04/10/2018
New York City is home to many "insta-worthy" cafes and restaurants, but the brand new La Mercerie Cafe in Soho has been blowing up social media since it's grand opening in December.
Located inside of the Roman and Williams Guild store, La Mercerie certainly has its finger on the pulse of what’s trending. This crossroads of all-day cafe and retail restaurant has been a hit for locals and tourists alike, thanks in large part to its photogenic interior. Those stunning snap shots on Instagram were precisely what convinced me to check it out on my latest visit to the Big Apple.
This French inspired cafe is led by Chef Marie Aude-Rose, who discovered her passion for food as a child while cooking with her grandparents in the French country side. The goal with the cafe was to create an enviroment that represented classic French cuisine in a thoughtful way. The menu offers breakfast 9 ’til noon, and an all day menu from noon until 10pm. Open seven days a week, the extensive food and wine menus suit any hour of the day, any day of the week.
Breakfast at La Mercerie
The breakfast menu is short, but offers all of the French classics you know and love. I ordered a latte and Pain Au Chocolat pastry from the bakery to start. A buttery soft and flaky pastry filled with delicious chocolate filling, it was the perfect introduction to our meal. After much debate we both ended up ordering the Crêpe Complète for our main, drizzled with hollandaise sauce and garnished with chopped green onion.
Inside of the perfectly crispy crepe was a savory combination of honeyed ham and aged Comté cheese. Topped with a sunny side up egg, every bite was a dream. While some retail restaurants tend to offer sub par food with their 5 star designs, La Mercerie packs a real one-two punch. All of the ingredients are fresh and high quality which make the meal the best part of the experience, as it should be.
Pain Au Chocolat & a delicious Latte
Try Before You Buy
The try-before-you-buy strategy isn’t a new concept in the culinary or design world. Many furniture stores are opting to create what they call “integrated hospitality experiences” for their customers. This means that everything inside of La Mercerie is for sale, even the table you eat at! Alongside your food menu is an illustration card with all of the items available for purchase. All of the flatware is absolutely stunning; the scallop edged “Ridge Plate” my crepe was served on is available for a $68, while the Hitoshi Kato Vase in the center of the table is priced at $44. Items can be delivered that day, and bring a whole new meaning to the phrase “take out”.
At the front of the cafe you’ll find fresh flowers for sale, arranged by florist Emily Thompson. In this cozy corner you’ll find an array of beautiful blooms, scattered around on shelves and counter tops in a stunning display. It is all part of the experience that owners Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch sought out to create. The husband and wife team are also the masterminds behind the Roman and Williams design firm. In addition to La Mercerie, they have designed the interiors of restaurants Upland, Lafayette, and neighboring restaurant, Le Coucou.
International Inspiration
While the cafe is notably French inspired, you’ll find reference points to many countries and cultures. Tea and coffee is served in Japanese ceramics, and table linens are spun in Sweden. These pieces -among others- are juxtaposed with the vintage French silverware. It is this mix and match mentality creates the undeniable charm of the restaurant, and are an ingenious design element. Plush velvet seating and drapery is balanced off by an exposed industrial style high gloss ceiling. Everywhere you look there is something to love. As with any good design, it’s all in the details.
Full belly = happy Kelly
While there is no shortage of Instagram worthy spots in New York, you’ll walk away from La Mercerie with more than just your pretty pictures. Quality food, friendly wait staff, fair prices, amazing and inspiring interiors…this place has it all. Be sure to pay them a visit the next time you’re in the Big Apple, I promise you won’t regret it!
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La Mercerie Cafe & William and Roman Guild is located on Fifty Three Howard Street, New York NY.
