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Chez Josephine, New York, NY

Chez Josephine

4.6
4.6
7572 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

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2 people
23:00
Booked 54 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for live music
The last of its kind near 42nd Street, Chez Josephine is a neighborhood gem founded in 1986 by Jean-Claude Baker as a tribute to legendary Josephine Baker. This Parisian bistro offers live piano music and a tantalizing menu in an intimate setting of red velvet walls, a cavalcade of chandeliers and a blue-tin ceiling. Guests receive a warm welcoming and are treated as family whether coming before a show, after the show, for a leisurely dinner in-between, or a drink at the zinc bar.

Chez Josephine draws a crowd unlike any other in New York as food critic Bryan Miller noted when he wrote: “The dining room is a confluence of the famous and the fashionable, the infamous and unsung – with every shade of skin on earth – and indeed you feel the magic of Chez Josephine.”

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 3:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Phone number
    (212) 594-1925
  • Website
    http://chezjosephinenyc.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Frank Diaz
  • Private party facilities
    Main dining room, on the ground floor, can be rented and seats 70 guests. Our Jungle Room, also on the ground floor, seats 20 guests. Our Salon Marrakech, on the second floor, seats 30 guests.
  • Location
    414 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
  • Area
    Theater District
  • Cross Street
    Between 9th and Dyer/10th Aves.
  • Parking details
    Manhattan Plaza, 42nd Street and Dyer Avenue (between 9th and 10th Avenues),
  • Public transit
    1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R trains to Times Square-42nd Street, and A, C & E trains to Port Authority-42nd Street.
  • Entertainment
    Live piano music nightly and at Sunday Brunch.
  • Additional
    Patio/Outdoor Dining

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 7,572 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Chez Josephine captures the essence of a "very New York" dining experience with its flamboyant decor, live piano music, and attentive staff. Known for its excellent French cuisine, the restaurant offers a cozy ambiance perfect for pre-theater meals. While some guests note varying service experiences, many return for the "magical" atmosphere and quality food.

7,572 Reviews

  1. Gerardo Alan

    Baja California

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    There was not something that can convince me to try again. For me it doesn’t worth it.

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  2. george

    VIP

    New York City

    36 reviews

    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delightful dinner with my son, daughter, my partner and her sister to visit an old school restaurant that we all had old memories of. Ages from 46 to 91.

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  3. Mark

    New York City

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a lovely, cozy French style restaurant providing an excellent experience depending on your expectations. The French onion soup and lobster bisque were excellent, heavy and rich in the French style. We'd hoped for a special Christmas day menu, which I should have researched in advance. Arriving at 3PM, there was a pianist playing live lounge jazz, later on 2 children dining at a table each performed a song. The specialty cocktails are nice, but to keep them under $20, the martini glasses are quite small. The Blue Dreams had a beautiful artisan drizzle. The Duck à l'orange was a magnificent meal, with nice touches like crystalized sugar on the orange slices. Unfortunately, the restaurant received some very poor quality cuts of beef and the Black Angus filet mignon, while cooked to perfection was very fatty and sinewy, very difficult to cut and inedible. Same with the second. The pomme frites were also delicious but we had to send the order back twice. We'd hoped the waiter might have sent the manager over, however he did remove the order from the bill, even having eaten a few bites. A 22% gratuity was automatically added for Christmas, and the waiter was very kind to point that out. (But we forgot to increase the tip to cover what the cost would have been before they removed steak - apologies!) There were a few ornaments hung on the chandeliers but not much in the way of Christmas decorations, though the red velvet walls give a Christmas vibe throughout the year! Chez Josephine is narrow, adding to a classic 1920s feel, with the restrooms upstairs - another lovely touch is the branded hand towels. But something to be aware of for those who have difficulty with stairs. For tourists not familiar with French cuisine, it is important to understand the menu and how the cuisine is prepared with robust flavors.and thick creams, very differently from a typical chain restaurant. Obvious to many, but to my Midwestern mom, it was a bit fancier than she liked.

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  4. Luis

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Service a little bit confused, they should be able to take orders and also serve it

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  5. Silas

    Baltimore

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I get to NYC usually twice a year. Chez Josephine is ALWAYS part of the trip. Love it on Christmas Eve. For me, the food, service, and atmosphere are always like going to another time. Such fun. A special tip of my hat to the hostess. Watching her manage that crowd was amazing. SHE WAS ON FIRE!!! Viva Chez Josephine.

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  6. George

    Miami

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice restaurant.Bit expensive.But great ambience.chicken was lovely!

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  7. karine

    New York City

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Pâtes bolognaise poivrees immangeables.. frites surgelés..et tips de 50 dollars sans nous demander notre avis..

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  8. James

    VIP

    Raleigh

    22 reviews

    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Terrific bistro. I had the lentil soup special and spaghetti bolognese. Nice wines, excellent service, singer on piano, beautiful atmosphere!

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  9. Michael

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Perfect. Great ambiance. Great music. Great food. Great service. It will meet and exceed your expectations.

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  10. William

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incroyable endroit, de la part de français c’est absolument fantastique !

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FAQs

Chez Josephine offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 594-1925.

Chez Josephine is rated 4.6 stars by 7572 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
23:00
Booked 54 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Chez Josephine

414 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Between 9th and Dyer/10th Aves.
  • Area
    Theater District
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 3:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Manhattan Plaza, 42nd Street and Dyer Avenue (between 9th and 10th Avenues),
  • Public transit
    1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R trains to Times Square-42nd Street, and A, C & E trains to Port Authority-42nd Street.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Frank Diaz
  • Entertainment
    Live piano music nightly and at Sunday Brunch.
  • Additional
    Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Website
    http://chezjosephinenyc.com/
  • Phone number
    (212) 594-1925
  • Private party facilities
    Main dining room, on the ground floor, can be rented and seats 70 guests. Our Jungle Room, also on the ground floor, seats 20 guests. Our Salon Marrakech, on the second floor, seats 30 guests.
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