It is really strange to be classifying this restaurant as being "French," but I guess when it comes right down to it, it is mostly French.
The French Roast Cafe is a very laid-back cafe on the corner of 6th Avenue and 11th Street. We ate here for a late lunch/early dinner and because of our timing, the menu was quite limited. They serve some distinctly French items, but also American foods like burgers and wraps.
This was really our only encounter with truly terrible service in NY. The waiters and waitresses are very young and very busy with chatting among themselves. They spend little time actually serving their guests. We were waiting for quite some time in order to get our check and then even longer to get change. This was while we were being ignored by some very "snooty" waiters. Needless to say, we didn't leave much of a tip.
The food was fair, though I didn't try any of their more unusual dishes. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and fries. My friend had the croque monsieur, which was like an omelet with smoked ham and Gruyere cheese. She said it was very good.
Though I have heard that the prices here are much lower than any other restaurant in an otherwise expensive neighborhood, I wasn't impressed.
If you want a truly West Village dining experience, with beautiful people talking into cell phones and typing on laptops while you are ignored by wait staff, then this place is for you! For anyone else, I wouldn't recommend it.