It's on 1 of my list. Each entry below is what I wrote about it there, with my verdict on that list, the fullest first.
- Address414 W 42nd
- From my guide, updated August 2026.
On the western end of 42nd, along Theatre Row, Chez Josephine has been doing its Parisian-cabaret thing since 1986, red walls and a piano and a whole lot of joie de vivre. It opens at 11, and while it is best known as a dinner spot, a matinee lunch here is a genuine delight if you want the theater afternoon to start the moment you sit down.
I will be honest with you. This is the splurge on the list and it is more scene than speed, so it is not the pick if you are cutting it close. But for an anniversary matinee, or the kind of afternoon you want to remember, six minutes from your seat and a glass of something French first is hard to beat.