Critic
At Midtown’s Chic New Canteen, the Food Isn’t in Fashion
An outpost of a popular Paris hangout struggles to find its footing in New York.
The dining room at L’Avenue.
Photographer: Justin Bridges
It’s not easy to get into L’Avenue.
The issue isn’t only that reservations at the new restaurant at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan are inconveniently blocked out from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Physically, it’s hard to access the place. After 8:30, as the department store is closing down, a security guard will point you down 50th Street toward the sole entrance. A gum-chewing hostess with an iPad then sends you to the ninth floor.