About usPartner with usSign up to our Newsletter

Cafe Luxembourg

Opening Hours
Today: 11am–10:30pm
Fri:
11am–10:30pm
Sat:
10am–10pm
Sun:
10am–10pm
Mon:
11am–10pm
Tues:
11am–10:30pm
Wed:
11am–10:30pm
Location
200 West 70th Street
Cafe Luxembourg 1 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side

With woven wicker chairs, plush red booths, tiled walls, a bar backed by an antique mirror, and many years as a topnotch restaurant, Cafe Luxembourg resounds with familiarity. And, as portrayed in the signature postcard of three naked ladies photographed by Cheryl Koralik in 1988, playfulness and boldness are always present. Customers loosen their ties, let their hair down and engage in easy conversation — "fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere."

Lynn Wagenknecht and her then husband, Keath McNally, opened the place in 1983 as a French neighborhood bistro. Now the sole proprietor, Lynn has maintained a rare level of comfort within the realm of fine dining, fully investing herself in Cafe Luxembourg as well as its sister restaurants, Cafe Cluny and The Odeon. Constantly finding inspiration from her trips to France, Lynn's warm attentiveness permeates the restaurant.

"Lynn nurtures from within," said General Manager Morgan Nevans, who has been with the company since 2008. Staff members are invited and encouraged to dine in the restaurant. "We have a lot of aspiring professors, artists, actors and doctors," explained Morgan. A performance artist, Manager Krystel Lucas started at Cafe Luxembourg because of its proximity to her school, finding it easy to work around her wavering show schedule. "I was proud to stand at the door," Krystel informed me, having worked her way up from hostess, server, and bartender. Customers also have an inclination to return with many coming since the restaurants' opening — regulars or not, "everyone is treated as a VIP." The food may also have a little something to do with their loyalty.

A graduate of New England Culinary Institute, Executive Chef Michael Navarette acknowledges, "food is a gateway to culture." Everyone eats, and dishes have their own history, prepared in a variety of ways throughout all regions. His breakfast specialty, an omelet with mixed greens, exudes comforting familiarity, while his Faroe Island salmon over a salad of lentils, potatoes, onion and a curry aioli, is a more innovative concoction that breeds its own memories. "A chef is a journeyman position," Michael smiled, "The training never ends. I learn as I go." It seems the staff and restaurant both have a knack for refining while retaining their roots. A bistro that only gets better with age, this side street gem will always be something to look forward to.

Location
Loading
Sign up to Sidestreet Updates
Cafe Luxembourg 1 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 2 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 3 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 4 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 5 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 6 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 7 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 8 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 9 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 10 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 11 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side
Cafe Luxembourg 12 Breakfast Brunch French Lincoln Square Midtown West Upper West Side

More places on 70th Street

Lost Gem
The Frick Collection 1 Museums undefined