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Closed for Business: A.O.C. Bistro, 259 5th Avenue
Tuesday, September 30, 2024 at 8:02AM 
A.O.C. Bistro, the French restaurant on the corner of 5th Avenue and Garfield Place, has closed up shop. It's been shuttered for the past few days, the phone has been disconnected, and several tipsters have written in to let me know that it's closed for good.
The restaurant opened in August 2007, and was one of those places that always seemed to be full even though nobody ever talked about going there. It was a popular inexpensive brunch spot with its menu of French classics like croque monsieur and salade Nicoise, and the dinner menu was by-the-book French bistro, with offerings including poulet frites, coq au vin, duck confit, and moules marinere. They also introduced a couple specials in recent years, including a $1 oyster promotion. It wasn't one of the best restaurants in the neighborhood by any means, but it certainly filled a niche.
The space was actually first listed back in January 2012. This joins an increasing number of vacant prime storefronts on this stretch of Fifth, including the ones last occupied by Guvnor's and Terroir. Hopefully the string of vacancies that's taken over the north end of Seventh Avenue hasn't found its way east, but at this rate the space will probably become a nail salon.
Closed for Business in Food, Storefronts
Reader Comments (19)
Guvnor's has already been rented to Pure Barre (reported by Park slope stoop) and Terroir only closed when they found a suitable replacement so that place has been rented as well.
http://parkslopestoop.com/blog/health/pure-barre-studio-to-open-in-former-guvnors-space
I heard through a possibly unreliable source that Terroir is turning into a Two Boots. Sort of makes sense with the one by 7th Ave recently closing.
Their food was much better than most gave them credit for but their regular presence on groupon for the past year was a clue to their demise.
I walked by a few weeks ago shortly before they opened for the day and saw a male employee smoking a cigarette out front with no shirt on, jeans sagging, showing his "craque monsieur."
They closed prior to Labor Day weekend. The building is now under construction so presumably they won't be looking for a new tenant any time soon.
AnthonyCM -
I would absolutely flip out if Two Boots reopened in that space, if it is Two Boots BROOKLYN, and not just another Two Boots Manhattan pizza place. Also, isn't that space a bit small for Two Boots? Either way, I hope your unreliable source is correct.
Why? Two Boots is awful pizza and overpriced.
We have incredible pizza places in Park Slope (Franny's, Brooklyn Central a block away from here, Giuspinna's, Toby's, the list goes on and one).
Two Boots was a daycare center, certainly not a place ranked for its excellent pizza. I highly doubt they'd be moving into such a classy corner location like Terroir with no outdoor space. They need places for drooling kids to throw frozen pizza on the ground.
Saw this coming for a long time. We enjoyed the place at first, but after a while the tables started to look beat up on the corners. There were tears in the seats that remained unaddressed...
Pierre Loti up on 5th Avenue is MUCH MUCH better French fare.
Try it.
We were in there about mid-summer and the bartender mentioned that new management had taken over and they were trying to revise the menu to attract a "younger" crowd. Looks like that plan turned out about as well as I thought it might.
I think I ate there twice, and was extremely disappointed both times. Both the food and the service were not good.
As for Two Boots, since I never managed to have kids while it was open, I can't really complain, but I loved the atmosphere of the old one--doubt it can be created anywhere ever again ;-(
They had the best 'bistro' burger in the neighborhood by far and it was actually regularly priced. The food was pretty decent and not special but the price point was perfect.
Rick -
I wouldn't know much about the pizza -- I rarely ordered it. If you recall, they had an expansive menu of well-priced food. Po' boys, catfish, chicken fried steak, fried chicken, pastas, sides, solid salads and burgers, good drinks, and a great brunch (with a free mimosa!). I enjoyed going there for years before I had kids and for the short time post-kid that they were open.
Plus, it was huge, so no waiting even on a Saturday night. Nice, small bar and a nice outdoor seating area.
I agree with SlopeSteven - I loved the atmosphere.
Two Boots was god awful. Please, no
It's going to be a Two Boots. They delivered a large industrial mixer last week and have started renovating the space. This week they put wainscoting up around the entryway and painted the exact same blue as the exterior of the former location on 2nd street. They should do pretty well for a bit.
That makes no sense -theyre going to open right next door to La Villa? Theyre different models but why create unnecessary competition?
Jbob -
There may not be too much pizza at the new Two Boots (if it ends up being a Two Boots). If I recall, the 2nd street place closed because one of the three partners wanted to retire. He was the one with ownership of the pizza recipes, so maybe this new place will be equally New Orleans, but with more emphasis on Italian dishes but less on pizza. They always seemed more Cajun/Creole than Italian to me, anyway.
Two Boots' pizza was mostly a prop for kids. It was sufficiently bad that procuring an equal or better recipe will not be difficult.