Madison Bistro

238 Madison Ave
This quiet and quaint bistro evokes those neighborhood haunts that make Paris the cuisine scene that it is. Far from the glam and glitter that marks so many eateries in this town, Madison Bistro evokes Parisian culinary tradition, comfort food and th... more
This quiet and quaint bistro evokes those neighborhood haunts that make Paris the cuisine scene that it is. Far from the glam and glitter that marks so many eateries in this town, Madison Bistro evokes Parisian culinary tradition, comfort food and the joy of sitting down to a fine glass of wine and a bite to eat. Enter a room that feels as if it has been suspended in time, the kind of place writers and artists would frequent for a drink and a little conversation. A few tiny tables inhabit the front window area, just in front of the bar, where most of the action takes place. Here, Happy Hour features $5 cocktails and peek at the dining room on the lower, split level. The menu is inspired by traditional French plates, such as foie gras and charcuterie) with Mediterranean touches (taboule and grilled sardines). Try the sliced tomatoes with red wine reduction sauce and basil sorbet, or the grilled asparagus with sliced parmesan. The best items are those that appeal to the comfort-food lover, such as the rack of lamb, the braised short ribs, the bouillabaisse and the steak tartar. Desserts are not are as exciting as they could be. Better quality chocolate might help. The service is just... more

This quiet and quaint bistro evokes those neighborhood haunts that make Paris the cuisine scene that it is. Far from the glam and glitter that marks so many eateries in this town, Madison Bistro evokes Parisian culinary tradition, comfort food and the joy of sitting down to a fine glass of wine and a bite to eat.

Enter a room that feels as if it has been suspended in time, the kind of place writers and artists would frequent for a drink and a little conversation. A few tiny tables inhabit the front window area, just in front of the bar, where most of the action takes place. Here, Happy Hour features $5 cocktails and peek at the dining room on the lower, split level.

The menu is inspired by traditional French plates, such as foie gras and charcuterie) with Mediterranean touches (taboule and grilled sardines). Try the sliced tomatoes with red wine reduction sauce and basil sorbet, or the grilled asparagus with sliced parmesan. The best items are those that appeal to the comfort-food lover, such as the rack of lamb, the braised short ribs, the bouillabaisse and the steak tartar. Desserts are not are as exciting as they could be. Better quality chocolate might help.

The service is just what it needs to be for the place that it is; the staff do no aspire to be 3-star attentive. The best thing is that they let you talk and enjoy your meal without interrupting you to ask if you want more Pelligrino or other such thing. In short, you almost feel as though you are in your own home or among friends.


Drag the street view to look around 360°.
Use the arrow buttons to navigate down the street and around the neighborhood!

Murray Hill Description

Madison Bistro is located in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. Murray Hill, along with Turtle Bay and Kips Bay, lies in the vast stretch of Manhattan's East Side, between the rabble and riot of Alphabet City and the East Village and the luxuriant old money of the Upper East Side. Sedate and low-key, the neighborhood is largely home to modern residences and, middling rents, and a mash-up of long-time locals and the recently graduated, MBA set, who gladly trade in hipness points for being able to say they can afford to live in Manhattan. That is, until the Second Avenue subway opens up and Murray Hill joins the rest of the island's rent brackets. What is essentially Midtown East East stretches from Fifth Avenue to the East River (some say Third Avenue, but what do they know), and from 40th Street to 34th Street. It is bounded by Turtle Bay to the north, Kips Bay to the south, and Midtown to the west. With Grand Central Station at its northwestern corner and the Queens Midtown Tunnel on the east, pedestrian and traffic congestion in the neighborhood is high, especially when the United Nations in session, causing a never-ending headache for residents who cherish the ever-shrinking calm of its quieter streets. Two of New York City's most iconic pieces of architecture stand at the corner of the neighborhood— Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building, both of which are fine examples of Beaux Arts and Art Deco, respectively. Grand Central, while not a part of the storied and gorgeous trail of Pennsylvania Railroad stations—that would be Penn Station's sole claim in NYC—is still one of the most impressive railroad terminuses in America, and rivals even some of the best stations in the world. Its gleaming brass clock, the exquisite staircases, and the unique celestial ceiling, with its light bluish-green background filled with well-known constellations dotted by tiny lights. Restored in recent years, the cavernous main hall is bathed in natural light during the day, and pulsates with activity day and night, thanks not least to its three busy restaurants: Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, Metrazur, and the famous Grand Central Oyster Bar. The gorgeous Chrysler Building gleams nearby, and while the building isn't open to tourists, its staggeringly beautiful Art Deco lobby, with murals celebrating transportation themes, is definitely one of New York’s finest. Meanwhile, the Morgan Library & Museum presents diverse cultural offerings and is home to a dazzling collection of rare books, all housed in an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo that reflects the nature and stature of its contents. Murray Hill is also home to various educational and cultural institutions such as the CUNY Graduate Center, Stern College for Women and the Oxford University Press. Other notable establishments include the Mexican Cultural Institute and the Scandinavia House, which is dedicated to the education and preservation of Nordic culture. There are also plenty of dining options on the Hill. If you're craving Mexican, try Baby Bo's Cantina on 2nd Avenue, or perhaps a pricier Italian meal at venerable neighborhood institution Rossini's, or go full-on Mediterranean at Salute. Murray Hill also counts the original The Palm among its favorite eateries, a casual elegant restaurant that has remained in its place since 1926, long before their brand branched out into other parts of Manhattan and, eventually, from coast-to-coast. The walls are adorned with caricatures of nationally and locally famous figures, and generations have been coming back to taste the incredible hash browns or to order a three-pound jumbo lobster, not to mention the steaks that made the Palm famous in the first place! Murray Hill is a great neighborhood to stay in while you're visiting New York—it's close to many major attractions, but still out of the way enough that it makes for an easy and quick escape from the hectic pace of Midtown—and the hotel offerings in the area mirror that fact. The all-suite Affinia Dumont is among the more spacious and elegant options, while the Park South Hotel is a more moderately priced option that's still rife with style.

There are no events taking place on this date.

Info

238 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10016
(212) 447-1919
Website

Editorial Rating

Category

French

Price

$$$$$

Ambience

Business Casual

Payment

All Major

This Week's Hours

LUNCH & DINNER
Mon-Thu: 11:45am-10:30pm
Friday: 11:45am-11:00pm
Saturday: 4:30pm-11:00pm
Sunday: 4:30pm-10:00pm

Nearby Subway

  • to 42nd St/Grand Central
  • to 42nd St/Grand Central
  • to 33rd St -- 0.3

Featured On

Other French Restaurants

Cafe Paulette

French cafe in Fort Greene, with some seriously Parisian decor, and a menu of Ga... view

Claudette

Rosemary proprietor Carlos Suarez and Mark Barak bring Provençal cuisine to the ... view

Tessa

Southern Italian and French cuisine blended together to form one unified whole i... view

Paris Sandwich

A forerunner in the now-heated Vietnamese sandwich wars, Paris Sandwich offers d... view

 

Le Coucou

2017 James Beard Award winner: Best New Restaurant Chef Daniel Rose of the highl... view

Casimer & Co

Stephanie Laurent stacks a French eatery on top of a ground-floor bar, wrapped u... view

Cafe Triskelll

Simple bistro fare in a perfect cafe setting that attracts Francophiles and the ... view

Le Coq Rico

The Bistro of Beautiful Birds from renowned chef Antoine Westerman. Focus here i... view