Chez Josephine

4.5 (7775)

$31 to $50

French American

414 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

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Chez Josephine

4.5

$31 to $50

French American

Theatre District

Make a booking

2 people

23 Oct 2026

19:00

Booked 39 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Good for special occasions
Neighbourhood gem

The last of its kind near 42nd Street, Chez Josephine is a neighborhood gem founded in 1986 by Jean-Claude Baker as a tribute to legendary Josephine Baker. This Parisian bistro offers live piano music and a tantalizing menu in an intimate setting of red velvet walls, a cavalcade of chandeliers and a blue-tin ceiling. Guests receive a warm welcoming and are treated as family whether coming before a show, after the show, for a leisurely dinner in-between, or a drink at the bar.

Chez Josephine draws a crowd unlike any other in New York as food critic Bryan Miller noted when he wrote: “The dining room is a confluence of the famous and the fashionable, the infamous and unsung – with every shade of skin on earth – and indeed you feel the magic of Chez Josephine.”

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
French American, Bistro, Cocktail Bar
Hours of Operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 3:00 pm–12:00 am
Contact
(212) 594-1925
Website
https://chezjosephinenyc.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
Main dining room, on the ground floor, can be rented and seats 70 guests. Our Jungle Room, also on the ground floor, seats 12 guests. Our Salon Marrakech, on the second floor, seats 30 guests.
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
414 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Area
Theatre District
Cross Street
Between 9th and Dyer/10th Aves.
Parking Details
Manhattan Plaza, 42nd Street and Dyer Avenue (between 9th and 10th Avenues),
Public transport
1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R trains to Times Square-42nd Street, and A, C & E trains to Port Authority-42nd Street.
Entertainment
Live piano music nightly and at Sunday Brunch.
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Chez Josephine.

4.5

(7775)

4.4Food
4.6Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Chez Josephine offers a "unique French bistro" experience in Manhattan's theater district. Guests frequently praise its "warm, chic, and inviting ambiance," with live piano music enhancing the dining experience. The "delicious food," particularly the prix fixe menu, and "attentive service" make it perfect for pre-theater dining or special occasions.

7,775 Reviews

L
Linda
New York City34 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful service and food. Highly recommend Bathrooms are always clean
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E
Edmund Gold
Baltimore / Maryland43 reviews
4.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Any place that pays tribute to Josephine Baker starts out ahead of the game. The ambiance and fare are a great match. I'd be happy to return.
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J
Justas Gold
Toronto / Ontario140 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Piano player was fantastic. Ambience makes this restaurant. Food is exceptional
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W
Wendy
San Francisco Bay Area45 reviews
4.0
Dined on 13 October 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our waiter Juan was delightful. This is definitely a piano bar experience. The liver with onions was delicious and perfectly cooked.
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B
Bjoern H .
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined on 13 October 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I am a regular there and love it. I just moved back from the West Coast and my first stop Chez Josephine!
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b
barbara
Unspecified1 review
5.0
Dined on 13 October 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It wasn't my first time at Chez Josephine. I was there for dinner a few years ago and had brunch at one time. I was impressed by the ambiance especially in the evening when our delicious dinner was accompanied by piano music. I didn't realize that you were opened for lunch until recently and so I dined there yesterday and was not disappointed.
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B
Barbara M. Gold
Los Angeles10 reviews
5.0
Dined on 11 October 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Manuel and his team (partly family) are always welcoming and the food is better than ever!
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J
Jessica
Los Angeles1 review
1.0
Dined on 11 October 2026
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
This place really missed the mark and missed an opportunity to be an important part of a special day. We had reservations but the manager sat us in an undesirable location near a cold, windy open door and away from the piano music. We were there for the piano and could barely hear it. The food was below average. They overcooked the steak to beyond well done when we ordered medium rare, the eggs Benedict was served with French fries which was so odd. The orange juice was watered down with a slight onion aftertaste. After serving our food, no one came to check on us. All in all just such a disappointing experience—bad service, bad food. I was so excited for this place and the way it’s run has really ruined it.
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S
Shehan Gold
Cleveland / Akron / Canton1 review
1.0
Dined on 10 October 2026
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 5
My wife has an egg allergy which we specifically made the waiter aware of and were assured that there weren’t any in the dish we ordered. Turns out it did and all the checks and notes to the chef were meaningless.
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D
Darold
New York City4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 10 October 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Exactly what I expected from a quaint French Manhattan restaurant
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
French American, Bistro, Cocktail Bar
Hours of Operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 3:00 pm–12:00 am
Contact
(212) 594-1925
Website
https://chezjosephinenyc.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
Main dining room, on the ground floor, can be rented and seats 70 guests. Our Jungle Room, also on the ground floor, seats 12 guests. Our Salon Marrakech, on the second floor, seats 30 guests.
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
414 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Area
Theatre District
Cross Street
Between 9th and Dyer/10th Aves.
Parking Details
Manhattan Plaza, 42nd Street and Dyer Avenue (between 9th and 10th Avenues),
Public transport
1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R trains to Times Square-42nd Street, and A, C & E trains to Port Authority-42nd Street.
Entertainment
Live piano music nightly and at Sunday Brunch.
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

FAQs

Chez Josephine feels like a Parisian salon, red velvet walls, a blue-tin ceiling and chandeliers set an intimate scene, while live piano and a singer provide elegant, dinner‑time music.

Chez Josephine is ideal for a pre-theater dinner, many guests recommend dining before a Broadway show to enjoy the live piano and its Theatre District location.

Portions for prix-fixe meals and some mains are satisfying, guests note large servings (for example, the beef bourguignon) and that dinners left them comfortably satisfied.

Yes, Chez Josephine is a lovely pick for date night, with its intimate Parisian dining room, live piano music, and many guests choosing it for anniversaries and romantic evenings.

Yes, guests report outdoor seating at Chez Josephine, noting it has outdoor seating like a typical French café.

At Chez Josephine you’ll dine in the intimate red-velvet dining room, grab a window or upstairs small-room table, sit at the bar, or enjoy outdoor café-style seating.

Casual dress is the guide, neat, comfortable attire is appropriate, though many guests still dress up a touch for special occasions and pre-theatre evenings.

Yes, families dine comfortably at Chez Josephine; guests report visiting with children (one reviewer dined with her daughter) and enjoying the warm, music-filled atmosphere.

How FAQ content is generated

Make a booking

Chez Josephine

4.5

$31 to $50

French American

Theatre District

Make a booking

2 people

23 Oct 2026

19:00

Booked 39 times today

Chez Josephine

Make a booking

Chez Josephine

Make a booking

About this restaurant

Additional information

Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

Reviews

Review summary

Additional information

FAQs

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When is the best time to go to Chez Josephine?

What are the portion sizes like at this restaurant?

Is this a good pick for date night?

Does this restaurant have outdoor seating?

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Is this restaurant kid-friendly?

Make a booking

Chez Josephine

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