Café Chelsea Makes Its Grand Debut, A Much Needed, Most New York Spot

by Christie Grimm · July 14, 2023

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were talking so brave and so sweet
Givin' me head on the unmade bed
While the limousines wait in the street

Those were the reasons, that was New York
We were runnin' for the money and the flesh
And that was called love for the workers in song
Probably still is for those of them left

Rest assured - slowly but surely settling into its new era under the creative direction of Sean MacPherson, Hotel Chelsea is as cool and captivating as ever. The storied artsy haunt of Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Andy Warhol and more has been thoughtfully awakened with a remembrance of things and times past, its well-worn patina preserved, its penchant for the louche embraced.

It's been around a year since the downtown staple softly opened its doors, and as of today, its vision has been just about realized with the debut of Cafe Chelsea.

Magically mastering the art of persuasion, its slight of hand design would convince you that the French American bistro has been there for ages, when in fact it's an entirely recent addition - the hotel's first new restaurant since the 1930 opening of El Quijote, a kitschy Spanish eatery which buzzes each night over by the Lobby Bar on the west side of the building.

Sliced into a trio of rooms - a lively bar that forgets the busyness of life beyond its doors, a sun-filled morning room for the taking of a toast and tea, and a shadow shining dining room soon-to-be glittering with the city's most interesting - each space at Cafe Chelsea is lined with plush banquettes and booths perfect for turning a table for two into an impromptu table for three.

Chance encounters in a place like this feel far more kismet than coincidence, so leave your plans open to slide into a friend's reservation on your way out the door and begin your night again.

'Monkey Gone To Heaven' by The Pixies plays behind a concert of chat, your wine glass never wants for more, there's a constant parade of Seafood Plateaux and proud, puffed Chocolate Soufflés.

Surely this is what New York at its most New York must feel like.

The Tartare de Boeuf