J'aime NY/French in NY

Insider tips are the best way to discover the hidden gems of the Big Apple, and below is our short list of the best French places in New York.
1. Ludivine

Photo: Lucky Mag.

Lexington Avenue has neither the charm nor the pedigree of neighboring Madison and Park Avenues. But it was there that this boutique decided to bring a touch of Paris to the Upper East Side. The owner, Ludivine, constantly travels to Paris to search for new trends and new designers. Vanessa Bruno, Claudine Pierlot and Les Prairies de Paris are some of the labels that you’ll find here. The first shop is located in the West Village and has fans like Gisele Bündchen, among others.
2. Epicerie Boulud

Photo: www.danielnyc.com/epicerie.html.

You can experience chef Daniel Boulud’s talent right across from Lincoln Center. Epicerie Boulud is an eat-in and takeout market filled with products handpicked by the chef. Pastries, coffee and amazing sandwiches are served during the day. At night the shop turns into an oyster and wine bar, perfect before or after the theatre.
3. Clic Bookstore and Gallery

Photo: www.clicgallery.com.

This is another wonderful creation by Christiane Celle. For those who don’t know her, this française founded Calypso, a small boutique that started in St. Barts, in the Caribbean, and became a multimillion-dollar business, with shops scattered around the world. Christiane sold the company and decided to use her talents in another area. She opened Clic Bookstore and Gallery, which specializes in photography books and is one of the most charming places in the always-trendy SoHo neighborhood. The space also functions as an art gallery and is committed to showing new talents as well as established artists. The same good taste, charm and curatorial eyes apply in her new endeavor.
4. Café Gitane
This tiny, casual, fun restaurant in NoLIta (north of Little Italy) serves delicious French Moroccan dishes. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, it has tables outside that are definitely the hipster’s choice for people watching. Try the avocado toast and Moroccan couscous with red peppers, toasted pine nuts, raisins and merguez sausage—you won’t regret it!
5. Le Baron
This exclusive nightclub recently opened in New York and, like the infamous Paris original, is run by André Saraiva. Think of it as a gigantic and chic three-story house party for the trendiest people in town.
6. Les Petits Chapelais
This neighborhood store is charming, to say the least, offering a variety of children’s clothing, from casual cotton dresses to fancier blazers and jackets. A special selection of toys and accessories is also worth checking out.
Info/Related Links
Ludivine
Epicerie Boulud
Clic Bookstore and Gallery
Café Gitane
Le Baron
32 Mulberry Street (between Worth and Bayard Streets)
Les Petits Chapelais
NYLOCAL is a website written in Portuguese by four Brazilians, with daily posts about pop culture, art and design, gastronomy, fashion and music in New York City.
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