Anyone picturing a casual cafe for a quick bite and relaxed conversation – a “small restaurant where simple fare and drinks are served,” as dictionaries define it – might be surprised stepping into La Mercerie without a reservation or a hefty budget. This Soho spot, located at La Mercerie Howard Street New York Ny, indeed suggests it celebrates the “thoughtful delights of everyday French cooking” on its website.
However, this particular cafe resides within the Roman and Williams Guild, a design store showcasing the artisanal tableware used in the restaurant. Price tags on the tables subtly hint at the cost; a single earthenware teacup and saucer is priced at $125. And that inviting ottoman just outside the dining area? It carries a $10,000 price tag.
This is hardly the place for a spontaneous coffee meeting with a colleague, especially with $32 white asparagus salads on the menu and limited seating for walk-ins after midday. There are no bar stools for casual counter service, and takeout is restricted to pastries and espresso. Booking a lunchtime table often requires a week’s advance notice. If this seems excessive for a place serving crepes and coffee, it arguably is. Yet, the demand is understandable: Marie-Aude Rose is the chef behind it all.
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She excels at making crepes. High-profile New York chefs rarely focus on this Parisian street food staple, nor do they typically serve tuna-fish sandwiches for dinner, as Rose does. The current wave of French cuisine in Manhattan manifests in various forms, from trendy small plate venues with natural wines to establishments specializing in haute-poultry and luxurious tasting menus. La Mercerie distinguishes itself – and stands out as one of the most compelling French dining experiences of the last decade – through its unique approach to reimagining classic, humble French cafe fare.
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A server presents a white plate covered with a craggy grey dome. This is the grilled buckwheat crepe, concealing a delicate mixture of chicken, carrots (for sweetness), cream (for richness), and tarragon (for fragrance). The earthy, dosa-like crepe is used to scoop up the flavorful filling. It transcends the typical portable crepe, possessing the refinement to be served in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Consider also a simple soft-boiled egg. Rose elevates it by placing it on a bed of cauliflower-tofu puree, sprinkling it with breadcrumbs, and garnishing it with Parmesan wisps. The flavors are strikingly clear – the vegetal brightness of the cauliflower, the richness of the yolk, the umami depth of the cheese – prompting one to wonder why such dishes aren’t found at Joël Robuchon’s establishments. Rose offers this masterpiece for $15.
La Mercerie isn’t truly an everyday cafe; it’s more akin to an upper-class fantasy envisioned by Nancy Meyers. Picture plush aqua mohair banquettes, $6 croissants (compared to Balthazar’s $3.75), rustic linen napkins (sets of four for $105), and an in-house florist selling elegant myrtle topiaries.
Despite these extravagant touches, it marks an impressive debut for Rose. She is a Parisian chef with experience in the kitchens of Guy Savoy and Pierre Gagnaire, globally acclaimed figures in haute gastronomy, as well as Daniel Rose, the Chicago-born chef known for his refined yet approachable fine dining at Spring. Daniel initially hired Marie as Spring’s first cook. They later married and relocated to New York in 2016 so Daniel could launch Le Coucou, a magnificent (and pricey) homage to grand French dining rooms of the past.
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La Mercerie, situated a few blocks from Le Coucou and operated by the same owner, Stephen Starr, is intentionally more affordable and casual, yet maintains the same level of culinary skill and attention to detail. It likely boasts the most extensive butter selection of any non-tasting-menu restaurant in New York.
Vanilla-infused butter sticks accompany Cantabric anchovies, providing a subtly sweet contrast to the salty fish. Sourdough slices are served with a lemon butter as fragrant as sorbet, or a buckwheat butter reminiscent of autumnal bonfires. The highlight, however, is the combination of icy Kushi oysters with pats of seaweed butter. The oyster offers a refreshing cucumber-like taste, while the nori-infused butter, spread on rye crackers, amplifies the umami with a powerful burst of brine.
For those following all-day dining trends, note that you won’t find grain bowls, chia puddings, or custom-blend burgers here. Mornings feature flaky ham and cheese croissants, rich with the aroma of dairy, a testament to the buttery laminated dough and the intense 18-month aged Comté cheese. Afternoons offer a rare filet mignon in cognac sauce, paired with tangy blue cheese pommes dauphine. And on a hot summer evening, the salad Nicoise, with slow-cooked tuna, green beans, and olives in a pungent anchovy vinaigrette, is the perfect choice, almost demanding a glass of Champagne.
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If your table isn’t ready, hosts might suggest exploring the Roman and Williams Guild, where you can admire a soft reindeer pelt draped over a custom couch ($16,000) or contemplate the angles of a cubist chair seemingly from the set of Beetlejuice ($30,000). Combining restaurants and retail isn’t new; Bloomingdales, ABC Home, and other department stores have long incorporated dining options. The rationale is straightforward, similar to a Vegas casino buffet: to encourage customers to stay longer and spend more.
However, at La Mercerie, where the prices of goods are beyond reach for many, the restaurant takes on the feel of an aspirational advertisement, a glimpse into a fictional millionaire’s lifestyle. This raises the question of whether Starr, a highly successful restaurateur, could have found a larger venue for Rose’s exceptional cuisine, rather than situating her cafe within a store where a sofa costs more than a Ford Fiesta.
It would be beneficial if more people could experience Rose’s remarkable boeuf bourguignon, a glistening red-wine braise served over buttered penne, or her outstanding roast chicken, deboned with skin as crisp as mille-feuille layers. Just as the salty richness of the chicken begins to overwhelm, an unexpected element balances it: garlic-ginger nougatine, sugary discs of allium that Rose should sell separately as candy.
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One final observation: While New York is currently experiencing a pastry renaissance, La Mercerie’s offerings can be inconsistent. The torteau fromager, a French goat cheese cheesecake, tasted like a dry pound cake on a recent visit. Profiteroles, pastry puffs filled with ice cream, were bland and quickly became stiff. Ananas and kirsch – pineapple slices in cherry brandy – resembled basic supermarket fruit with a generic spirit.
However, Rose’s orange-flower-water-infused brioche might be a standout sweet of our time. In the mornings, a generous slice is cut into batons and served in a bowl of crème anglaise. Diners nibble and dunk, letting the eggy sauce enrich the incredibly decadent bread. It is an aromatically indulgent experience unmatched in most cafes, making it a perfect fit for this whimsical, flawed, and beautiful daydream of a place.
La Mercerie
53 Howard Street, Manhattan, NY 10013 (212) 852-9097 Visit Website
