"Balthazar, restaurateur Keith McNally’s French brasserie, opened in 1997 and changed the tide in what had been an industrial, art-filled downtown Manhattan. Today, the menu still includes mainstays like raw bar seafood towers, French onion soup, steak frites, and profiteroles. It remains relevant as ever, thanks to McNally’s running Instagram commentary. The people-watching is like few places in New York. Good to know: Solo diners get VIP treatment with a glass of Champagne." - Emma Orlow