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Walking up to Hotel Chelsea, I accidentally stumbled upon rows upon rows of shiny chrome taxis, part of an immersive pop-up put on by Prada. Fitting for a landmark that was once the place to be—and still is.
Erected in 1884, the Hotel Chelsea of yore served as an artist's co-op, welcoming the likes of Mark Twain and Isadora Duncan in its early days. And even though it fell into seedy disarray by the 1950s, growing artists still flocked to its doors, with Bob Dylan, Jackson Pollock and Patti Smith among the many who hung their hats. The hotel closed in 2011 and lay in limbo during the change of hands. A massive $30 million renovation later, Hotel Chelsea reopened in 2022 as a luxury hotel. Completing the rebirth is Café Chelsea.
Run by the Sunday Hospitality team, the bistro is one of the city's swankiest, as members of the hotel jostle to get inside the art-deco dining room just as much as the New Yorkers who live here. And once they do, they can find a lineup of French classics, including omelets and steak frites, peppered with a few updates, such as the excellent maitake au poivre.
The vibe: Café Chelsea is as stunning as they come. Each of its three rooms, the bar and the petite and grand café sections, are defined by Parisian tiled floors, golden scalloped scones and a skylight framed with greenery. Chatter bounces easily off its mirrored halls, making for a bit of a louder dine if that matters to you. But if you can catch a conversation, don't be surprised if the past makes its way to the present, as diners freely talk about the residents (and ghosts) who once were.
The food: Yes, the house favorite, the ravioles du dauphiné, deserves the title, as dimpled ravioli pockets are plump with soft comté cheese bathed in a silky, butter-yellow sauce. It is good and delicate, but there is much more that deserves praise here, from the paprika-dusted beef tartare infused with just enough horseradish and herbs to give it some lift and a trio of goat cheese croquettes that sit in an ambered honey, infused with sage whose combo is oh so decadent. The golden-brown thighs and legs of the half-chicken are good enough to split, and you should, so you can make room for the maitake au poivre, whose charred, meaty ends soak up the ruddy peppercorn sauce underneath.
The drinks: There are riffs off of the classic cocktails here, such as the French martini with gin, pineapple and cassis and the floral and citrusy Christo's martini with splashes of Empirical Spirits and Lillet. Naturally, there is a plentiful wine list, heavy on French selections and natural selections.
Time Out tip: As shiny and new as Café Chelsea is, the team behind Sunday Hospitality wanted to give the bistro a sense of familiarity. And so the inside houses a collection of portraits, tucked into corners and suspended from the ceiling on chains, all by artists who once called the building home.