[title]
If you’ve ever doubted the merit of a Michelin nod, Greenwich Village’s newly opened Le Sixth will change your mind. Chef Philippe Orrico is at the helm of the reimagined French bistro, which first swung open its doors in June. Orrico has fine-tuned his culinary prowess in kitchens all over the world—Paris, Hong Kong, London—and has collected four Michelin stars in the last 20 years along the way.
RECOMMENDED: The 45 best restaurants in NYC
His current concept? Old-school bistro dishes with fine-dining plating, top-tier ingredients, and internationally inspired creativity. The resto gives laid-back-yet-sophisticated bistro vibes with its creamy taupe walls, dusky wooden furniture, golden-hour lighting, and earthy accents. Plenty of light pours in from the front windows overlooking Sixth Avenue, while candles keep the energy going after dark.
The crown jewel of the resto is no doubt the open kitchen, which is staffed with warm, welcoming cooks who are happy to let you peer in as they work their magic. The servers are equally as attentive and kind, not to mention knowledgeable. (Ours was a charming French native with scarlet lipstick who was happy to steer our orders in the right direction between jokes.)
If you’re going to Le Sixth for a quick drink, consider the 10-seat bar. Cocktails like the French Martini Number Two, which infuses the blackberry-kissed original with tart yuzu and spiced aromatics, or the Café Negroni, which substitutes usual gin with cognac, will have you feeling like a Francophile at first sip. The bar also offers several white, red, sweet, and sparkling wines, and the selection is overwhelmingly French. Beers, mocktails, and espresso drinks await in the wings.
If it’s dinner you seek, nestle into a cozy booth in the 45-seat dining room, which feels spacious, yet moody and intimate all at once. Served to us in the dog days of summer, the meal started remarkably light and refreshing, despite France’s reputation for rich, indulgent dishes (that said, our impending mains balanced the scale). We started with a delightfully vegetal gazpacho, which had tender bits of watermelon bobbing in its oil-kissed tomato base.
Next was fatty tuna in a deeply nutty soy broth. Serrano cut through the impeccable richness of the melt-in-your-mouth fish with a touch of earthy heat. The octopus would be a triumph for anyone who’s ever had the dish overcooked; it had a tender, meaty texture akin to steak or pork chops, plus a picturesque char and a stunningly clean red pepper sauce beneath.
My favorite appetizers were no doubt the reimagined classics. The beef tartare came served in buttery, wonton-like cones instead of on a plate crowned with quail eggs, as many likely expect. The ravioles de Royan were undeniably French despite their Italian roots, thanks to a milky, complex Comté butter sauce.
The crème brûlée foie gras stole the show with its heavenly, silky consistency—think whipped and cloud-like, but still rich and custardy—with the aroma of caramel and burnt sugar. It was deeply flavorful and inexplicably clean-tasting, a far cry from liver dishes I’d had in the past. The fennel salad, teeming with fresh dill and a simple, borderline-emulsified olive oil dressing, was the ultimate palate cleanser before the main event.
If you’re a steak frites kind of person, it won’t disappoint. The potatoes were halfway between crispy and soggy, while the meat was impressively charred and salted, yet still yielding and buttery in the center. The highlight was the sauce Champs-Élysées, boozy and bittersweet with cognac and grapefruit rind. The Atlantic sole topped with brown butter, citrus, and capers was equal parts nutty, indulgent, and briny. The mashed potatoes were shockingly sturdy; a friend of mine who’s lived in Paris likened them to aligot, despite being cheese-less.
As enticing as these mains are, don’t sleep on the risotto. Dappled with toothsome escargot that have a mushroom-like texture and umami-rich taste, the risotto had a lusciously soft, creamy body, thanks to mascarpone cheese. The bacon and Parmigiano delivered savory, salty high notes to boot.
We were sure to leave room for dessert. Fruit lovers should consider the eggy crêpes Suzette drenched in orange syrup, or the intensely vanilla-forward crème caramel with blueberry compote. But above all, I recommend the malty chocolate soufflé. An ephemeral masterpiece, it quite literally dissolves on your tongue (alongside vanilla ice cream, if you know what’s good for you) into a milky cloud of what feels like glittery, micro-grit sugar and cocoa. Dig in swiftly—it’ll start to deflate before your eyes.
Le Sixth is open for dinner Tuesday through Thursday from 5-9:30pm and Friday to Saturday from 5-10pm. It’s also open for brunch from 11am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. While you may be able to score a seat as a walk-in, you can make a reservation online in advance.