This Bastille Day, Celebrate at a New French Bistro Hotspot: Café Chelsea

It feels oxymoronic to use the word “new” when describing the Hotel Chelsea. The storied building, after all, has been a New York City landmark since 1966 and on the National Register for Historic Places since 1977, thanks to its legacy as a creative hub for some of the city’s most brilliant writers, musicians, artists, and actors. In fact, when the hotel quietly reopened after a renovation in 2022, most of its original features stayed in place—from its mosaic marble tiles to its Depression-era bar El Quijote.

But now, Hotel Chelsea is indeed welcoming something brand new: their restaurant, Café Chelsea.

An all day-eatery helmed by Sunday in Brooklyn’s Charles Seich, Café Chelsea has taken over the former Capitol Fishing Tackle shop and transformed it into a Parisian bistro: Executive Chef Derek Boccagno’s menu includes Poulet Rôti, Tartare de Boeuf, Façon Niçoise, and Raviole du Dauphiné, whereas the wine menu is full of wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. There will be two distinct dining areas: one casual, called the Petit Café, and the formal Grand Café. Art by the current and former tenants of Hotel Chelsea hangs on the walls, while vintage chandeliers and Gallic décor accents further add to the ambiance. A social cornerstone, inevitably, will be the zinc-topped bar serving up everything from martinis to a perfect French 75.