L'Antagoniste Reviews

An Amazing place with Amazing staff and wonderful french food Perfect bread cheese and plate an adorable waitress who gave us wonderful advice Thanks for make us travel to France Soraya and nael

We had a delicious meal here with authentic French style cuisine. I had roast duck and others in our group had mussels.

Very promising restaurant but it was not what we expected. Entree was good (charcuterie platter). For the main course we took the steak. But it was not worth the 45$. Meat was overcooked. At the check, they charged an extra tax and service fee of 69$ (25%) and still requested a tip. Not worth a Michelin recommendation…

This restaurant is a real find! The food is really well prepared and delicious, an the service and ambiance are great.

This felt like an adventure getting there, and the atmosphere was incredible. We had oysters, wine, duck, and fish, and it was all fantastic and classically prepared.

Ate here with 5 others. Looks like a residential brick building from outside but a charming restaurant once within. We had a table to right of door and as a result were somewhat separate from the rest of the establishment. Food was solid. Table had mussels in broth, salmon tartar and salads. Portion were generous and food was well prepared. I had the filet for dinner - delicious. The roast chicken came on a bed of greens and was strong the fish in filo dough looked only okay. They have a nice, expansive and somewhat optimistic wine list (thousand dollar bottles at a new restaurant deep in BK?). Place is romantic, gentle lighting. Pretty garden in back Rest room has some erotic wall paper. Place is a lil more expensive than you'd think and they put a service charge on our party of 6 which seemed a tad aggressive. But a very pleasant French spot.

Were here for Christmas--quite busy. Friendly staff, efficient. Some classics with specials for the holidays mixed in. my cauliflower mushroom soup was incredible, and daughter's duck lorange was fabulous (crispy skin and all), Bouche de noel was a happy ending. Great wine list, well priced for the city.

The food was sublime. I had the duck and it does not get any better. The service five star! Highly recommend

You must get the duck a l'orange. Changed my life. The whole atmosphere and setting is beautiful. We ate in the garden and had the most delicious and romantic dinner, cheese souffle, foie gras, duck, and filet mignon. I just about keeled over after the lemon tart. We came back for brunch the next morning and it was just as good. Can't recommend enough the duck hash (I know, more duck) or the house made sausage in brioche. The french toast with passion fruit was amazing as well. Service is impeccable as well. An authentic taste of France on a corner in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn. Can't wait for my next visit!

We love this area ... And this restaurant is the pinnacle of the experience. The food is incredible.. From the steak, to the duck... The wine list is full, comprehensive and reasonably priced! We will be frequent customers of L'Antagoniste!

Absolutely delicious and wonderful experience, foodwise and service wise. This place could aspire toward one Michelin star. Maybe work a bit more on the wine selection and wine serving temperature.

French Neighborhood Restaurant L'Antagoniste is quite the Gem ! Superb ambiance and waiting-staff, an eccentric wine-list compliments an ever changing menu

The Good: The staff was very friendly. The Bad / Good: It wasn't particularly busy, and we waited 45mins to an hour for a starter. They acknowledged this (without us saying anything), with a free round of drinks. The Bad: The food just wasn't good. Oysters were fine, but steep for a dozen ( around $35 I think). Mussels were Ok, really nothing special. Now the mains... Cordon Bleu... Dry, dry, dry. It looked like a sad old shoe sole. I'm French, and the irony is that a "cordon bleu" is sometimes used to describe someone who is a fine cook. This was really mediocre. The medium-rare NY Strip was ... meh. It WAS medium-rare, and I suppose it comes down to the quality of the piece of meat. Fries are just as good or better at 5 Guys or Shake Shack. In this price range, you don't expect Michelin star food, but likewise, you don't expect canteen type food. The cordon Bleu was somewhere between $24 and $27 I believe. The NY Strip was over $35. What we were served was really not acceptable for that kind of money. I'd really love to support a local French place and spread the positive word, but this was lazy and passionless and... did I mention overpriced? Some friends of mine were equally recently disappointed with the food quality. I won't return until I heard from someone that their game has been upped. An extensive and expensive wine list is no proof of a good restaurant. I'm sure you guys can do better.

We made a reservation for 5 people on December 25th as they offered a special Christmas prix fixe. When I made the reservation on the phone the receptionist even told me that I would be able to switch some of the items from the prix fixe as I am vegetarian. So yes there is a prix fixe. The reservation was made for 9pm. We got in and before even saying "hi" the owner was listing all the items that were out of stock (70 % of the prix fixe). Well, we decided to sit anyways as we expected them to replace this items with others. As the waitress came she gave us a menu that had nothing to do with the original prix fixe we were expecting, plus now about 80 % of the menu was out of stock. Great ! We asked the waitress about it, she seemed very sorry and it looked as if we were not the first ones complaining about that. The owner came to see us, as we asked, and offered to make some noodles with vegetables for me. Really ?? You don't have anything better to offer ? Are we at l'Antagoniste to eat noodles with vegetables on Christmas night ? We couldn't believe it ! Anyhow, we decided to leave since the customer service is unbelievably inappropriate, especially on Christmas day. We live 2 blocs away from this place and were so impatient to try it out. Finally, we have nothing to say about the quality of food as we didn't get a chance to eat (and noodles wouldn't have been satisfying) but a lot to reproach to the way they handled the situation. You didn't manage your stock of food, that's one thing but at least insure a customer service that will equal the reputation of the place. Felt disrespected, nothing better to offer than the leftovers ...

Lovely French restaurant in the Bed Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn. Had nice French Sauvignon blanc. Started with the cheese soufflé and delicious butternut squash, apple and pumpkin seed soup. Entree was the steak and frites with salad that melted in your mouth and cooked to perfection. Others in our party had the duck confit and salmon. All were pleased with their selections. We ended a delightful evening with the chocolate soufflé and ice cream. This is the only thing we would not get again. Not enough chocolate and not sweet at all. That may be the traditional French way to make it but just not to my liking. All in all, we all enjoyed this quaint and charming restaurant. Waitstaff was very slow. Could have checked on us a bit more often. Reservations are highly recommended.

Salade d'homard mixes brilliantly Maine lobster avocado and artichoke ! A great starter Then the rusty Parmentier is to die for . Finally the Vacherin glacé mixing hazelnut and raspberry will ravish you. Very charming French Bistrot with impeccable origins ingredients and a remarkably efficient and friendly staff. A creative , impeccable yet warm and unpretentious gem in New York. Go go go ! It is worth the trip Geoffroy

Delicious french food, beer and wine in a beautiful setting. I love the local beer and wine, I had the best white wine and oysters ever!! L’antagoniste is set in beautiful warm light and ambience, definitely a great date place! We ordered several dishes to taste and share. The salad with sorbet dressing was fresh with an awesome dressing, simply amazing! The duck was divine- tender, perfectly seasoned, delicious. The steak! Was amazing! Haunting my dreams! The oysters are a must try when available, also deserts are a must. With amazing food, the staff at L'antagoniste was warm, friendly, attentive and helpful!

Our family ate dinner at this cute French Bistro last night. The food and service were outstanding. We shared the fresh oysters with mignonette sauce, duck liver pate, salad nicoise, bone in pork chop, and the duck a l'orange. The prices were very reasonable for a party of five. We plan on visiting again on our next visit to NY.

What a gem. The food is amazing and the staff is friendly and knowledgable. It is hard to find a restaurant that combines great food, atmosphere and fais pricing in NY. This is a special place and I cannot wait to return.

Dinner was delicious and the waitstaff was great. Couldn't decide on a wine so the waiter let me try 3 before ordering. Food was cooked perfectly and the inside is very cozy. Would recommend for anyone in the area.

I live in Manhattan and decided to search off the beaten path in Brooklyn for something high quality in food and service yet understated. L'Antagoniste is the perfect hidden gem. Located in an up-and-coming neighborhood block in Bed-Stuy, it is outstanding and I can't wait to tell all of my friends about it. We were warmly welcomed in the restaurant space which has < 15 tables, making the atmosphere very cozy. This is outstanding French cooking, so prepare to be spoiled. My party of two started with scallops and poulty consomme. The consomme came with flaky pastry crust on top. There was fois gras included, which made it nicely rich. For entrees, one of us had the chicken (actually half a chicken) with an amazing gratin of potatoes. The other had lamb, which was cooked perfectly. The restaurant opened in March 2015 in the neighborhood and I hope it stays for a long time. Hopefully it will attract others like me to venture into the neighborhood beyond the locals who largely frequent today.

Had high hopes for this Michelin recommended gem in Bed Stuy. While the outdoor garden was ideal for brunch on a spring day, the food did not live up to the hype. The mussels were good, but not exceptional and my husband had the burger which was underwhelming (and a bit over priced). Service was attentive at first but tailed off as foot traffic picked up. Will give it a second chance, but not overly impressed at first visit.

Amadeus is the owner, an owner who really cares about his restaurant, the food he surprises you with and his sensible wine recommendations. The menu changes regularly, it may even be every day, and it is an exciting mix of ideas that actually work. Escargot with bone marrow, on the bone, was a delightful first course and straightforward Canard à l'orange, done exactly as requested, rare/pink worked well. Desserts were innovative and delightful too. Service was good, Camden was our waiter and he made every effort to make our evening a success, attentive but not at all intrusive, just as it should be.

This has to be considered a hidden gem, given that there is no sign outside to tell you that you are in the right place. Just walk in the red door and you will find a great little French restaurant. My husband, 16 year old daughter and I were there for Sunday brunch. The food was delicious and the options were different from traditional American fare. My omelet came with salad and yummy fries. My daughter got a french toast that was like a dessert, with passion fruit foam cookies and whipped cream. She loved it.

As we live in the neighborhood, we decided to give "L'Antagoniste" a try. The environment is pleasant - but a bit noisy. The menu is what can be described as 'French' - definitely no 'Haute Cuisine'! The appetizers are a bit at odds with the main-dishes, as many appetizers could also be served as main-dishes, as such the appetizers and main-dishes are not well balanced. I order an Escargot Soufflé - it's a bit of a complicated as a dish and the crust of the Soufflé, though light and crispy, doesn't really add anything to the Escargots - also as an appetizer this this is too large of a portion. Why not simply serve Escargots in the classic way? The Oysters are from Massachusetts - daily fresh the waiter says. The waiter doesn't seem to know a lot about the dishes he is serving and when asked about the dish of the day he has to go to the kitchen and find out. The main dish turns out is a Seatrout is pleasant, but nothing more than a properly cooked standard meal. The carrots "Confits Carrots'' are flavorful, but too salty - rolled in Sesame seeds - to make it look fancier but a completely unnecessary texture. Simplicity is the keyword here and that is what is missing, a clean, fragrant and simply cooked dish. Why complicate things? The wine-list is extensive, given the simple menu here I would say; 'far too extensive'. Many very pricey bottles and high-end wines would be out of place in combination with the simple cookery happening in this restaurant. The food is slightly better than average, but nothing special going on here.

We have been at the restaurant with friends. The owner - Amadeus - has created a culinary highlight with classic french dishes. Casual atmosphere, carefully decorated and offers with his amazing staff a truly fine cuisine. We will be back !

Beautiful place far from the center, but very good cuisine and reach and affordable wine list. We had steak, salmon and ousters accompanied with bottle of muscadet sevre et maine. Everything was delicious and fresh and wine was superb. We had wonderful evening.

The owner, Amadeus, was a pleasure to meet. He was engaging and attentive. We started of with escargot, oysters and the Cheese Soufflé. We add two bottles of Prosecco and the evening was off and running. The entrees was a delightful verity of lamb, salmon, duck and beef. Also the wine list was fantastic and very extensive. Great atmosphere and we will be back for more.

Stopped at this quaint spot for dinner with high hopes of a good meal. Unfortunately, overall, most of the items we sampled were quite disappointing. Muscles: While the liquid the muscles were sitting in was tasty- the muscles themselves were average at best. -Mediterranean Anchovies(fried): Served with a simple(almost flavorless) mayo, they were very fishy and unappealing. -Special Du Jour(ordered 2): A chicken dish was OK, ...but not memorable. -Hamburgers(ordered 2): OK, but not of the flavor one would hope/expect The fresh steamed vegetables we opted for(rather than fries), on the side, were good. Overall- our entrees' flavors could have been improved/enhanced if the chef just incorporated some more salt in the preparation. With that said, I realize many French chefs believe they have seasoned their dishes "perfectly": OK- .....but please provide salt (& pepper) shakers on the tables for the "salt-aholic" patrons. On a positive note- the restaurant's owner and our waiter couldn't have been friendlier and more welcoming.

It's French restaurant week in NYC. I was looking for something new to take my wife for our anniversary, enter L'antagoniste. I read about L'Antagoniste and I decided it sounds like a great place my Brooklyn-French Canadian wife would enjoy for our anniversary. We find parking right next to the restaurant. Walking in (Look for the red door) its a very country French looking space. To the right is about 7 seats next to an open kitchen along with a hidden table. To the left is a nice looking space with exposed brick walls and hip pictures. Our waitress says would you like to sit outside? I was about to say no but wife wife said sure! Once outside, it's a secret garden patio. What makes me laugh and my grandfather would crack up, this outdoor "area" was someones backyard 50 years ago! I can hear that conversation in my mind: Gramps, we're in Bed-Stuy because of the hipsters and they're taking over Brooklyn. Can you charge to let them eat in our alley?? Soon gramps soon. haha It's French restaurant week so there is a special price fixed menu. A glass of outrageous French wine, starter salad with Duck Confit and dessert. Wowza! The Duck confit? Classic French dish that was cooked spot on. Fall of the bone duck wth baby roasted vegetables, They were right to call this place one of the hottest restaurants for 2016. We finished our dinner and now comes dessert. There is a choice of ice cream or sorbet. The waiter is rattling off flavors but I latch onto caramel, hazelnut and pear sorbet. My wife jumps on the hazelnut and it was a toss up between the pear & caramel. The dessert comes out and my wife is stomping her feet. The hazelnut is soooooo good! I always order the wrong thing, dang! She let me taste it and its true. The hazelnut wasn't made from nutella, it was made with roasted hazelnuts. Amazing ending I'm assuming it was the owner, everyone came out and spoke with us. I told them we came out from Stony Brook for not only restaurant week but for our anniversary. Then they ripped up the check (kidding) From the friendly & knowledgable wait staff to the excellent meal we had at L'Antagoniste, and I highly recommend the Duck Confit!

Excellent food at the very edge of gentrification. This is not a great neighborhood but the restaurant is warm and cozy and the food is excellent. The wine list features a St Emilion for $35 and appears all great value. There were numerous specials the night we were there, all of them very good.

After a long hot day out in the city sightseeing .We decided to go out after 9pm to have some dinner in Brooklyn where we are staying. We located this little gem on Google Maps and can highly recommend this restaurant.Outstanding service and the most amazing food.The waiter Eduard had a broad knowledge of the wine list and the beers available as well as the food such a pleasure as the menu was titled in French with English descriptions. We had the steaks and the duck which was cooked to perfection. The deserts were out of this world . Five stars to this restaurant on Malcolm X in Brooklyn New York .

I was surprised the dining room was wide open and the courtyard in the back was empty, when I arrived. The restaurant is ahead of the neighborhood, but I am sure, with the re-gentrification of Brooklyn in full motion, one will have a problem getting a table here in a year. My daughter and I had the Duck Confit with brussel sprouts, and mine was great. My daughter wasn't sharing any of hers. My wife had the pork shop, which was a generous portion. I wasn't hungry, but I finished everything, it was delicious. My wife had the Foie Gras Torchon for an appetizer, her eyes rolled into the back of her head in ecstasy. My daughter had oyster. We washed it down with two bottles of Chateau Puy Blanquet, which drank very nicely and was only $35 a bottle. A wonderful Bourdeaux from St. Emillion. Our waitress Katelyn, was wonderful, friendly, informational in a laid back, cool, manner, and prompt. I will go back, even though it is out of the way for me. Oh, I forgot to say, this is a trendy, very nice restaurant, and for Brooklyn, quite roomy and modern.

Very nice menu of cut e;little french bistro near my son's place that has delightful staff and terrific food . Their easy to swallow prices make this an ideal place to go and they have no attitude as many others do. Loved it and will return.

All the reviews are correct. Perfect food, staff and wine. We had Christmas lunch there which is apparently not a local habit. Lucky us. People started to drtft in about 1330. A highlight of our NYC vault. Many thanks.

I came here with my father who does not live in New York, and he was really impressed with walking around the neighborhood and the meal we had at this restaurant. We both loved the food here and would definitely come back. I had a burger, and would recommend it. We sat out in the back patio area which was very nice. Great service, too.

I had an amazing night me and wife got a nice table outside in the backyard/garden service was really attentive and the best part was the food! Amazing the oysters then we had the branzino and the steak. Everything was spot on with wine coffee and dessert.. Price was really competitive for the amount of food we had, super recommend!!

I came here on the recommendation of a local friend, and boy was it worth the journey deep into Brooklyn. The duck parmentier brunch dish was really tasty and filling, and the mimosas we had were perfect. Service was really friendly and attentive, and the price was very good.

A fascinating little restaurant featuring a wall of "antagonists" and luckily a cheat sheet to find out who they are and what they did. We both ordered crispy skin salmon. It was sensational. I have never had the like. The skin was so thin and crispy it cut easily and tasted delicious. The fish itself was cooked perfectly and to our liking. The service was very friendly and attentive. I would happily eat here again.

Came here for dinner with a friend. Very charming restaurant with great decor lighting and music. The food and service were excellent. I would highly recommended this and would definitely return.

What a spectacular little gem. I went on recommendation from a friend who raves about the food. First I started with a serving of the BEST Foie Graz I think I’ve ever had. Simply divine, I followed up with an order of escargots (you simply cannot go to a French restaurant without ordering escargots right?). It was served very differently than any I’d had but wow what a great appetizer.,the entree was wonderful and the wine was top notch, add in the staff who were so on top of,their game and it’s a winner!

Have had great dinners there and it is by far the best french restaurant in the neighborhood. The owners are locals and very supportive and investing into the neighborhood. E.g. providing space for the Block Association

Our server Conner quickly brought pate du jour and fromage soufflé. Mmmmm. Delicious w Chateau Aemie from Medoc region. The chateaubriand and coq-a-vin were winners! Too satisfied for dessert but those looked delicious. Service attentive throughout. We wish we lived closer because we would go very often. Worth the trip!

I had the best brunch ever at this quaint, quiet gem in Bed Sty Brooklyn. I had the Duck Benedict and I was almost embarrassed that my plate was licked clean. Yes, that's how good this meal was!! Going back for more brunch and dinner real soon.

Don’t be fooled by the out-of-the-way location: this neighborhood joint is as good as any Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris. Classic French dishes dominate the small menu, each lovingly prepared. The foie gras and steak tartare are the stars of the appetizer course, and the béarnaise served with the petit filet is heavenly. As for desert, just order one of each and share with the table. Absolutely worth the trip.