125 W 43rd St
New York, NY 10036
(212) 768-0200
This is a nice cafe/ bar located just off Times Square. Normally, places so centrally located can be tourist traps and less than spectacular food, but this place caught me by surprise. BXL is a Belgian haunt offering various beers and, of course, Belgian food! Belgian food is very much influenced by french cuisine, so those who are leery of tasting it- do not be afraid... At all!!!
I ate Carbonnades flamandes (Sirloin tips stewed in Leffe Brown beer with fries) and it was absolutely wonderful, but don't eat this if you are on a diet. To me, this epitomizes 'comfort food' and was so delectable. The sauce was thick but not too heavy and the fries (pomme frites) were fresh and crisp. My sister ate the Bouchee a la reine (Puff pastry with chicken and mushroom in cream sauce) and our friend had Chicons au gratin (Baked endives wrapped in ham with swiss cheese and béchamel sauce gratin). Both were equally delicious -though I liked the gratin a bit more- and satisfying. Again, they melded with the comfort food theme but were very authentic to the type of food seen in Belgium.
As far as the atmosphere, it was a bit crowded and since it was near Times Square, that was probably the reason. However, most of the crowd seemed to be young professionals. There is a bar area and small restaurant area toward the back. Wait staff did their job. Nothing spectacular about them.
Overall, this place made me want to try more Belgian food! I love the French influence on it and the food just makes sense (unlike me sometimes!). It was a bit pricey, though. Again, that is probably attributed to the location.
