Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar

It would be easy for a restaurant family like Bruce and Eric Bromberg’s Blue Ribbon group—with concepts as disparate as a sushi bar, a brasserie and a bakery—to lose its focus and quality. But judging by its flagship wine bar, it keeps getting the details right. The tiny space’s white-marble-topped bar offers an ideal spot for sipping vino while digging into small plates such as warm, thick toast with luxurious smoked sturgeon. Attentive bartenders offer friendly guidance with the diverse 250-bottle wine list, which has everything from a $600 Saint Emilion to a $33 Greek robola; diners can sample many more-expensive bottles by the glass. With eclecticism this refined, who needs to specialize?