I recently went back at Tout Va Bien, a French restaurant Midtown with an interesting kind of overdone decor and a nice atmosphere filled with French music. Not the best French restaurant in town, but it serves a pretty decent food with prices that are not outrageous. Tout Va Bien has been feeding the New York crowd since 1948, a longevity that cannot be ignored for sure.

The first time I went there, I went all classic with the snails and the veal kidney, both being sublime. This time, I stuck to classics, but decided, although very tempted by these dishes, to go for different ones. Here is what I had:

First, I should mention the veggie plate that they brought to the table. I thought it was to replace the bread: not at all as a bread basket came right before the dishes were served. I admit that I was disappointed with the bread that was chewy, proof that it was not fresh...I mean, bread is a staple in France and you cannot have some decent one in a French restaurant???

Then I got foie gras. I admit that there I was a bit confused as I am sure it was supposed to be a crème brûlée foie gras, different from what came. Unfortunately, I could not verify on their website as the menu was not up to date. It was just ok, not as dense as a bloc de foie gras should be.

For the entree, I decided to go for a classic bistro dish: steak frites. The steak, a NY strip was ordered medium rare and came slightly on the medium side. But still, it was good (do not expect a steakhouse quality though).

It came with a salad and delicious fries, and I also ordered a nice Roquefort sauce on the side.

Roquefort sauce at Tout Va Bien in NYC, NY

For dessert, I could not resist ordering an île flottante (aka œufs à la neige or floating island), a dessert not often proposed on menus. It was decent, the eggs being a bit dense, but the vanilla sauce being delicious.

I should mention the drinks I had with my meal. Well, in fact I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, but, interestingly, at the end f the meal, after dessert, they brought a huge bowl of sangria, attention that I did not notice in other tables...Weird to offer sangria at the end of a meal, no? I just tried a sip before leaving and it was quite good: after all, these are fruit...

Overall, it was an ok meal, not something that will stick in my memory if I am thinking about a good French place in New York. It was fine but I think I should have ordered the escargots and the veal kidney that is delicious there.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Tout Va Bien - 311 W 51st Street, New York, NY10019

Dinner at Tout Va Bien in Midtown

I Just Want To Eat!