No, it is not a hotel. It is a restaurant. Wait, let me rephrase, it is a super cool restaurant, with pretty great food. The reason for the interesting name is that they are named after a French World War II safe house. Therefore, from the outside, you wouldn’t dare think there is a beautiful space in the inside. No special decoration or sign on the outside, just a really red, beaming neon light. Almost keeping people to stay away from this place… but that is how the safe house should be, I assume.

 

Once you step inside, it is a whole different space there. Beautiful bar and lounge on the first floor. As we got there just they opened, there was no one there. This space is used for fun entertainment, such as Burlesque, which would be really nice in this space, I can imagine.

Since we were there for dinner, without entertainment, we went up to the rooftop.

The rooftop is designed with a retro French theme, around 1940s Paris. It is really incredible how the space can completely transport you to a beautiful Parisian garden. The rooftop was so amazingly beautiful, it was breathtaking! It was so elegant, and I really loved the lamp post lighting throughout, and the chairs and benches were just super adorable! And what’s more fantastic is that rooftop is retractable, and climate controlled.

Since it is the Winter, they had the glass rooftop closed, and the room was nice and warm. The space also had a nice, sexy bar at the end. Each tables had glass top, and under the glass were some flowers, leaves, and a large, beautiful rose. I love all the decorations from top to bottom, and I can see how much time and effort they spent on every little detail to make this place look gorgeous, but yet comfortable.

 

They offer fun French menu, with a modern twist. Also have pretty nice selection of cocktails. We decided to get some cocktails, but everything sounded so nice, it was not easy to make a decision on which ones to order… We decided on  Pear of Kings ($14) and Remember When ($14).  Pear of Kings is made with Grey Goose La Poire Vodka, Fernet Rinse, and Clove Syrup. It had great aroma, with nice sweet pear flavor. It was very high quality, pretty strong. The Candied pear was awesome at the end, after soaking up all the yummy cocktail juice, it was like having an extra dessert with the drink. $14 is not cheap drink, but with this quality, I say it was worth it. Remember when is made with Rye, Cinnamon Clove Syrup, and Apple Cider.  It was also high quality, and very strong. It came with some apple slice, topped with cinnamon powder. It had nice apple taste, smooth, and really loved the taste of cinnamon.

We also asked for glasses of water, and they brought a glass bottle to our table so that we don’t have to constantly ask for refills. I really like that when we can get a pitcher or a bottle of water to ourselves, since we do drink a lot of water.

Then we moved onto the appetizers, or what they call “Small Plates.” We ordered Chicken & Waffles ($12) and Bacon Crusted Kobe Sliders ($15). You might think Chicken & Waffles is not really appetizer item, but they do things a bit differently here. It actually was waffle crusted chicken bites, wrapped in maple syrup cotton candy, with cola chili reduced drizzle. It turned out to be this juicy sweet chicken with waffle crust, amazing flavor, super awesome! I would’ve never in a million years though that chicken and cotton candy can become some awesome pair, but it really worked. Perfect marriage of tender, juicy chicken and soft, sweet cotton candy. And if that is not sweet enough for you, add the tangy, sweet sauce and you are all set!

The Kobe Sliders came stuffed with blue cheese, topped with sliced tomato and house sauce. It also came with a small pickle on top. very nicely crafted. Our sliders had tomatoes on the bottom, instead of on the top as indicated on the menu, but I guess that was not a big issue. They were super juicy and delicious. I thought they were nice size, not so small, but a good size. The patty was packed with flavor, cooked to perfection. The pickles were nice also, fresh and tasty.

Then, off to the main course (or “Large Plates”). We had Diver Scallops ($28) and Lobster Pot Pie ($28). The Diver Scallops came with four sears scallops, corn puree, pork skin chip, maple glazed bacon, sunny side up quail eggs, and apple cider reduction. Only 2 out of the 4 scallops had the quail eggs, which gave nice contrast. It was a bit too salty to me, but still very tasty. Each one was really thick, plump scallops. Corn purée sweet and velvety, great addition of flavor to the dish. Apple cider reduction was really sweet, not sure if it went well with really salty scallops. Quail egg and maple glazed bacon were very interesting additions, providing extra flavor and texture. Overall, I did enjoy the dish, if it was a bit less salty, it would’ve been perfect.

The Lobster Pot Pie was a crock of classic creamy pot pie filled with chunks of Maine lobster, pearl onions, peas, carrots, topped with baked puff pastry. It was again a bit too salty to me. Maybe the chef of the night like to add extra amount of salt?  It did have chunks of lobsters. It was very creamy, hearty, and delicious. Puff pastry on top was very tasty and airy, but maybe a bit too flaky? Perfect dish on a cold night.

We ended our night with Cappuccino ($5), and of course, desserts. The cappuccino was super creamy, it had natural sweetness to it, so we did not need to add any sugar. It was an awesome cup of coffee.

So, here is where we made a mistake. We were already kind of full, but not completely. We ASSUMED the desserts would be in a small portion, so we decided to order two desserts… big mistake! What we ordered were much bigger than anticipated, so we struggled to finish (we actually couldn’t finish them all). So, we ordered French Toast Kebobs ($9) and Nutella & Marshmallow Bread Pudding ($9). The French Toast came with fresh fruits and maple syrup for dipping. Although it was very nicely plated, it was hard to eat without silverware (which did not come with – we were only given spoons). When you pick up the kebob, it rotates on it, not steady on the kebob. It had to be And since they were a large size, you can’t just bite them off…well, you could but it would be a challenge. With a knife and a fork, it would be perfect. The cream was nice, sweet, soft and moist. It certainly was a great value for the size. The Bread Pudding was even bigger. We were thinking “Why did we have to order 2 desserts???”  Anyways, we loved the marshmallows on top, with drizzled chocolate, it was fantastic. Very dense, rich, sweet, fill you up and then some. Super tasty, and again, great value for the size and quality.

The service was another thing that was really exceptional here. Several staffs taking care of you, so if the waitress did not wipe of the table (which she didn’t) after she took away the plates, but then another staff would come and clean off the table. Always been taken care of by someone, weather that is your server, or other staffs. They also made sure our water bottle was full, they kept the water coming before we asked.  Really nice, full service here, and everyone was really nice, polite, and sweet.

The price might not be too attractive to some, but you are also paying for this beautiful atmosphere, and the service was top quality. The food was really tasty (other than the saltiness), and you will have a great time here, whether you are on a romantic date, or relaxing with your family and friends.

And check out some interesting artwork inside and out of the restaurants as well. Can’t tell you the meanings of any of the artworks, but they were certainly intriguing.

I would love to go back to Hotel Chantelle when the weather gets a bit warm. It would be great to have a brunch there with the rooftop open as well. But, since they are climate controlled 24/7, you will be sure to have fun any time of the day, in any season!

Hotel Chantelle – 92 Ludlow Street, New York, NY 10002