By Delia Paunescu
The idea of a French restaurant brings to mind images of menacing waiters in expensive jackets with thick accents serving snooty food. And while these restaurants certainly still exist in New York City, the good news for college students is that great French food is now also available without any of the negatives.
Les Deux Gamins is a restaurant that falls in the latter category. The space is not very big but distinctly francaise. Although in the heart of Greenwich Village, the space feels distinctly Parisian. The dark hardwood floors and plush leather banquettes are cozy enough to make you want to sit for hours, just drinking a coffee and reading the paper.
Two sides of the restaurant have windows that open onto the small sidewalk to allow a cool breeze while the large, stained mirror on the wall takes you back to the period when this area of Manhattan embraced the Beat movement.
Decide on more than coffee and a breeze and you luck out since the food is authentically French. Those snooty joints may have a name and some celebrities but Les Deux Gamins has the same amazing food at a price that won’t require years of debt.
Famous for delicious salads with all kinds of extravagant ingredients (lobster, salmon, grapefruit and various cheeses), any one of these will please the palate. Don’t be afraid of the French names since everything is described in English.
The steak-frites, a French name for steak with fries, comes cooked to exact order with the kind of delicious French fries only found in (gasp!) a French restaurant. The small mixed greens salad that also shares space on the plate is equally satisfying though often in need of extra dressing.
That won’t be too big of a problem since the wait-staff is very friendly, in normal street clothes (no sport coats found here) and usually prompt. The food does take a while but it is impeccably fresh and properly cooked. Feel free to have a glass of the overpriced wine while waiting. It will complete the ambiance and make this experience worthwhile.
And because of Les Deux Gamins’ laidback style, it is actually a favorite among the celebs that call this part of the island home. Overall, it’s all the value without the exorbitant price tag.