Chat Noir

After hearing about Chat Noir's recent menu change, by recent I mean last Thursday the night that I went, I just had to check it out. Bistro Chat Noir is owned by Suzanne Latapie who was the former manager of the famous La Goulue which used to be on Madison between 64th and 65th street. Taking her business of the "Gold Coast" (57th Street to 72nd Street on Madison Ave) Chat Noir looks to be a more intimate French Bistro and wants to "wow" you with its warm service and superb food rather than its scene and people watching. But don't get me wrong the scene at Chat Noir isn't too shabby either, its just not the sole thing they worry about like at other Madison Avenue restaurants like Le Bilboquet and Nello. The restaurant is located on 66th Street between Madison & 5th Avenue under the Rosario Acquista Salon. On a Thursday night at around 8 PM, Chat Noir was bustling with its regulars and Upper East Side residents. The restaurant does draw in celebrities here and there but it is mainly driven on its loyal clientele (kind of like Sette Mezzo, but with a lot more energy). The service is very cordial and helpful and doesn't forget about you like other restaurants in the area. But what is best about the atmosphere at Chat Noir is the owner Suzanne Latapie. Suzanne is full of energy and treats each customer as if they were a friend and makes sure you're taken care of throughout your entire meal. What ties Chat Noir all together is the fact that the food is excellent. The Ravioli du Royan is out of this world as an appetizer. The Ravioli is imported from France and is smaller than traditional ravioli resulting in a more tender and delicate pasta. In the words of Suzanne "Leave it to the French to make good Ravioli". The Ricotta, Comte, Gruyere cheese blend is perfect as none of the cheeses overpower one another and the sauce is smooth and creamy. To be quite honest this dish was better than the Tortelli dish I had at Le Cirque. For an entree I had the Pan Seared Duck Magret which is wonderful as well. The duck was moist and the skin was crisp and flavorful. The Chocolate Souffle for dessert was also great! Usually I can't eat desserts at French restaurants due to my allergy to nuts, but the waiter at Chat Noir understood the severity of my allergy and assured us there weren't any nuts in the dish. The souffle was rich and moist and the Creme Anglaise complemented the souffle perfectly! I truly enjoyed my experience at Chat Noir. The food was excellent from the first bite of the Ravioli to the last bite of the Souffle and its moderately priced for the area. The atmosphere has a nice energy but not to the point where it becomes pretentious and the service is fantastic. Its a great place to have lunch, dinner or even to have a quick dessert at the outside seating in the warm weather when in the Upper East Side!