BALTHAZAR: AUTHENTIC FRENCH CUISINE IN NEW YORK CITY
If there was ever a classic brasserie, on either side of the Atlantic, Balthazar is it. New York Magazine has called it a “masterpiece, an evocation of a Paris brasserie that out glows anything within brie-tossing distance of the Seine.”
Balthazar is part of a family of excellence. It was opened in 1997 by Keith McNally, who also owns Pastis, Moriandi, Schiller’s Liquor Bar and is working on transforming village landmark Minetta Tavern into a French bistro.
Located in Soho, Balthazar is a great place to go pre or post-shopping. It can get very busy, so if you are the type who doesn’t like a crowd, you may want to check out the late-afternoon lunch.
The inside of the restaurant is very large and packed with tables to accommodate the crowds. Vases containing flower arrangements brighten the room and add a bit of oohh la la, along with red leather banquettes and large mirrors.
The whole atmosphere is so authentic you may forget that you are in New York for a moment and not in an aged brasserie near Sacre Coeur.
The kitchen is run by co-chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr who worked together at Daniel. The menu offers up all the bistro standards and the steak frites and chicken paillard are delicious.
The more adventurous may want to sample the escargots, grilled squid or the chicken liver and foie gras mousse. If you like what you get (you will) then check out their cookbook, which has some of their more popular recipes.
Weekend brunches also draw a big crowd (alcohol is only served after noon on Sundays), as does the bakery which offers everything from pain au raisin to turkey sandwiches.
Or if you’re hungry late night, the restaurant serves a condensed version of its menu from 12.00am-1:30am Fri-Sat and 11pm-12:30am Sun.
80 Spring St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 966-7402a
Enjoy,
Tom Taraci
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