Gallic Cheer on Seventh Avenue

Drawn in by its cheery teal facade, I went to check out Couleur Café shortly after it opened. In a neighborhood already swarmed with homey little coffee shop cafés, this new spot on Seventh Avenue near 15th Street shows encouraging early signs of bringing something new to the neighborhood. 

We began our little Sunday repast with a ham and cheese sandwich on a croissant ($4.95), which was just as buttery and flaky and delicious as you’d hope. Next came a smoked duck salad ($9.95). Slices of duck, ringed with a stripe of fat, lie atop a pile of perfectly crisp-tender string beans, surrounded by coins of Yukon gold potatoes (a few of them sadly undercooked), dressed in a slightly sweet and gently buttery tarragon vinaigrette. The duck is prepared by the café’s own charcuterist and lord was it good, with a smokiness that surpassed even the most bacony bacon.

We finished off with a chocolate almond croissant ($2.75), a misshapen heap of glorious, buttery pastry, and a café au lait ($3.50). Couleur Café orders a custom blend from Brooklyn Roasters, and the result is a rich, smooth cup, cradled in this case by a pretty luscious tight foam. 

There’s plenty more tempting stuff on the menu, and it’s all nicely priced. In a nod to the French owner’s Turkish family roots, there’s a Kefta pie with spiced ground beef and potato ($7.95). A chicken sandwich comes dressed with harissa mayonnaise. The quiche section includes the usual ham and cheese rendering, as well as one with blue cheese, walnut, and onion. There’s also “Le Menu Enfant,” which features Frenchified kiddie foods like nutella and banana on sliced whole wheat ($5.95).

On the counter as you walk in, those chocolate almond croissants lie under elegant glass domes with their “Venoiserie” brethren, the pain au chocolate ($2.50) and the tarte tatin ($2.75). There’s also éclairs and tartelettes, Napoleons and mousse, and gosh I think I need to go back soon.

The space is bright and airy, with huge windows looking out on Seventh Avenue’s lazy foot traffic. Walls painted pale oyster gray contrast nicely with the warm hardwood floors and exposed brick; the colors in the mismatched chairs softly echo the bright turquoise of the reclaimed wood counter.

It’s the kind of place where you can easily imagine yourself spending hours on end, trying every pastry on the menu before rolling home down the street.