Resto

RESTO features traditional Belgian food with a New York regional flavor. Farm fresh ingredients incorporated with traditional elements of Belgian cooking yield to an inventive and savory menu. RESTO will stay true to the gastro pub format by offering an assortment of Belgian beer to complement the Belgo-French slanted food.

After studying abroad for a semester in Belgium, I was intrigued when I heard that a new Belgian restaurant was opening in New York City. V and I eventually made our way to Resto for dinner, and after a few drinks while hovering at the bar, we got a table.

The restaurant isn't very large, though there are a good number of tables and seats at the bar. A mirror along the back wall gives the illusion of more space. There is a wide selection of Belgian beers on tap and in bottles, and each is served in its respective glass.

We tried two main or "grand" plates from the menu. First, the burger, with gruyere, red onion, pickle, mayo, and of course a side of frites. Somewhere I had heard that the burgers at Resto were one of the best things on the menu, today, I can't find any reviews elsewhere online saying that. To me the burger was good, though it was overcooked and lacked a juiciness I was hoping for. The frites of course were the real star, and they were crispy and nicely seasoned, served in the traditional cone, set in a metal holder with a little dish on the side for mayo or other frites sauces. The other dish was another traditional Belgian meal: mussels (also with frites). The portion was pretty large, and mussels of course take a while to eat, but they were very good.

Complimenting the food we drank Belgian beers of course, and they were each unique, though I wish our server would have recommended some that might be better with the dishes we ordered, or better suited to our tastes. There's definitely a good selection of beers, some of my favorites included. We finished off the meal with a Belgian waffle with vanilla crème fraiche and a little chocolate. The waffle was not too crispy on the outside - perfectly done, and the crème fraiche gave our meal a tangy finish.