TLDR: Classic French bistro, serving delicious authentic French food, in a cozy romantic space that's not too loud. It's my favorite French restaurant in NYC so far! Overall rating: A++ I've gone here twice. Once last year and one this year. I'm not in the area often. Greenpoint is still fairly industrial. I only happened upon it the first time since it was by the Brooklyn Expo Center. They have AMAZING food here! I just came back from a Paris trip in September and Le Gamin reminds me of the food from my favorite bistro in Paris! Smaller, intimate restaurant. A little dim lighting and the music isn't too loud. Great for dates! Good for smaller groups of 2-4 people. One long table for groups or communal dining in the center of the room I think. The waiters are prompt, patiently explain the day's specials, and make sure you're happy with your food. Onto the food: -Beef Bourguignon entree (beef stew): This was a special from last year, but the memory still hasn't faded! It was excellent and flavorful! I liked that they served it in a cute small cast iron pot! I can't remember what they served with it though. A+ -Confit De Canard (Duck leg slow-cooked in herbs and garlic duck fat served with roasted fingerling potatoes and small mixed greens salad): It was so good! The duck was crispy and rich. The potatoes and salad were good too. The potatoes needed a little salt. Just wish the duck fat on the legs was rendered more and the potatoes were crisper. But that's just me nitpicking. Still an excellent meal! A+ -Glass of prosecco: Very good! It had a very strong apple flavor! They serve prosecco in a coupe or saucer-shaped glasse, often associated with the Great Gatsby and the 1920s! Instead of in the usual champagne flute! I felt very fancy using a coupe! A+ My friend got a gin based cocktail, garnished with juniper berries and flowers. Don't recall the name of it. So pretty! I'm not a fan of floral drinks though. My friend enjoyed her drink and her duck confit immensely! They ran out of baguettes on my second visit. That was slightly appalling for a French restaurant but again I'm just being picky. You can't go anywhere in Paris without bread on your table! Single occupancy, tiny bathroom by the kitchen. I was watching the cooks prep the food while waiting for the bathroom to free up. They all seem to be speaking French. 2 of the waiters were also French speakers. I'm usually too full for dessert, but they serve made to order crepes here! This place is great for an authentic, French meal. HIGHLY recommended! read more

Le Gamin - VERY delicious duck confit and a glass of fruity prosecco in a fancy coupe glass! - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I had no expectations going in, but I was blown away by their service. The food was delicious and fresh. I highly recommend their poutine dish, the sauce was so creamy and addicting. I accidentally spilled my drink and the waiter was nice enough to replace it, thank you for the amazing service! read more

Le Gamin - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

In many ways, Le Gamin can be the little French cafe New Yorkers dream of. The early opening time (8am) helped my appreciation of its quiet street and modest neighborhood. Being an early bird, I avoided the typical Sunday brunch war, and got a table right away. Once seated, white bead-boards and useful clutter rendered an underplayed and Americanized Rococo. All these first impressions were backed up by the broad menu, and the excellence of my particular dish. I'd read that the Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur were the kitchen's star preparations, and the latter did not disappoint: A layer of bubbling, crackling, LUXURIOUS cheeses. Perfectly toasted bread, and savory ham. All deliciously complemented by the greens on the plate. And while the "Cajun Bloody Mary" seemed a break from the menu's French focus, it was tasty too. read more

Le Gamin - The delicious Croque Monsieur - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

One of our favorite little quaint spots in the neighborhood. Food is always good, everyone that works there is very nice. It's not always super fast, but it's definitely worth it! Haven't had a bad meal here and always look forward to my next. :) read more

Absolutely incredible from start to finish. The foie gras was to dieeeee for, came with bread too! Then the duck was honestly the best duck of my life. Cooked perfectly, so tender, crispy skin and full of flavor! The salad and dressing was great too. I usually don't love salads but I crushed this as it was so fresh. The potatoes had a perfect blend of seasoning on it. And the crepe was perfectly light and crispy. I really can't wait to come back soon!! read more

wish i could give them more stars as they've been around so long and always provide a cozy atmosphere, but unfortunately the food often leaves something to be desired. as a frenchie whose grandmother made her croque monsieurs for many a gouter, this croque and its thick, floury, unseasoned bechamel is a huge bummer :( read more

My family and I love French food and this is one of the most authentic French restaurants in the city! The duck confit and steak tartare are the standouts but everything we order has been good! read more

Wonderful experience! Wine was great, food and service were amazing. Parisian-style bistro with a patio during the summer months. Highly recommend if you enjoy French cuisine read more

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My friend Beverly and I had lunch at Le Gamin today to kick off my birthday. It's an adorable restaurant and we had made reservations to sit in the back garden which was so quiet and peaceful. Our waiter Scott was fabulous, attentive, generous and fun. We both ordered delicious (and filling) crepes w a side salad, with delicious glasses of prosecco. We were too stuffed to order dessert and opted for cappuccinos instead. All in all, a great experience! I highly recommend if you're in the neighborhood, easily accessible via ferry. read more

An unexpected, really great French restaurant in Greenpoint. They have a cute sidewalk dining area and back garden patio, but the inside is unfortunately quite plain and mediocre. The menu is very expansive, and covers all of my favorite, traditional French dishes. To start we got the tuna tartar which was fresh and perfectly prepared. For my main I got the duck breast special that came with an amazing port wine sauce, and roasted fingerling potatoes and mushrooms. I would highly recommend this dish and definitely order it again. And for dessert, we got an incredible tarte tatin that was served warm and with vanilla ice cream on the side. The prices are super affordable for such great French cuisine, and I want to return to try the poulet roti, moules frites, and profiterole. read more

I've been here a few times over the years and I always want it to be better than it is. The food is good but not great-it always feels like it's lacking a little flavor or not cooked long enough. On the plus side, the outdoor seating is pretty lovely! read more

Le Gamin - Croque Madame Sandwich and Eggs Florentine with Smoked Salmon - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place is fine, but overpriced for what you get. My biggest issue is the chicken dish we ordered. Rotisserie Chicken with fries and salad. Basically the cook went to the grocery store and bought a rotisserie chicken. Probably not even that good. Ratatouille was cold. Mussels were fire tho and the waiter was cool. read more

Le Gamin - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Nice relaxing atmosphere and had a great brunch with friends. Staffs were friendly and professional. Solid menu and great rose wine selection. read more

My friend lives close to this restaurant so we just popped in one Saturday afternoon for brunch and it was quite busy and there was a 25 minute wait. Overall, the food was really good and reasonably priced. It can get pretty chatty in here so if your looking for a quiet place to eat, maybe not here. BUT if you don't mind the noise, the food is definitely worth it! read more

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Stopped by for a dessert crepe, which was listed at $8 on the menu posted in the window. When the bill arrived I'd been charged $16. The explanation went: "the cost is actually $10 (menu hadn't been updated), and when we asked you if you'd like strawberries and whipped cream, well that's an additional $6." This despite whipped cream not being listed as an up charge on the menu. After tip my $8 crepe was $20. This is a truly dishonest, greedy business practice. Won't be back read more

"Sit wherever you like." So we picked a large table, assuming this would be French communal service. We were asked to move. My friend asked for a croissant. "I'm not sure there are any left. I'll let you know." She let us know as she handed us the check. After sitting, we heard the same waitress ask others "Would you like the garden?" There's a garden? I had no silverware, no water glass. So, first, terrible service. But does the food make up for it? No. Galettes were average with the filling passable but scarce. Would I return? No. read more

I want to start by saying that I have been both an employee at restaurants and the proprietor of my own café. I know that this can be a challenging business and know first hand the many invisible factors involved with such a business. Rarely have I complained and go out of my way to make it easy on the servers, hostess, and all employees. I am the person who stack my dishes and cleans my table and leaves good tips. However, I must say that this was the worst dining experience I have ever had. The ambiance was cute, the menu appealing but not one person there knew how to tend their patrons, We (three of us) arrived and although they had a birthday party in the back garden area there were only a handful of people up front. Upon our entry it took a considerable amount of time to even be acknowledged. There was confusion-- not just to us, but to others (who left) whether one should select a table out front and seat themselves or wait to be seated. Likewise, there was no clarity as if we should order inside or outside. We were finally acknowledged and placed our order inside then seated outside. We were very clear about our order and repeated it. It was a quite simple order. We sat for a very long time and others started showing up and and placed their orders and were seated. We waited and waited and then noticed that everyone who had arrived after us were eating their meals. And we had not even been brought water or utensils the very basics of being served, Nor had we received our drinks. A considerable amount of time passed. A member of our group went inside to let them know we had been forgotten. They finally brought our drinks one of which was incorrect and had not been ordered, Still no water, no utensils and no sign of our food. Our order did no come out at the same time, and no utensils were brought and we had to ask for utensils. No napkins brought out and we had to ask for them. I was told that my meal was something I did not order and so went in to correct in. The waitress in a very aggressive fashion pointing at me insisted that is what I ordered and that she wrote it down. However, pulling the order up they found out that I was correct and that they had not written that down. the waiter then took my dish and with his bare hands peeled back everything actually manhandling it saying it was the correct meal. The meal being a crepe. Actually touching the inside pointing nd saying see see. I asked for a manager and was told, "We do not have a manager....he is on vacation" I then was really upset and said that I wanted to be compensated. We were all upset and began talking about the overall experience and half angry and half joking when a drunk man wearing no mask came over and went off. No one from the café came out to assist, Once again we could not eat our dessert as no spoons were brought and we had to ask for them. One person seemed to be hustling while the others stood around. We went to pay the bill and were pleasant but expressed that it was one thing after another, She took off the crepe and did bring drinks but our night was ruined. It was a frenzied in there, they had no idea how to provide service or interact with customers. One star is being kind and I certainly in this description did not capture the mood of the place....it was horrible. No acknowledgement, extreme waits for everything, incorrect food and drink brought out, rude staff, unprofessional conduct, poor service. If that is what the staff does to food in front of customers I hate to see what happens in the kitchen. And despite it all we remained objective and complimented what was nice and expressed what upset us and di leave a tip. We will never eat there again, will never recommend it and we hope by expressing this that others to not go and have their night ruined. if you have someone you really dislike this would be the perfect place to take them . It was a horrible experience. read more

Unfortunate experience. I preface by saying I acknowledge it's a pandemic and stress and tension is high. I have worked in the restaurant industry as a waitress, bartender, hostess and manager. Tonight my mom, boyfriend, and I went to eat in their outdoor dining. There were 4 people on staff and 5 tables and a large birthday party outback. We ordered oysters, 3 beverages, and 3 desserts. 3 tables we sat after us, all of them got their HOT food and meals before us. We had to ask about our items after about 45 minutes. Then we had to ask for our wine, it finally came out. One of the wine orders was wrong still no water, plates, utensils, or napkins. Then they brought out my BFs oysters. Still no utensils. Had to request napkins. And finally had to ask for water and utensils. Our desserts came out and one of the orders was wrong again. My mom goes in and the hostess argues with her that the order is what she asked for and pointed her finger at her and walked away. The other waiter then takes his BARE hands and pulls up my mom's crepe and says no see that is correct! We are then conversing and yes complaining to each other about the bad service and what just happened, and then a drunk customer (clearly a regular) comes over without a mask on and starts yelling at us about complaining. Screaming and making a scene and the staff sees this and does nothing to intervene with a drunk customer at our table without a mask. We then still have to go back in and have to request spoons for our dessert and we are without utensils again. The food and ambiance would have been lovely. The food was good. the service was beyond terrible. Seriously this was probably the worst service I've ever gotten in a restaurant. read more

Le Gamin is a typical restaurant with a hipster waitstaff in Greenpoint with decent food but nothing to rave about. The three of us sat down & were greeted promptly by our server & ordered pretty quickly; however the food was served far from that...it took quite a while and for omelettes of all things. Granted, the omelettes were good but I ordered mine with spinach, caramelized onions, & Ratatouille & the ingredients inside were all lukewarm at best. It's always disappointing to get your food & it's not hot when you waited a significant amount of time for it in the first place. The omelette is served with a small salad tossed in a creamy Dijon vinaigrette & home fries but I opted for a side of fruit instead. As far as being a French restaurant it is hard to actually judge because I had nothing that is "French" but I would consider going back one day to try a buckwheat crepe or escargot. read more

Le Gamin - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The Good. -The lovely little garden in the back. -The goat cheese salad was very tasty. -Her dorade special with the saffron risotto; delicious. -The waitress pretended she couldn't open the (affordable) twist-off bottle of wine, just so I could look like a big, strong man in front of my date. (A first.) The Bad. -The goat cheese salad was difficult to eat. Huge hearts of romaine, uncut. -The one server, with no help whatsoever, was understandably overwhelmed. -My salmon was a bit too sweet for my taste; although, that's partly my own fault for ordering as it was "honey-glazed" or something like that. The Ugly. -The sadistic mosquitoes that tormented us throughout the meal. My date is convinced they have been genetically modified, as the places on her legs where they savaged her swelled up like golf balls. read more

I came here for an early lunch on a Sunday. The place wasn't crowded but not empty either. We decided to sit in the patio in the back and it was super cute and comfortable since there was plenty of shade. Our waitress came by fast with our menus and to see if we knew what we wanted to order. I wasn't in the mood for anything alcoholic so I decided to try their orange juice which was a great choice since it was freshly squeezed. For my lunch I went with a chicken, mushrooms and goat cheese crepe. It was really good and a very large size, I was only able to eat maybe half. This is a nice place to enjoy a pleasant lunch especially on a hot summer day. read more

I really want to give Le Gamin more stars, but I can't. The service is repeatedly painstakingly slow. The staff is friendly, but either they don't seem fully aware of the long wait time, that or they're just not acknowledging that its a problem. The food is pretty good though. I love their quiches, salads and the french onion soup is also delicious, that said, I can't justify a two hour lunch during the week. They don't take cash, but they do have an ATM on the premises. They also have Martinelli's Apple Juice. Delicious. Le Gamin, please speed up the service and I promise to come by more often! read more

Charming and authentic French cafe in Greenpoint. Been coming here since the place opened and I always enjoy my meal! Service is a little on the slow side but I am ok as long as I am not in a hurry to do something else. Wait staff are friendly and food is really good! Always very busy on weekends for lunch. There have a great outdoor patio area too. The coffee is fab here, either Americano or Cafe au lait which comes in a huge cup which is almost bowl like. Thay also put bottles of plain city water on the table and refill when asked. The Croque Monsieur is to die for served with ham, melted gruyere and mesculin salad. The merguez (spicy lamb sausage) sandwich is also delicious with spicy dijon mustard. The burger is also grass fed 8 oz and so juicy and tasty served in a crispy bun with fries. Side order of fries is also a good way to go as they are plentiful and just home I like them slightly crispy. The smoked salmon is another great dish here and also the omlet with home fires. I love this place for lunch/brunch, but not so much for dinner as I had a couple of average dinner experiences. read more

What a delightful place for brunch! I recently hosted a baby shower for 20 here in the back garden. It was the perfect setting for our event. The staff was so helpful and accommodating. All of our guests RAVED about the food. It was absolutely delicious! I mean, bacon crisped to perfection. The flakiest and most yummy croissants and pastries. Fresh juice. It was a hit! I can't wait to visit again and try more things on the menu. read more

Le Gamin - Back garden patio, we added our own decorations, but you can see the set up of the long table for brunch. - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place was super cute. The decor was lovely and the service was wonderful. I ordered crepes, which were good but not to my particular liking. The fries were great, very crunchy and you just couldn't put them down. read more

Came here with my coworker. We both ordered the same dish. The waiter shows up and he mistakenly thought we only ordered 1 dish to share. That's okay - no problem. I let my coworker take the dish. The waiter never said sorry. Never offered to give me maybe a piece of bread to eat while my coworker ate - he just said nothing while I waited and my coworker ate. I give 3 stars because food is pretty good. Service is not that great. read more

Avoid this place in the summer months as there is no air conditioning here. Trying to enjoy a French Onion soup in a sauna like climate is impossible :) The steak was ok but nothing special to rave about. The waitress was nice and friendly and did give us a glass of wine on the house. read more

I write this with a heavy heart. I often go to Le Gamin for a weekend brunch or dinner during the week nights. It's typically always a great experience and the food is always delicious and fairly priced. Lately, I think there must have been a change in staff. We stopped by on a week night for dinner. The entire restaurant was empty inside and we were told the back was filled and couldn't accommodate a table for 2. Fine, so we decide to take a seat inside. 25 minutes go by and we hadn't even received water. I let the staff know where we were sitting (in case they had missed it) and was told they would be with us soon. Knowing that the back was packed, we decide to be patient since there were only 2 wait staff and another gentleman drying glasses. At that point, another couple walks in for dinner. They were asked if they would like to sit in the back and then were escorted to their table in the garden. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - is right) 10 minutes after that, a waiter came over (still with no water) and said, can I help you. We complained and left. Although I love this place, the experience definitely tainted it for me. Hopefully, after some time I'll revisit and will have a different experience. read more

Best place to work in the morning in Greenpoint! Croissants, Wifi, Sandwich and Café au lait :) I feel like I am in a French bistrot and very pleasantly surprised with the food. My favorite is the fresh OJ in the morning with a pain au chocolat. read more

Love it. This spot brings so much more charm to Franklin Street. Big windows, airy, wood tables. Small and sweet and uncluttered. I'm still swoony about the big ol' bowl of latte and the mushroom, leek and swiss cheese crepe I had here the other day. I'm craving all that right now, in fact. Following the traditional method, they use buckwheat for their savory crepes, which makes me very happy. I can't abide those crepe spots that use the same batter for the savory crepes that they use for the sweet ones. The little salad garnish alongside my crepe was gently tossed with a grainy mustard vinaigrette. Perfect. Just what I wanted, in just the right portion. Too full to sample a sweet crepe on the last visit, but you can be sure I'll get an espresso so I have room for a dessert crepe the next time I stop in (which will be soon, with any luck). read more

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Went on a Monday night. It was not very busy which I like. The waiter was funny, which I love. Food: good Service: great Atmosphere: super cute I got the duck and my friend got the steak and my vegetarian friend got some cauliflower steak. The duck was the best Escargot could have been a little saltier but was still tasty Didn't get to try dessert. Wine was inexpensive and delicious. read more

My husband and I stopped by with sleeping baby in tow on a Sunday morning at 9:30. There was no wait and we got to sit wherever we wanted in the garden. The garden was nice and quiet, our baby slept the whole time. I got the crepe with sauteed mushrooms, organic chicken and ratatouille - so warm and hearty, the ratatouille is so good! The crepe was light. My husband got the quebecoise - creamy, flavorful but it got heavy really fast. It needed some texture and a side of something bright to help the monotony of it. we also got a cafe au lait which was eh, the French aren't known for their coffee..... Service was attentive. read more

Let me start by saying I waited tables for 20 years in Manhattan and then worked for Danny Meyer's catering company for another decade until the pandemic hit. I understand and empathize with waiters more than most. So...we had dinner here last night for my birthday. It was our first time. We sat in the back garden and had the place ourselves. Our waitress was the only one on the floor and although she was efficient, she was cold and unfriendly. I decided to ignore that and enjoy the food - which was great and very authentic- and the company. Right before our entrees arrived my friend noticed rustling in the corner planter. It was a rat. Then we discovered- it was more than one. Then they started fighting and squeaking! We told the waitress as she arrived with our plates and we grabbed our stuff and ran to sit in the front of the restaurant. Honestly- it's 2020- seemed appropriate this year to see a rat fight at my birthday dinner. We had a good attitude and a good laugh but still - there were rats! Our server didn't apologize. Didn't seemed phased and didn't even offer to comp a round of drinks - which were all sodas. Once again- RATS - outside yes but still ... We had dessert without coffee because apparently and disappointingly the coffee machine was broken? We paid and left and I'm sure my husband tipped her nicely because he's married to an ex waitress and always does. So - is the food good? Yes. It was excellent! At least the appetizers were. For that alone I would consider going back. And do things happen in NYC especially during Covid? Sure. Even rats. And that's not the server's fault. But attitude is EVERYTHING when waiting on tables and I was incredibly disappointed by the one our waitress had last night. I have comped rounds of drinks or a dessert for simply making a table get up and move during their meal never mind having to run away from a rat fight. So if I ever do decide to come back I hope I get a different server and I will definitely avoid the back garden. read more

I wish I could leave zero stars. the staff try their best when you can tell there is no actual management at the restaurant. the food is not good, I think ultimately it comes down to the quality of food being served rather than how it's prepared. I ordered the quiche Lorraine, one of my favorite foods. it was bland, I know French cuisine is understated but it didn't taste like anything at all... and the salad it came with had some brown leaves. I feel bad for the staff working here, you can tell they are overworked and grossly underpaid. also i have to note that this place is gross. the silverware is greasy and the plates are dirty. I have no idea how it has an A rating for sanitation... makes you wonder. read more

This place is honestly filthy which is ironic because the sanitation grade is A (though I did notice a fly stuck on the sign). Silverware was greasy, my wine glass had a smear on the rim and when I asked for a new glass the waiter was clearly annoyed. In terms of food, it was pretty mediocre. You can find better mussels for the same price elsewhere. My advice: go elsewhere. read more

I went here for brunch yesterday. I ordered an iced coffee with half and half. I added the half and half and it curdled. I told the waiter and he came back a few minutes later and said he brought me whole milk instead even though the half and half wasn't spoiled it was chunky because that's how cream is. Wait, what? I've been drinking coffee with half and half for years and I've never encountered "chunky" half and half. Please instruct your service staff not to speak to diners as if we are idiots. If a diner says something is spoiled just apologize, take it away and bring a new one if that's what the diner wants. I'm concerned that your staff is not properly trained in food safety. read more

I can't believe I have lived in Greenpoint so long and had never been here! It's a wonderful place! Great atmosphere and friendly service. The backyard is lovely. I had the Québécois which was delicious! Have a croissant as an appetizer and enjoy the ambience. read more

Not the most pleasant welcome! We used to love this place, but the maitre d was very rude. Totally overlooked us even though we were in front of him and accommodated these girls first. When I told him that we were there first he was so condescending in his response!!! read more

I wanted to try Gamin for a long time and went there on a sunday afternoon. It looks much cuter from outside. The decor is really underwhelming with boring artwork on the walls, it's almost like this place has no soul. I ordered burger and my friend ordered moules. Moules was really good. But the burger was almost inedible. I asked medium and got a rare beef, it was almost burned outside. I had to send back and asked for medium. Second time it was extremely well-done. It was overcooked and falling apart with every bite. I had two bites only. Fries were average especially for a french restaurant. Toilet was another story with the not working flush. I won't be going back and would not recommend to anyone as there are so many better places in the neighborhood. Update: 4/27/2017: I wasn't going to write this but since le gamin replied my review very sarcastically I felt the need to underline the fact that I got food poised from the burger and spent the night in bathroom throwing up. read more

I went here late in the evening to get drinks and crepes with friends. I was impressed with the savory buckwheat crepes. You select 3 fillings from a pretty generous list that includes cheeses, veggies, meats, and smoked salmon. I got goat cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. It was perfect comfort food without being greasy or fried. The $13 price is a little steep for a vegetarian crepe, but reasonable if you get the meaty filling, as the portion is generous. The restaurant was basically empty when we were there, just one other party getting drinks. The service was good - our waiter was helpful offering suggestions and made sure drinks were refilled, etc. Not super friendly at first, but my group hung around for awhile as the staff was cleaning up for the night and we felt welcomed. The food was ready very quickly, also. I imagine this is definitely more of a brunch/daytime place, but I had a really good time closing the place down with some wine and bomb crepes! read more