Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery

Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery combines three visible parts of a French grand café: pastry, rotisserie and bistro cooking. The rotisserie counter sits at the entry, while the bakery runs daily into the evening. Andrew Carmellini, executive chef John Ramirez and pâtissier Scott Cioe lead the kitchen.

Different kitchens, one address

The current menu gives each part of the operation a clear role. Bakery baskets and viennoiserie cover a quick visit; steak tartare with gribiche and quail egg and skirt steak au poivre with cognac jus sit on the bistro side. The operator describes influences from Provence, Normandy and Mediterranean coasts. The restaurant serves breakfast, weekday lunch, weekend brunch and dinner.

The NoHo setting

The dining room, bakery and two private suites occupy a building designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh at Lafayette and Great Jones Streets. The kitchen format is the useful story: a guest can make a bakery stop or book a full bistro meal, with service and menu changing by time of day.