I found Amelie thanks to Opentable, as I was looking for a place to meet our friends Anne and Klaus who were visiting us from Denmark for brunch. We liked it so much that we decided to go back for dinner the same week.

Dining room at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

I do not know much about this place, except the fact that it first opened in San Francisco, but could not not notice the nautical theme from the decor, with the boat shape of the bar and the sails on the ceiling. A decor that is also very art deco, as can attest the large chandelier close to the bar.

Menu wise, they serve classic French dishes such a duck confit or foie gras, but also some with Mediterranean influence as you will see with my brunch entree.

Espresso and menu at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

As far as ambiance is concerned, brunch and dinner are totally different: the brunch was much quieter than dinner and the staff had much more time to take care of us than in the busy evening, the restaurant being crowded between people who just want to have a nice glass of wine from their large selection or some good food (or both). But don't get me wrong: the service there is quite good and makes sure you have a nice time. I would say that the only negative is the small size of the tables (so small that Jodi ended up with some wine on her bag from the table next to us, but this is another story).

There is one dish that we ate both times: the ravioles.

Ravioles are some tiny ravioli stuffed with comte cheese that are from the South of France. It is very difficult to find them in the US and I never miss an occasion to order them whenever they are on the menu. It as a great dish, not only because of the ravioles, but also because of the amount of cheese and the nice gratiné on top. When we went for dinner, we got them with truffle, a more elegant option for a succulent dish.

Ravioles at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

I should have mentioned that the photos during dinner were a bit challenging because of the low light (that was also reddish).

For brunch, we decided to go for eggs. Jodi got the San Francisco omelet, made with mushrooms and goat cheese.

San Francisco omelet at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

I went for the scrambled eggs with merguez (lamb sausage):

Scrambled eggs with merguez at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

The scrambled eggs were definitely my favorite, being perfectly cooked (I hate when eggs are overcooked and dry), the egg balancing well the sausage that is so tasty.

I also tried their snails, prepared with red wine reduction, vegetable brunoise, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs.

Escargots at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

I was not sure I would like it when I saw all that stuff on top of the snails, but I was wrong: it was delicious, buttery and I could not resist dipping the delicious bread that was on the table in it.

Bread at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

The last dish I tried (before dessert), was the duck confit. Served with fingerling potatoes, wild mushrooms and frisée, it was a splendid entrée, perfectly prepared.

Duck confit at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

For dessert, we got their meringue and wipe cream, topped with a berry coulis.

Meringue at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

You could definitely taste that it was a homemade meringue: it was crunchy on the outside and gooey in the center. I for sure recommend this dessert!

Of course, as Amelie is a wine bar, I should mention the glass of red wine I ordered: it was a Bourgogne rouge, domaine Seguin-Manuel 2013.

Glass of Bourgogne rouge, domaine Seguin-Manuel 2013 at Amelie Wine Bar in NYC, New York

We really had a good time at Amelie: this is the kind of place that reminds me a bit of the wine bars in Paris. The food is great and if you love wine, they have a large selection. Would I go back? Definitely and I already know what I would eat...

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Amélie

I Just Want To Eat!