A block north of Washington Square Park and a few steps inside the warm, rustic lobby of the Marlton Hotel, a chic yet cozy French bistro has taken over. Named after a French phrase that commonly means “at home,” Chez Nous has solidified itself as a place where students, business executives and longtime Greenwich Village residents alike find comfort in the mature but playful atmosphere.
While the area has an outstanding selection of traditional French restaurants — think Boucherie and Balthazar, which are known for dishes like steak frites and escargot — Chez Nous, which opened in June, takes classic dishes and honors the neighboring influences of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria to create a menu that is bold yet comfortable.
French cuisine is known for heavy sauces, loads of butter and generous shakes of salt, but at Chez Nous, executive chef Flossie Gilles focuses on preparing balanced dishes that still leave customers satiated. Gilles has been working professionally in kitchens since she was 15 years old. Having trained across four continents, Gilles has found her stride since moving to New York City, where she experiments with novel combinations of ingredients and brings them to the bistro.
(Alex Woodworth for WSN)
“In my career, I’ve worked in many different restaurants whether it’s traditional, fine dining or a pizzeria. I take a lot of different things from those places,” Gilles told WSN. “[At Chez Nous] I could see where I could bring us my French technique and French knowledge of the culinary world and add everything I learned living in Australia and Thailand.”
While many French restaurants lean towards Parisian cuisine, Chez Nous brings the entire country and its influences to the table. The menu boasts a selection of fresh dishes such as a shrimp salad with fennel and green olives inspired by the coastal fare of Saint-Tropez and a Moroccan tajine made of seasonal vegetables and semolina.
The Cabillaut ($42) is a flaky, poached cod topped with ginger beurre blanc sauce and sorrel oil. Plated on a bed of sauteed mushrooms, the fish is tender and complemented by the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth beurre blanc. The addition of an oil infused with sorrel, a citrusy herb, cuts through the dish’s richness and creates a green-and-white marble on the plate — which mirrors a similarly colored mural on the back wall of the dining room — making for a dish that strikes a balance between the flavors and textures.
(Alex Woodworth for WSN)
“My style is finding a way to respect my roots and techniques but also bringing in different combinations of flavor and doing things differently than they were in the past,” Gilles said. “We have an idea [to use] three to four ingredients and two or three techniques on the plate. It was very important to show very different aspects of French cuisine.”
Light and satisfying standouts include the Mediterranean Tian ($19), a layered arrangement of baked eggplant and bell peppers dressed with a French curry spice vinaigrette, and the Ora King Salmon ($37) a tender pan-seared salmon paired with celery root puree and romanesco.
While the food is undoubtedly delicious, the price point can feel unattainable for most students. The average cost of a main dish is approximately $35; however, Chez Nous offers a few cheaper alternatives like the Chez Nous Burger ($27), a burger with a luscious French Roquefort cheese sauce served with fries that is filling and won’t hurt your wallet.
Second to the food, but still critical to any dining experience, the restaurant’s interior is stunning. The red velvet seats, dark wooden trim and warm lighting create a comforting atmosphere — one that could make a pair of diners feel like the only two people in the room.
“It’s chic, but nowhere near pretentious,” Gilles said. “It looks very grown-up and all of the materials we use are quality, and I think that’s something I reflect in my cooking.”
The menu and aesthetic are crafted with one thing in mind: inviting people in. A model restaurant to order a few dishes with friends or take your parents when they visit for the weekend, Chez Nous is a place to share a feel-good meal and many laughs.
“My friends say that when they have my food, it feels like a big hug,” Gilles said. “For me, that’s what I try for: simplicity, but taking people somewhere and making them feel like they belong.”
Contact Dylan Henschen at [email protected].
Dining and Cooking