Balthazar is the restaurant that established SoHo as a serious dining neighbourhood. The room — zinc bar, leather banquettes, antique mirrors, the noise of 300 people — is the template for every grand brasserie that followed it. The raw bar is excellent, the steak frites are reliable, and the bread from its own bakery is reason enough to visit before 9am.
Balthazar
Grand Parisian brasserie on Spring Street open since 1997 — still the standard for all-day dining