L'Express

4.5 (1248)

$30 and under

French

249 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10003

Make a reservation

L'Express

4.5

$30 and under

French

Gramercy Park

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 9, 2026

7:00 PM

Booked 50 times today

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Great for brunch
Great for outdoor dining

Iconic French bistro in NY, serving classics such as steak frites, cassoulet, mussels & moules-frites, beer, wine & breakfast. Located on Park Avenue South, mere blocks from Union Square, in the heart of Gramercy. Now serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert and late night.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
French
Hours of operation
Mon, Tue 8:00 am–12:00 am Wed, Thu 8:00 am–1:00 am Fri 8:00 am–3:00 am Sat 9:00 am–3:00 am Sun 9:00 am–12:00 am
Phone number
(212) 254-5858
Website
https://lexpressnyc.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Amitzur Mor
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
249 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood
Gramercy Park
Parking details
None
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access

Offers

Late Night Dining at L'Express
1 - 8 people
Multiple dates available
Fri - Sat - 3:45 PM - 2:45 AM
One of New York City's late-night institutions, right by Union Square - Gramercy Park, this quintessential Lyonnaise bouchon is open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays!

Concierge
AI Beta

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

SOUPE DU JOUR$12.00
ONION SOUP GRATINEE$15.00
caramelized onion, swiss cheese, crouton
ESCARGOTS DE BOURGOGNE$16.00
in garlic butter
CRISPY LOCAL GOAT CHEESE$17.00
arugula, walnuts, cherry tomatoes & black olive coulis
ATLANTIC SALMON TARTARE*$21.00
cucumbers, scallions, mint, jalapeno, avocado mousse & pomegranate vinaigrette
CRISPY PIG CROQUETTES$22.00
haricots verts, frisee, radishes & tartar sauce
HOUSEMADE COUNTRY TERRINE$20.00
duck, pork, pistachio, grilled sourdough
HAND-CUT BEEF TARTARE*
arugula salad & country bread
- 24
- 30
CRISPY BABY ARTICHOKE$17.00
lemon, parsley & ceasar aiol

LES OEUFS ET CLASSIQUES

CROISSANT BASKET$15.00
assortment of french pastries
BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST$18.00
mixed berries, cream chantilly
THREE EGGS ANY STYLE*$18.00
sausage or bacon, house potatoes
SPANISH FRITTATA$20.00
merguez sausage, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, scallions
OMELETTE PARISIENNE$21.00
smoked ham, gruyére, mushrooms
COUNTRY AVOCADO TOAST*$21.00
two poached eggs, guacamole, radishes, mixed greens
THE "BENEDICTS"*
two poached eggs, english muffin, hollandaise, home fries or salad
- traditional-22Iflorentine-22Icopenhagen$24.00

LES SALADES & SANDWICHES

add to any salad: chicken paillard - 10 / grilled shrimp -10 / grilled salmon - 15

ROASTED ORGANIC BEETS$17.00
whipped local goat cheese, pickled red onions, watercress & toasted pecans
ARUGULA SALAD$16.00
local apple, shaved parmesan, endive & lemon vinaigrette
FRISEE AUX LARDONS*$20.00
lardon bacon, croutons, poached egg
GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD$24.00
little gem lettuce, white anchovies, grilled bread & parmesan
SEARED TUNA NIÇOISE*$26.00
fingerling potatoes, roasted peppers, haricots verts, white anchovies, olives & egg
CROQUE MADAME*$23.00
fried sunny side up egg, parisian ham, swiss cheese, choice of pommes frites or salad
VEGETABLE BIYALDI PANINI$22.00
eggplant, zuchini, tomato, tapanade, basil & goat cheese
HOUSE CURED TURKEY CLUB$21.00
avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato and swiss
GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH$21.00
tomato, baby arugula, pickled red onion, smoked aioli

ENTREES

MEZZI RIGATONI$24.00
tomato-basil sauce, parmesan cheese
HOUSEMADE GNOCCHI$26.00
broccolini, wild mushrooms, cream
L'EXPRESS BURGER*$22.00
HOUSEMADE LAMB BURGER*$24.00
moroccan spices, harissa aioli
P.E.I MUSSELS SKILLET*$26.00
white wine, thyme, garlic & leek broth
GRILLED ATLANTIC SALMON*$35.00
haricots verts, baby carrots, roasted radishes & citrus beurre blanc
PAN ROASTED BRANZINO$36.00
grilled corn, blistered baby tomatoes, zucchini & roasted red peppers coulis
ORGANIC ROASTED HALF CHICKEN$29.00
au jus, pommes frites or pomme puree
GRILLED PORK CHOP*$35.00
fingerling potatoes, blistered shishito peppers, wild mushrooms & pork jus
STEAK FRITES*$41.00
14oz NY strip, pommes frites

LES GARNITURES

BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS$13.00
HARICOTS VERTS$10.00
SAUTEED BROCCOLINI$10.00
POMME PUREE$10.00
ROSEMARY FRIES$10.00
GARLIC SPINACH$10.00

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at L'Express.

4.5

(1248)

4.3Food
4.4Service
4.3Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

L'Express is a vibrant French bistro that consistently delivers "great food and excellent service." Known for its authentic atmosphere, it offers "delicious comfort food" and attentive staff, making it a neighborhood gem. While occasional noise and service hiccups occur, patrons love the "warm and welcoming" experience and "true hospitality."

1,248 Reviews

S
Suzanne
New York City9 reviews
4.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Always a good job cooking the omelettes properly. And a surprise piece of birthday cake for a friend’s birthday meal.
L'ExpressResponded 1 day ago
Suzanne, I’m glad the omelettes were cooked just right, and even happier that we got to add a little surprise to your friend’s birthday. We appreciate the 4 stars, and hopefully next time we can earn that fifth one too. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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E
Eileen
Greater Boston1 review
4.0
Dined on October 30, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Always good; great food, excellent service, fun vibrant bistro where the noise is conversation, not music!
L'ExpressResponded 7 days ago
Eileen, this made me smile. I’m glad the food and service keep you coming back, and I especially love the way you described the room, lively because people are enjoying themselves, not because the music is doing all the work. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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I
Irina
Washington DC6 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 25, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Due to lovely fall weather on Sunday we had a fabulous time outside. Both steak and omelet were cooked to perfection. What a lovely place for brunch. We will be back.
L'ExpressResponded on October 30, 2026
Irina, a beautiful fall afternoon, outdoor seating, and a delicious brunch sound like a perfect Sunday in New York! I'm happy to hear that both the steak and omelet were cooked just the way you like them. It's wonderful that you enjoyed your afternoon with us, and we'll be happy to have you back for another brunch at L'Express! Torris Pelichet - Manager
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U
Uri
New York City11 reviews
4.0
Dined on October 24, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
At 1st, our appetizers didn’t arrive at the same time. My wife’s got lost in the kitchen… My Tartar steak was an inspiration of somebody in the kitchen, that in reality should work in a practitioner kitchen instead of French Brasserie. The color of its meat was grey. Tartar steak Jaim’s meat should be processed once the dish is being ordered. Manager & server has been very atentice and ready to solve and please.
L'ExpressResponded on October 26, 2026
Uri, thank you for the candid feedback. I’m sorry the meal started off with timing issues and that the steak tartare was such a disappointment. I appreciate you calling out the concerns so specifically, and I’ll be sharing them with both the kitchen and management teams so we can review what happened and work on the consistency of the experience. I’m glad our manager and server were attentive and made an effort to address things at the table. We appreciate the 4 stars and the opportunity to learn from the visit. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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P
Phil Gold
Las Vegas3 reviews
4.0
Dined on October 23, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great place. Note that through Opentable I booked 1 seat at the bar but when I arrived they said they didn't accept that, and the bar was walk-in only
L'ExpressResponded on October 25, 2026
Phil, thank you for pointing this out. Our bar is walk-in only, so I’m sorry OpenTable gave you the impression that a bar seat could be reserved. That’s something we need to review on our end so the booking options are clearer and guests aren’t put in that position when they arrive. I’m glad you still enjoyed L’Express, and we appreciate the 4 stars. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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S
Sylvie Gold
New York City68 reviews
2.0
Dined on October 20, 2026
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
I ordered the “quiche du jour” the plate arrived, the daily quiche was a quiche Lorraine that is what I ordered, on my plate there was some sliced quiche with a green aspect, I called the waitress and told her that was not what I ordered, she went to the kitchen and was told that the quiche I ordered was sold out…. I have been to l express several time, it was always good this time was very bad,…. and I ordered an omelette , i was very disappointed that no one came to tell me after I place my order that the dish was sold out….the plate was just presented to me as the dish I ordered…..no presence in the restaurant of a manager apologizing … Unexpected experience and really a shame …
L'ExpressResponded on October 22, 2026
Sylvie, I’m sorry this visit was so disappointing, especially after having good experiences with us in the past. If the quiche Lorraine was sold out, that should have been communicated to you before anything else was brought to the table. I also understand your frustration that no manager came over to acknowledge what happened and apologize in the moment. I’ll be sharing this with both the management and service teams so we can address the communication breakdown and make sure situations like this are handled much better. Thank you for being direct with us. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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M
Mel
New York City2 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 19, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Everything about our lunch was great except for the noise level. Around 1pm it was quite loud, but by the end of our meal--shortly after 2:30, things had died out. The only reason why I didn't give 5 stars across the board was the noise level.
L'ExpressResponded on October 22, 2026
Mel, thank you for such a thoughtful review. I’m glad lunch was a great experience overall. I also understand your note about the noise level — the room can get quite lively around peak lunch, especially near 1pm, and I know that isn’t ideal for everyone. We really appreciate the 5 stars and the honest feedback. Torris Pelichet - Manager
1 person found this helpful
B
Bette
Greater Boston23 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 18, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great brunch! Food was well prepared, timely, and delicious. Servers were friendly.
L'ExpressResponded on October 19, 2026
Bette, I’m glad brunch was such a good one. It’s great to hear the food was delicious and well timed, and that the team made the visit feel friendly and easy. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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P
Philip
New York City2 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 10, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had an excellent dinner Saturday evening . The restaurant had a vibrant atmosphere and or server Carmen was terrific.
L'ExpressResponded on October 13, 2026
Philip, I’m glad Saturday night was such a good one. A vibrant room, an excellent dinner, and Carmen taking great care of you sounds like a strong combination. I’ll make sure she sees your kind words. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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K
Kathleen Gold
Houston14 reviews
4.0
Dined on October 8, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The pommes frites were soggy, oily and fairly tasteless -- this must be an easy thing for a French restaurant to get right, but they were glaringly not up to par.
L'ExpressResponded on October 13, 2026
Kathleen, I’m sorry the pommes frites were disappointing. That’s a classic we should be getting right, and I understand why it stood out when they came across soggy, oily, and lacking flavor. I’ll be sharing your feedback with the kitchen team so we can take a closer look at the preparation and consistency. We appreciate the 4 stars and the direct feedback. Torris Pelichet - Manager
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
French
Hours of operation
Mon, Tue 8:00 am–12:00 am Wed, Thu 8:00 am–1:00 am Fri 8:00 am–3:00 am Sat 9:00 am–3:00 am Sun 9:00 am–12:00 am
Phone number
(212) 254-5858
Website
https://lexpressnyc.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Amitzur Mor
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
249 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood
Gramercy Park
Parking details
None
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access

Featured in

FAQs

For a lively brunch scene, Saturday is the go-to, guests report it’s very busy around brunchtime and many praise the restaurant’s brunch offerings.

Private dining isn't part of L'Express's offering, the restaurant lists that private parties are not allowed, so the focus is on its open, convivial bistro dining room.

Yes, L'Express's cozy Parisian bistro vibe makes it a popular date‑night choice, with guests specifically recounting lovely date and anniversary dinners there.

Portions at L'Express are on the generous side, guests describe dishes as “served in a generous amount” and note some entrees come in very large portions.

Yes, L'Express offers outdoor seating; guests mention sitting outside and doors opening to Park Avenue South, which makes it a popular spot for people-watching.

The L'Express Burger is a recurring favorite, it appears on the current menu and multiple guests single it out as a must-order.

L'Express feels like an authentic Parisian bistro, cozy, warm, and convivial, with open doors for people-watching and a friendly, welcoming staff.

L'Express is at its calmest for midweek lunches and very early evening seatings, guests praise lunchtime (especially when the doors open onto Park Avenue South) and note early visits feel less crowded.

How FAQ content is generated

Make a reservation

L'Express

4.5

$30 and under

French

Gramercy Park

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 9, 2026

7:00 PM

Booked 50 times today

L'Express

Make a reservation

L'Express

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Late Night Dining at L'Express

HORS D'OEUVRES

SOUPE DU JOUR$12.00

ONION SOUP GRATINEE$15.00

ESCARGOTS DE BOURGOGNE$16.00

CRISPY LOCAL GOAT CHEESE$17.00

ATLANTIC SALMON TARTARE*$21.00

CRISPY PIG CROQUETTES$22.00

HOUSEMADE COUNTRY TERRINE$20.00

HAND-CUT BEEF TARTARE*

CRISPY BABY ARTICHOKE$17.00

LES OEUFS ET CLASSIQUES

CROISSANT BASKET$15.00

BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST$18.00

THREE EGGS ANY STYLE*$18.00

SPANISH FRITTATA$20.00

OMELETTE PARISIENNE$21.00

COUNTRY AVOCADO TOAST*$21.00

THE "BENEDICTS"*

LES SALADES & SANDWICHES

ROASTED ORGANIC BEETS$17.00

ARUGULA SALAD$16.00

FRISEE AUX LARDONS*$20.00

GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD$24.00

SEARED TUNA NIÇOISE*$26.00

CROQUE MADAME*$23.00

VEGETABLE BIYALDI PANINI$22.00

HOUSE CURED TURKEY CLUB$21.00

GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH$21.00

ENTREES

MEZZI RIGATONI$24.00

HOUSEMADE GNOCCHI$26.00

L'EXPRESS BURGER*$22.00

HOUSEMADE LAMB BURGER*$24.00

P.E.I MUSSELS SKILLET*$26.00

GRILLED ATLANTIC SALMON*$35.00

PAN ROASTED BRANZINO$36.00

ORGANIC ROASTED HALF CHICKEN$29.00

GRILLED PORK CHOP*$35.00

STEAK FRITES*$41.00

LES GARNITURES

BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS$13.00

HARICOTS VERTS$10.00

SAUTEED BROCCOLINI$10.00

POMME PUREE$10.00

ROSEMARY FRIES$10.00

GARLIC SPINACH$10.00

Review summary

Additional information

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FAQs

What is the best day to go to L'Express?

Does this restaurant have private dining?

Is this a good pick for date night?

What are the portion sizes like at this restaurant?

Does this restaurant have outdoor seating?

What is this restaurant's stand-out or favorite dish?

What's the ambience/atmosphere like in this restaurant?

When is the best time to go to L'Express?

Make a reservation

L'Express

Make a reservation