O’resh and the Corner Store are getting a new sibling in the Big Apple this week.
Catch Hospitality Group is adding a new restaurant into its empire, marking the fourth standalone opening from the company in two years. Hopping onto the scene in the West Village on Wednesday, Cafe Charmant will be offering up a classic French brasserie with a bit of coastal flair—think the sun-drenched French Riviera—and Robb Report got an exclusive first look inside the space.
The restaurant leans into that Côte d’Azur feel for its design. Rockwell Group gave the classic French bistro a modern upgrade, making it feel right at home in New York City. Deep navy tones are paired with dark woods and leather (a nod to the spot’s sea roots) throughout the space, whether it be along the banquette or free-standing tables, with lime-washed walls as the backdrop. And underneath the swirling gilded ceiling lies a bar draped in red, with moody, golden lighting that continues throughout the space via small lamps dotting each table.
Inside Cafe Charmant.
Emily Andrews
The 70-seat spot will be led by executive chef Jake Tyler Brodsky, an Eleven Madison Park alum. For Cafe Charmant, he’ll tap into that fine-dining training, while also channeling his stretch in the kitchen at the paradisal five-star Palm Heights hotel on Grand Cayman. The result will be a menu that draws from both seaside and brasserie sensibilities, including French bistro staples like spicy moules gratin and steak frites joined by wild shrimp carpaccio, king crab croque, curry duck pastel, and razor clam pasta.
Dining surrounded in blue light, a nod to the nautical inspirations of the new restaurant.
Emily Andrews
“Cafe Charmant is our sun-kissed interpretation of the classic French brasserie,” the chef said in a press statement. “My time in the Cayman Islands shifted my perspective on food and taught me to look at ingredients and different culinary cultures in new ways. At Cafe Charmant, I wanted to bring that sense of discovery to French cooking by creating dishes with unexpected bites and flavors that tell a story. The goal is a restaurant that feels effortless and transportive while still feeling right at home in downtown New York.”
The drink menu, meanwhile, will be dreamed up by beverage director Lucas Robinson, who also crafted the menus at O’resh, the Corner Store, and the Eighty Six. Just as at those hot spots, each cocktail at Cafe Charmant will be made from in-house ingredients. The bar team will also lean on culinary techniques like sous vide and fat washing; expect a Provencal Dirty Martini and a Cucumber Sour. As for wine, the list has been selected by wine director Emily Buse.
Cafe Charmant opens its doors this week.
Emily Andrews
And you can check it all out for yourself at 340 Bleecker Street. If the popularity of its sister spots is any indication, Catch may just have another hit on its hands.
