Vive La France: Where to Celebrate Bastille Day 2016 in NYC

This coming Thursday, July 14th, commemorates the storming of Bastille; a watershed event during the French Revolution.  Although nowadays (in New York at least), Bastille Day is essentially the French counterpoint to Cinco de Mayo. And being that French cuisine has undergone its own sort of delicious, local revolution lately, it seems an especially felicitous time to celebrate, at spots like Le Coq Rico, Le District and more.

Le Coq Rico: The Flatiron outpost of Paris’ Le Coq Rico is paying tribute to the revolutionary royal with a “Lady Antoinette” cocktail, incorporating her three favorite foods; chocolate, macarons, and (believe it or not) potatoes.  Potato vodka serves as the base, followed by almond syrup (standing in for the macarons) and a spoonful of chocolate, accented with “bloody” raspberry syrup at the base of the glass, and a rim of French pralines.
30 E 20th St, (212) 267-7426

Brookfield Place: Being that its home to the massive, waterfront-adjacent French food court and market, Le District, Brookfield Place is throwing not just one, but two Bastille Day celebrations this year!  On Thursday, Le District will serve up French dishes, drinks and music, and on Saturday, the entire compound will come alive with petanque, a Moet bar, crepes, ice cream and more.
230 Vesey St, (212) 978-1698

Wallflower: Former Daniel chef, Derrick Paez’s menu is already perfectly suited to Bastille Day.  Think French countryside fare such as Quail with buttermilk dressing and little gem lettuce, Fingerling Potatoes with thyme and saffron aioli, and Steak with arugula and sherry gastrique.  All of this is the perfect complement to glasses of fizzy champagne, offered at half the price all day long.
235 W 12th St, (646) 682-9842

Le Boudoir: Inspired by Marie Antoinette’s private chambers in Le Chateau de Versailles (outfitted with opulent red velvet banquettes, white marble tables, gilded mirrors and antique sconces), this underground Rococo-style bar is going all out for Bastille Day, with live music from a Gypsy Jazz band, a celebratory dessert cocktail called “Let them Eat Cake,” and light bites, like country pate with cornichons and crispy frogs legs.
135 Atlantic Ave, (347) 227-8337

Simple Cafe: This charming French-Algerian café in Williamsburg (which also houses the French-Vietnamese pop-up, BEP) is throwing a festive seafood boil on Bastille Day, featuring crawfish, mussels, dollar oysters, $6 glasses of rosé, and $4 pints of beer.
346 Bedford Ave, (718) 218-7067

French Restaurant Week: Running through the 17th, you can celebrate Bastille Day all week long thanks to this restaurant promotion, featuring reduced-cost prix fixe dinners at the city’s best French eateries, including $17.89 “Discover” menus at spots like Café Centro, David’s Café and Tartinery, $35.78 “Gourmand” options at Bistro Cassis, Le Singe Vert and Tout va Bien, or $178.90 “Connoisseur” blowouts, at Le Perigord, Orsay, Racines and La Sirene.