Brothers Joshua and David Foulquier have made a name for themselves as the restaurateurs behind MICHELIN-Starred NYC sushi legends Sushi Noz and Noz 17. But their newest restaurant, Chez Fifi on New York’s Upper East Side, is their most personal yet and is named for their late mother.
“She was always welcoming everybody with open arms and was always cooking for everybody,” Joshua Foulquier says. Much of the brothers’ extended family lives in France, so they often spent summers there. “We’d always go to these classic bistros that were run by the son of the owner, serving just very traditional dishes, exceptionally well. That was her aesthetic. We thought this was the perfect place to honor [those memories of her].”
They couldn’t have picked a better location to open their new French bistro. The restaurant is in a 19th century landmark townhouse located just a few blocks from her former Upper East Side home. “I love the space because it had been untouched in 60-plus years,” Foulquier says. “It’s everything I love about tradition and old New York and Paris.”
Read on for why Chez Fifi is a must-visit, and make a booking on OpenTable.
What to eat
Eating at Chez Fifi feels like a French bistro took a vacation to San Sebastian in Spain. “Bringing in Basque dishes into this classic Parisian fare was one thing we were super happy about,” Foulquier says of the menu created by executive chef and Café Altro Paradiso alum Zack Zeidman. “I was always waiting for the day where I could put a foie gras on the table next to a Basque-style baked crab dish.”
Start with those smaller dishes before moving on to larger ones like the Gallic-style roast chicken with cubed potatoes sauteed in butter with a simple green salad on the side. “I grew up at least once a week eating this exact dish,” Foulquier says. “That was my childhood.”
Don’t miss out on the seafood, especially the raw tuna with shallots and caviar. “The tuna is actually toro that Sushi Noz prepares and then sends it over to Fifi,” Foulquier says. “It’s literally two-MICHELIN-Star tuna.” And definitely save room for dessert. “The curve-ball Basque-style dish is a fromage blanc ice cream,” Foulquier says. “It’s a slightly savory ice cream. It smells almost barnyard-y. It’s served with a huckleberry jam and it’s absolutely lights-out delicious.”
What to drink
Wine nerds will feel right at home at Chez Fifi. “I spent the last five years assembling an insane, manic list of Old World wine,” Foulquier says. “It’s a very classic wine list and with a focus on historic vintages.”
That means a cellar with more than 3,500 bottles. The selection leans heavily French, with an emphasis on Burgundy and Bordeaux, plus some from the Loire and Jura, along with a strong Spanish selection. There’s also the rare opportunity to try some very special old releases, like a 1982 Bordeaux, by the glass.
Plus, cocktail vet Yumi Nemoto (B Flat) presides over a stellar cocktail selection in a lounge space upstairs. “There’s an amazing tomato martini that every single person has been getting already,” Foulquier says. Nemoto macerates 25 different varieties of tomatoes overnight to create the cocktail, which combines tomato liqueur with tomato water.
Where to sit
Pick where you want to sit in the bi-level restaurant depending on the type of evening you’re looking for. For a lively dinner with friends, go for the main dining room. “Downstairs, the vibe is definitely more jovial,” Foulquier says. “It’s elegant and refined, but slightly less formal in the style of the plating and in the style of the service.”
There are only 40 seats in the restaurant, so you can’t really go wrong, but Foulquier has a go-to spot in the house. “There are these two booths that are surrounded by this floral fabric on the walls,” he says. “Those are my personal favorites.”
Head upstairs to Salon de Fifi a l’Étage for date night. The tighter menu of small plates makes for a lovely, light dinner. “Yumi is definitely more precise and everything is perfect,” Foulquier says. “Everything’s perfect downstairs, too, but it’s presented differently. Upstairs, it’s orchestral.”
Diana Hubbell is a James Beard Award-winning food and culture journalist based in Brooklyn. Currently an associate editor at Atlas Obscura, she has also written for Eater, The Washington Post, The Guardian, VICE, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, WIRED, and Playboy, among others.
