Jody Williams is a self-taught, James Beard Award-winning American chef and television personality. She is known for her successful New York City restaurants and her culinary partnership with fellow chef Rita Sodi.
Buvette is a charming French-inspired gastroteque, part bar, part restaurant, and part cafe, located in the West Village. It's known for its cozy, old-world Parisian ambiance and serves food and drinks from morning to late evening. The restaurant is popular and often experiences long wait times due to its no-reservation policy.
Customers generally praise Buvette for its 'fresh and French' vibe, cozy atmosphere, and delicious cocktails. The food is often described as good, sometimes excellent, but portions are noted to be small and prices on the higher side. Service can be mixed, with some experiences highlighting accommodating hosts and others mentioning impatient waiters. Expect significant waits, especially during peak brunch and lunch hours, as reservations are not taken. The space is compact and can be noisy.
Additional Details
Buvette has an international presence with locations in London, Tokyo, and Seoul, in addition to its New York City outpost. The restaurant has also released a cookbook.
Expect long lines, especially during popular brunch times (e.g., Sunday noon) and lunch. Visiting during early mornings or later evenings might offer shorter wait times.
Awards & Recognition
The Absolute Best Manhattan in New York - Grub Street • June 2016
3
Food was good but not excellent, don’t get your expectations too high.
I got the salmon fume, the scrambled eggs were really good but the portion was too small - just a little piece of bread and salmon - not worth the price at all.
The other dish I got was the Croque Forestier, and here I could taste the real French vibes that I was expecting - very flavorful and well cooked, i definitely recommend it.
What is bringing down the overall judgement is the very long line that shows how this place is very well marketed and in fact was not that good as the expectation are.
Service was ok, quick and efficient - but again, nothing exceptional.
Super cute restaurant in the West Village. Very small, tight and packed! At least on a Sunday at noon. If you are looking for a menu that has a lot to offer, this is not it. But what they do offer is delicious. Small servings. I ordered the coques madame and my son got the waffle “sandwich” and we were still hungry afterwards, so we split the avocado toast. Be advised- 3 dishes, 1 Americano coffee and 2 ginger sodas was $99 without tip. I still recommend it, but be prepared to spend about $40-50 a person
I don't live in NYC, but I try to eat as well as possible when I'm in town. Buvette has been on my list forever, and I finally left myself enough time to come wait in line. In a party of two, I'd say we waited around 30 minutes. I don't know if it's normal, but parties of three seemed to go in sooner. Maybe it's the "visitor" mentally, but there was a certain magic to lining up on the sidewalk with a bunch of other patrons, watching all the different NYC people walking by. I got lots of outfit inspiration while waiting!!
Getting your table feels kind of like winning the lottery. They asked if we'd be willing to sit at the bar, and we said OF COURSE!! We got a front row seat to all the pastries and steam wands.
The service was amazing, every single thing we ordered was delicious (cocktails, coffee, appetizers, savory, sweet), and the vibe was so fresh and French. Listen, I'm tearing up just thinking about it.
Wait in line. Enjoy your petitel déjeuner. It's worth it.
We were meeting some friends for lunch at soho. They recommended this place. You can’t make a reservation so some waiting is inevitable.
Our host was so great. She was super accommodating and patient. We were waiting outside for our party to arrive. She made a table available to us to sit down and wait inside.
However our issue with the service started here. Our waiter, who was a different person than our host was completely opposite. He wanted us to order as soon as we sat down so we can eat and go. I had to explain to him more than once our party hadn’t arrived yet. The guy rolled his eyes on my apologies.
Once everyone was finally here they same guy was super annoyed at our request to go over what we ordered. We did this because there was some back and forth white we were ordering. We didn’t want to make a mistake. Oh well I guess he didn’t feel that was necessary.
The food was fine. It’s some standard “French” fare. It was quite tasty but nothing to write home about tbh.
I would recommend this place for its location the food quality and our interaction with our host. But! Be aware you might end up with a waiter that lacks patience.
The atmosphere is cozy. But since the place is pretty compact noise level could be an issue if you are looking for a quieter place. So be aware.
Nice spot in the West Village, located in a really beautiful neighborhood. We stopped by after seeing it recommended online for brunch. The atmosphere is pleasant and it’s easy to see why it’s popular on Instagram.
The food was okay—not particularly memorable. Prices are a bit on the higher side, but the cocktails were good.
