Balthazar
French restaurant · SoHo ·
Iconic French brasserie with steak frites, brunch & pastries
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71508257/7181275445_8eb4ae8b58_b.0.0.0.0.jpeg "Balthazar by Daniel Krieger/Eater NY")
Iconic French brasserie with steak frites, brunch & pastries
"I’ve been going to Balthazar since it opened in 1997 and it’s very nostalgic for me—at first I couldn’t even get in, and it felt magical and glamorous. It’s always crowded and great for people-watching; the food is regular bistro fare but reliable. I always get a martini and a burger—the patty isn’t too thick and it’s the fries that make it so good—and you don’t go to Balthazar if you want a quiet meal; the time to go is later." - Padma Lakshmi
"By day, this Soho French brasserie is a mix of tourists and young women in off-duty model attire: colorful MoMa Yankees caps, possibly purchased at the Design Store right across the street, and Cartier Love bracelets stacked up to the elbow. By night, expect men in turtlenecks under blazers who look a little like Stanley Tucci, trying to connect with their Gallatin sophomore children over profiteroles. The evening crowd skews older, quietly richer, and also more likely to have their appearance here chronicled by Page Six. But the gossip isn’t just external. Staff have their own rating system for their VIP regulars, and owner Keith McNally regularly shares their scene reports from brunch and dinner. Anna Wintour, people hoping to bask in Anna Wintour’s presence" - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman
"A long-standing celebrity magnet whose backstory is being courted by Hollywood after New York City restaurateur Keith McNally’s memoir, I Regret Almost Everything, was optioned by Saturday Night Live creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels; the book could be adapted into a movie or miniseries, a fitting turn for a restaurateur who has made films himself, and McNally has even mentioned preferring Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” over a potential final scene." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Keith McNally’s Balthazar is a French bistro that’s not necessarily a seafood restaurant, but when you see the expanse of the raw bar and a few seafood towers as servers twirl them to their tables, it seems silly not to get one, studded with East Coast and West Coast bivalves, crab, lobster, and littlenecks. Mains include seafood spaghetti, halibut, salmon, and trout." - Melissa McCart
"This over 25-year-old Keith McNally spot is an NYC institution that reimagined what a French brasserie could look, feel, and taste like stateside. Hugely influential for New York dining, Balthazar serves up a great meal at all hours (8 a.m. till midnight most days) in a lively space lined with massive distressed mirrors, dark woods, and red banquettes. From breakfasts that may include eggs Benedict or croissants, to dinners featuring seafood plateaux or steak frites, Balthazar is a New York restaurant icon. Take note that solo diners get the VIP treatment and it’s going to be very busy with the release of McNally’s memoir." - Melissa McCart