Rebelle
Rebelle, a fresh-faced take on modern French cooking, made its NoLita debut to a symphony of praise. Bloomberg Pursuits wrote, “Finally, New York Gets the French Restaurant It Deserves.” And the New York Times highlighted the restaurant’s “unforced” and inspired menu, noting that the restaurant’s most promising asset is its ability to “flirt with French ideas in exciting ways.” Co-owned by Branden McRill, Rebelle composes everything diners love about Parisian-inspired fare without the stiff air of sentimentality. A long white marble bar, exposed brick throughout, and polished concrete floors help firmly plant Rebelle in the modern era. This isn’t a nod to French cooking of decades past; it’s a lighthouse of where that fare is going
Menu favorites include the roast chicken served with confit potato, sorrel, and lemon preserves. It’s a meal for two or four, and Bloomberg Pursuits is endless in its praise. “To make it,” the publication writes, “a whole bird has been deboned and roasted, then poached in tarragon-infused butter. It comes with a few potatoes made tender in rendered chicken fat and drippings, a dab of preserved lemon, and a puddle of sauce running through it all, like a fine chicken liqueur. That’s it. The flavors are rich but mellow, and—as with perfect Parisian rotisserie—so cozy it’s not always clear where the meat ends and the potatoes begin.”
And its elaborate wine list is just as inspired as its menu. Though Rebelle keeps its dinner entrée menu contained at just eight dishes, its wine list, New York Magazine notes, runs to 80 pages. At Rebelle, dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. until 11 p.m., and on Sundays from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Brunch is served on Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
