Papillon Bistro & Bar

Papillon Bistro & Bar is such a charming little gem in the city. The atmosphere feels effortlessly Parisian — cozy, elegant, and perfect for both date night and catching up with friends. The cocktails were equally impressive. Service was attentive without being overbearing, which made the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable.

We visited this restaurant on a weekend afternoon — two adults and one child — and ended up waiting almost two hours in line. We knew there would be a wait because of the holiday season and no reservations being accepted, but the wait was still longer than expected. The host kept seating parties of two, sometimes multiple pairs, which made us wonder why they couldn’t seat a group of three sooner. Inside, the place is absolutely stunning with floor-to-ceiling Christmas decorations — honestly, that’s what made the long wait a bit more bearable. Once we were seated, service was slow but the food came out pretty quickly. The food itself was just average. The calamari starter was small for the price, my steak sandwich was good and generously portioned, but the salmon was just okay. They also r

Papillon Bar is such a gem. They decorate the entire place for every holiday, and Christmas is by far the most magical, it feels like stepping into a festive movie set. They don’t take table reservations in advance, so the line can get really long, but if you don’t mind sitting at the bar you can usually walk right in, which is a huge plus. Their drinks are always great, and the food is surprisingly good too. The pesto grilled chicken is absolutely delicious, and the mozzarella sticks are perfectly crispy and cheesy. Overall, a beautiful spot with great vibes, especially during the holidays.

The best Christmas decorations I’ve seen at any other food and drink place. You’re paying for the atmosphere. Food is good. They do not accept reservations but do accommodate for the Christmas tour buses that stop for a meal during the NYC Christmas tours. So even though we were 5th in line when they opened. We waited nearly an hour to get seated. This was not conveyed to us when we checked in as a party of 2! During our wait two, very full, tour buses were seated before those of us waiting outside.

Really nice set up with lots and LOTS of Halloween decor and the food was pretty decent as well. The menu does not have a huge variety but the dishes even the sandwiches were very tasty. I had fried Calamari which was nice and crispy along with the chicken sandwich and that was very fresh and good! I only had a hard time getting some sauce and they were not even busy, but other than that the service was good too. The hostess was really kind and directed us to the location we desired, right up the stairs as soon as we walked in. The bars were nice with plenty of options to pick from. The place is pretty big with a bar upstairs and downstairs. It seems they decorate this place for all the holidays and they go all out so it is quite EXTRAVAGANT. I will definitely visit again for a quick meal