‘Tout va bien’ as Le Gamin opens in Sharon

SHARON — The restaurant space in Sharon’s shopping plaza has been vacant for nearly two years, but is now home to Le Gamin, serving traditional French café and bistro food.

Robert Arbor, a native of France who has successfully owned and operated similar cafés for decades in New York,  opened the eatery on Thursday, Feb. 25, and has had a very positive response from diners, who are eating in and taking out. 

Le Gamin has even sold out of several items on a couple occasions, as Arbor has begun to learn what patrons want, when they want it and how many they want. Especially popular so far have been the fresh croissants and other “viennoiseries,” brought in from Colson’s in Brooklyn and proofed and baked on the premises.

Also sold out on its first weekend on the menu: a bubbly and enticing onion soup topped with melted cheese. 

“People, they are so welcoming and kind,” said Arbor of the reception he received. “They are so happy that we are here, it’s a great feeling.”

Arriving in New York City in 1988, Arbor decided he wanted to work in the restaurant business. He attended the French Culinary School (now the International Culinary School) and then opened the original Le Gamin on MacDougal Street in SoHo in 1992.  

Manhattan offers such a bounty of foreign cuisines, Arbor said, but “at the time, there were no cafés,” no place to stop in the morning for a bowl of strong coffee and a buttered, toasted baguette, no place to get a good salad or a melted cheese sandwich at mid-day. 

The success of Le Gamin on MacDougal Street led to Les Deux Gamins, which opened in the West Village in 1994. 

With the rising costs of business, Arbor eventually closed both the original Le Gamin and Les Deux Gamins in the early 2000s, then opened a new Le Gamin in 2010 in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.

For many years, Arbor and his family had a home in Salisbury, and he began to think about opening an eatery up here.

“Last July, out of the blue, this space became available here,” said Arbor, referring to the restaurant space that was most recently Dining Alfresco, which closed in 2019. “I was driving by the ‘For Rent’ sign every day; so I had to call.”

Arbor believes that good meals are only as good as their ingredients. His baguettes are from the famous Sullivan Street bakery in Manhattan. He is sourcing meats from Q Farms in Sharon. 

And he is planning a small-scale farming operation at another property that he now owns, the former Beardsley Gardens in Sharon (where he and his son Lucien are now living).

Look for salads and vegetable specials from the potager in spring and summer. For now, the menu is heartier. Sweet and savory crepes are always on the menu; specials are posted daily on the restaurant website and Instagram (be sure to order from legaminstudioagraire; orders to just legamin go to the Brooklyn restaurant).

Daily specials can include different types of egg dishes in the morning as well as French toast (by its French name, of course, which is pain perdu, or “stale bread”).

Lunch and dinner specials have included steak and fries, mussels and fries, lobster in a lemongrass sauce on thick papardelle noodles, delicate cod with a tomato topping. Prices on the regular menu range from $7 for crepes to $17 for a salade nicoise with fresh tuna to $23 for the confit of canard served with roasted potatoes,  a salad and green beans (well, haricots verts).

Le Gamin is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and has indoor dining, following health and safety regulations, as well as takeout options. To learn more and to see the menu, go to www.legamin.com and select the Sharon location; call 860-397-5382, send texts to 860-385-4212; or visit legaminstudioagraire on Instagram.

Le Gamin is currently hiring for all positions. Call the restaurant or visit the website.

Robert Arbor, left, and his son Lucien have opened Le Gamin in the Sharon shopping plaza. Photo by Hunter O. Lyle

Le Gamin in Sharon has been attracting diners with classic French café menu items including a salade nicoise with fresh tuna and the croque madame, both in the photo above. Photo by Hunter O. Lyle

Robert Arbor, left, and his son Lucien have opened Le Gamin in the Sharon shopping plaza. Photo by Hunter O. Lyle