Meaning “to feast” in French, La Ripaille is one of these iconic French restaurants that have been feeding hungry crowd for decades. Opened in 1980 by Alain Laurent, it fed celebrities coming to the West Village to try not only classic dishes, but also the own creations of the chef, like the Cassolette d’escargots a note facon ($22), where the traditional butter, garlic and parsley sauce is replaced with a tomatoes and cream sauce. Mon Dieu may some people say. Bravo, I say: this was a good twist to a dish you would expect in any French restaurant. The sauce was creamy and comforting, prompting me to ask for some bread. I should pause there and mention the bread. You would for sure expect bread in a French restaurant and I asked for some more so I could enjoy that sauce. Well, I did not notice that I would be charged $6.50 for it. I wish I took a photo to show how overpriced this is: there was probably 1/4 of a baguette. I would not have mind paying if that bread was special, but it was not and was just ok. Disappointing. Anyway, as I ate my snails, Jodi got their Feuillete de champignons sausages à la crème de cognac ($22) that is puff pastry with wild mushroom flambéed in cognac in a cream sauce. I am not sure what they put in it, but the chef made it vegetarian. This was delicious: at the first bite, you get the butteriness and crispness of the puff pastry, followed by the earthiness of the mushrooms and the creaminess of the sauce. Rich, but superb. This is another signature dish of this place. With it, Jodi got their salade du jardin aux pommes acidullee et lamelles d’amandes ($18.50). The salad was ok, a bit overpriced for what it was. On my side, I went for the Noisette d’Agneau Braisée dans son Jus et Bouquetière ($42) or Loin of lamb in own juice, herbs of Provence, organic vegetables

When the dish came, I was a bit surprised, not just because of the portion that was a bit small, but also because the menu mentioned vegetables with a plural and there were only haricot verts. Well, at least, it came with a delicious potato au gratin. The lamb was good, but unfortunately a bit overcooked as I asked for medium-rare. I should mention that I had a Ricard as a drink, a classic French anise spirit (pastis) that turns yellowish when you add water, with an effect similar to anisette or arak.

Dessert was a nice surprise: we got their chocolate mousse facon Le Notre ($15) that was exquisite. It was light, airy, and not too sweet. A must have.

Overall, the meal was ok. It is a bit overpriced and I admit that I did not add it to my list of French restaurant recommendations where you would find Benoit, La Sirene or Cognac. But if you are in the neighborhood and absolutely want to eat French food, you can give it a try...

Enjoy (I still did)!

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La Ripaille - 605 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

La Ripaille in NYC, NY

Brunch at San Babila in the UES