A secret Upper West Side gem! Cafe Luxembourg is very, very quaint. It really seems like a European bistro, except much nicer and cleaner, as the ones in Europe can tend to be a little seedy if you look closely enough. There are booths along the windows (where seating is kind of tight, or cozy, depending on whom you're sitting next to) and little round tables toward the back. Like most good New York City restaurants, the staff are all attractive, probably models, and some are even French. But they're also very friendly, something else that differentiates Cafe Luxembourg from its European counterparts. The food is always wonderful. Most things on the menu are pretty normal, continental-type foods, but with the occasional French specialty, which I don't usually try (I'm not a food adventurer) but my dining companions love.
My favorite things to eat here are the omelettes, which are perfectly fluffy, done to perfection, and filled with almost anything, including several specialty cheeses like Gruyere and Emmenthal; the mushroom soup, which is absolutely perfect; and the little basket of baked goods that comes with brunch and always has a large variety of different things. The atmosphere is great, and it definitely does not feel like the type of place that requires reservations. But since it's been around for so long, it is famous among those who've heard of it--I always see Matt Dillon there and several other celebrities who live in the area.