We’ve enjoyed every morsel we’ve tasted at 59 Main Street in Chester. Delightful meals have spanned decades from DuVillage to Restaurant L&E and Hot French Chix. Thanks to Chelsey Feldcher, a pandemic-era Manhattan transplant and her crew, this fresh rendition continues to deliver.

On a chilly and dismal evening last week, we masked up and popped in to give this long-awaited eatery a try. The front dining room (you may now enter through the front door!) is decked out with twinkly lights and candelabra and there’s lively tunes playing throughout. We were immediately greeted by Lexy, a colleague of Chelsey’s from the restaurant industry in NYC, who’s holding down the bar and tending to tables. She happily answered all of our questions about the menu, and gave us her recommendations (Oxtail Bolognese, next time!) and she whipped me up a mean Mocktail (Dry January!). We sampled a vast variety of plates and everything was scrumptious. A favorite was the Red Lentil Hummus prepared with feta, olive tapenade and chili oil and served with the perfect toast. We couldn’t resist the Charred Octopus served with little Yukon gold potatoes, fennel, oranges, and pickled red onion. My pescatarian date ordered Monkfish Osso Buco, a big bright bowl filled with asparagus, fava beans, wild mushrooms and cider truffle jus. It’s rare we hit a bistro without someone testing the Steak Frites and this one passed with flying colors. A 10oz steak served with a whole-grain remoulade, topped with demi-glace and a beautiful pile of shoestring fries. We brought lots home and opted to end with an orange mascarpone pot de creme topped with salted pistachio (thank you, Chelsey!).

Chelsey, who’s been working in the hospitality industry for about 15 years, was simply looking for a house out here in the country and fell in love with the building and restaurant. The rest is history. She and the team at Village Bistro hope to provide a comfortable and accessible venue that speaks to the community and caters to locals.

Brunch is on the horizon but the start date is TBD due to the current climate.

Service is on a Thursday through Monday schedule. Look out for Monday night specials geared towards industry folks who seldom have a place to unwind on off nights.

Stay tuned (probably February) for an AirBnb in the upstairs of this 200-year-old beauty of a building. Another charming spot to stash your guests!

https://www.villagebistroct.com/

59 Main Street, Chester