Brunch in New York is a curious phenomenon, as it appears that city denizens (citizens?) cannot operate over the weekend without having brunch and discussing the stupid drunken tomfoolery they performed the previous night. Because I’m always staying with Hakeem and Chamique as a married couple, the tomfoolery discussions are quite mundane. Although there was one time… Nope… I don’t want to get Hakeem in trouble. We recently decided to try out a place called La Bonne Soupe, because I needed to go to the Indian embassy (no, not because I’m getting deported!), which was nearby.

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of good places for brunch near the embassy, and La Bonne Soupe was the closest we could find that would please both Hakeem, Chamique, and myself. Anytime you go to a French restaurant, it is fair to expect the most delicious bread you’ve ever had. And, if the bread is very stale and inedible, it would also be fair to say that it is an abomination to serve such terrible food. I was shocked and appalled at just how terrible the bread was at La Bonne Soupe, especially considering the name of the restaurant. You can’t serve soup without bread, and the fact that the bread is so bad would indicate the soup is not so “bonne”. But, fortunately I didn’t have the soup.

Instead, I had a ratatouille omelet, an intriguing concept, as I have always wondered, “Is it possible to have something as delicious as ratatouille, but with more animal protein?” And after many years of failed experiments on my part, La Bonne Soupe has accomplished this herculean feat. Unfortunately, whenever I make ratatouille (I’ve never actually eaten ratatouille anywhere other than home), I always like dumping some cheese on top. And, anytime I eat eggs, I always like dumping some cheese on top. However, this ratatouille omelet excludes the possibility of cheese! So, while I must commend La Bonne Soupe for combining ratatouille and eggs, I must ask, “At what cost?”

The omelet came with a salad, which incidentally was the highlight of the meal (that and the ratatouille within the omelet was pretty tasty also). The salad greens were pretty fresh, as were the tomatoes. Unfortunately there were drowned in dressing, which was slightly off-putting.

Overall, there is a very limited selection of food for vegetarians at La Bonne Soupe, as you would expect for any French restaurant. Unfortunately, they are unable to succeed in matching the quality of food you would expect to get at a French restaurant, which begs the question, “Why bother coming here?” In all honesty, I can’t provide a good reason, so, I’ll give La Bonne Soupe two cheese sandwiches.

La Bonne Soupe
48 W 55th St
New York, 10019 
(212) 586-7650