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Move over, midtown steakhouse martinis—downtown has officially entered its tableside era. Chateau Royale, a sumptuous new French restaurant from the team behind Libertine, opens today, July 29, inside a beautifully restored carriage house on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village.
The brainchild of restaurateurs Cody Pruitt and Jacob Cohen, Chateau Royale is a cinematic, two-level throwback to the heyday of French dining in New York, channeling mid-century opulence upstairs and moody downtown cool below. Think escargots in brioche, Chartreuse-laced molten chocolate cake and duck à l’orange with a ménage-à-orange of blood orange, bergamot and calamansi, served under a skylight, no less.
Upstairs, the white-linen dining room offers a full-on revival of forgotten French classics. Executive chef Brian Young (formerly chef de cuisine at Le Bernardin) brings serious pedigree and a few nostalgic flourishes to the menu, like Beggar’s Purses filled with ossetra caviar, or a Dover sole with mustard hollandaise in homage to beloved shuttered bistro La Grenouille.
But the real table theater is liquid: All cocktails—including the signature Martini Au Chateau, made with house-blended dry vermouth and “toute les olives” brine—are poured from chilled crystal decanters via brass-and-mahogany bar cart. (Good luck going back to shaker tins after this.)
Downstairs, the vibe gets looser. The bar room channels Parisian haunts like Harry’s New York Bar, offering reimagined cocktails like a Bee’s Knees milk punch and a Kir Royale upgraded with raspberry eau-de-vie. A cheeky “chien chaud” hot dog—dressed with summer truffle aioli and crispy artichoke—shares menu space with a Wagyu burger and steak frites.
The 175-bottle wine list is all French, naturally, with Burgundy in the lead and a few rare vintages tucked away for those in the know. Design-wise, Pruitt’s eye for drama shows up in every detail, from oxblood booths and red marble downstairs to sculptural suede banquettes upstairs. Even the lighting was done by L’Observatoire International (yes, that Frick Museum lighting team).
Reservations are now open via Resy, with dinner service nightly from 5pm and cocktails flowing until midnight. Just don’t be surprised if you leave plotting your next tableside martini fix.