us some bread to soak up the amazing sauce. While we didn't have them the garlic butter escargot puffs ordered next to us looked and smelled amazing For dessert, we ordered the Caramel Burned Basque Cheese Cake. It was incredible! It had the perfect amount of sweetness which allowed the savory flavor of the cheese to come through. The slice was the perfect size, allowing us both to have 2-3 bites.
What a great spot! French food at its finest. Not only is the food incredible the service is impeccable and the atmosphere is really a vibe. Get the fois gras!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5