Cantine Parisienne
Monday, June 24, 2013 at 08:19PM 
I never thought I’d see the day, when French restaurants were opening in New York at such a pace that I cannot visit them all. But that’s the moment we’re in, and I am a happy camper.
Among those I’ve reviewed in the last six months, there’s La Villette, Le Midi, Table Verte, Le Philosophe, Cocotte, and Lafayette. There’s the ones I haven’t gotten to yet, and might not, such as Brasserie Cognac East, Charlegmagne, and Little Prince. Have I missed any?
Then there’s today’s subject, Cantine Parisienne, in the Nolitan Hotelwhere Ellabess flopped. The restaurant has a separate entrance, and you never really feel like you’re in a hotel.
The menu is overtly French, but the décor is all downtown New York. Picture windows on two sides look out on Kenmare Street, where shops, bars, and clubs are sprouting up like spring flowers. Unlike the last time I was here, the view is actually worth looking at.
The entrance is down a few steps. There’s a small lounge area, with bench seating and low stools. In the dining area, the tables and chairs are bare-bones. Around the room, there’s a few votive candles and a few bouquets, offsetting an austere slate grey ceiling and cement columns.
