Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

I was recently invited to a press dinner at Sel et Poivre, a delightful little family-style French bistro on the Upper East Side.

Executive chef and owner Christian Schienle, partnered with his wife Pamela, have created a place that truly encompasses the notion of a neighborhood spot.

 

 

There is an open warmth emanating from everyone here. From the minute you walk in…you get the feeling that home is not very far away.

Its easy to see why generations of families have favorited Sel et Poivre as their go to spot to dine at. In the course of our evening there, we witnessed Christian greet practically every guest who walked in by their first name and even the newbies were welcomed with equal warmth and cheer.

The menu at Sel et Poivre is grounded in traditional French-bistro cuisine. The classic fare tenders reliably tasty dishes, the kind that one wants to keep coming back to.

We had a stunning “Skate with Lemon & Capers”, one of the better renditions of skate I have tried in a while. I loved the light rendition of “Asparagus Soup” we sampled which had no cream but was flavored with potato instead.

Sel et Poivre offers great deals with the daily specials, prix-fixe lunch, dinner and brunch deals. They also offer special “themed” menus throughout the year and are kicking off their “Game Tasting Menu” this week.

There is a reason why Sel et Poivre is coming up on celebrating 25 years of being in the business. In times where places and faces change so quickly …it is so comforting to have something as solidly good and dependable as this.

In Christian Schienle own words what Sel et Poivre does is “cooks with love and serves with charm”. That about sums up my Sel et Poivre experience.

 

Here is some of what we ate:

 

Crab Cake with Mixed Green Salad 

 

Asparagus Soup

 

Skate with Lemon & Capers 

 

Pork Chop w/ Braised Onions, Apples in Calvados Sauce 

 

French Fries

 

Profiteroles